This message came from the CF Trac system. Do not reply. Instead, enter your comments in the CF Trac system at https://cf-pcmdi.llnl.gov/trac/.
#99: Taxon Names and Identifiers -----------------------------+---------------------------------------------- Reporter: lowry | Owner: [email protected] Type: enhancement | Status: new Priority: high | Milestone: Component: cf-conventions | Version: Resolution: | Keywords: -----------------------------+---------------------------------------------- Comment (by jonathan): Dear John I am sure you and Roy know more about the available taxonomic databases. If CF isn't going to provide its own, I think we should be explicit about which ones should be used, and it should be as few as possible. That is because, in the limiting case that every data provider used a different taxonomic database, the datasets would no longer be comparable. You wouldn't know whether Graybeal species number 94308 was the same as Lowry species number 612095, even if they did have the same species name, since the names are not regarded as reliable. So I don't think we ought to leave it open to the data writer to use any database they deem to be acceptable. Ideally we would have only one external authority, but Roy says that is not sufficient, and suggests there are two. To maximise portability of data, I therefore suggested that it be recommended for ''both'' to be used. However, in some cases the species concerned will be in one but not the other. That is when there will be missing data in one of the auxiliary coordinates. For instance: {{{ variables: int aphiaID(taxa); aphiaID:_FillValue=-1; aphiaID:standard_name="taxon_identifier"; int tsn(taxa); tsn:_FillValue=0; tsn:standard_name="taxonomic_serial_number"; data: taxon_name="Homo sapiens", "Fraxinus excelsior", "Struthio camelus"; aphiaID=1,32768,-1; tsn=42,0,7776; }}} In this entirely made-up example, ''F. excelsior'' appears in WoRMS but not ITIS, while ''S. camelus'' is in ITIS but not WoRMS, so there are missing data elements in the auxiliary coordinate variables. I think if both are provided, as recommended, they should be consistent and it is an error if they are not. For example, TSN 42 might actually be ''Pan troglodytes'' rather than ''H. sapiens''. This would be an error. If we just said, "let WoRMS take precedence", the purpose of providing TSN as well would be undermined. If we provide both and they are consistent, software with a preference for one of them can use that one. If they are not guaranteed to be consistent, you would get different results depending on which identifier you use. Best wishes Jonathan -- Ticket URL: <https://cf-pcmdi.llnl.gov/trac/ticket/99#comment:3> CF Metadata <http://cf-pcmdi.llnl.gov/> CF Metadata This message came from the CF Trac system. To unsubscribe, without unsubscribing to the regular cf-metadata list, send a message to "[email protected]" with "unsubscribe cf-metadata" in the body of your message.
