After testing to search the database my biggest question is: Why? and for what use? According to the introduction to the system "The data on Spandan-the bip could be used for scientific analysis ,research and forecasting purposes." I doubt that after looking at the first couple of entries that my search yielded - A cactus from Spain, "Euphorbia" also from Spain or a "tomato" from India. How could these pictures or locality ever be used? I can understand that the database just has started and the quality of entered data may be of poor quality but aren´t there lots of other databases worldwide that should be preferred to yet another one? And also why enter species grown in pots? How can you validate that sighting? -"Lets see the Euphorbia pulcherrima was growing in Spain in a pot. Yes that is OK............"
If the result that is sought for is the "Biodiversity Inventory by People" - not researchers or paid staff , a database like Globaltwitcher ( www.globaltwitcher.com ) is far more detailed and accurate. Data into that database is added by dedicated people who want to keep lists of their sightings, quite often accompanied by photos. If you search that database you can get a good idea of how common a species is by checking the number of people that have seen that or how many localties that species is observed. Of course there will be a strange distribution for some species but generally you get a ground to start from if you are doing research. In Sweden we also have a national biodiversity system http://www.artportalen.se/default.asp (click on the english flag for english text) which is run by the government. There thousands of birdsightings are added since more than 10 years ago and now can be used as a statistic background when looking into decline or invasion of species. The mammal, fish and invertebrate databases have not been up and running for so long but they are slowly starting to gain users. I am not trying to "kill the initiative", it is just that after returning from my India holiday (which I enjoyed very much) ,the Environmenal problems seemed to be so endless and my opinion is that money maybe should be spent on more important things within the country instead of keeping track of potted Euphorbias in Spain. Regards Katarina Stenman biologist, botanist and birdwatcher Sweden On 7 Feb, 12:36, Neha Singh <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello All, > > I m Neha Singh, working in a NGO " World Institute For Nature (WIN)" > (http://worldnatureinstitute.org).Under WIN's wing,a Global Biodiversity > Inventory is in making named as- > *Spandan -the Biodiversity Inventory by People * > (http://www.spandan-bip.org). Anyone, across the globe can share their > biodiversity records on Spandan -the bip .The data on Spandan-the bip could > be used for scientific analysis ,research and forecasting purposes. > For adding the data, only mandatory requirements are - > > 1) Photograph of the species. > 2) Name of the observer. > 3) Locality, where species was observed. > 4)Observation date/ date range. > 5) Common name of the species ( if not known , U can put " flowering > plant"/ "ornamental plant" in the Common name field). > > The experts on the Spandan -the bip then validate the data and add > taxonomical information regarding that. > Experts at Spandan -the bip are researchers, academicians, > naturalists,,botanists ,scientists etc. > > I, as one of the experts, validate the data for spandan-the bip and.the > group's discussion (at eflora of india) helps much. I welcome the group > members of eflora of India to put their plant data on spandan -the bip. U > can also apply as experts on Spandan the bip or can apply for various > honorary positions, available on the WIN website. > > If someone has a shortage of time then I'll gladly put their data, on their > behalf,with their name and copyright on the image, on Spandan -the bip.I > would just need the mandatory information regarding the data. > > Thanks.
