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About NLBIF
NLBIF is the Dutch national node of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). GBIF aims to register all specimens in botanical, paleontological and zoological collections around the world, and make this information freely available on the Web.
If you are in the Netherlands and maintain a biodiversity database, you can link it to the GBIF network to make your data globally accessible. NLBIF will provide you with support and free tools to easily connect your database up to the GBIF network. See the Data providers section for details!
Please contact the NLBIF coordinator for further information.
Objectives and tasks
The objectives of the Netherlands national GBIF node (NLBIF) are to:
The primary tasks of NLBIF are to:
Brief history
| 2004 | |
| March | Several new NLBIF-ETI projects started, to be completed at the end of 2004 (see project page); |
| March | All 151 3D images of bird type specimens of the ZMA on-line; |
| Feb. 6 | Several new Species Banks on-line: Macrobenthos of the North Sea |
| Jan. 14 | NLBIF information day: "Biodiversity Information in the Netherlands", attended by GBIF Official L. Speers and 50 people from Dutch institutes involved in gathering biodiversity data. Discussion on (dis-)advantages of free access to collection and/or observation data; |
| 2003 | |
| Dec. 19 | First 44,000 records on Zoological collections (ZMA) provided to GBIF; |
| Dec. 4 | New Species Bank published on NLBIF website: Indo-Malayan reef Corals; |
| Oct. | Resume inventory biodiversity information in the Netherlands (metadatabase); |
| Oct. 20 | New website NLBIF launched, including 3 on-line Species Banks: European butterflies, insects, and limnofauna; |
| Oct. 6-9 | GBIF-GB7 Meeting and GBIF-NODES4 Meeting in Tsukuba, Japan, with Netherlands participation of OC&W, ZMA and NLBIF; |
| Sept. 15 | Appointment of a new official NLBIF Coordinator (T. van Andel); |
| Sept. 1 | Resignation of NLBIF Coordinator Kappelle; |
| Apr. 28 | GBIF-GB6 Meeting and GBIF-NODES3 Meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark; |
| Apr. 01 | Appointment of the new official NLBIF Coordinator (M. Kappelle); |
| Feb. 25-28 | GBIF-NODES2 Meeting at BMNH in London, UK, with Netherlands participation of: NLBIF and ETI; |
| Feb. | Meetings of the NLBIF Coordinator and Board Secretary with OC&W in Zoetermeer; Informative meetings of the NLBIF Coordinator with NLBIF Board Members from NHN and NNM, Leiden; |
| 2002 | |
| Oct. 09-11 | GBIF-GB5 Meeting and GBIF-NODES1 Meeting (previously: PANOC Meeting) at INBio in Heredia, Costa Rica, with Netherlands participation of: OC&W and ZMA; GBIF Secretariat's Work Programme approved; |
| Sept. 9 | Legal establishment (incl. approval of Statutes) of the NLBIF Foundation (Foundation GBIF Knowledge-node) as the Netherlands National GBIF Node, based at UvA; |
| Aug. 21 | 1st GB Meeting of NLBIF at UvA in Amsterdam and initiation of the involvement of NIOO-KNAW and VOFF in NLBIF; |
| Jun. 06 | 3rd Meeting of the NLBIF Working Group (KBG) at OC&W, Zoetermeer; |
| Apr. 23 | Letter of the Minister of OC&W to Parliament (Tweede Kamer), informing on the Establishment of the NLBIF Foundation ("voorhang procedure"), in accordance with the signed MoU-GBIF; |
| Mar. 14 | Netherlands preparation meeting for the GBIF-GB4 Meeting, with participation of: CBS-KNAW, ETI, OC&W, NHN, NWO and ZMA, at OC&W, Zoetermeer; |
| Mar. 07 | Netherlands node for GBIF launched: Publication of the OC&W-NWO-UvA cooperation agreement (covenant) in the official governmental journal Staatscourant 47 and presentation of the concept business plan "GBIF in the Netherlands" as a set of initial guidelines prepared by UvA and ETI; |
| Feb. 28 | Cooperation agreement (covenant) signed among OC&W, NWO and UvA; |
| Feb. 26 | 1st Meeting of the NLBIF Working Group (KBG) at CBS-KNAW, Utrecht; |
| Jan. 23 | Workshop on the issue of a Netherlands GBIF Node, held at NWO, the Hague; |
| 2001 | |
| Dec. 10 | Appointment of a NLBIF Project Manager based at ETI, Amsterdam (P. Geerders); |
| Nov. 14 | Initial discussion meeting among stakeholders (CBS-KNAW, ETI, NHN, NNM, NWO, OC&W, UvA and ZMA) gathered in a Working Group (NLBIF Working Group [KBG]), dealing with the issue of establishing a Netherlands National GBIF Node; |
| Oct. 05 | Decision on funding (subsidy) by OC&W to establish the Netherlands GBIF Node; |
| Jun. 15-17 | GBIF-GB2 Meeting in Bonn, Germany; Netherlands participation: OC&W and ZMA; Denmark (Copenhagen) chosen to host the GBIF Secretariat; OC&W and NLBIF supported election of Wouter Los, ZMA, as the Vice-Chair of the GBIF Science Committee; |
| Mar. 09-11 | GBIF-GB1 Meeting in Montréal, Canada; Netherlands participation: OC&W and ZMA; |
| Mar. 01 | Start of 5 year implementation period of MoU-GBIF in the Netherlands; |
| Feb. | Netherlands bid to host the GBIF Secretariat in Amsterdam presented to GBIF-GB; |
| Feb. 16 | MoU-GBIF signed by OC&W in the Netherlands; |
| 2000 | |
| Several meetings of the GBIF Interim Steering Committee in Copenhagen; GBIF Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) opened for signature by countries; | |
| 1999 | |
| Sep. | 1st Meeting of the GBIF Interim Steering Committee; |
| Jan. | Presentation of the Biodiversity Informatics Subgroup's Report to the OECD as part of the Report from the Working Group on Biological Informatics, recommending the establishment of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) as the international mechanism needed to make biodiversity data and information openly accessible worldwide; |
| 1996 | |
| Establishment of the Working Group on Biological Informatics and the Biodiversity Informatics Subgroup at the OECD Megascience Forum (MSC); |
Organisational structure
NLBIF board
Prof. dr. W. Hoogland (Chairman)
University of Amsterdam
FNWI
Kruislaan 404
1098 SJ Amsterdam
Prof. dr. P. Baas (Vice-chairman)
National Herbarium of the Netherlands
Postbox 9514
2300 RA LEIDEN
Dr. J. Van Tol (Treasurer)
National Museum of Natural History Naturalis
Postbox 9517
2300 RA Leiden
Dr. S. Turnhout (Member)
Association for Flora and Fauna Research (VOFF)
Toernooiveld 1
6525 ED Nijmegen
Prof. dr. S.B.J. Menken (Member)
University of Amsterdam
FNWI – IBED
Kruislaan 318
1098 SM Amsterdam
Dr. J.A.J.M. Stalpers (Member)
Centraal Bureau voor Schimmelcultures
Postbox 85167
3508 AD Utrecht
Dr. W.M. Mooij (Member)
(NIOO-KNAW-CL) Centre for Limnology
Rijksstraatweg 6
3631 AC Nieuwersluis
What is GBIF?
The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is an international organisation working to make the world's biodiversity data accessible anywhere in the world.
GBIF's members include countries and international organisations who have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that they will share biodiversity data and contribute to the development of increasingly effective mechanisms for making those data available via the Internet.
Why is GBIF needed?
Good managers of natural resources and policy-makers know that their best decisions are based on results from the most accurate scientific analyses. Such analyses are based on solid, documentable data that have been recorded directly from the observation of nature. Such records are called 'primary' data.
Biodiversity is a handy, one-word name for all the species on the Earth, the genetic variety they possess, and the ecological systems in which they participate. Another way of thinking about biodiversity is as the 'living resources' portion of 'natural resources'. A large part of the primary data on biodiversity are the 1.5 - 2.0 billion specimens held in natural history collections, as well as many geographical and ecological observations recorded by various means and stored in various media.
In making living resource policy and management choices, decision-makers are often forced to rely on analyses that are not based on primary data. This is because the world's store of primary data about biodiversity is not at present readily and easily accessible.
Future generations depend on the efforts made today to develop methods for sustainably using biodiversity. One very important part of the solution is rapidly, openly and freely delivering primary data about biodiversity to everyone in the global community, using digital technologies. Another part is ensuring that the primary data being collected today are stored in such a way that they will remain accessible to future generations.
Global communication has expanded remarkably since the inception of the Internet. Technical advances have made distribution of data from major centres to remote parts of the world possible, if those data are in digital form.
Biodiversity is found around the world - there are micro-organisms between granules of rock 3 km below the Earth's surface, rootless plants in the Atacama Desert, thousands of species of beetles in a single rainforest tree. However, biodiversity is not distributed evenly across the face of the planet. An estimated 75% of all species are found in the developing world.
Information about biodiversity (natural history collections, library materials, databases) likewise is not distributed evenly around the globe. Three-quarters or more of data about biodiversity are stored in the developed world. However, most of the data that may be needed can't be transferred because either they are not digitised, or capacity to handle digital information is lacking, or both.
Facilitating digitisation and global dissemination of primary biodiversity data, so that people from all countries can benefit from the use of the information, is the mission of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).
Internet site, 'webportal' and interoperability
In 2007, the prototype of the NLBIF web portal will be developed into a functional service portal that offers access in a dynamic way to a broad scale of biodiversity information data sources from several disciplines. The activities exists from the following developments and implementations:
Disclosure of biodiversity databases
GBIF will stand or fall with the linking of as many biodiversity data as possible; the more data that comes available, the better GBIF can offer possibilities to the users of biodiversity data. This is the reason NLBIF strives for a continuing increase of the number of files linked to GBIF.
Also in 2007, by means of a "call for proposals", there will be the possibility to receive support from NLBIF to link files to the GBIF-network. NLBIF itself continuously approaches important data suppliers in the Netherlands. In 2007 NLBIF strives for a doubling of the number of Dutch records in GBIF. In 2007, attention will be given to:
NWO-large project
The NWO-project 'Building the databases or Life' of the consortium Zoological Museum Amsterdam, National Herbarium of the Netherlands, National History Museum Naturalis and the Centraal Bureau voor Schimmelcultures resulted in a large number of new digitised databases with location information. These files will all be coupled to the Gbif-network in the middle of 2007 and accessible by means of the NLBIF portal.
Species banks and web-based taxonomy
Speciesbanks are taxonomical organised information systems, which offer detailed information at the species level.
Speciesbanks incorporate information from a lot of biological disciplines as a result of which complex information systems arise with a very broad applicability. Identification information, biogeografical information and molecular genetic data for example are part of it. In 2007, the attention will go out especially to:
Concerning web-based taxonomy the activities will exist from:
Development and innovation
Data suppliers and users have a need for applications to present and analyse data in which files can be directly validated and visualised. The new NLBIF web portal offers a broad use of the offered information and beside 'search & select' possibilities, several applications for visualisation and analysis will be included. In 2007, priority will be given to:
Metadatabases (extention)
The for NLBIF relevant metadata are core data concerning biodiversity information records, organisations managing or generating biodiversity data or aout organisations and persons with specific knowledge in the field of bio-diversity. The metadatabase records therefore the capacity of the Netherlands in the field of biodiversity information and knowledge. The metadatabase forms a substantial and structural component of the NLBIF Internet site. NLBIF want to make the metadatabase structure and protocols available to third parties, for this reason an 'empty' version with documentation will be developed which can be spread by means of GBIF. The data model and protocol will be introduced in TDWG. In 2007, there will be further development of:
How can NLBIF become a national platform for the sharing of biodiversity data, information and know-how available in The Netherlands?
A vast number of biological collections are spread over museums, universities, zoos, botanical gardens, research institutions and other organisations. Ideally, a simple method should provide information about which collections exist, what they contain, how they can be accessed and who should be contacted for information. The NLBIF metadatabase, which stores information about organisations, collections and persons, was developed for this specific goal.
The metadatabase was originally created as a National Node Input Tool (NoDIT) database for the European 
BioCASE project. Based on the experience with the NoDIT database, in 2006 a brand new database was developed by ETI for this web portal, based on a schema compatible with the emerging NCD standard.
Visitors of the NLBIF portal can access the metadata by either searching or browsing. Both options are accessed from the search page. Organisations, collections and specialists in the metadatabase can be browsed by clicking the Browse all organisations, Browse all collections or Browse all specialists links. Organisations, collections and specialists can be searched by name, e.g. by searching for 'museum'. Organisations can also be found through a geographical search. To do so, switch to Search by location and e.g. select 'Rotterdam' from the list of municipalities or draw a square over the map.
Gathering and updating information about existing natural collections is a time-consuming process and often requires direct contact with collection owners. Inventories are generally done on a regional or national level. A survey conducted several years ago forms the basis for the current NLBIF metadatabase. However, to keep the information up-to-date, we ask for your collaboration.
If you have supplements or remarks, please contact the NLBIF coordinator.
As from end 2005 NLBIF publishes a "biodiversity newspaper" (Biodiversiteitskrant; in Dutch only). This newspaper informs concerning the activities and results of NLBIF (and GBIF) and the relevance of these activities for science and society.
The "biodiversity newspaper" is part of the NLBIF-campagne to bring under attention the importance of initiatives such as GBIF and NLBIF among scientists, policy makers, politicians and the media. The "biodiversity newspaper" is also published in a pressed form. Send a message to the NLBIF-coordinator if you want be placed for this on the mailinglist.
3rd quarter 2006
2nd quarter 2006
4th quarter 2005
Dutch data providers
Except for waarneming.nl, all Dutch data providers have been linked via GBIF. The individual databases are listed under Databases linked to GBIF. Please read on for more information on how to become a GBIF data provider. Also see Database wrappers.
Connecting data to GBIF
Dutch organisations or persons who have biodiversity data to share can become data providers for NLBIF. NLBIF is the Dutch participant node in GBIF. This document aims to provide short guidelines for the required steps to become a Dutch data provider.
Webservices and NLBIF webportal
Data will be accessible through the NLBIF website (webportal) and partly as a webservice in the GBIF network. The latter means that web applications that follow certain standards and protocols will be able to use the data independently from the data provider and that data can be searched in combined data sources through the web. Specimen and observation data will become part of the network using DiGIR or PyWrapper wrappers, but NLBIF is also looking for special solutions to connect biodiversity data that are not specimen or observation records.
Required steps
1. Determine which data sets you can provide in structured electronic form (like a database) and whether these data sets contain specimen data, observation data, species data or other biodiversity data. The data also need to be maintained.
2. Determine which data may be available for public use. GBIF has decided to make all data in the network publicly available (this may change in the future). There will be no user restrictions like password protection for data, to avoid extra complexity. Data that should not be available for public usage should not be provided. For example: do not provide exact information about locations of endangered species that can be of use for hunters or illegal traders. Sometimes such data can be provided by using a less fine-grained scale.
3. Agree with the GBIF Data Sharing Agreement (see www.gbif.org).
4. Information about the data sets (metadata) should be sent to NLBIF and will be kept in a central metadatabase. The minimum metadata you need are the required data for DiGIR and for the BioCASE NoDIT database. This includes for instance a unique code for your dataset and for your organisation, and a last modified date. Please contact NLBIF for details.
5. If your datasets contain specimen or observation data, check if you can make them available in one of the following database formats:
If this is the case, you can maintain your own data node that uses the standard DiGIR provider software. In all other cases, please contact NLBIF. NLBIF can also provide data storage space for your datasets.
6. For a data node as mentioned in step 4 you can provide your data on the www using DiGIR with Darwin Core schema, or Pywrapper with ABCD schema. Using the software requires a dedicated Windows or Unix webserver. See http://www.gbif.org/DataProviders/HowTo for details.
7. To use your data source, you need to map the data fields you want to publish 1:1 to DarwinCore or ABCD Schema elements (the software does not contain translator functions) For this you probably need to create a view (if your database supports this) for some of the fields or a separate database with the needed fields. We recommend to use a separate database in MySQL with only the records and fields needed for publication. For example: your database contains separate fields for genus and species name but no full scientific name. To map to the DarwinCore schema, you then need to create a table that contains the genus and species name combined in one field. NLBIF can provide assistance with conversions.
8. Register your data node in the GBIF UDDI registry using a perl script that is provided in the GBIF DiGIR distribution or by contacting GBIF. Note: deleting or editing your registration is not yet possible, contact GBIF if you need any changes.
9. In case you want a custom search interface on your dataset, please contact NLBIF. NLBIF is developing several web modules for this purpose that will be used for collections like those from ZMA and NHN.
NLBIF documents
 | NLBIF work plan 2007 (in Dutch) [619 KB] |
 | The role of GBIF and NLBIF (in Dutch) [4.0 MB] |
| Annual report 2005 (in Dutch) [275 KB] |
Workshops/symposia
NWO Groot
| Programma minisymposium “NWO-groot”, “van handwerk naar toepassing” [190 KB] |
| Building the Database of Life, Harry ten Hove, UvA [337 KB] |
| Using herbarium collection data for biodiversity assessment, Paddy Haripersaud & Hans ter Steege [1.1 MB] |
| Analysis of digital plant specimen data: the example of Gabon, Jan J. Wieringa [7.3 MB] |
| GBIF and NLBIF, de stand van zaken januari 2006, C. Hof [1.1 MB] |
| MarBEF Data Management, Lessen geleerd uit data integratie, Van den Berghe [2.0 MB] |
| EcoGrid: van veldobservatie naar ruimtelijk inzicht, Willem Bouten [7.9 MB] |
| Insectenwaarnemingen van collectie tot rode lijst, Roy Kleukers [3.7 MB] |
| Modeling Species Distributions with Herbarium Records, Niels Raes [2.2 MB] |
| Data integration and analyses: a challenge for culture collections, Vincent Robert [4.2 MB] |
GBIF
| Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Larry Speers [7.1 MB] |
| Uses of primary species occurrence data, Arthur D. Chapman [1.5 MB] |
| Principles of Data Quality, Arthur D. Chapman [643 KB] |
| Principles and Methods of Data Cleaning, primary species and species-occurrence data, Arthur D. Chapman [1.8 MB] |
| Guide to Best Practices for Georeferencing [2.0 MB] |
| What is DiGIR? What is ABCD? Wouter Addink [740 KB] |
Other
| Natuurbalans 2006, Milieu-en Natuurplanbureau [9.9 MB] |
| Species Banks, a GBIF mechanism to provide electronic access to quality species information [616 KB] |
Please contact us with any questions or comments about NLBIF or feedback about this web site!
Contact person: | Cees H.J. Hof, PhD NLBIF Node Manager |
Visiting address: | Netherlands Biodiversity Information Facility (NLBIF) Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam IBED, room C4.169 Science Park 904 1098 XH Amsterdam The Netherlands |
Postal address: | P.O.Box 93102 1090 BC Amsterdam |
Telephone: | +31-20-525 5496 |
Web: | http://www.nlbif.nl |
Email: | |
Webmaster: |
NLBIF - UvA joint PhD / MSc Summer Course "Modeling and Mapping Species Distributions"
Wed, 13 Apr 2011
A joint University of Amsterdam, NLBIF and LifeWatch Summer Course on Geo-ecological Data Analysis is now open for (pre)registration.
The increasing availability of high quality occurrence and abundance data at the species level accompanied by many environmental data layers has boosted the developments in species distribution modeling (SDM). As a result, there are nowadays numerous data-driven modeling tools available for enhancing understanding of ecological systems or generating predictions, which has however not made life easier for most young researchers. This course aims at introducing the students to the fundamental research questions, to important model assumptions and to several basic data analysis steps. In addition, the most important techniques are introduced to make geo-ecological data accessible in a database and analyze it with appropriate modeling procedures. This course uses the book 'Mapping species distributions - Spatial inference and prediction' by Janet Franklin (2009, Cambridge university press) as a theoretical basis. The focus is on selecting data, understanding data processing and analysis steps for diverse taxa and work-flows for interpreting model results, rather than computer skills. Notwithstanding this emphasis, a number of software tools are used and explained, such as GIS software to process environmental and species occurrence data and the R environment for SDM. The course combines short lectures with participant discussions and predominantly hands-on (computer)work. Preferably data and problems brought in by participants will be analyzed, but also extraction and use of data from GBIF will be demonstrated. The course is coordinated by Emiel van Loon (Computational Geo-Ecology, UvA) and Cees Hof (the coordinator of NLBIF) and brings in international expertise in different fields. For details and registration visit the info page and download the registration form. Students and researchers working with GBIF data(sets) are particularly invited to participate.
Dates: 21-24 June 2011, place: Amsterdam.
Deadline for application: 1st of May.
NLBIF searches candidates for GBIF Young Researchers Awards
Wed, 21 Jul 2010
NLBIF searches talented PhD and MSc students in the field of biodiversity informatics. Graduate and PhD students using the (new) possibilities of international (GBIF) datasharing in combination with novelty ICT applications to address scientific and societal biodiversity problems, can be nominated for the GBIF Young Researchers Award. This stimulation award, one for PhD students and one for MSc students, enables the selected candidates to invest up to 4000 euro in their own research program. For more information please visit the GBIF website and download the call for proposals. Applications should be submitted through the NLBIF secretariat. As a GBIF member state The Netherlands can nominate two candidates, in the case of more applicants a selection shall be made by an ad hoc committee. Interested candidates should mail their application before September the 15th. For more information please contact the NLBIF Node manager.
Living with biodiversity: people, knowledge, politics
Thu, 24 Jun 2010
NLBIF cooperates more and more with organisations and institutes investigating the relevance of biodivesity data for science and society. The progress of international biodiversity networks such as GBIF very much depends on the social dynamics within this network and the interaction of the network with the outside world. NLBIF therefore uses its communication channels to announce the international symposium Living with Biodiversity: People, Knowledge, Politics.
Date: Wednesday 22 – Thursday 23 September 2010
Place: NCB-Naturalis, The Dutch Natural History Museum, Leiden, The Netherlands
For more information and registration please visit the symposium's info site.
NLBIF - UvA joint Summer Course on Geo-ecological Data Analysis open for registration
Tue, 13 Apr 2010
info page and download the registration form. Students and researchers working with GBIF data(sets) are particularly invited to participate.Dates: 12-16 July 2010, place: Amsterdam.
GBIF Secretariat launches ‘Content Needs Assessment Survey’
Tue, 19 May 2009
GBIF Secretariat launches ‘Content Needs Assessment Survey’.
Through this announcement we request stakeholders and users of primary biodiversity data to participate in the Survey. The objective of this survey is to assess the user needs for primary biodiversity data. The major purpose of this exercise is to identify the gaps in biodiversity data presently accessible through GBIF, and make recommendations on data mobilisation strategies to bridge the gap between data needs and data access. The ultimate goal is to provide guidance to GBIF and its network of 'data publishers', in order to improve fitness-for-use and utility of GBIF mediated data.
The Survey will be open for respondents until 12th June 2009.
Please click on the link below to see details of the survey announcement in English, Spanish and French.
PROTAbase connected
Tue, 9 Sep 2008
African plant species through the NLBIF portal: PROTAbase connected.
Plant Resources of Tropical Africa (PROTA) is an international, not-for-profit foundation. It intends to synthesize the dispersed information on the approximately 7,000 useful plants of Tropical Africa and to provide wide access to the information through Webdatabases, Books, CD-Rom’s and Special Products. The direct target groups for the PROTA information are the decision-makers in government, private sector, research, education and rural development, whose decisions affect millions of people depending for their livelihood on the plant resources. The objectives of PROTA are to bring the published information, now accessible to the resourceful happy few, into the public domain. This will contribute to greater awareness and sustained use of the ‘world heritage of African useful plants’, with due respect for traditional knowledge and intellectual property rights.
The information on hundreds of useful plants of tropical Africa that PROTA has assembled, is stored in PROTAbase, hosted by Wageningen University and Research Center. PROTAbase is now connected to the NLBIF biodiversity Portal. Images, descriptions, common names.... all these PROTAbase fields will be queried when using the search options of the NLBIF portal. The connection of PROTAbase to the NLBIF portal is part of NLBIF's mission not only to provide central access to primary biodiversity data (which specieswhere and when) available in the Netherlands, but also to quality resources with secondary biodiversity information (images, descriptions, economic value, etc).
Towards a Dutch national Life Watch network
Fri, 9 May 2008
Scientific meeting and discussion, 10th of June 2008, Amsterdam.
Life Watch is a new instrument for biodiversity research. This European large-scale research infrastructure creates a virtual environment for the processing, integration and analysis of biodiversity data for scientific and societal use. Life Watch will be constructed as a distributed network of databases, research facilities and service centers in the different participating European member states.
National Life Watch networks play a pivotal role in the preparation and establishment of the overall Life Watch network. Not just to improve the exchange of information, but also to organize the national Life Watch components and to set priorities for the future functionalities of the Life Watch infrastructure. Cooperation at the national level also improves the possibilities to acquire funding for the actual preparation, construction and use of the Life Watch infrastructure.
The first Dutch Life Watch network meeting will take place on Tuesday the 10th of June at the “Trippenhuis” of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in Amsterdam. The meeting is open to all interested parties, registration is required.
The meeting consists of a Scientific session with several expert presentations and also provides the opportunity to discus the national research agenda as well as the organization of a national network. The organizing committee expects that this initial meeting will generate a team of enthusiastic individuals willing to carry and develop the Dutch national Life Watch network.
On-line registration is possible at:
Download the programme. The main language will be English.
Download the White Papers that serve as a base for the discussions at this meeting.
If you are not able to join this meeting but you do want to participate in the construction of the Dutch Life Watch network, then please make use of the Expression of Interest form.
Members of the organizing committee:
Prof. dr. J. Bakker
Prof. dr. W. Bouten
Dr. J. Dijkhof
Prof. dr. J. van Groenendael
Prof. dr. C. Heip
Dr. C. Hof
Prof. dr. L. Kriegsman
Drs. W. Los
Prof. dr. H. Siepel / Dr. L. Braat
Dutch plant names linked to NLBIF portal
Fri, 4 May 2007
Dutch and Flemish popular names of some 600 different species of plants can now be found through this NLBIF biodiversity portal. These names have been made available by linking the unique Databank Plantennamen in de Nederlandse Dialecten (Database of Plant Names in Dutch Dialects, or PLAND). This database is maintained by the Meertens Instituut of the Netherlands Royal Academy of Sciences.
In total, the PLAND database contains nearly 20,000 Dutch-language plant names, both commonly used names as well as names particular to certain regions. PLAND is based on data from monographical, oral and written sources dating back to as early as the mid-19th century. For each plant species, PLAND presents a map showing the geographical distribution of the 11 most commonly used names and a glossary of dialect names, including sources, dates and localisation. PLAND also offers illustrations and a link to secondary linguistic literature.
Internationally, PLAND is one of the largest online collections of regional species names and is continually updated. In the future, NLBIF plans to expand its biodiversity portal with regional animal names as well.
PLAND database (Dutch)
Observations in conservation areas
Thu, 3 May 2007
The list of conservation areas in which to search for observations of species has been expanded. Besides areas of Natuurmonumenten, you can now also search for observations in areas maintained by Staatsbosbeheer and Landschap Noord-Holland.
Curious? Go to Search by location and choose an area from the list of conservation areas. You can also search for observations within the limits of municipalities!
More multimedia per species
Tue, 3 Apr 2007
Besides Soortenbank.nl, Flickr.com en Yahoo! images, the NLBIF biodiversity data portal now also searches the database of Waarneming.nl for images. This means many additional photographs for Dutch species on the detail pages!
