Workpackages of Subproject S04

Workpackage WP04.1

Dr. L. Zedda, Universität Bayreuth Lehrstuhl für Pflanzensystematik NWI, Abt. Mykologie und Lichenologie, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
luciana.zedda@uni-bayreuth.de

Monitoring functional lichen diversity in Southern Africa including development of methods and tools for analyzing structure and dynamics of terricolous and saxicolous lichen communities (S05.3 in the first BIOTA phase)

Short description: This work package is dedicated to the monitoring of lichens forming biological soil crusts. During the pilot phase, it was observed that lichens are usually major components of the later succession stages of biological soil crusts and are therefore of great importance for understanding the future development of earlier resp. pioneer stages of crusts, usually dominated by cyanobacteria, and the degree of human impact influencing the environment. The research focuses therefore on the indicator value of lichens and a long-term monitoring strategy is going to be developed. The aims of the research are as follows.

• Studies of different lichen species with regard to the adaptive value of their morphological and chemical characters to aridity and instable substrates (resp. disturbance).
• Identification of the indicator value of groups or communities of lichens forming biological soil crusts by statistic analyses.
• Identification of pioneer species and communities recolonizing an area after cessation of disturbance.
• Analyses of data for correlation of presence/absence of lichen communities and the presence and development of other organisms (cyanobacteria, algae, non-lichenized fungi, higher plants).
• Development of a long-term monitoring strategy for lichens forming biological soil crusts (soil-growing species and lichens colonizing pebbles).
• Capacity building of local environmental managers and para-ecologists for the long-term monitoring program.

Workpackage WP04.2

Prof. Dr. G. Rambold, Universität Bayreuth Lehrstuhl für Pflanzensystematik NWI, Abt. Mykologie und Lichenologie, Universitätsstraße 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
gerhard.rambold@uni-bayreuth.de

Establishment of an advanced integrated Java-based database client for platform-independent biodiversity data processing and its application for general usage within the BIOTA projects

Short description: Work package 2 is devoted to the design of an advanced Java-based database client to process the biodiversity data gathered in this project together with data gained in the context of other studies. At the end of the main phase this client could be used as a universal tool for the data management of diverse taxonomic groups and therewith is of general advantage for data processing in other BIOTA projects and associated initiatives (e.g. GBIF) as well. As this database client works platform independent and does not need local installation of expensive and complex software, it is well appropriate for the usage in biodiversity research projects in developing countries. The prototype of the Java client Diversity Navigator has to be upgraded to fulfil additional tasks and to be applicable for its general usage within other BIOTA projects. In this context, the following modules and interfaces have to be developed or extended:

• At the moment, data transfer from a DiversityCollection database for further processing by GIS is only possible using the Diversity Navigator's report function. The same applies for processing by statistic programs like the "R Project for Statistical Computing" which appears to be the best open source option for an Internet-based data generation and visualisation. In this context, the integration of new query options and report functions is considered.
• Module for data transfer between PostgreSQL- und SQL Server- or Access/Jet-based DiversityCollection databases. This module is essential for participants of other BIOTA subprojects to transfer collection or observational data (actually stored in databases based on rela-tively simple models) into more sophisticated and modularized Diversity Workbench data-base components and to take advantage of the features of the client software.
• Client data form for DiversityReferences-compatible PostgreSQL database (only with a sub-set of data fields).
• Version updates of DiversityChecklists and DiversityCollection client data forms.
• Data form for an extended database version with BIOTA metadata.
• Transfer of collection and observation data from databases in Workbench-compatible databases and the provision of PostgreSQL Diversity Workbench databases as a service to other BIOTA Africa projects.
• Replacement of the initial direct SQL/JDBC access by an approach with an interposed mid-dleware.
• Establishing interoperability of the PostgreSQL databases DiversityTaxonomy und DiversityCollection with the sequence database ARB (open source) for connecting collection data with sequence data.

finished Workpackages of Subproject S04

Workpackage WP04.3

Monitoring functional lichen diversity in Southern Africa including development of methods and tools for analyzing structure and dynamics of terricolous and saxicolous lichen communities (S05.3 in the first BIOTA phase)

Short description: Lichens forming biological soil crusts have been poorly investigated before the pilot phase of BIOTA in Southern Africa. Only few studies with a taxonomic focus exist and vegetation studies were exclusively carried out in the Namib desert. A new investigation approach was developed during the pilot phase of BIOTA, based on the use of digital imaging and was hitherto not applied for studies of biological soil crusts (www.mycology.uni-bayreuth.de). Research in field was carried out by studying lichen diversity along the transect and lichen communities growing on soil. A first elaboration of the general lichen diversity at the observatories could already be achieved. Preliminary analyses of data indicate a clear diversity gradient which can be correlated with the climate gradient as well as with the intensity of man-made disturbance along the transect. Collection data were input in the DiversityCollection database. Descriptive data on identified lichen species are input in the DiversityDescription database, created with a selection of 72 diagnostic characters from the LIAS database. Vegetation relevés of lichen communities forming biological soil crusts were carried out by taking digital images of sampling plots with help of an aluminium frame construction, constructed at the University of Bayreuth. Images are elaborated with the program e-cognition.

Workpackage WP04.4

Development of an advanced integrated Java-based database client for platform-independent biodiversity data processing.

Short description: In the pilot phase, work package 2 focussed on the development of basic structures for an ad-vanced integrated open source software for maintaining, interrogating and analysing biodiversity data. Important steps of the software engineering were the following:

• the development of special PostgreSQL databases for biodiversity data ;
• the elaboration of data exchange formats as well as the development of Java class libraries for data conversion, import and export;
• the de-sign of a prototype of a database client, named DiversityNavigator ; and
• the installation of an experimental network with Workbench-PostgreSQL databases distributed on two Linux servers for technical tests.

Workpackage WP04.5

Optimization of the LIAS input forms and interfaces for documentation of descriptive lichen characters in desert regions.

Short description: In the pilot phase of the project, a set of 72 diagnostically relevant characters were selected from the complete LIAS register with ca. 800 characters. All taxa that were recorded from observatories in context with activities of subproject S04 were characterized according to these features and the descriptive data of the (preliminarily) determined taxa entered into the Diversity Workbench database component DiversityDescriptions.