Biological Information Management and Delivery Subactivity The Central Southwest/Gulf Coast Node (Texas) focuses on the biodiversity aspects of sustainable development issues within the central southwest and the Gulf Coast through research into the applications of new spatial digital data analysis and visualization techniques ($1,000,000). The Southern Appalachian Node (Tennessee) provides information on the dynamics of biodiversity in a rapidly changing environment, including productivity and distribution of forest species, shifts in the abundance and distribution of wildlife, and changes in ecosystems. This node also proactively involves communities and schools (K-university) in documenting information and data sets, as well as helping to focus node resources in ways that best assist the community and region ($1,000,000). The Pacific Northwest Node (Washington) offers information to evaluate strategies and to understand forest resource management issues in Pacific Northwest forest ecosystems. In FY 2002, the State of Washington became an active participant with a special emphasis on salmon management issues and challenges ($200,000). The Knowledge Integration Node (Ohio) provides technology and information science capabilities, including knowledge integration and engineering, information gateway expertise, and education/communication offerings aligned with the needs of targeted constituencies ($250,000). The Bird Conservation Node (Maryland) helps to implement the North American Bird The Network Standards and Technology Node (Colorado) provides an integrating The Fisheries Node (Pennsylvania) provides fisheries and other aquatic resources information in a single location for everything from the latest research to real-time streamflow data to fishing statistics and species profiles. Currently, the Fisheries Node provides this information on the States of Virginia and Pennsylvania with a goal of providing this information on all States ($400,000). The California/Southwest Ecosystems Node (California) supports information systems addressing interagency biodiversity and watershed assessments in California, the Pacific Coast, and Southwestern desert ecosystems ($200,000). The Northem Rocky Mountains Ecosystems Node (Montana) supports natural resource management decisions by providing scientific information about wildlife and its relationship to habitat, human activities and ecosystem processes in the Greater Yellowstone area ($150,000). 303 Biological Research Also in FY 2002, Congress provided an additional $1.0 million to expand the Southem The NBII engaged in prototype efforts to initiate nodes in the Arid Southwest (New Mexico and Arizona), focusing on arid ecosystems; and in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, focusing on urban biodiversity. These nodes provide increased access to and integration of biological data and information for specific issues (such as invasive species or migratory birds) and (or) specific ecosystems or geographic regions. Each node is developed and operated by a consortium of public and private partners working together in the region. The nodes supply a national, integrated network for biological information. Gap Analysis - (estimates for FY 2001, $3.0 million; FY 2002, $3.0 million; FY 2003, $3.0 million - Total funding for GAP Analysis is $6.9 million of which $3.9 is included in Biological Research and Monitoring and $3.0 million is included in Biological Information Management and Delivery) - The Gap Analysis Program (GAP) is a scientific method of identifying the degree to which native animal and plant species are represented in the presentday mix of conservation lands (those species not adequately represented constitute conservation "gaps"). GAP provides broad geographic information on the status of species and their habitats. In FY 2002, the program continues key projects around the Country focused on the characterization and analysis of aquatic resources. These projects complement GAP's ongoing emphasis on terrestrial resources and allow a more complete understanding of biological diversity. In addition, progress continues on the development of digital databases describing Statewide land-cover assemblages, vertebrate distributions, and characterizations of land stewardship for most of the Country. The current emphasis of the program is on completing terrestrial and aquatic projects at the State level, updating regions within the Country with state-of-the-art methods and technologies, and developing partnerships with data users to facilitate use of GAP information in land management decisions. In addition, a scientific advisory committee convened to review standards and processes that emerged from state aquatic projects. See the GAP Analysis discussion under Biological Research and Monitoring for additional information on the status of the program. Technology Development and Transfer - The USGS identifies, adapts, develops, and distributes technologies to enhance the access, collection, and use of biological data and information. These technologies include geographic information systems, remote sensing, global positioning systems, decision support systems, scientific visualization, and computer modeling and simulation tools. Information Transfer - Information transfer is an integral component of the USGS. Information is distributed electronically through the NBII and other special services such as "Fax on Demand." Information is also distributed through USGS libraries and publications programs and through other outreach activities such as conference exhibits and fact sheets. Publications Program - The publications program provides information to customers and partners at local, regional, and national levels. The publications program assists in shaping the field of scientific literature, such as journals. This is done through partnerships with publishers and participating in professional scientific information communities. The publications program, 304 Biological Information Management and Delivery Subactivity through the NBII, promotes the development and collection of citations for scientific information products. These tools assist USGS researchers and publishers in documenting their research and inventory. Geospatial Projects - Geospatial projects address the use and application of geographic information systems, remote sensing technologies, global positioning systems, image processing, and telemetry. This program provides strategies and methodologies to meet national goals and plans relating to geospatial data development and management. In this effort, USGS provides guidance to researchers for sharing expertise and information and assistance to users through specialized training. Recent Accomplishments National Biological Information Infrastructure – The NBII program (http://www.nbii.gov) makes biological databases and information products broadly accessible over the Internet. This includes biological data and information resulting from USGS research and monitoring, as well as data and information collected and maintained by other agencies and organizations. The USGS worked with partner agencies and organizations to significantly enhance the NBII in FY 2001 by. Developing a unique, Intelligent WWW search agent especially designed to access (http://www.nbii.gov/search/biobot) and has increased and improved search capabilities Collaborating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Invasive Species Redesigning the NBII Metadata Clearinghouse (http://metadata.nbii.gov) by adding new geospatial data searching capabilities, redesigning the user-interface, and taking advantage of NASA, DOE, and other Federal agency clearinghouse functionalities. Metadata is information about a particular data set. Metadata tells users what they need to know to use a data set appropriately, and it allows users to search, retrieve, and evaluate data sets of interest. • Continuing development of the NBII network of nodes. Regional nodes exist in six geographic regions of the Country, with a seventh currently being established. Thematic nodes exist for two broad-based themes warranting national coverage not specific to a limited geographic footprint. Two infrastructure nodes are also being developed. Collaborating with other DOI bureaus such as the National Park Service, as well as nongovemment organizations to bring online specialized data and information collected by those organizations. Through the NBII, these data sets and information products may be combined with other data and information from diverse sources, giving users a broader suite of resources. GAP Analysis - In its role as the U.S. standard for assessing the relative protection of biodiversity, the GAP continued to (1) accelerate state GAP projects for land-based vertebrates; 305 Biological Research (2) produce multi-state, regional datasets; and (3) develop standards and products for gap analysis in aquatic ecosystems. Almost all States, excluding Alaska, have completed or are nearing completion of a Statewide project. Newer projects in Alabama, Ohio, and Hawaii are being funded and staffed to bring them to completion as soon as possible. In regions of the Country where data is relatively outdated, regional updates are underway or under evaluation. In the Southwester United States, GAP is funding a five-State update using state-of-the-art remote sensing, land cover mapping, and animal modeling techniques. This project, when completed, will demonstrate the best capability and products now available at the regional scale. In other areas of the Country, such as the Plains States and the Southeast, GAP data is being completed, and State projects can be pulled into regional data sets. This is a major milestone for GAP, because many Federal land management agencies are interested in GAP data but want to see analyses done across State boundaries. GAP is giving high priority to completing these projects and pulling data together. This is the first step towards facilitating the use of GAP data. Funds provided in FY 2002 are being used to start this process and to fund partnerships that demonstrate how land managers can access and use data to make better-informed decisions. Preliminary projects to analyze habitats for fish, mussels, and other aquatic organisms have continued in Missouri, and other States have begun developing the aquatic component of their State gap analysis. With dedicated funding in FY 2001, some of these States began refining their current work and formulating standards of habitat classification and analysis that can be applied nationally. New projects were initiated in FY 2002, for other States and drainage basins. This included initiating an aquatic analysis of most of the Missouri River basin as well as projects and research in the central and southern Appalachian region. Land Use History of North America (LUHNA) – LUHNA continues to advance its goal of understanding the relationship between historical and present land use and landscape change. During FY 2001, the LUHNA Program received funding from the USGS Geologic discipline's "Multi-Program Workshops on the Arid Southwest." This program provides funds for workshops focusing on interdisciplinary science issues in the arid Southwest. Planning for the "Southwest Landscape Change Workshop" began in FY 2001, and will be conducted jointly by LUHNA staff and the USGS mapping discipline staff. The workshop, scheduled for February 2002, will facilitate collaborative research among various USGS programs conducting landscape change research in the arid Southwest. USGS gave presentations on the LUHNA program to Federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Park Service, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The Colorado Plateau LUHNA Project (CP-LUHNA), a regional synthesis of land use history information for the Colorado Plateau, completed its Web site in FY 2001. The site consists of more than 300 interlinked and searchable Web pages and a 1,500-citation bibliography. The May 25, 2001, issue of Science Magazine featured CP-LUHNA in its “NetWatch" section. The CP-LUHNA Web site was described as "a rich compendium of research for students, scientists, land-use planners, and fans of the Southwest." Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) – The USGS works with several other Federal agencies, organizations, institutions, and taxonomic specialists across the United States and intemationally to operate the largest taxonomic database of its kind in the world. ITIS supports the only comprehensive national taxonomic database that provides free access Biological Information Management and Delivery Subactivity (directly over the Internet) to standard scientific names for all U.S. plant and animal species. In 2001, the ITIS database increased in size to nearly 400,000 names, increased internet usage by more than 70 percent, and expanded coverage of invertebrate groups, diatoms, and Mexican species. ITIS strengthened international partnerships with Mexico, Canada, the North American Biodiversity Information Network (NABIN), the Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP), and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). ITIS has taken a leadership role in building a global taxonomic information system. ITIS provides an accepted scientific name (with a unique Taxonomic Serial Number) as the "common denominator" for accessing information on such topics as biodiversity, invasive species, declining amphibians, migratory birds, fishery stocks, pollinators, agricultural pests, and emerging diseases. A resource manager, scientist, or student can instantly find the current valid name and synonyms for a plant, animal, or microbe. Those names can then be used to search the Web for information on the species, ranging from its genetic makeup, to its basic life history, to its geographical distribution and habitat requirements. Libraries, museums, and data centers use ITIS to index their collections. ITIS is rapidly becoming the taxonomic standard for databases and information networks, aiding in the discovery, comparison, exchange, and integration of biological data. ITIS is also the source of biological names for the NBII. Accessing Data from Natural History Collections - The USGS is collaborating with other Federal agencies, as well as many non-Federal partners in natural history museums and universities around the United States in developing new approaches to provide broad electronic access to data on the millions of biological specimens of the Nation's numerous natural history collections. These efforts will result in new NBII Internet-based tools to help customers access, learn from, and use biological specimen information from collections without having to physically visit each museum, i.e., through development of an "electronic natural history museum." An electronic and hardcopy report is available describing the efforts to date. Please contact the NBII Program office for its availability. Data from State Fish and Wildlife Agencies and State Heritage Programs - The USGS is working with the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (IAFWA) to include State fish and wildlife data in the NBII. State fish and wildlife agencies manage the Nation's wildlife resources, and hold a wealth of information useful to development of all NBII nodes. The partnership with AFWA benefits State fish and wildlife agencies by facilitating access to NBII's technological resources while NBII meets its mission of providing improved access to critical biological data. The partnership will result in a plan that effectively incorporates State fish and wildlife agencies in NBII. Habitat Information - The USGS is currently supporting the development of information and technology transfer activities for habitat management research projects. Projects include the development of tools and decision support and information systems for wetlands management, economic and ecological sustainability of the Colorado Plateau, ecology of Western reservoirs, and the restoration of soils and plants in disturbed, arid lands. Expertise Database - The expertise database provides users with access to information about subject matter available within USGS biological science and technology centers. The expertise listing includes a search-engine capability so that records may be retrieved using keywords. Users may search the entire database by keyword, browse the entire database for suggestions, or print the expertise list for each USGS science and technology center. 307 |