On the project of the information system “Biodiversity in Russia” (original) (raw)
Since January 2002 the Zoological Institute, RAS has been fulfilling the scientific program “Information System on Biodiversity of Russia” supported by the Ministry of Industry, Science and Technologies of the Russian Federation. Preceding this work was thirty year history of computerization of the Zoological Institute (ZIN). The Institute of Problems of Ecology and Evolution, RAS, (IPEE) the Botanical Institute, RAS, (BIN) and the Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS (ICG) are participants in this project.
Objective and tasks of the project
The major objective of the project “Information System on Biodiversity” (ISBD) is creating a complex of software and data bases (DB) for working on classification of animals and plants, which serve as a basis of information retrieval system (IRS) on the biodiversity of Russia, supporting heterogeneous collections of dispersed information resources, containing systematic, collection and ecological information.
The main tasks of ISBD is the development of standards, formats and methodology of creating a conjoint national distributed ISBD within the framework of the Russian segment of the global Internet and building a pilot information network on species diversity of Russia, combining DB supported by the participant institutes, on species composition of all taxa (microorganisms, plants and animals) and data on collections, kept at these institutes. The initial data for the work are the results of research conducted by subdivisions of ZIN, BIN, IPEE and ICG in the field of biology, including the already created and partly published scientific product in the field of systematics of animals and plants.
Importance of the project
The object of the research are prokaryotes, protists, fungi, plants, and animalsinhabiting Russia and neighbouring territories. Of particular importance is the study of Antarctic animals and plants, which adds to the value of the contribution of Russian scientists in the study of biodiversity of the Earth.
The project includes fundamental research, applied programs development, data bases construction, and Internet access to different taxonomic groups of living organisms.
The information systems will be beneficial for the resolution of different tasks: fundamental, applied, educational, and nature conservational.
Participants of the project