Trends and Developments in Biodiversity Informatics
Symposium: Key Innovations in Biodiversity Informatics
The BGBM Model: Type Designation in AlgaTerra
K. Gluck, W.-H. Kusber, W.G. Berendsohn, M. Geoffroy, A. Guntsch and R.
Jahn
Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum (BGBM) Berlin-Dahlem,
Konigin-Luise-Str. 6-8, D-14191 Berlin, Germany
Microscopic algae are useful bioindicators in global change research but
their taxonomy and nomenclature are often ambiguous due to poorly
documented type information and diverging interpretations. Providing
verified information on taxonomic concepts and type designation on the
Internet is therefore important for future research.
The AlgaTerra project will provide this kind of evaluated data, using an
existing relational database model , the BGBM Model
[].
It includes structures to record synonyms, notes of experts and
taxonomic interpretations ("potential taxa"). Within AlgaTerra, the
"Type Designation Module" is being developed as an extension of the BGBM
Model. This will provide the validated name of the type, the original
diagnosis, type locality information and digital photographs of the
selected type.
The AlgaTerra database relying on the BGBM Model and extended with the
"Type Designation Module" will serve as back end for the planned
Internet available information system on terrestrial and limnic
micro-algae [], financed by the German Federal
Ministry of Education and Research under the BIOLOG-Program. The
database will contain ecological and molecular data provided by the
participants of the AlgaTerra Project: the Alfred Wegener Institute for
Polar and Marine Research (type data of the Hustedt Collection,
molecular and ecological data of diatoms), the Culture Collection of
Algae at the University of Goettingen (morphological and molecular data
of green and bluegreen algae), the University of Leipzig (ecological and
applied data of aero-terrestrial algae) and the Museum for Natural
History Berlin (Ehrenberg Collection information). The BGBM-Berlin is
responsible for the coordination of the joint project, for the
development of the information system, for data evaluation and
lectotypification of Ehrenberg's microalgal names.
