Transcript Sheldon, W.M. 2002. Presentation: GCE

GCE-LTER Taxonomic Database: An
automated database application for
displaying custom species lists on the web
Wade Sheldon
GCE Information Manager
GCE WWW Site: http://gce-lter.marsci.uga.edu/lter/
Design Goals
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Create database structure to store taxonomic information
for GCE-LTER (plants, animals, fungi)
Create web application to generate dynamic species lists
 Pre-defined lists (GCE researchers)
 User-customized lists (by taxa, habitat)
 Multiple formats (list, table, CSV file)
Automatically Include links to ancillary information
(habitats, voucher specimen, GCE data sets, site
occurrences, photos, pubs)
Support LTER cross-site syntheses, educational programs,
add value to data sets
Components
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Relational database (SQL Server)
 Database front-end application for entering/editing
taxonomic info and managing web lists and page
captions (Access Data Project)
 Dynamic web pages to build queries, display
results (ASP)
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List catalog page (with custom list selector form)
Species list page
Taxonomic details page with links to ancillary info
Species table page
CSV file generator page
Web application server (IIS)
WWW Species List Selection Page
http://gce-lter.marsci.uga.edu/lter/asp/db/all_species_lists.asp
WWW Species List Page
WWW Species Detail Page
WWW Species Table Page
Species Table Download (CSV File)
Kingdom,Phylum/Division,Class,Order,Family,Genus,Species,”Common Name”
Animalia,Mollusca,Bivalvia,Eulamellibranchia,,Cyrenoida,floridana,”Florida or Dall’s Marsh Clam”
Animalia,Mollusca,Bivalvia,Eulamellibranchia,,Polymesoda,caroliniana,”Carolina Marsh Clam”
Animalia,Mollusca,Bivalvia,Eulamellibranchia,,Tagelus,plebius,”Stout Razor Clam”
Animalia,Mollusca,Bivalvia,Filibranchia,,Amygdalum,papyrium,”Paper Mussel”
Animalia,Mollusca,Bivalvia,Filibranchia,,Crassostrea,virginica,”Eastern or American Oyster”
Animalia,Mollusca,Bivalvia,Filibranchia,,Geukensia,demissa,”Ribbed Mussel”
Animalia,Mollusca,Bivalvia,Archaeogastropoda,,Neritina,usnea,”Olive Nerite”
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Data Entry, Web Management Application
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Task-based forms developed to ease data entry (MS Access
ADPs connected to remote SQL Server)
 Add/Update taxonomic listings, define links to ancillary
information (photos, files, vouchers)
 Define species lists, including taxa to include, sort orders,
web page labels and captions, responsible parties
 Maintain lookup tables used by forms, web menus
 Direct database access only provided to authorized GCE
investigators, IM staff
 Database integrity protected using granular role-base
security scheme, DRI constraints, list-based entry of
primary/foreign keys
Data Entry Forms – Main Task Menu
Data Entry Forms – Upper-level Taxa
Data Entry Forms – Lower-level Taxa
Data Entry Forms – Web List Management
Database
Schema
(ERD on WWW)
http://gce-lter.marsci.uga.edu/lter/files/erds/gce_taxonomic_erd.pdf
Concluding Remarks
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Web-management tables in database allow designated
researchers to define/edit web lists in real time without
HTML editing (including labels, captions, menus)
 Shared keys, junction tables used to link taxonomic
records with other GCE databases (metadata, geography,
personnel, publications), support automatic hyper-linking
 Future development: starting to incorporate ITIS TSN
identifiers to support complete taxonomic lookup,
systematics research
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Caveat: RDMS not always ideal for managing highly hierarchical
data like taxonomic listings, so compromises usually required;
however, there are significant benefits like excellent development
tool support and performance, technological stability, many webenabled features in latest versions (XML, web queries)