GBIF

GBIF aggregates biodiversity occurrence data to enable scientific analysis of species distributions and global biodiversity patterns.

Key Features:

• Data aggregation: Aggregates biodiversity information from herbaria, museums, and research institutions into a consolidated occurrence database.
• COFC herbarium dataset (PMID: 31656398): Includes the University of Cordoba (COFC) herbarium with a General collection of 61,377 specimens and a Historical collection of 1,614 specimens, predominantly vascular plants and angiosperms from Andalusia and neighbouring regions.
• Specimen metadata completeness: Records indicate 99.7% of specimen labels specify collection location and approximately 35% of specimens are georeferenced.
• Databasing software: Databasing of the COFC material was facilitated by Elysia v1.0, resulting in around 86% of the herbarium material being accessible through GBIF.
• Taxonomic coverage: The COFC dataset encompasses over 178 families, 1,178 genera, and 3,750 species.
• Support for botanical works: Integrates data used in floristic references such as "Flora Vascular de Andalucía Occidental" and "Flora iberica".

Scientific Applications:

• Biodiversity distribution analysis: Enables comprehensive studies of species distributions and regional biodiversity patterns using aggregated occurrence records.
• Conservation assessment: Supports analyses of conservation status and spatial occurrence data relevant to conservation planning.
• Ecological dynamics research: Facilitates studies of ecological dynamics by providing occurrence and taxonomic data across spatial and temporal scales.
• Floristic and taxonomic research: Provides specimen-based data for floristic inventories and taxonomic treatments exemplified by use in regional floras.

Methodology:

Aggregates records from herbaria, museums, and research institutions; databasing was performed using Elysia v1.0; georeferencing was applied to approximately 35% of specimens.