U.V. AGARKOV. Information System on Siliceous organisms as the base for calculation of biological diversity and paleozoogeography.
Information System on siliceous organisms of World is created. Now there are two variants of this program product. First is the part of Data Base on micropaleontology, stratigraphy and lithology working in Paradox 8 and including data on radiolaria, diatoms, silicoflagellatae and Ebrioidea and other gropes. Second one is an independent file of user interface and tables of data. Part of Information System devoted to radiolaria is the most complex and includes 20000 rows on 12457 species and varieties. Bibliography includes 7278 issues and is the largest among the ones made in Russian. Block of regional-age distribution gives a possibility to store information in any system of dates useful for the specialist. It includes geographical coordinates to connect the Data Base with GIS. Codes of age are made in different system zones etc. Vocabulary on Startigraphy includes more then 1000 terms and the table consists of 40000 records. Diagnostic block makes it possible to identify species and watch images of thousands units of information. The new option in the Data Base is the possibility of citation of species and higher taxa in accordance with different classifications.
Murmansk Marine Biology Institute of Kola Scientific Center of RAS, Department of Oceanography and Biology of Southern Seas. Stuchky164/1, of. 512, Rostov-on-Don. 344090, Russia.
G.A.ANUFRIEV. Faunistic and taxonomic data bank of Palaearctic Cicadina (Insecta, Homoptera): present condition and prospects of development.
Computer data bank on Palaearctic Cicadina was started in 1993. Its structure and software were written in FoxBase (Russian version - Karat). Now the bank includes the following main interconnected data bases: 1) nearly 500 bibliographic entries; 2) taxa of genus group (1300 records, including synonyms); 3) taxa of species group (12000 records, including synonyms and invalid combinations); 4) names of territories (nearly 10000 records from all over the world; it was received from A.L.Lobanov, ZIN RAS, St. Petersburg); 5) geographic points (more than 3000 records); 6) territories of species findings (nearly 26000 records); 7) points of species records (nearly 37000); 8) three alternative systems of higher taxa with lists of genera (more than 1500 records); 9) data on type series (approximately 700 records). Data bases mentioned in points 7 and 9 have been filled mainly for territories of the former USSR. Automatic queries allow to output to display / printer or text file the following information: 1) alphabetic lists of names of genus and species groups with notes on their status, authors and years of description; 2) synonyms for species and genera with indication of type species for the latter; 3) distribution of selected species (list of territories or list of points with bibliographic references); 4) list of species of a selected territory. A CD appendix is being prepared now, containing scanned articles and books. It is supposed to supplement the bank with bases on biocenotic and trophic connections, phenology of species, as well as bases with information about collection specimens and results of field sites treatment.
Nizhny Novgorod State University, Gagarin Avenue 23, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia 603000, E-mail zoo@unn.ac.ru
Natural Reserve "Kerzhensky", Kostina 2, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia 603000, E-mail zapoved@dront.ru
T. DEPREZ1, P. VAN DER STEICHEL2, M. VINCX3. GENTAX, a fully generic digital archive of species in terms of biodiversity, morphology and taxonomy research.
GENTAX, a tree-based classification system, provides possibilities to enter geographic, morphological, ecological, and literature data on species depending upon the way the metadata definition for a group of species has been generated (e.g. Phylum Nematoda, crustacean Order Mysidacea). Quick and extended search actions can easily be performed and output towards html, spreadsheets and text is possible. Connection between database records and digital data sources (e.g. scanned literature) enlarges the scientific value of the system. Four main modules on data entry and consultation are available in the desktop (LAN) version: 'Editing' (tree based data entry and data consultation),'Documents' (consultation and management of data sources), Quick Search (species identification, generation of MSExcel Datasheets) and 'Search' (user configurable search and output possibilities). The web interface (under development phase) is based on a classical taxonomic tree. Levels in the tree that contain a dataset or projects (e.g. websites on a particular group of species) are indicated and activated. Data files can be maintained in personal MS access-files or on MS SQL-Server 7.0 . Datasets stored on SQL-server can easily be connected to a consultable tree-based web-interface (DHTML, XML, XSLT , JAVA-script ). The desktop system' s local front-end uses access 97 runtime. Scanned data sources are stored as PDF documents. Multi-user access in LAN-environment is possible through access-frontend. Multi-user access in WAN-environment (read-only) should become possible through Internet Explorer.-
1Department of Biology, Marine Biology Section, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Gent, Belgium, Phone +32 (9)2645233, Fax +32 (9)2645344, email tim.deprez@rug.ac.be, Homepage http://allserv.rug.ac.be/~tdeprez;
2 Saudades Software Solutions, Florastraat 67, B-9840 De Pinte, Belgium, Phone +32 (9)2807024, Fax +32 (9)2807025, Email solutions@saudades.be, Homepage http://www.saudades.be;
3Department of Biology, Marine Biology Section, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Gent, Belgium, Phone +32 (9)2645210, Fax +32 (9)2645344, email magda.vincx@rug.ac.be, Homepage http://allserv.rug.ac.be/~gdsmet/MarBiolwebsite/
T. DEPREZ1, T.H. WOOLDRIDGE2, J. MEES3. Mysidacea of the world, taxonomic and biogeographical overview by use of a taxonomical database GENTAX (Case study: Western Indian Ocean).
The total number of Mysidacea in the world is estimated to be about 1200 species. Getting an overview of this relatively small group can be generated by means of taxonomical databases. The system GENTAX (cf. Deprez et al., oral presentation) was used because of its possibilities to add geographical, ecological, morphological and literature data to a taxonomical tree and its wide variety of interpretation and search tools. The Western Indian Ocean coastal fauna was used as a case study for this database. Taxonomic literature was collected, scanned and data found in these sources were entered. In total 125 species belonging to 31 different genera were added to the database. All information on these species is available in 256 records based on about 170 literature sources. Data on two new species for the region were also entered (Gastrosaccus sp. nov. (Deprez et al., in press) and Idiomysis spec.(submitted)). Analyses of the dataset of the region made it possible to indicate lots of under- or un-investigated regions: Madagascar (biodiversity hotspot), Somalia (only 1 record), Mascarene Islands, Maldives and Lakshadweep Islands. The South African coastline and the Western Indian Coast were recognized as the investigated regions with highest number of records and the highest number of species. Species similarity analysis brought up a high similarity between South Eastern African Coast and the Western Indian Coast. This pattern of similarity can be explained by water circulation patterns or by historical tectonical patterns.
1Department of Biology, Marine Biology Section, Ghent University, Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Gent, Belgium, Phone +32 (9)2645233, Fax +32 (9)2645344, email tim.deprez@rug.ac.be, Homepage http://allserv.rug.ac.be/~tdeprez;
2University of Port Elisabeth, Dept. of Zoology, Box 1600, South Africa, Phone, Fax, Email zlathw@ZOO.upe.ac.za;
3VLIZ, Flanders Marine Institute, Victorialaan 3, B-8400 Oostende, Belgium, Phone +32 (59)342130, Fax +32 (59)342131, email info@vliz.be, Homepage http://www.vliz.be
A.V. ESIPOV, E.A. BYKOVA, E.E. KHURSHUT. Electronic reference book on rodents of Uzbekistan.
A demonstrational version of the electronic reference of the fauna of rodents including 40 species inhabiting Uzbekistan has been prepared based on two marmot species Marmota menzbieri and Marmota caudata. The reference contains maps of ranges of the above species, an identification table, photographs of the animals and typical habitats, as well as references consisting of 317 literary sources. Beside their Latin names, the reference provides their Uzbek, Russian and English names. Data on biology, dynamics of numbers, limiting factors and practical importance of these animal species are given. Of special interest is Menzbier's marmot included in the IUCN Red List (status VU) and Red Data Book of Uzbekistan. Currently, the main stock of Menzbier's marmot is concentrated in the territory of Uzbekistan. This animal is also available in the neighboring Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. A small population that existed several dozen years ago appears to have vanished already. Isolated populations of this rare species are marked in the map of the proposed reference.
Institute of Zoology of Uzbek Academy of Sciences, A. Niyazov Street, 1, Tashkent 700095, Uzbekistan.
G.Sh. FARZALIEVA. Data base "Harvestmen" (MS Access-97).
The data base (DB) includes 3 blocks joined in 2 subsystems (ss) resolving different problems and facilitate work with filling on the basic table "Collection". The problem of the ss "Collection" is information security of the museum collection opiliones of Northern Eurasia. This ss contains 7 tables, one of which - "Collection of the Opiliones" - is linking. Other 6 tables are divided on 2 blocks: taxonomic - 3 tables: "Species", "Genus", "Family"; are geographical: - "Locality", "Area", "Country". The ss "Distribution of the Opiliones" uses the bibliographic block, except two above mentioned blocks which contains 2 tables: "Authors" and "Bibliography". Currently totalizing the information about distribution of aspects and bibliographic links is carried out through the table "Bibliographic data on Opiliones distribution" only for Urals. Further development BD is possible on all territory of the Eurasia due to the redundancy of the ss "Collection". The interaction between all blocks is carried out by means of the table "Distribution of the Opiliones", using the information from taxonomic and geographical blocks, common for all BD. Support: RFBR (grant № 00-04-49196) and Universities of Russia Programs (grant № 015.07.01.58).
Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Perm St. University, Bukirev str. 15, Perm, 614600, Russia. E-mail: fgsh@psu.ru
FUSHTEY T.V. Data base on phytoplankton of the Southern Seas of Russia.
Database on phytoplankton of Southern Seas of Russia was created to store information and obtain queries on biological diversity and distribution of microalgae inhabiting water bodies of Azov, Black and Caspian Seas. The block "Taxonomic composition of phytoplankton" includes vocabularies on phylum, orders, families, genera and species. Information was obtained from papers, publications of the Azov Sea scientific institute of fishery problems and from materials obtained in expeditions of Murmansk marine biology institute on the Azov and Black Seas. User can choose classification in reports forming checklists. The block "Bibliography and distribution of species" vocabularies of issues and table of citation of species in the issues. User can obtain checklists of species found out as in each Southern Seas as the separated part of the Sea. The "Field journals" block includes expedition journals and worksheets of analysis of samples. This block is necessary to query the information on samples and to calculate biomass and number of organisms of phytoplankton in sample and to make all the calculations and queries to make the map of areals by GIS. The last variant of Data Base is working in Paradox 8. Now my main aim is to reuse the database in MySQL for FreeBSD and connect it with Grass 5 GIS (the most popular GIS for Unix).
Murmansk marine biology institute of Kola Scientific Center of RSA, Department of Oceanography and Biology of Southern Seas. Stuchky164/1, of. 512, Rostov-on-Don. 344090, Russia.
I.A.JIRKOV. A database on a taxonomy Ampharetidae (Polychaeta).
During the revision of the world fauna of Ampharetidae the database of indications in Annass 97 is made. At the given phase it represents a rectangular matrix 93 characters 301 species. For filling of many fields of a matrix it is necessary to re-investigate of type materials, therefore, despite of long duration period of filling of a matrix, in it until now there are a lot of white spots. But even and in such kind the simple use of filters allows essentially to simplify process of identification. The study of matrix has allowed to make a number unobvious before inferences about a taxonomy of the family. Simultaneously with filling of a database the illustrative material on all live in base characters is accumulated. The drawings are prapared in a vectorial kind in CorelDRAW! One from the final purposes of creation of a data base - construction interactive multi-entry polytomous image operating key.
Moscow State University, Biological Faculty, Hydrobiology Dept., 119899, Moscow,
V. S. KOVAL. Databases on model genetic objects. Internet is rich with various databases; however, most of them lack a versatility of data representation.
We failed to find any example of integration of different type databases (publications, collection description, estimation databases). Numerous genetic and breeding models have been developed at the Institute of Cytology and Genetics. Their efficient use in basic and applied research requires developing databases. Our main goal was to describe the objects comprehensively, providing the formal object description (Descriptor), publications (the database References was created and are being filled), and estimate of each genetic specimen (Estimation). The Estimation includes the possibility of statistical data processing. For this purpose, individual modules capable of user's demand accessing are under development. These modules will support mathematical processing of both the data compiled and user's data and their comparison. The major problem connected with Internet-oriented databases is protection of the copyright. In the databases we are developing, the source information, which is actually the subject of copyright, are closed for user's query. User has access only to the descriptive part and results of the data processing, that is, to the information usually published in scientific journals. The essential distinction is the possibility of selecting the necessary information and processing techniques by the user. The work was supported by the Genetics Priority Directions grant No. 3-2 and SB RAS Interdisciplinary Integrative Project 00-66.
IC&G SB RAS, 10 prosp. Lavrentieva, Novosibirsk, 630090 Russia; e-mail:
kovalvs@bionet.nsc.ru.
A.L.OZEROV. Taxonomic database of the family Sepsidae (Diptera) of World fauna.
The aim of the project is to create taxonomic database of the family Sepsidae (Diptera) of World fauna. The sources of information: regional Catalogues of Nearctic (1965), Neotropical (1968), Oriental (1977), Afrotropical (1980), Palaearctic (1984), and Australasian (1989) as well as the works with descriptions of new taxa during the period after publications of these catalogues. The programm used is Access. File of the database includes 4 tables. The first contains the information about species, where the data on the primary types (holotypes, lectotypes or syntypes) and the places of their deposition, as well as the data on the species-name, author, year of description, distribution, etc. are given. The second table involves taxonomic data about genera and subgenera, including fields with the data about type-species, and the author who has designated it. The third one has the information about literature source, where the taxon was described or lectotype designated. The fourth table gives the complete names of th institutions where the types are deposited, the town and country. Owing to the connection among the tables it is easy to get at the same time information from several tables, for example, about the synonyms of some species, place of deposition of primary types or about all the taxa, described in this work. Programm Access is convenient because it is possible to connect with ready Word document. It gives opportunity to reflect data from the tables or to put them inside other document without or with minimal following correction what is not always possible when creating standard report from any BD-programm. This project - necessary step to renew regional Catalogues and creation of the World Catalogue of Sepsidae.
Zoological Museum, Moscow State University, Bol'shaya Nikitskaya Street 6, 103009 Moscow, Russia.
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Web-page prepared by
Zoological Institute RAS &
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Last web-page update: 3rd April 2001