Annex 5: Questionnaire on Data Availability and Accessibility on Species, Habitats and Sites

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Databases on Species, Habitats and Sites - Survey and Analysis 1995-96

Annex 5

QUESTIONNAIRE ON DATA AVAILABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY ON SPECIES, HABITATS AND SITES
May 1995

COMMENTS TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Objectives of the questionnaire on national and regional datasources on nature conservation

This questionnaire allows identification and description existing sources of information on species, habitats and sites, contributing to the assessment of biodiversity in Europe, and to the Natura 2000 process.

The resulting information will provide a major input to the EEA Catalogue of Data Sources. This is also resulting in an improved ability to locate information relating to the nature conservation.

At the same time, this inventory will permit to evaluate the relevancy of existing sources on European level and the identification of information gaps (Project MN1.3 led by the ETC/NC Central Team in Paris).

2. Some definitions

A source of information is a set of homogeneous data (called dataset in all the questionnaire) collected following one or several predefined scopes and stored following a predefined structure and procedures.

Data could be stored on different supports : card index, computerised file or database.

From a geographical point of view, sources must cover national or regional level. But, a source on local level could be described if it has an European interest e.g. local source including information on endemic species.

For the individual species of the "Birds and Habitats" Directives and the Bern Convention, each dataset is of relevance in the framework of this project.

3. Directions for use

This questionnaire is organised in 5 sections :

Part I - GENERAL IDENTIFICATION

Part II - SPECIES

Part III - HABITATS

Part IV - SITES (e.g. protected areas, monitoring areas or scientific site inventories)

Part V - MISCELLANEOUS

Each dataset must be described by one form. Consequently, if you want to identify several datasets, you have to use as many forms as datasets.

For each dataset, at least 3 sections have to be filled :

part I to identify the dataset,
one of the parts II, III or IV
part V.

Subsequently, parts II, III and IV represent the detailed description of dataset. Normally, each dataset has a main objective related to species, habitats or sites and only, one of these 3 sections has to be filled.

If one dataset is a complex one (e.g. inventory on all species within a particular habitat within specific sites) one can consider to fill more than one section if no particular emphasis can be given to one of the three (species, habitats, sites).

The reason to include the taxonomic list on species is to identify (if available) for each of the taxons the main dataholders within each country.

4. Time schedule

We would be very grateful if you could complete the questionnaire by 30 June 1995.

Being aware of the charge to fill all sections, we ask you please to return, at least, the first section by 30 June 1995. The other parts could be return by 31 July 1995.

We want to stress that this inventory must be permanent and updated periodically.

Please feel free to send us new forms when new important datasets are identified by yourself.

PART I - GENERAL IDENTIFICATION

1. Name of dataset

Set of homogenous information of species, habitats or sites on computer, paper (published or unpublished), card indexes, maps, remote sensing output.

2. Scope of dataset principal scope for which the data are collected and used.

Tick one or more options

o species
o habitat
o site
o ecological research
o information on genes
o legislation
o other, please specify:

Please specify the main objectives of the dataset and fill in the appropriate part for the next 3 questions.

Normally, only one of the next 3 questions will have to be filled in. If your dataset is a complex one (e.g. inventory on all species within a particular habitat within specific sites) one can consider to fill more than 1 question if no particular emphasis can be given to one of the three (species, habitats or sites)

3. Species data if dataset directly concerned with information on species. If no, go to next.

Tick one or more options	Number of species covered	Number of records/cards	Approx. size of dataset in Mb if computerised
Mammals
Birds
Amphibians
Reptiles
Fishes
Invertebrates
Algae
Fungi
Lichens
Mosses & Liverworts
Ferns
Seed Plants
Other, please specify

4. Habitats data if dataset directly concerned with information on habitats. If no, go to next.

Tick one or more options

Number of records/cards

o marine & coastal environments

o freshwater environments

o scrubs & grasslands

o woodlands

o bogs & marshes

o rocky habitats

o agricultural lands

o urban & amenity areas

o other, please, specify :

5. Sites data if dataset directly concerned with information on sites.

Tick one or more options	Number of sites
o information on legal protection (e.g. in the framework of Ramsar Convention or Natura 2000 process) o scientific inventory of sites linked to a set of selection criteria (e.g. Hispanat, ZNIEFF) o site monitoring programmes o other, please, specify :

6a. Administrative Geographical coverage geographic coverage to which the data refer.

please, specify with ISO-Codes and NUTS Codes *

whole area covered
(y/n)

coverage limited to a set of areas specify *

o international

o country

o regional

o local

* for national and regional level, please refer to country ISO-Codes and NUTS-Codes for EU-member states (codes and names) (cf annex 1 document EUROSTAT). If you could not use it, tick : o another codification

6b. Non-administrative Geographical coverage geographic coverage to which the data refer.

whole area covered

coverage limited to

o Rivers

o Lakes

o Oceans and seas (even north-territorial waters)

o Coasts

o Catchment areas

o Mountains areas

o Other, specify :

7. Dates related on data management

year of beginning: last updated:
beginning of procedure of collecting data (could be different from the dates of observation mentioned in next Parts)

status of the dataset:
o on-going o fixed
is the dataset still being added to or is it fixed?

Updated frequency:
if on-going

o monthly
o quarterly
o yearly
o irregularly
o other:

8. Sources of data

tick one ore more options

o monitoring programmes (official programmes)
o professional staff (data collected in the frame of staff work)
o amateur naturalists (data collected by naturalists or by in-house staff during their spare-time
o literature (extraction of historical & recent records from published or unpublished sources)
o museum collections (historical data attached to specimens in a museum collection)
o estimates based on:
o other:

9. Volume of data

total number of data records:
enter the approximate number of individual records in the whole of dataset

volume of the datafiles if they are computerised:
precise the unit of volume

10. Media media by which data are stored

o paper data
o computerised
o other, please specify:

11. Language

In which language and alphabet script is your information held? (e.g. English (Roman script):

12. International use

Is the dataset already integrated or used in one way or another in an International database, please specify its name:

Has the dataset already been described in a metadatabase or catalogue of sources?:
Please, specify the title:

13. Applications/Products main products derived from data

Tick one or more options

o maps
o atlas
o reports
o other, please specify:

14. Organisation responsible of data management

name:

address:

category:

o university
o NGO
o government
o institute (e.g. research institute, public institute, Museum ...)
o international organisation
o private company
o other

contact person:
name:
position:
tel:
fax:
E-mail:

Host organisation if the organisation as above is included in a bigger one e.g. a laboratory in a University.

name:

address:

15. Organisation who is filling the questionnaire

name of the organisation:

o National Focal Point
o National Reference Centre
o Other

contact person:
name:
tel:
fax:

PART II - SPECIES

1. Name of dataset Please, check that the GENERAL IDENTIFICATION has well been filled)

Same name as Part I

2. Taxon list

a. see annex 2: taxonomist list please, specify number of species by taxon covered by the dataset

b. see annex 3: species list for "Birds and Habitats Directive" and Bern Convention
please, tick speices taken into account in the dataset

3. Dates of observation

	initially foreseen	effective	planned
pre-1900
1900-1939
1940-1969
1970-1980
post-1980

e.g. It may be the case that, initially the dataset had to cover several periods but, in fact, for different reasons, only some periods have been taken into account. Another possibility is that initially the dataset had to cover some periods. The work has been done and now, it is planned to cover other periods.

4. Spatial units used in records

o lat/long
o 50 kilometre square, based on which projection:
o 10 kilometre square, based on which projection:
o 2 kilometre square, based on which projection:
o 100 kilometre square, based on which projection:
o administrative limits, system used:
o polygons: digitised on which scale:
o other:

5. Parameters on species or taxon

Tick one or more options
o presence/absence
o quantitative data (actual counts of individuals present)
o breeding data (productivity)
o habitat (information on habitat where species lives)
o biogeography (information on biogeographic region where species lives)
o functional ecological data (refers to the relationship of the organism to its environment)
o species conservation data (information recorded directly in relation to its conservation)
o species management data (information of management activities associated with the record: spawning, culling ...)
o bibliographic data (reference to relevant published material)
o legislation (information on legal protection of species, including hunting)
o. other, please specify:

6 Site-related information on species

Tick one or mare options
o associated environmental data (e.g. geology, soil, altitude ...)
o chemical and pollutant data (e.g. water quality sample ...)
o site management (events relating to the physical management of the site)
o site ownershiop (details of ownership and access)
o site history (background information)
o other, please specify:

7. Access to the data if stored on paper

o by taxon
o by site (where species are presents)
o by gridded spatial units
o by administrative units
o other, please specify

8. Taxonomy

Which taxonomic standard are you using? (e.g. Flora Europaea) please specify:

o no standard

Which taxonomic coding system are you using?
coding system used for convenient data storage and simplified data validation of computerised biological records

o no coding system
o in-house coding system, please give detalis:
o Nordic coding system
o CORINE taxonomic coding system
o other, please specify:

PART III - HABITATS

1. Name of dataset Please, check that the GENERAL IDENTIFICATION has well been filled

Same name as Part I

2. Dates of observation

	initially foreseen	effective	planned
pre-1900
1900-1939
1940-1969
1970-1980
post-1980

3. Spatial units used in records

4. Parameters on habitats

Tick one or more options
o presence/absence
o quantitative data (surface, percentage)
o management data (information on the management of the habi8tat)
o historical data (information relating to the past development of the habitat, old descriptions and species counts)
o species data: o all taxa o selected taxa
(information on species from habitat surveys and actual counts or frequency/cover estimates for the habitats)
o legislation (information on legal protection of species, including hunting)
o bibliographic data (reference to relevant published material)
o other, please specify:

5. Site-related information on species

6. Access to the data if stored on paper

Tick one or mare options
o by land classification
o by site (where species are presents)
o by taxon
o by administrative units
o by gridded spatial units
o other, please specify

7. Taxonomy

Which taxonomic standard are you using? (e.g. Corine Habitat clsssification) please specify:

o no standard

Which taxonomic coding system are you using?
coding system used for convenient data storage and simplified data validation of computerised biological records

o in-house coding system, please give detalis:

o other, please specify:

PART IV - SITES*

1 Name of dataset Please, check that the GENERAL IDENTIFICATION has well been filled

Same name as Part I

2. Dates of observation

	initially foreseen	effective	planned
pre-1900
1900-1939
1940-1969
1970-1980
post-1980

3. Spatial units used in records

4. Parameters on habitats

Tick one or more options
o quantitative data (e.g. surface)
o ownership (ownership and access)
o management data (information on the management of the site)
o historical data (information relating to the past development of the habitat, old descriptions and species counts)
o species data: o all taxa o selected taxa
(information on species from habitat surveys and actual counts or frequency/cover estimates for the habitats)
o habitat data (information on habitats from site surveys)
o associated physical data (e.g. geology, soil, altitude ...)
o chemical and pollutant data (e.g. water quality samples, heavy metals ...)
o legislation (information on legal protection of species, including hunting)
o bibliographic data (reference to relevant published material)
o other, please specify:

5. Access to the data if stored on paper

Tick one or mare options
o by land classification
o by site
o by taxon
o by administrative units
o by gridded spatial units
o other, please specify

PART V - MISCELLANEOUS

1. Name of dataset Please, check that the GENERAL IDENTIFICATION has well been filled

Same name as Part I

2. Access to dataset

Tick one or more options
o only internal use
o external use free of charge: o yes o no
o restricted, specify conditions:

3. Diffusion

Tick one or more options
o on floppy disk
o on magnetic tape
o on CD-Rom
o in map format
o paper copies
o electronically over a computer network
o other, please specify:

4. Deontology Has your organisation have define specific rules ?

Tick one or more options
o on collection of the data
o on access to data
o on publication and dissemination of data
o on charging for information or services
o other, please specify:

o text in annex: o yes o no

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