Biodiversity Information Systems
(Program HB)

Program Leader: Greg Whitbread

This program is responsible for provision of high-quality client services, development and management of nationally important botanical datasets (e.g. Australia's Virtual Herbarium) and contribution to national and international data management partnerships.

The information management environment of the Australian National Herbarium and the Australian National Botanic Gardens is built on an infrastructure of Sun servers running Solaris, serving a network of Windows and Macintosh desktop computers. The desktop infrastructure has a dual backbone based on the CSIRO and the Department of Environment and Water Resources computing networks. The botanical database is managed within the Oracle relational database management system and serves data to the Internet through a web gateway. A large amount of static text and image based information is delivered to the Internet through the web server.

Hardware Environment
Operating Environment

The Integrated Biodiversity Information System (IBIS) provides access to raw and aggregated data from the Australian National Herbarium and the Australian National Botanic Gardens in a variety of forms. This is provided manually, or from the file system or database through the webserver through a number or prepackaged queries and reports. Staff are able to assist users with some of the more complex queries and data requirements. Information is available names and literature, herbarium specimen records, living collection planting records, plant identification, Australian plant horticulture and plant and botanical images

Bureau Services
Automated Web Queries

Integrated Biodiversity Information System (IBIS) staff design and manage database applications to cover operational and information management needs of staff at the Australian National Herbarium and the Australian National Botanic Gardens. Herbarium and Gardens staff create and manage data and content for these applications. Database applications cover plant names and literature, herbarium specimen records, living collection planting records and plant and botanical images; shared common data integrates these applications to ensure consistency.

IBIS Database

The program maintains a high quality electronic communications and information delivery network within the CPBR and Australian National Botanic Gardens. This includes investigating new developments in scientific automation and communication and installation of appropriate computer hardware, software and information systems. The programs databases are constantly being developed, maintained and upgraded to current technological standards to support the scientific collections and research programs. Database projects such as the AVH and APNI have seen the ANH forge important partnerships with other botanical institutions, both nationally and internationally.

Collaborative Projects

National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS)

The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) will be a unique informatics platform that underpins the Integrated Biological Systems capability of NCRIS. The ALA will be an authoritative, freely accessible, distributed and federated biodiversity data management system that links Australia’s biological knowledge with its scientific reference collections and other custodians of biological information.

Atlas of Living Australia

Staff

PROGRAM LEADER

Whitbread, Greg #

STAFF, HONORARY ASSOCIATES & STUDENTS

See staff under individual projects