Many specialized agencies, nature conservation organizations and zoological societies have data – often compiled by volunteers – that holds immense potential for much-needed research on biodiversity loss. This is also the case with the Society of German-Speaking Odonatologists (Gesellschaft deutschsprachiger Odonatologen e.V., GdO) which has been working since 1979 to increase knowledge about native dragonfly species and thus contribute to their conservation. In 2007, it began working on the distribution atlas of dragonfly species in Germany, which provides cross-state insights into the distribution, ecology and biology of dragonflies from the compilation and analysis of distribution data from all German states. These data are used, among other things, to compile the Red List Germany, which describes the endangerment situation of dragonfly species as a scientific expert opinion. In addition, the GdO is committed to network dragonfly scientists from all over the world and to recruit young dragonfly scientists in courses, seminars and training sessions. In its biannual journal Libellula, it provides information on the biology, ecology, distribution and conservation of the European dragonfly fauna. The association has 673 members from 18 countries (as of 7/2022).

Photo: Michael Post/GdO

With the community for the community: The NFDI4Biodiversity Use Case Model

As a biodiversity and environmental data consortium, we work to make valuable knowledge sustainably available – and to find solutions that are actually needed. Around 20 use cases from the biodiversity community, the NFDI4Biodiversity Use Cases, help us to explore needs, identify challenges and work together to break new ground: towards data that is findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (see FAIR principles). One of them is the GdO, which is collaborating in NFDI4Biodiversity to make its dragonfly data available to a wider user community.

The data

The GdO has more than 1.8 million species-specific data points on the distribution of the 81 dragonfly species recorded in Germany. Data collection, quality assurance and data management are carried out at the level of the federal states, whereby the reporters are mainly active on a voluntary basis. Coordination is carried out partly by the state nature conservation administrations (e.g. in Schleswig-Holstein, Saxony and Bavaria), partly by voluntary working groups (e.g. in North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse and Baden-Wuerttemberg). In some federal states, individuals and several regional groups are also responsible (for example in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania).

The common goal

As a professional society active throughout Germany, the dragonfly data are stored in the databases of various institutions in different federal states. These databases are mostly maintained and quality assured. What is missing is the possibility to access the entire inventory. "We would like to have a platform where we can contribute our data so that many others can also work with them," said Klaus-Jürgen Conze at the NFDI4Biodiversity Annual Conference 2021 (the full-length presentation can be found at the bottom of this page) – so that the valuable data is also available to research and conservation.

The current status

As always, the collaboration with the use cases is based on a detailed meeting to get to know each other. The aim is to identify current problems in data management, develop ideas for fruitful collaboration and define areas for action. Subsequently, a prototype for a data portal, a so-called demonstrator, was developed together with representatives of the GdO. The demonstrator illustrates the added value of making the GdO's dragonfly data available in a comprehensive platform, as is to be developed in NFDI4Biodiversity. Among other things, it can be used to combine previously unrelated data and visualize them in distribution maps; it can also be blended with completely different data –such as environmental or climate data – to provide new perspectives. Initially, dragonfly data from North Rhine-Westphalia served as an example. At the GdO's annual meeting on March 18, 2022, all interested GdO members had the opportunity to test the demonstrator's functions and, very importantly, provide feedback. This is now being evaluated and will be incorporated into further development.

Society of German-Speaking Odonatologists (Gesellschaft deutschsprachiger Odonatologen e.V., GdO)

Klaus-Jürgen Conze (kjc@loekplan.de), Chairman of the GdO

www.libellula.org

NFDI4Biodiversity

For general questions about the GdO use case:
Martin Friedrichs-Manthey (martin.friedrichs-manthey@idiv.de)

For technical questions about the GdO use case:
Claas-Thido Pfaff (claas-thido.pfaff@gfbio.org)

Another question about NFDI4Biodiversity? Write us via our contact form.

Klaus-Jürgen Conze, chairman of the GdO, will present the association and its wishes and goals for the cooperation with NFDI4Biodiversity at the 2021 annual conference in Leipzig (talk in German).