NEON sampling-event datasets

[kcopas]

Dataset link: http://data.neonscience.org/browse-data?showAllDates=true&showAllSites=true&showTheme=org

Region: Sentinel sites in US

Taxon: Various

Type: sampling-event

Priority: high

License: Not an open license

Bibliographical reference: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.1744/full

Comments: Major NSF-funded LTER observatory network. Source of ongoing site-based inventory.

@dschigel has had previous discussions with Kate Thibault and Sara Elmendorg about collaboration. Eric Sokol was identified as most active on matters of data interoperability.

Looks as if there are several relevant datasets already, though temporal and geographic coverage is not yet complete for the NEON network: Terrestrial

• Ground beetles sampled from pitfall traps
• Mosquitoes sampled from CO2 traps
• Plant phenology observations
• Plant presence and percent cover
• Small mammal box trapping
• Ticks sampled using drag cloths

Freshwater

• Aquatic plant, bryophyte, lichen, and macroalgae point counts in wadeable streams
• Fish electrofishing, gill netting, and fyke netting counts
• Macroinvertebrate collection
• Periphyton, seston, and phytoplankton collection
• Zooplankton collection

NB: In Helsinki, I briefly raised the issue of licensing status of NEON data with the U.S. HOD, who manages the project for NSF. He suggested that in fact the data should be open, but we definitely need discussion and clarification based the current proprietorial language.

Dataholders contact information: Eric Sokol, Kate Thibault, Sarah Elmendorf

Users contact info: @kcopas

[dnoesgaard]

[kcopas]

Roland Roberts of NSF has given @dschigel and me an e-troduction to Sharon Collinge (Chief Scientist & Observatory Director) and Rick Farnsworth (senior project manager in charge of purse strings).

NOTE from previous correspondence with Roland

There are some data licensing issues we should seek to clear up with Battelle. The data policy page is exhibit A for mixed messages—nothing in it about open licensing, simply instructions regarding the data being ‘© 2017 Battelle’. The problem is significant, as it’s the very first second-level page accessible in the NEON Data website.

NEON data republished through GBIF.org will need to get an appropriate open licence (CC0, in keeping with U.S. open data policy?) for any Darwin-Core-ized versions they share.

[kcopas]

Current positive discussions about data sharing likely derailed with unexpected staff departures at NEON, among them three key contacts (Collinge, Farnsworth and Wendy Gram):

NEON ecological observatory in crisis again: Top scientist quits, Battelle fires advisory board and senior managers

[sformel-usgs]

This discussion was pointed out to me. Curious if a conclusion was ever reached? It looks like there are 45 NEON datasets in GBIF already, and we're planning on mobilizing some more.

[kcopas]

Thanks for digging through the bins, Steve! Yes, our collaboration with NEON is very much on track. Closing…