8
Ecological Data Storage,
Management, and Dissemination
Ray Ford
8.1 Overview
The rapid evolution of computing, storage, and network technologies has changed the traditional rules
for ecosystem data storage and dissemination.
Some of the most profound changes have been
changes in user expectations: in the post-Web
world, both internal and external users expect to be
able to not only download data sets electronically,
but also to browse through well-organized catalogs
of data holdings to make their download selections
in a logical and systematic fashion. Thus it is not
enough to simply fill disks or CD jukeboxes with
gigabytes of data; an organization somehow must
effectively build meaningful on-line catalogs that
describe its holdings if it is to match the realities
of data dissemination with increasingly sophisticated user expectations.
Continuing advances in information technology
have dramatically improved our ability to collect
ecological data sets, process them to derive new
data sets, and disseminate results. In particular, dissemination technologies such as CD-ROMs and the
World Wide Web (WWW)have made it much easier to move data from one site to another. Yet major problems still remain, which extend across the
entire spectrum of project life cycles and project
management. Instead of focusing on collecting
data and preparing reports, a project manager now
must also face the difficulties of selecting and integrating desirable data sets from a multitude of
available options, organizing the project's own
ever-increasing internal information resources, and
dealing with numerous new options for data dissemination. Before beginning any study, the manager must determine what direct or background
data sets are logically available and whether they
can be acquired and easily used. Once data pro108
cessing begins, it is now relatively easy to execute
programs that derive new data sets. However, it remains difficult to effectively catalog all the derived
data sets that result, much less to record and catalog all the processing attributes used in each derivation. At dissemination time, it is relatively easy
to make CDs or tapes or to post Web-accessible
data sets; it is not as simple to organize all the data
and information about the processing methodology
used to create and interpret the data so that recipients can effectively reuse what is received.
In short, moving from an environment in which
data creation, processing, and storage are all very
expensive to one in which the same aspects are all
relatively cheap obviously changes the concerns of
data managers. Having an abundant infrastructure
for data creation eliminates some problems, but it
also changes the characteristics of some old problems and creates new ones. This chapter will summarize some of the current problems facing ecological data managers, explain how these problems
have evolved in parallel with advancing technology, and describe the options emerging as possible
solutions.
8.2 Background Issues
To understand the current state of the art in ecological data management, it is important to recognize the key technological advances that have
brought us to this point. To provide a framework
for discussion of the important issues, we first identify the superset of information technology issues
associated with overall project management. Subsequently, we then classify issues of major practical importance, both in historical and more modem technological terms.
Ecological Data Storage,
Management, and Dissemination
Ray Ford
8.1 Overview
The rapid evolution of computing, storage, and network technologies has changed the traditional rules
for ecosystem data storage and dissemination.
Some of the most profound changes have been
changes in user expectations: in the post-Web
world, both internal and external users expect to be
able to not only download data sets electronically,
but also to browse through well-organized catalogs
of data holdings to make their download selections
in a logical and systematic fashion. Thus it is not
enough to simply fill disks or CD jukeboxes with
gigabytes of data; an organization somehow must
effectively build meaningful on-line catalogs that
describe its holdings if it is to match the realities
of data dissemination with increasingly sophisticated user expectations.
Continuing advances in information technology
have dramatically improved our ability to collect
ecological data sets, process them to derive new
data sets, and disseminate results. In particular, dissemination technologies such as CD-ROMs and the
World Wide Web (WWW)have made it much easier to move data from one site to another. Yet major problems still remain, which extend across the
entire spectrum of project life cycles and project
management. Instead of focusing on collecting
data and preparing reports, a project manager now
must also face the difficulties of selecting and integrating desirable data sets from a multitude of
available options, organizing the project's own
ever-increasing internal information resources, and
dealing with numerous new options for data dissemination. Before beginning any study, the manager must determine what direct or background
data sets are logically available and whether they
can be acquired and easily used. Once data pro108
cessing begins, it is now relatively easy to execute
programs that derive new data sets. However, it remains difficult to effectively catalog all the derived
data sets that result, much less to record and catalog all the processing attributes used in each derivation. At dissemination time, it is relatively easy
to make CDs or tapes or to post Web-accessible
data sets; it is not as simple to organize all the data
and information about the processing methodology
used to create and interpret the data so that recipients can effectively reuse what is received.
In short, moving from an environment in which
data creation, processing, and storage are all very
expensive to one in which the same aspects are all
relatively cheap obviously changes the concerns of
data managers. Having an abundant infrastructure
for data creation eliminates some problems, but it
also changes the characteristics of some old problems and creates new ones. This chapter will summarize some of the current problems facing ecological data managers, explain how these problems
have evolved in parallel with advancing technology, and describe the options emerging as possible
solutions.
8.2 Background Issues
To understand the current state of the art in ecological data management, it is important to recognize the key technological advances that have
brought us to this point. To provide a framework
for discussion of the important issues, we first identify the superset of information technology issues
associated with overall project management. Subsequently, we then classify issues of major practical importance, both in historical and more modem technological terms.