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Published on: July 11, 2025
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Globally aggregated biodiversity data impact predictive and descriptive research.
Dirk Steinke1, Birgit Gemeinholzer2, Enrique Martínez-Meyer3
1Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
Summary
The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is increasingly used by researchers worldwide. Its open biodiversity data supports critical environmental assessments and diverse research, highlighting the need for evolving data infrastructures.
Area of Science:
- Biodiversity Informatics
- Environmental Science
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is a major global data integrator for biodiversity information.
- GBIF data is crucial for research in biodiversity and evolutionary sciences.
- There is a growing demand for global environmental assessments utilizing biodiversity data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the growth and usage patterns of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) over the past five years.
- To demonstrate how the global scientific community utilizes open biodiversity data for research.
- To understand the diversification of research themes, datasets, and analytical approaches using GBIF data.
Main Methods:
- Bibliographic analysis of 12,193 studies that utilized GBIF-mediated data.
- Categorization of research topics, data types, and analytical methods.
- Tracking the growth and engagement with GBIF data over a five-year period.
Main Results:
- Increased researcher engagement with GBIF data, driven by global environmental assessments.
- Prevalence of species distribution modeling and research on Anthropocene challenges (conservation, climate change, invasive species).
- Significant use of observational data, including citizen science data, with diversification in associated datasets and analytical approaches.
Conclusions:
- GBIF data plays a vital role in contemporary biodiversity research and global environmental assessments.
- Thematic and methodological diversification in research using GBIF data underscores its growing importance.
- The rapid evolution of scientific needs necessitates continuous development of data infrastructures like GBIF to maintain relevance.
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