The LEDA Traitbase

1
The LEDA Traitbase
a database on life-history plant traits
Irma Knevel1,2 Renée Bekker2 Presented by
Ingolf Kühn 3
1 Landscape Ecology Group, University of
Oldenburg (DE) 2 Community and Conservation
Ecology Group, University of Groningen (NL) 3
Department of Community Ecology - Centre for
Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle (UFZ) (DE)
- Leda and the swan -
EVR1-CT-2002- 40022 LEDA
2
Why a life-history database of plant traits?
user
Environmental agencies - Land use managers -
Policy makers - Researchers
3
What is the LEDA Traitbase?
Online ecological data and information
management Ecoinformatics

• LEDA Traitbase
• species-trait matrix for 3000 species
• with each record referenced
• based on firm data standards and protocols
• designed as a web-based database
• that operates with a user-friendly interface
• where users will be able to download (selected)
  traits

4
Area selected NW Europe
5
What can you expect of the LEDA Traitbase?
Objectives
1. To predict plant biodiversity and plant
mobility in a changing landscape 2. To pool
trans-national expertise on Functional
significance of traits Trait classification
Trait measurement
tool
Planning Restoration conservation Applied
research
Brook restoration Drentse Aa (NL)
?
6
LEDA Traitbase construction
Species-trait matrix 3000 NW European
species gt20 traits of key features persistence,
regeneration dispersability

• Filling of the matrix
• Collation of existing databases
• Literature compilation
• Unpublished data

Gaps
Additional measurements ? Firm protocols
standards
Deduction
? Extensive measurements of simple
morphological traits
E.g. Seed persistence predicted from seed size
and shape
(Thompson et al. 1997, validation e.g. Funes et
al. 1999)
7
LEDA traits Persistence Regeneration
1. Persistence
2. Regeneration

• canopy height
• plant growth form (Raunkiaer)
• leaf distribution (along the stem)
• clonal growth organs (CGO)
• persistence mother-daughter connection
• leaf mass
• leaf size
• specific leaf area (SLA)
• tissue density
• shoot growth form
• lateral spread/year

• plant life span
• age of first flowering
• seed number per shoot
• seed shape
• seed weight
• seed size
• seed longevity (soil seed bank)

?
8
LEDA traits Dispersability
3. Dispersability

• morphology of dispersal unit (anemochory)
• releasing height
• terminal velocity
• attachment capacity dispersal unit (epizoochory)
• survival capacity of digestive tract
  (endozoochory)
• buoyancy (hydrochory)

9
Traitbase construction Data flow chart
10
Traitbase Architectural overview principles
Web Query Interface
Web Data Input
Web Reporting Tool
Web Tool for Data-Mining
Web Application Container
Database System
Data Importing Tools

• Relational schema About 150 tables
• Database Management System Oracle 9i
• Web application container Apache Tomcat
  4.1/5.0
• Extensibility Addition of traits does not
  require major changes
• Openness Arbitrary SQL queries in addition to
  standard queries
• Reproducibility Results of online-queries are
  citable due to versioning

11
Example Online input form
12
LEDA Traitbase Status April 2004
Persistence
Regeneration
Dispersability
Average data available 42 x data
collection finished
13
Call for help
Freely accessible and available November 2005
Thank you for your attention !
14
Acknowledgements
The LEDA Traitbase project is funded through the
5th framework of the EC under the Energy,
Environment, and Sustainable Development
programme (EESD).
LEDA Traitbase partners
Landscape Ecology Group - Carl von Ossietzky
University of Oldenburg (DE) Laboratory of Plant
Ecology - University of Groningen (NL) Aquatic
Ecology and Environmental Biology - University of
Nijmegen (NL) OFFIS Oldenburg/Computer Science -
Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg
(DE) Institute of Botany - University of
Regensburg (DE) Department of Animal and Plant
Sciences - University of Sheffield
(UK) Department of Plant Ecology - Institute of
Botany (CZ) Department of Community Ecology -
Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle
(DE) Norwegian Institute for Nature Research
(NO) Laboratory of Forest, Nature Landscape
Research - University of Leuven (BE)
Photos by University of Groningen except ?
Bishops museum (http//aliens.bishopmuseum.org) -
? T. Teearu - ? M. Mouissie (RUG) - ? Hunze Aa
(http//www. hunzeenaas.nl) - ? Offwell Woodland
Wildlife Trust (http//www.offwell.free-online.c
o.uk) -? J. Smalley (http//www.lbap.org.uk/HTML
/habitat/ CGrass.htm) - ? University of Regensburg