ABCD Schema - Task Group on
Access to Biological Collection Data

A joint CODATA and TDWG initiative supported by GBIF


Mapping between ABCD v. 2.06b concepts and those used in the DarwinCore (DwC) and its extensions

The following tables serve to locate DwC concepts in ABCD and state the compatibility for transformations between the different schemas. "Fully compatible" means identical concepts and format, "Compatible" concepts need some kind of transformation as stated in the table. Please also see http://wiki.tdwg.org/twiki/bin/view/DarwinCore/DarwinCoreVersions for a table stating the relationship between different flavours of DwC itself. The following concept groups are treated here (all as found on the web as of April 7, 2007):
DarwinCore 1.4 (including core elements from DwC "2", 1.2, and 1.21)
DarwinCore 1.4 Geospatial Extension
DarwinCore 1.4 Curatorial Extension
DarwinCore 1.2 OBIS 1.1 Extension (= additional concepts used in OBIS 1.1)

Please send your comments to the editor: w.berendsohn [at] bgbm.org

Mapping between Darwin Core 1.4 concepts (DwC) and ABCD 2.06b

This document was originally based on a table dated August 4, 2005 and provided by Stan Blum to describe DwC "2" v. 1.4, see http://darwincore.calacademy.org/Documentation/DarwinCore2Draft_v1-4_HTML. It has been updated April 4, 2007 using the DwC Concept List r33 dated 17 Feb 2007 - 19:54:25 under http://wiki.tdwg.org/twiki/bin/view/DarwinCore/DarwinCoreDraftStandard. Deprecated DwC elements are still included (and marked accordingly) or commented on.

DwC 1.4
Record-level Element

ABCD 2.06b
X-Path

DwC to ABCD

ABCD to DwC
  Datasets/Dataset/Units/Unit/...    

GlobalUniqueIdentifier

UnitGUID

Fully compatible.

Fully compatible.

DateLastModified

DateLastEdited

Fully compatible.

Fully compatible.

BasisOfRecord

RecordBasis

Fully compatible

DwC gives only recommendations for content. The examples given are the same as the restriction for ABCD, except that "StillImage" is used instead of "DrawingOrPhotograph", and that "MovingImage" and "SoundRecording" are listed, which should be mapped to "MultimediaObject" in ABCD

Fully compatible

ABCD is restricting content to values representing: "PreservedSpecimen", "LivingSpecimen",
"FossileSpecimen",
"OtherSpecimen",
"HumanObservation",  "MachineObservation",  "DrawingOrPhotograph",
"MultimediaObject" and
"AbsenceObservation".

InstitutionCode

SourceInstitutionID

Fully compatible

Fully compatible

CollectionCode

SourceID

Fully compatible

Fully compatible

CatalogNumber

UnitID

Fully compatible

Fully compatible
InformationWithheld InformationWithheld Fully compatible Fully compatible

ABCD allows the language to be stated.

Remarks Notes Fully compatible Fully compatible
Taxonomic Elements Datasets/Dataset/Units/Unit/
Identifications/Identification/ TaxonIdentified/...
   

ScientificName

ScientificName/FullScientificNameString

Fully compatible

(but ABCD able to support multiple identifications and identification history)

Fully compatible

preferred identification must be used

HigherTaxon

HigherTaxa/HigherTaxon/HigherTaxonName

+/- compatible. Unbounded ABCD element can be parsed from DwC text string.

+/- compatible. List can be compiled from unbounded ABCD element.

Kingdom

HigherTaxa/HigherTaxon/HigherTaxonName
with HigherTaxa/HigherTaxon/
HigherTaxonRank  = regnum

Fully compatible.

"regnum" as constant

Fully compatible if complete ABCD data (incl. rank) are provided.

Phylum

HigherTaxa/HigherTaxon/HigherTaxonName
with HigherTaxa/HigherTaxon/
HigherTaxonRank = phylum

Fully compatible.

"phylum" as constant

Fully compatible if complete ABCD data (incl. rank) are provided.

Class

HigherTaxa/HigherTaxon/HigherTaxonName
with HigherTaxa/HigherTaxon/
HigherTaxonRank = classis

Fully compatible.

"classis" as constant

Fully compatible if complete ABCD data (incl. rank) are provided.

Order

HigherTaxa/HigherTaxon/HigherTaxonName
with HigherTaxa/HigherTaxon/
HigherTaxonRank = ordo
Fully compatible.

"ordo" as constant

Fully compatible if complete ABCD data (incl. rank) are provided.

Family

HigherTaxa/HigherTaxon/HigherTaxonName
with HigherTaxa/HigherTaxon/
HigherTaxonRank = familia

Fully compatible.

"familia" as constant

Fully compatible if complete ABCD data (incl. rank) are provided.

Genus

ScientificName/NameAtomised/Bacterial/
GenusOrMonomial

ScientificName/NameAtomised/Botanical/
GenusOrMonomial

ScientificName/NameAtomised/Viral/
GenusOrMonomial

ScientificName/NameAtomised/Zoological/
GenusOrMonomial

Compatible if taxonomic context (Code of Nomenclature) is known, which may also be deduced from value for Regnum in most cases.

Fully compatible for Genus as part of name.

SpecificEpithet

ScientificName/NameAtomised/Bacterial/
SpeciesEpithet

ScientificName/NameAtomised/Botanical/
FirstEpithet

ScientificName/NameAtomised/Zoological/
SpeciesEpithet

Compatible if taxonomic context (Code of Nomenclature) is known, which may also be deduced from value for Regnum in most cases.

Fully compatible for zoological and bacteriological names, in Botany subdivisions of genera may be included. ABCD additionally supports viral names.

InfraspecificRank

ScientificName/NameAtomised/Botanical/Rank Compatible if taxonomic context (Code of Nomenclature) is known, which may also be deduced from value for Regnum in most cases. It defaults to subspecies in zoology and bacteriology. Fully compatible.

Subspecies as constant for zoological and bacterial names.

InfraspecificEpithet

ScientificName/NameAtomised/Bacterial/
SubspeciesEpithet

ScientificName/NameAtomised/Botanical/
SecondEpithet

ScientificName/NameAtomised/Zoological/
SubspeciesEpithet

Compatible if taxonomic context (NomenclaturalCode) is known, which may also be deduced from value for Regnum in most cases.

Fully compatible

ABCD additionally supports viral names, breeds and named individuals, and cultivar groups, names, and trade designations.

AuthorYearOfScientificName

ScientificName/NameAtomised/Bacterial/
ParentheticalAuthorTeamAndYear + ScientificName/NameAtomised/Bacterial/
AuthorTeamAndYear

ScientificName/NameAtomised/Botanical/
AuthorTeamParenthesis + ScientificName/
NameAtomised/Botanical/AuthorTeam

ScientificName/NameAtomised/Zoological/
AuthorTeamOriginalAndYear + [= or] ScientificName/NameAtomised/Zoological/
AuthorTeamParenthesisAndYear

Content compatible, but needs parsing to classify parenthetical author(s).

Compatible when concatenated
NomenclaturalCode Code Fully compatible Fully compatible

IdentificationQualifier

IdentificationQualifier

Fully compatible

Fully compatible

In addition ABCD provides an attribute to define the insertion point in a string concatenated from atomised data.

Locality Elements Datasets/Dataset/Units/Unit/Gathering/    

HigherGeography

LocalityText

or

NamedAreas/NamedArea/AreaName

DwC element is part of the ABCD Element.


 M
ay be parsed

Compatible for the purpose stated for DwC ('like' queries)

Compatible. List can be compiled from unbounded ABCD element.
ABCD allows the language to be stated.

Continent

NamedAreas/NamedArea/AreaName
with
NamedAreas/NamedArea/AreaClass
= Continent

Fully compatible

"continent" as constant

Fully compatible if complete ABCD data are provided.

ABCD allows the language to be stated.

WaterBody

NamedAreas/NamedArea/AreaName
with
NamedAreas/NamedArea/AreaClass
= Water body

Fully compatible

"Water body" as constant

Fully compatible if complete ABCD data are provided.

ABCD allows the language to be stated.

IslandGroup

NamedAreas/NamedArea/AreaName
with
NamedAreas/NamedArea/AreaClass
= IslandGroup

Fully compatible

"Island group" as constant

Fully compatible if complete ABCD data are provided.

ABCD allows the language to be stated.

Island

NamedAreas/NamedArea/AreaName
with
NamedAreas/NamedArea/AreaClass
= Island

Fully compatible

"island" as constant

 

Fully compatible if complete ABCD data are provided.

ABCD allows the language to be stated.

Country

Country/CountryName

Fully compatible

 

Fully compatible

ABCD allows the language to be stated.

StateProvince

NamedAreas/NamedArea/AreaName
with
NamedAreas/NamedArea/AreaClass
= State or = Province (etc.)

+/- compatible

"State or Province" as constant

Fully compatible if complete ABCD data are provided.

ABCD allows the language to be stated.

County

NamedAreas/NamedArea/AreaName
with
NamedAreas/NamedArea/AreaClass
= County

+/- compatible

"county" as constant

+/- compatible if complete ABCD data are provided.

ABCD allows the language to be stated.

Locality

AreaDetail

Fully compatible

Fully compatible

ABCD allows the language to be stated.

MinimumElevationIn
Meters

Altitude/MeasurementOrFactAtomised/ LowerValue

Fully compatible.

"m" as constant

Fully compatible for metric values, otherwise conversion is necessary.

MaximumElevationIn
Meters

Altitude/MeasurementOrFactAtomised/
UpperValue

Fully compatible

"m" as constant

Fully compatible for metric values, otherwise conversion is necessary.

MinimumDepthIn
Meters

Depth/MeasurementOrFactAtomised/
LowerValue

Fully compatible

"m" as constant

Fully compatible for metric values, otherwise conversion is necessary.

MaximumDepthIn
Meters

Depth/MeasurementAtomised/
UpperValue

Fully compatible

"m" as constant

Fully compatible for metric values, otherwise conversion is necessary.
Collecting Event Elements Datasets/Dataset/Units/Unit/Gathering/    
CollectingMethod Method Fully compatible Fully compatible
ValidDistributionFlag
(under discussion)
ValidDistributionFlag Fully compatible Fully compatible
EstablishmentMeans
(under discussion)
EstablishmentMeans Fully compatible Fully compatible
EarliestDateCollected DateTime/ISODateTimeBegin Fully compatible

(Note that some versions of DwC use three fields, namely YearCollected, MonthCollected, and DayCollected, which may be concatenated to ISO date.)

Fully compatible

(The three fields used in some DwC versions may be extracted from the ISO datetime in ABCD.)

LatestDateCollected

DateTime/ISODateTimeEnd Fully compatible

Fully compatible

(TimeCollected)

(deprecated element in v.1.4, covered by EarliestDateCollected)

DateTime/TimeOfDayBegin

 

Compatible

Compatible
Time maintained as separate element in ABCD for cases where no date is given.

ABCD provides end of time period

DayOfYear
(JulianDay)

DateTime/DayNumberBegin Fully compatible Compatible (should not be given if ABCD's DayNumberEnd is given, because in DwC this does not refer to time periods)

Collector

GatheringAgentes/GatheringAgentsText

Fully compatible

Fully compatible

ABCD provides also atomised version.

Biological Elements Datasets/Dataset/Units/Unit/    

Sex

Sex

Fully compatible

Fully compatible

LifeStage

ZoologicalUnit/PhasesOrStages/PhaseOrStage
or
MycologicalUnit/MycologicalLifeStages/
MycologicalLifeStage
or
MycologicalUnit/MycologicalSexualStage
May be compatible where taxonomic domain is known Partly compatible, but left to community to define

ABCD allows the language to be stated.

Attributes MeasurementsOrFacts

(alternatively: Notes)

A well-formed string may be parsed into character-character state pairs that fit into an ABCD MeasurementOrFact element. Otherwise put into Notes. MeasurementsOrFacts can be concatenated and accomodated in this DwC element.
References Elements Datasets/Dataset/Units/Unit/    

ImageURL

MultimediaObjects/MultimediaObject/FileURI
or
MultimediaObjects/MultimediaObject/ProductURI
+/- compatible (needs clearer definition of DwC item)

Fully compatible but unbound in ABCD

RelatedInformation

Notes

Fully compatible

Fully compatible

Mapping between Darwin Core 1.4 (DwC) Geospatial Extension Concept List and ABCD 2.06b

The DwC part of this table is based on the Geospatial Extentension Concept List dated June 30, 2005 and the associated comments, page r18, 14 Feb 2007, see http://wiki.tdwg.org/twiki/bin/view/DarwinCore/GeospatialExtension

DwC Geospatial Ext.
Record-level Element

ABCD 2.06
X-Path

DwC to ABCD

ABCD to DwC
Geospatial Elements Datasets/Dataset/Units/Unit/Gathering/
SiteCoordinateSets/SiteCoordinates/
 
   

DecimalLatitude

CoordinatesLatLon/LatitudeDecimal

Fully compatible

Fully compatible

DecimalLongitude

CoordinatesLatLon/LongitudeDecimal

Fully compatible

Fully compatible

GeodeticDatum

CoordinatesLatLon/SpatialDatum

Fully compatible

Fully compatible

CoordinateUncertainty
InMeters

CoordinatesLatLon/ CoordinateErrorDistanceInMeters

Fully compatible

Fully compatible
PointRadiusSpatialFit PointRadiusSpatialFit Fully compatible Fully compatible
VerbatimCoordinates CoordinatesLatLon/CoordinatesText
or
CoordinatesUTM/UTMText
Fully compatible, if coordinate system is known Fully compatible
VerbatimLatitude CoordinatesLatLon/VerbatimLatitude Fully compatible Fully compatible
VerbatimLongitude CoordinatesLatLon/VerbatimLongitude Fully compatible Fully compatible
VerbatimCoordinateSystem (partly)
CoordinatesGrid/GridCellSystem
Applicable only for grid systems. +/- compatible
using constants for UTM and geographical coordinates
GeoreferenceProtocol CoordinateMethod Fully compatible Fully compatible
GeoreferenceSources GeoreferenceSources Fully compatible could be parsed for valid expressions
GeoreferenceRemarks GeoreferenceRemarks Fully compatible Fully compatible
GeoreferenceVerificationStatus GeoreferenceVerificationStatus Fully compatible Fully compatible
  Datasets/Dataset/Units/Unit/Gathering/
 
   
FootprintWKT FootprintWKT Fully compatible Fully compatible
FootprintSpatialFit FootprintSpatialFit Fully compatible Fully compatible

Mapping between Darwin Core 1.4 (DwC) Curatorial Extension and ABCD 2.06b

The DwC information in this table is is based on the Curatorial Extension Concept List r. 15 dated 16 April 2007, see http://wiki.tdwg.org/twiki/bin/view/DarwinCore/CuratorialExtension and the DwC Schema Element Comparison Table in the Darwin Core Versions document r. 18 dated 14 February 2007, see http://wiki.tdwg.org/twiki/bin/view/DarwinCore/DarwinCoreVersions. This version of the curatorial extension should be referred to as v. 1.4 according to John Wieczorek (pers.comm. April 17, 2007)

DwC Curatorial Ext.
Record-level Element

ABCD 2.06b
X-Path

DwC to ABCD

ABCD to DwC
  Datasets/Dataset/Units/Unit/    

CatalogNumberNumeric

UnitIDNumeric Fully compatible Fully compatible
CollectorNumber CollectorsFieldNumber Fully compatible Fully compatible
FieldNotes FieldNotes Fully compatible Fully compatible
ABCD allows the language to be stated.
IndividualCount MeasurementsOrFacts/MeasurementOrFact/MeasurementOrFactAtomised/LowerValue + constant Fully compatible (with constant Parameter set to IndividualCount) Compatible (for parameter = Individual count
GenBankNum(ber) Sequences/Sequence/ID-in-Database + constant Fully compatible (with constant Database set to GenBank) Compatible (for Database = GenBank). ABCD recognises other sequence databases.
RelatedCatalogItems UnitAssociation/* May be parsed into atomised ABCD structure.
Note that the OBIS and DwC 1.2 element RelatedCatalogItem is semantically different.
Compatible (UnitAssociation elements for Unit ID and Association type can be concatenated).
  Datasets/Dataset/Units/Unit/Identifications/Identification/    
IdentifiedBy Identifiers/IdentifiersText Fully compatible Fully compatible
ABCD provides also atomised version.
DateIdentified Date/DateText Fully compatible (ABCD additionally provides an ISODateTime element) Fully compatible
ABCD also provides verbatim version
  Datasets/Dataset/Units/Unit/Gathering/    
FieldNumber Code Fully compatible Fully compatible
VerbatimCollectingDate DateTime/DateText Fully compatible Fully compatible
VerbatimElevation Altitude/MeasurementOrFactText Fully compatible Fully compatible 
ABCD allows the language to be stated.
VerbatimDepth Depth/MeasurementOrFactText Fully compatible Fully compatible 
ABCD allows the language to be stated.
  Datasets/Dataset/Units/Unit/SpecimenUnit/    
Preparations Preparations/PreparationsText Fully compatible Fully compatible
TypeStatus NomenclaturalTypeDesignations/NomenclaturalTypeText Fully compatible Fully compatible
OtherCatalogNumbers History/PreviousUnitsText Fully compatible Fully compatible
Disposition Disposition Fully compatible Fully compatible

Mapping between additional elements in the OBIS Schema 1.1 DwC 1.2 extension and ABCD 2.06b

The OBIS (Ocean Biographic Information System) record level elements were taken from the "The OBIS SchemaVersion 1.1 08 July 2005" (http://www.iobis.org/tech/provider/schemadef1) page ("Last modified 2007-03-01 03:55 PM"). Only elements that are not documented under DwC 1.4 above are treated here.

OBIS
Record-level Element

ABCD 2.06b
X-Path

OBIS to ABCD

ABCD to OBIS
  Datasets/Dataset/Units/Unit/    
RecordURL RecordURI Fully compatible Fully compatible
Source partly covered (for literature reference as the source of the record's information) by SourceReference/TitleCitation ("OBIS does not encourage the use of this field - it is a legacy field.") Compatible for attribution of literature as source
Citation IPRStatements/Citations/Citation/Text Fully compatible Fully compatible
Subgenus Identifications/.../NameAtomised/Zoological/Subgenus Fully compatible Fully compatible
  Datasets/Dataset/Units/Unit/Gathering/DateTime/    
JulianDay
(DayOfYear)
DayNumberBegin Partly compatible (in contrast to DwC 1.4 this may be the only date, or an average of Start and End day of a period. Compatible (if ABCD's DayNumberEnd is given, an average should be calculated)
StartJulianDay DayNumberBegin Fully compatible Fully compatible
EndJulianDay DayNumberEnd Fully compatible Fully compatible
TimeOfDay TimeOfDayBegin Compatible (transform to xs:time type) Compatible (transform from xs:time to numeric; if ABCD's TimeOfDayEnd is given, this should be left blank)
StartTimeOfDay TimeOfDayBegin Compatible (transform to xs:time type) Compatible (transform to xs:time type)
EndTimeOfDay TimeOfDayBegin Compatible (transform to xs:time type) Compatible (transform to xs:time type)
TimeZone DateTime/TimeZone Fully compatible Fully compatible
  Datasets/Dataset/Units/Unit/Gathering/CoordinateSets/SiteCoordinates/    
StartLongitude CoordinatesLatLon/LongitudeDecimal with attribute "begin" set to true Fully compatible Fully compatible (for attribute begin=true)
EndLongitude CoordinatesLatLon/LongitudeDecimal with attribute "end" set to true Fully compatible Fully compatible (for attribute end=true)
StartLatitude CoordinatesLatLon/LatitudeDecimal with attribute "begin" set to true Fully compatible Fully compatible (for attribute begin=true)
EndLatitude CoordinatesLatLon/LatititudeDecimal with attribute "end" set to true Fully compatible Fully compatible (for attribute end=true)
CoordinatePrecision CoordinatesLatLon/CoordinateErrorDistanceInMeters Fully compatible (use together with coordinate set determined by OBIS Latitude and Longitude elements) Fully compatible (for neither attribute end nor begin = true)
StartEndCoordinatePrecision CoordinatesLatLon/CoordinateErrorDistanceInMeters Fully compatible (enter into both end and begin coordinate set) Compatible (if end and begin coordinate sets are given, use average of non-null errors)
BoundingBox -- not covered by ABCD not covered by ABCD
  Datasets/Dataset/Units/Unit/Gathering/    
DepthRange Depth/MeasurementOrFactText Fully compatible (set attribute datum to Sea level or Water surface) Fully compatible (for attribute datum = Sea level or  Water surface)
Temperature SiteMeasurementsOrFacts/MeasurementOrFact/MeasurementOrFactAtomised/LowerValue + constant Fully compatible (with constant Parameter set to Temperature) Compatible (for parameter = Temperature)
SampleSize SiteMeasurementsOrFacts/MeasurementOrFact/MeasurementOrFactAtomised/LowerValue + constant Fully compatible (with constant Parameter set to SampleSize) Compatible (for parameter = SampleSize)
ObservedIndividualCount SiteMeasurementsOrFacts/MeasurementOrFact/MeasurementOrFactAtomised/LowerValue + constant Fully compatible (with constant Parameter set to ObservedIndividualCount) Compatible (for parameter = ObservedIndividualCount)
ObservedWeight SiteMeasurementsOrFacts/MeasurementOrFact/MeasurementOrFactAtomised/LowerValue + constant Fully compatible (with constant Parameter set to ObservedWeight) Compatible (for parameter = ObservedWeight)
GMLFeature ("OBIS experimental field") GML Fully compatible Fully compatible
  Datasets/Dataset/Units/Unit/    
RelationshipType Associations/UnitAssociation/AssociationType Fully compatible Fully compatible
RelatedCatalogItem Associations/UnitAssociation/AssociatedUnitSourceInstitutionCode + Associations/UnitAssociation/AssociatedUnitSourceName + Associations/UnitAssociation/AssociatedUnitID Compatible (the three Identifiers separated by spaces must be parsed) Compatible (the three Identifiers must be concatenated separated by spaces)

Please send comments to w.berendsohn@bgbm.org


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This page last edited on 09.06.2007