About GBIF MAPA

What is MAPA?

 MAPA stands for Mapping and Analysis Portal Application. It has been built using funds made available through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility's Demonstration Project process.

MAPA consists of :-

  • a website which allows users to query the GBIF cache using names obtained through the Catalogue of life and to map and analyse the resultant record set.
  • Web services that implement the SGA and SRA analyses

    • The analysis options available through MAPA are:-

  • Survey Gap Analysis (SGA) - this tool helps you design a biodiversity survey that will best complement the existing survey effort by identifying those areas least well surveyed in terms of environmental conditions.
  • Species Richness Assessment (SRA) - Use this tool to provide an estimate, from GBIF data, of the number of species in an area; and to gain insight into the adequacy of sampling based on abundance distributions for those species.
  • Environment Values Extraction (EVE) - Query a range of environmental layers (eg climate) using GBIF species record point data to create a table showing the environmental values at those points. This data can then be used in your own statistical analyses.

Who developed MAPA?

MAPA has been developed through a collaboration between the Australian Museum (AM), University of Colorado (UC), and the New South Wales Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC). Principal Investigators for the project are Paul Flemons (AM) and Rob Guralnick (UC). Software developers and system architects are Ajay Ranipeta (AM) and David Neufeld (UC). Statistical analysis developer is Jon Kreiger (UC), Geographic Information Systems Analyst Gareth Carter, Survey Gap Analysis architects Simon Ferrier (DEC) and Dan Faith (AM) and the Survey Gap Analysis developer was Glenn Manion (DEC).

How was MAPA developed?

 MAPA has been developed using Open Source technology and modular service oriented architecture. The technology suite is Java, JSP, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MapServer, Mathematica. The existing software for Survey Gap Analysis and Mathematica was optimized and wrapped as a web service.