Missouri Botanical Garden Open Conference Systems, TDWG 2014 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

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Linnaeus Next Generation for species information and identification
Wouter Addink, Maarten Schermer, Huub Veldhuijzen, Peter Schalk, Maarten van der Velde

Last modified: 2014-09-25

Abstract


Linnaeus Next Generation (LNG) is a, powerful web-based, multilingual Species Content Management System. It is used in virtual communities to create and update dynamic on-line species information and identification systems, and is an excellent tool to generate information products in the form of e-publications. LNG is based on the UNESCO Linnaeus II software that has been used by taxonomic experts around the world during the past 2 decades. Well over 130 species information systems encompassing some 150,000 species and keys to almost 40,000 species were released on DVD-ROM, the Web and in the form of apps for mobile devices. Development of the LNG software started in the EC funded KeyToNature project and was completed with ETI BioInformatics funding. Existing Linnaeus II information systems have been migrated to LNG. The system is further maintained by Naturalis Biodiversity Center. In 2014 a new module is being developed for generating mobile identification keys for Android, iOS and Windows phone. User interface designs are based on a three-month usability study. In the Bio-API project several webservices are being added to exchange species and multimedia data. TDWG standards to be used are Darwin Core with Plinian Core fields, Audubon core, SDD and TCS. New usages of LNG include the registration system for the Dutch National Species Checklist (Soortenregister), the Dutch Flora and the Belgian Flora (multilingual). About 30 species apps built with LNG are scheduled for release in 2014.