Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
National Herbarium of NSW, Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Mount Annan, NSW, Australia.
Sci Data. 2024 May 25;11(1):537. doi: 10.1038/s41597-024-03368-z.
Traits with intuitive names, a clear scope and explicit description are essential for all trait databases. The lack of unified, comprehensive, and machine-readable plant trait definitions limits the utility of trait databases, including reanalysis of data from a single database, or analyses that integrate data across multiple databases. Both can only occur if researchers are confident the trait concepts are consistent within and across sources. Here we describe the AusTraits Plant Dictionary (APD), a new data source of terms that extends the trait definitions included in a recent trait database, AusTraits. The development process of the APD included three steps: review and formalisation of the scope of each trait and the accompanying trait description; addition of trait metadata; and publication in both human and machine-readable forms. Trait definitions include keywords, references, and links to related trait concepts in other databases, enabling integration of AusTraits with other sources. The APD will both improve the usability of AusTraits and foster the integration of trait data across global and regional plant trait databases.
具有直观名称、明确范围和明确描述的特征对于所有特征数据库都是必不可少的。缺乏统一、全面和机器可读的植物特征定义限制了特征数据库的实用性，包括对单个数据库中数据的重新分析，或对跨多个数据库的数据进行分析。只有当研究人员确信特征概念在内部和跨来源是一致的时，这两种情况才会发生。在这里，我们描述了 AusTraits 植物词典（APD），这是一个新的术语数据源，扩展了最近的特征数据库 AusTraits 中包含的特征定义。APD 的开发过程包括三个步骤：审查和形式化每个特征及其伴随的特征描述的范围；添加特征元数据；并以人类可读和机器可读的形式发布。特征定义包括关键字、参考文献以及与其他数据库中相关特征概念的链接，从而实现了 AusTraits 与其他来源的集成。APD 将提高 AusTraits 的可用性，并促进全球和区域植物特征数据库中特征数据的集成。
