FSML: Database Management and Connectivity for Three Tropical Field Station

现场站最有价值的产品是现场产生的信息。 现代数据管理和通信技术可以保存特定地点多年研究积累的知识，并使科学家、学生、政策制定者和现场或其他任何地方的公众都可以轻松获取。 以高昂代价获得的信息（例如，研究数据集、网站说明和历史以及方案经验）应可供更全面地使用。 然而，这一愿景并不容易实现。 外地站数据管理现代化的一个主要障碍是在元数据标准、检索方法和适当的业务程序方面缺乏共识。 热带研究组织（OTS）最近领导的工作为新热带区野外台站产生了解决这些问题的共同方法。 臭氧监测站将执行一个示范方案，以发展其在哥斯达黎加的三个生物监测站-拉斯克鲁塞斯和帕洛韦尔迪-的数据资源的联机存取。 这就要求在电源、通信链路、服务器、局域网、工作站配置、备份单元和相关软件以及培训、操作程序和关键数据集的抢救方面达到最低功能标准。 目前正在拉塞尔瓦测试新的数据文件标准、在线搜索软件和操作规程。 OTS将把实施范围扩大到拉塞尔瓦的其他地区以及帕洛韦尔迪和拉斯克鲁塞斯，最终影响到300多个研究项目、120个实地课程以及每年使用该站的5,000名科学家和学生，更不用说那些从外部访问该系统的人了。 这不仅需要针对工作人员和用户的培训方案，还需要努力收集目前正在产生的信息和被认为特别有价值的旧数据库。这些网站将用于培训其他热带实地站的数据管理人员，以促进国际热带语言和遥感信息系统网络的扩展，并加强与几个国家合作者的互动。

The most valuable product of field stations is the information generated on site. Modern data management and communications technology allows the accumulated knowledge garnered from years of research at a particular site to be preserved and made easily accessible to scientists, students, policy-makers, and the public on site or anywhere else. Information obtained at great cost (e.g., research datasets, site descriptions and history, and programmatic experience) should be available for more complete use. Yet this vision is not easily realized. A principal obstacle to modernizing data management at field stations has been the absence of a consensus on metadata standards, retrieval methodology, and appropriate operational procedures. Recent work led by the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) has generated a common approach to these issues for Neotropical field stations. OTS will implement a model program to develop on-line accessibility to the data resources of its three biological stations in Costa Rica--Las Cruces, and Palo Verde. This requires moving to minimum functional standards for power supply, communication links, servers, local area networks, work station conformation, back-up units, and relevant software, as well as for training, operational procedures, and rescue of key datasets. The new data documentation standards, on-line search software, and operational protocols are currently being tested at La Selva. OTS will expand implementation to the rest of La Selva as well as to Palo Verde and Las Cruces, eventually impacting over 300 research projects, 120 field courses, and 5,000 scientists and students who use the stations each year, not to mention those who access the system from outside. This will entail not only training programs aimed at staff and users alike, but also efforts to capture information being produced currently and older databases identified as particularly valuable. These sites will be used to train data managers from oth er tropical field stations so as to foster expansion of the ILTER network and enhance interaction with its collaborators in several countries.