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# Biodiversity Data Cubes for Cross-Cutting Science and Policy

**Lina M. Estupinan Suarez**<fnref n="1" />,<fnref n="2" />, **Laura Abraham**<fnref n="3" />, **Tim Adriaens**<fnref n="4" />, **Lissa Breugelmans**<fnref n="3" />, **David A. Clarke**<fnref n="5" />, **Peter Desmet**<fnref n="4" />, **Shawn Dove**<fnref n="6" />,<fnref n="7" />, **Katelyn T. Faulkner**<fnref n="8" />,<fnref n="9" />, **Miguel Fernandez**<fnref n="1" />,<fnref n="2" />,<fnref n="10" />, **Louise A. Hendrickx**<fnref n="3" />, **Cang Hui**<fnref n="11" />, **Alexis Joly**<fnref n="12" />, **Sabrina Kumschick**<fnref n="8" />, **Ward Langeraert**<fnref n="4" />, **Matilde Martini**<fnref n="14" />, **Joe Miller**<fnref n="15" />, **Damiano Oldoni**<fnref n="4" />, **Henrique Pereira**<fnref n="1" />, **Cristina Preda**<fnref n="16" />, **Quentin Groom**<fnref n="3" />, and the
**Biodiversity Building Blocks for Policy Project**\*

Biodiversity and the Earth climate system are coupled through multiple biotic and abiotic
feedbacks. Although there are clear links between the two systems, there is a lack of integrative
research to evaluate them. One reason is that both systems operate on different scales, impacting
integration efforts. In addition, the state of the art for each has evolved at different rates over
recent decades. The growing number of satellite missions has made it possible to measure Earth
system variables on a global scale and with great frequency. This enormous amount of data,
captured even on an hourly basis, in tandem with a network of gauging stations, and open-access
policies have boosted Earth system modeling and projections, and thus increased our
understanding of one of the Earth's components (i.e. climate). Biodiversity data has also increased,
albeit at a slower rate. Citizen science, along with the application of different technologies such as
camera traps, phenocams, bioacoustics and, more recently, eDNA, are enabling scientists to obtain
data more efficiently. However, there are still large gaps in geographic and taxonomic
coverage. This is partially related to abrupt biodiversity gradients and insufficient explanatory
variables that hinder modeling biodiversity as smooth gradients in climate systems. Another
reason is the difference between data formats and approaches among fields; for example,

<footnote n="1">¹German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany (lina.estupinans@idiv.de)</footnote>

<footnote n="2">²Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany</footnote>

<footnote n="3">³Meise Botanic Garden, Meise, Belgium</footnote>

<footnote n="4">⁴Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Belgium</footnote>

<footnote n="5">⁵Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia</footnote>

<footnote n="6">⁶Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Gießen, Germany</footnote>

<footnote n="7">⁷Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Institute, Frankfurt am Main, Germany</footnote>

<footnote n="8">⁸South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, Cape Town, South Africa</footnote>

<footnote n="9">⁹Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa</footnote>

<footnote n="10">¹⁰Department of Environmental Science and Policy, College of Science, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA</footnote>

<footnote n="11">¹¹Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa</footnote>

<footnote n="12">¹²Inria, Center of Côte d'Azur University, ZENITH team, LIRMM, University of Montpellier, France</footnote>

<footnote n="14">¹⁴University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy</footnote>

<footnote n="15">¹⁵Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Copenhagen, Denmark</footnote>

<footnote n="16">¹⁶Ovidius University of Constanta, Constanta, Romania</footnote>

<footnote>\*A full list of authors appears at the end of the abstract</footnote>
biodiversity data are often recorded as spatial points, in contrast to gridded satellite data. All these pose numerous challenges for a more coordinated and cross-cutting research. As a starting point, it is our task to reach other scientific communities and offer harmonized solutions for data integration and analysis. Specifically, in the Biodiversity Building Blocks for Policy project (B-Cubed) we are developing informatics workflows to facilitate the analysis of species occurrence information in a data cube format. We are using, though are not limited to, the world's largest biodiversity database, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), to provide species occurrence information in a more interoperable format. Furthermore, we are also leveraging the concept of data cubes to standardise access to biodiversity data using the Essential Biodiversity Variables framework. Currently, the implementation of species occurrence cubes is aimed at analyzing invasive species, improving species distribution modeling techniques, and developing effective indicators for informing policy. We strongly believe that data cubes will facilitate both data sharing and processing, and the co-development of tools and approaches between biodiversity and Earth sciences, which will undoubtedly benefit cross-cutting research. Synergies between biodiversity and Earth system sciences are urgently needed for better informing decision makers about feedbacks in both systems that can respond to adopted and upcoming policies.

**Biodiversity Building Blocks for Policy Project:** MEMBERS: Lina M. Estupinan-Suarez1,2, Laura Abraham3, Tim Adriaens4, Lissa Breugelmans3, David A. Clarke5, Shawn Dove6,7, Katelyn T. Faulkner8,9, Miguel Fernandez1,2,10, Peter Desmet4, Louise A. Hendrickx3, Cang Hui11, Alexis Joly12, Sabrina Kumschick8,13, Ward Langeraert4, Matilde Martini14, Joe Miller15, Damiano Oldoni4, Henrique Pereira1,2, Cristina Preda16, Tim Robertson15, Duccio Rocchini14,17, Maxime Ryckewaert12, Hanno Seebens6,7, Yanina V. Sica6,7, Heliana Teixeira18, Maarten Trekels3, Toon Van Daele4, John R. Wilson8,13, Tsungai Zengeya8,19, Quentin Groom3. AFFILIATIONS: 1. German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. 2. Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany. 3. Meise Botanic Garden, Meise, Belgium. 4. Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Belgium. 5. Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia. 6. Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Gießen, Germany. 7. Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Institute, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. 8. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, Cape Town, South Africa. 9. Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. 10. Department of Environmental Science and Policy, College of Science, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA. 11. Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa. 12. Inria, Center of Côte d'Azur University, ZENITH team, LIRMM, University of Montpellier, France. 13. Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa. 14. UNIBO University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. 15. Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Copenhagen, Denmark. 16. Ovidius University of Constanta, Constanta, Romania. 17. Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic. 18. CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal. 19. Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.