Documenting the AusTraits ontology
Channel: Australian Research Data Commons - ARDC
Date: 2022-12-05

Recorded:  15/11/2022
Presenter:  Lizzy Wenk - University of New South Wales - 
Authors:
 - Elizabeth Wenk - University of New South Wales - https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5640-5910
 - Daniel Falster - University of New South Wales - https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9814-092X

AusTraits is an open-source, harmonised database of Australian plant trait data. Released in 2021, the R-code that assembles the database has been refined over the past year: the workflow that merges datasets into a database is now a standalone R package, traits.build; the taxonomy-matching algorithm a separate R package, ausflora; and the explicit trait definitions the Australian Plant Traits dictionary (APT). This structure allows research groups to reuse the AusTraits workflow to establish databases for other taxonomic groups or specific traits. As part of this effort, we are documenting the ontologies underpinning both the database structure and the trait dictionary. At its core, traits.build adheres to the relational terminology used by the Extensible Observation Ontology (OBOE). We have also sought to re-use elements from DarwinCore and the Ecological Trait Data Standard (ETS), two ontologies familiar to the ecological research community. Once this endeavor is complete, AusTraits will be a rare example of an ecological database that has both significant data (1 million entries, from 300 unique datasets) and adheres to a fully mapped ontology.  Moreover, other groups can use traits.build knowing it is underpinned by an established ontology, encouraging reuse and integration across projects. While the core purpose behind APT, the trait definitions dictionary, is to make the meanings behind each trait value in AusTraits explicit, transparent, and findable, having this resource will enhance trait interoperability between plant trait databases worldwide. For example, APT includes cross-references to identical and similar traits in other plant trait databases; sharing this information with colleagues immediately initiated a partnership, with other database managers pledging to provide similar links. Once published APT will be an important resource both to add clarity to the meaning of each trait value and to connect plant trait databases worldwide.

Acknowledgements
The AusTraits project received investment (https://doi.org/10.47486/TD044, https:// doi.org/10.47486/DP720) from the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC)

References
1. Falster, Daniel, Gallagher, Rachael,  Wenk, Elizabeth, et al (2021) AusTraits, a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora. Scientific Data 8: 254, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-021-01006-6
2. Falster, Daniel, Gallagher, Rachael, & Wenk, Elizabeth. (2021). AusTraits: a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora (v3.0.2) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5112001