Global Database on Biological Field Stations (2020) The Global Database on Biological Field Stations contains information on 1269 contemporary stations, located in 120 countries, which constitute a global network for long-term environmental monitoring and research, education, and public information. Here a comprehensive, global inventory of Biological field stations (BFS) including information on their station name, geographic location, affiliation, year of establishment, elevation, and research domain, distinguishing among terrestrial, marine, freshwater, and combinations of these domains, is provided. 

Here BFS are defined as outdoor laboratories for students, scientists, and the general public interested in the environment. BFS may employ permanent scientific and supportive staff while at the same time they may be open for visiting researchers. Agricultural, forestry, and weather stations, as well as nature reserves, bird banding stations, and stations that primarily serve as information and education centers were excluded. Only BFS in operation were considered. We are aware that this definition may exclude other important outdoor institutions for research, education, and outreach.

Data for BFS were collected between May 2010 and September 2014 using different types of sources. The inventory is based on extensive research of the Internet using a search engine and the Web of Science Core Collection to detect information sources for BFS (www.google.com; www.webofscience.com). The dataset was last checked and updated on 16th November 2020, further updates are currently not planned.

The specific information on BFS was derived from their websites and reports, online material of field station and monitoring networks, and numerous personal contacts (see acknowledgments in related publication). Existing compilations of field stations complemented the inventory. When available, multiple independent references and sources for cross-validation were used to reduce the heterogeneity in data quality.

When the exact geographic location of a station could not be determined, the coordinates of a close location, such as the nearest town or the national park containing the BFS, were recorded. The BFS were allocated to countries and continents (classification: https://unstats.un.org/unsd/methodology/m49/). 

Information on the current affiliation of each BFS was gathered. When a BFS was supported through several affiliates, all of them were recorded. Stations mostly were affiliated with national parks and governmental institutions, nonprofit and private organizations, research institutions, academies of science and museums, or universities and colleges.

Information on year of establishment was collected when available (i.e., for appr. 76% of all BFS). When a station remained at the same location but changed ownership or affiliation, the year of first establishment was recorded.

Information on the elevations of BFS was collected when provided. For all other stations with exact coordinates available, elevation was calculated on the basis of the ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model Version 2 (ASTER GDEM V2, Tachikawa 2011). 

This dataset is made available under the Open Data Commons Attribution License (ODC-By). 

Please cite the dataset as well as the related publication:

Dataset:

Laura Tydecks, Vanessa Bremerich, Ilona Jentschke, Gene E. Likens, Klement Tockner (2023). Global Database on Biological Field Stations (2020) [dataset]. Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), https://fred.igb-berlin.de/data/package/814

Publication:

Laura Tydecks, Vanessa Bremerich, Ilona Jentschke, Gene E. Likens, Klement Tockner, Biological Field Stations: A Global Infrastructure for Research, Education, and Public Engagement, BioScience, Volume 66, Issue 2, 01 February 2016, Pages 164–171, https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biv174

 

]]> freshwater marine monitoring research terrestrial research station field station _global -25.22 57.868 Vanessa Bremerich 0000-0002-7657-1534