Promoting Open Research Data Practice for Genetic Diversity (meta)datasets

The prototype of a new national database on intra-specific genetic diversity in populations of wild species in Switzerland, GenDiB, is currently being developed as part of a project co-financed by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). With this ORD initiative proposal, we aim at (i) development of new tools to support simple procedures for dataset up-/download and to implement attractive visualization features and (ii) community building among researchers and stakeholders through various interactive communication means. Our dedicated activities, in parallel to further developing GenDiB as a beta version for subsequent permanent operation and maintenance, should promote the standardized use of GenDiB as the core repository for respective datasets within the community of researchers and stakeholders in conservation management in Switzerland, and possibly beyond. Integrating GenDiB into the national network of database holding species-level occurrence data (InfoSpecies) will complement these databases to cover the genetic level of biodiversity, which is fundamental for population and species persistence in the context of environmental change.