A comprehensive reference model for biological collections and surveys

The article describes an extended entity-relationship model covering biolog ical collections, i.e. natural history collections of biotic origin; data c ollections used in floristic or faunistic mapping, survey, and monitoring p rojects; live collections such as botanical or zoological gardens, seed ban ks, microbial strain collections and gene banks; as well as novel collectio n kinds such as of secondary metabolites or DNA samples. The central elemen t in the model is the unit, which stands for any object containing, being o r being part of a living, fossilised, or conserved organism. The unit may b e gathered (observed or collected) in the field and derived units may recur sively emerge from it through specimen processing, breeding or cultivation. In addition, units may form associations (e.g. host/parasite), ensembles ( lichen on a rack with fossils), and assemblages (herd, artificial grouping) . Gathering events, specimen management (acquisition, accession, storage, p reservation, exchange, ownership), and taxonomic or other identifications r elate to the unit and are treated in derail. Geographic and gee-ecological data have not been fully modelled; taxonomic (name) data and descriptive in formation are treated by reference to other published models.