General Data Model

To: biod@amazon.evsc.Virginia.EDU (Envi.Sci. LTER)
Subject: General Data Model
From: kh6d@faraday.clas.Virginia.EDU
Date: Tue, 26 Nov 1996 01:20:47 -0500 (EST)
Cc: kh6d@virginia.edu (Kurt Hansen)

Everyone,

	Here is the general data model that I think could work
for all the taxa.  I will list the attributes I think would
work for each entity, and how they should be searched.

Species:
	-Name
	-Description
	-Behavior
		-Reproduction, seasonality, competiton etc...
	-Habitat

	The name should be a form field search due to the many
number of species which will be in the data base. The behavior
Should be searchable under each subheading, i.e. reproduction.
The habitat is the link between the species entity, and the
location and the observation entities. 

Location:
	-Habitat
		-Geographic
		-Observed

	The most important part of location is the habitat.
This should be divided into two diofferent sections. The first
geographic would be all the areas where the species could
exist, where the conditions would favor its survival.  The
observed would be the realized or characteristic habitat.  I
guess I would see this as a possible versus realized niche
idea. This would also serve as the link between the observation
and species entities. It should be searchable by habitat type,
i.e. wetlands, forrests etc.... It should also be searchable by
habitat, i.e. what species live in the wetlands of hog island.

Observation:
	-Species Observed
		-Time observed
		-Location and habitat observed in
		-who observed
			-Quality?
	This is the crux of the data base.  This is the actual
data.  This will provide us with the species and locations and
habitats to be used in the other two.  This should be
searchable by species by form field, due again to the number of
species that will be involved.  The time could also be done
using form field, since data will range from exact time and
date, to a season.  The location should probably be structured
again using the box method in order to refine the searches a
little.

I forgot natural history.  That should be included under
behavior in the species entity, and we would probably want that
to be a form field search because of the wide range of data
that could be covered by a subject like "natural history".

That is about all I can think of right now. I think this is the
basic jist of the assignment, but if not let me know. Thanks!
Have a good Thanks giving!

Kurt
-- 
Kurt Hansen
2021 Ivy Rd. Apt. B-9
Charlottesville VA 22903
email: kh6d@virginia.edu