http://precedings.nature.com/users/4376c14f2b51719c66f73ee085bc84f6/ Documents posted by Olga Lyashevska Nature Publishing Group en Nature Precedings http://precedings.nature.com/images/header_logo.gif http://precedings.nature.com http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/npre.2009.3327.1 Biodiversity is a multi-dimensional concept that is represented by a large variety of measures. This complexity and lack of consistency limits the development of a coherent scientific understanding of biodiversity and how properties, such as ecosystem services, may depend on it. Here, I demonstrate that the formal discipline of creating a relational database (RDB) for information about biodiversity and its measures, is a useful tool in organising such knowledge into coherent sense. Following steps of the logical database design and data normalization to build a RDB, results in a formal definition of biodiversity within a well defined concept structure; mapping rules between the concepts of biodiversity and entities of RDB and a consistent information structure – all in one place. I show how this is then used to support evidence-based objective statements about biodiversity. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/npre.2009.3327.1 Mon, 08 Jun 2009 09:36:48 UTC How do we quantify biodiversity? All the evidence in one place. doi:10.1038/npre.2009.3327.1 2009-06-08 Olga Lyashevska Nature Precedings 2009-06-08T09:36:48Z Poster Ecology Bioinformatics http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/