=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-2280/paper-14
|storemode=property
|title=Information System Design in Support of Albanian Biodiversity Conservation
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2280/paper-14.pdf
|volume=Vol-2280
|authors=Ana Ktona,Anila Paparisto,Enilda Shkembi,Adelajda Baci,Denada Collaku,Jezuina Koroveshi
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/rtacsit/KtonaPSBCK18
}}
==Information System Design in Support of Albanian Biodiversity Conservation==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2280/paper-14.pdf
Information System design in support of Albanian biodiversity
conservation.
Ana Ktona Anila Paparisto Enilda Shkëmbi
Department of Informatics Department of Biology Department of Biology
University of Tirana University of Tirana University of Tirana
ana.ktona@fshn.edu.al anila.paparisto@fshn.edu.al enilda.shkembi@gmail.com
Adelajda Baçi Denada Xhaja Jezuina Koroveshi
Master of Science in Informatics Department of Informatics Department of Informatics
University of Tirana University of Tirana University of Tirana
adelajda.baci@fshnstudent.info denada.xhaja@fshn.edu.al jezuina.koroveshi@fshn.edu.al
and ecosystems provide irreplaceable services and
resources that support human life. Society is becoming
increasingly aware about the importance of conserving
Abstract them, the importance of biodiversity conservation.
The conservation of biodiversity is one of the There are many international initiatives that have
challenges of ecologists. The collection and been undertaken to biodiversity conservation. In 2003,
monitoring of biodiversity knowledge is the the Earth Observations Group was established. In 2004,
first step in the conservation of biodiversity. the group agreed to create a Global Earth Observation
Technological developments and their System (GEOSS). One of GEOSS's main goals is to
implementation in the field of biodiversity are link existing systems and networks to the Earth
thought to turn the WWW into a giant global Observation System achieve comprehensive,
information system on biodiversity. coordinated and sustainable observations of the Earth
Biodiversity data in Albania are distributed. It system [Cra, Goo, Ann, Cam, Gou, Kuh, Mar, Mas,
would be very helpful for students and Mag, Lia, Par 2008]. Biodiversity is one of the
researchers to integrate these data as it would subordinates of Earth Observations infrastructure. To
facilitate teaching and research. The aim of develop global biodiversity integration, GEO BON
this paper is to model and implement the Group was created on Earth Observation Biodiversity
database for Albanian biodiversity knowledge Observation Network. This group aims to create a
in ODONATA species and to design and an global network of local, national and international
information system that will facilitate access to activities that they have created to record different
biodiversity data. The system is implemented species and ecosystems. GEO BON connects and
for ODONATA species and their habitats in supports these activities within a scientifically robust
Albania. framework.
Keywords: Information System, Biodiversity Maintaining all the knowledge on their species and
Data Management, Biodiversity Conservation habitats in our country would help in accessing data,
monitoring biodiversity and as a result would help
decision-making on actions to be taken to biodiversity
1. Introduction
conservation. It would be very helpful for students and
Existing knowledge about species, habitats, ecosystems researchers to integrate biodiversity data as it would
and their trends in Albania are distributed. Actually, it facilitate teaching and research. The integration of the
is difficult to use this knowledge from students and Albanian biodiversity data also supports the “Strategic
scholars. Moreover, the collected data are in different Policies for the Protection of Biodiversity in Albania”
formats and in some cases incomplete. Species, habitats
in its target objective: “Growing and dissemination of Conference was also organized on July 2018.2 The
scientific knowledge on biodiversity and ecosystem vision for GBIC2 3 was to 1) provide a framework for
services”.1 The design and implementation of an international parties to work together efficiently and 2)
information system for biodiversity data in Albania is enable a global network of institutions and
presented in the following sections. organizations to be able to take responsibility for
components that fit together to create a fully
interconnected whole.
2. Related Works
Society day by day is becoming more aware of how 3. Materials and Methods
species, habitats and ecosystems offer indispensable
services and resources that keep human life. The The first step in biodiversity conservation is the storage
conservation of these so-called "goods and services" and monitoring of biodiversity knowledge. An
requires quick access to as much data as possible in the information system will be necessary to store Albanian
space and the temporary distribution of species and biodiversity knowledge. The system will facilitate the
their habitats within an environment. The most efficient integration of the Albanian biodiversity knowledge,
way to provide this information is to keep in with other data sources for biodiversity data all over the
standardized online databases. world. It will support not only Albanian researchers
The field of Biodiversity Informatics was born when but also foreigner ones. The foreign researchers will
researchers began to exploit databases and the Internet get from the system, knowledge about Albanian
as a tool to manage and publish data [Cos, Van, Ber, biodiversity.
Bro06]. The early work to design a Global Plant A prototype of the system is created with the
Species Information System presented a vision for full knowledge gathered about ODONATA species and
interconnection and access to species knowledge their habitats in Albania. Model View Controller
through digital systems [Pan, Rus, Bis93]. This vison, software architecture is chosen for the system.
which is still unfulfilled, presented a lot of challenges.
A huge work is made in subsequent decades by
researcher communities. Global organizations, like
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and
Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS),
collaborate with each other to manage the publication
and integration of biodiversity data to the benefit of the
research community.
The work is still ongoing. Different conferences are
organized, like Global Biodiversity Informatics
Conference in Copenhagen in 2012 with the objective
to make an overview of the actual situation in
biodiversity informatics and define the major areas
where biodiversity informatics needed to advance[Hob,
Apo, Arn, Bell, Can, Dub, Fie, Alo, Hard, Harr, Hei, Figure 1: MVC Software Architecture
Kri, Mat, Pag, Parr, Pri, Will12] and Biodiversity
Informatics Horizons which aimed at offering MVC, a software architecture that organizes the
recommendations for advancing the field. [Har, Rob13] application into three parts according to their
GBIC2: the 2nd Global Biodiversity Informatics responsibilities: data, presentation, and control logic is
an appropriate architecture for the system.
1
Document Of Strategic Policies For Protection Of
Biodiversity: https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/al/al-nbsap- 2 https://www.biodiversityinformatics.org/en/#
3
v2-en.pdf https://www.biodiversityinformatics.org/en/background/
4. Results
View provides the rendering of the model’s content.
Traditionally used for graphical user interface (GUI), Controller translates the user-view interaction into
MVC architecture has become known for designing actions that will be performed by the model.
web, desktop, and other applications.
Every section of the code being implemented has a 4.1 Physical Architecture
goal, and those goals are different. A code section
keeps application data; another section makes the app Client Server technology, that enables easier
look beautiful and the last section controls application communication between the client and the server, is
performance. used in the system. [Vas09] This technology consists of
The MVC Architecture separates data and business two main parts, server part (sever), and part of the user
logic from the display. Model represents data and rules (client). Figure 2 shows the implementation of MVC in
to access and update this data. a Client Server setting for our system.
Figure 2: MVC implementation in Client Server Architecture
4.2 Requirements
The services the system is expected to provide are as
Other services the system is expected to provide:
following:
Setup different User Roles
Display of data for each species User Creation
Geographic distribution of species Password Modification
Add, delete and update data to databases Being a website that has a clear and simple
Collection of relevant information in a single User Interface.
Dashboard interface Being a website that can be viewed on mobile
Information about recently collected species devices.
4.3 Data Model Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Suborder,
Family and Genus.
Data logic is implemented in the model of MVC
software architecture. The main function of the system Figure 3 shows the Entity Relationship diagram
is the data management for the Albanian Biodiversity. created for the prototype of the system.
A prototype of the system is created with the data for
ODONATA species, for which we have the following
hierarchy:
Figure 3: Entity-Relationship diagram
4.4 Controller module These actions are set it up as methods in the
Controller module. The figure 4 shows all the classes
The main interaction with the system is the storage
that are set it up in the controller module.
data of data in database and the main operations are
Create - Read - Update – Delete.
Figure 4: Controller Module.
Figure 4: Controller Module.
4.5 View module Figure 5 shows a sample from view files of controller class
Views are taking care for the displays of the application, User Species.
Interfaces. Each controller class has its own view files.
Figure 5: View Files of Species controller class.
4.6 User Requests Figure 6 shows an example of handling user request: delete
an entity
The three modules of this architecture cooperate with each
other to handle user requests.
Figure 6: User Request: Delete an Entity
5. Conclusion objective: “Growing and dissemination of scientific
knowledge on biodiversity and ecosystem services” and
Biodiversity, the diversity of the living world inform students, researchers and the interested
determined by the number of different species in a community about the Albanian Biodiversity.
given area, contributes to a healthy biosphere and
provides direct and indirect benefits to people.
Conserving biodiversity has economic, aesthetic and 6. Future Work
scientific value for people. The prototype, created to The main task that this system has for the future is
store and monitor the biodiversity knowledge that data expandability about new species and their habitats.
Albanian Biologists have about ODONATA could be The data source of the system could be integrated in a
expanded and used for all the data about Albanian big data system with other sources of information from
biodiversity The designed system could help ecologists devices such as drones, sensors, cameras etc.
and researchers of flora and fauna in Albania to publish
their data, support the “Strategic Policies for the The application of Machine Learning algorithms will
Protection of Biodiversity in Albania” in its target be needed to get useful information. This information
could be used to identify species in risk or to [Ste, Mar, Sal, Bro05] Stem, C., R. Margolius, N.
automatically detect what kind of species is it. Salafsky and M. Brown, 2005. Monitoring and
Evaluation in Conservation: a Review of
Trends and Approaches. Conservation
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