HEAR Monitoring Database
Additional Information

  Monitoring Database Table Relationship Diagram and Table Descriptions

Changes/Additions to Monitoring Database documentation

• Use of the "alt." rank An important change in convention (not yet reflected in the Monitoring Database documentation) has been made with respect to use of the "alt." rank. Previously, this was a user-assignable rank to allow for alternate in-house nomenclature. (The "In-house name" field in the TAXONCOD (Taxon Codes) table should now be used for this purpose.) Currently, the "alt." rank is used to identify taxa using technically non-current but generally agreed-upon nomenclature (e.g. "Acacia koa alt. koaia" = In-house name "Acacia koaia"). Therefore, contrary to previously-documented recommended procedure, users/administrators should not add/modify taxa with the "alt." rank unless so directed by the Monitoring Database System Coordinator (usually via the HIMONDBA-L e-mail list). (Another example of use of the "alt." rank is proposed in the Proposed 'unidentified species' standard.)
• Refer to the online Taxon Code information for additional information about how standard Taxon Codes are created.

Monitoring Database: Standard taxon codes

• The current standard Taxon Codes for the Monitoring Database (and related systems) are provided here (see link below) as a dBase file (for compatibility with various systems). PLEASE READ ALL DOCUMENTATION & INFO ON THIS SITE and become familiar with the concept of standard Taxon Codes (as the term is used RE: the Monitoring Database) before using these codes!
• Refer to the online Taxon Code information for information about how standard Taxon Codes are created.
• Refer to the Monitoring Database documentation for additional relevant information.
• A word about FERNS/etc.: At the moment, the standard Taxon Codes have only been devised for flowering plants (although there is no reason they couldn't be used for ANY organism). The Taxon Codes-and nomenclature altogether, for that matter-for FERNS should NOT be construed to be "gospel." The problem is (obviously to those who are intimately involved in this area) that there is NO RECENT COMPREHENSIVE PUBLICATION to which we can refer to resolve nomenclatural conflicts. The state of fern taxonomy is in disarray for the state of Hawaii (all the way to genus & family level); "soon" (="hopefully…") there will be a publication on which we can base standard taxonomy for ferns. Until then, we solicit input on how to resolve the issues currently, and/or volunteers to provide us with some (any!) comprehensive fern database that we can at least cite as a temporary standard.
• DISCLAIMER: The "original" set of species names and taxon codes from which these are derived was based on an evolutionary database (over 3 years) and information from multiple sources. I have tried to ensure accuracy, consistency, and completeness; if I have failed, (kindly, please!) let me know what should be changed. Your feedback is an integral part of the quality of these standards, and is greatly appreciated!
• More information is available about Monitoring Database (PDOXWIN) table structures, including the TAXONCOD.DB table.
• If you wish, you may download the standard Taxon Codes (STDTCODS.DBF) [PKZIP'd]: download STD_TCS.ZIP (NOTE:  this file was last uploaded 24 Mar 1998.)
• Also, you may get a copy of the PDOXWIN QBE (Query By Example) file that created STD_TCS.DBF: download STD_TCS.TXT (=.QBE*) (*saved with .TXT extension for automatic viewing with your browser's text viewer; rename to .QBE for use as query in PDOXWIN) (NOTE:  this file was last uploaded 05 Nov 1997)

Monitoring Database: Organization codes

• Refer to the online Taxon Code information for information about how Organization Codes are used when creating user-defined Taxon Codes.
• If you wish, you may get a copy of the Organization Codes [for creation of unique Taxon Codes] in dBase format [PKZIP'd]: download TCORGCOD.ZIP

Monitoring Database: Proposed "unidentified species" standard

• Normally users should create "loc." species names/Taxon Codes for unidentified organisms (see Monitoring Database documentation and Taxon Code information). However, there may be cases where specific location/occurrence differentiation information is not important (be careful of this!) or simply not known. In these cases, it may be desireable to use STANDARD Taxon Codes to designate "unidentified species." The proposed standard is simple: the naming convention is the Genus (assuming that the specimen can be identified to genus), "sp." as the Species, "alt." as Rank1, and "unidentified species" as the Infraspecific epithet (see Table structure information for details about field names). Since there are so many potential conflicts at the Taxon Code level, all standard "unidentified species" have been preassigned unique Taxon Codes; all will have a 3-digit number as the last three characters (no "unidentified species" Taxon Code will be of the format "GenSp.Uni"-even if there are no conflicts, there will always be a number, e.g. "GenSp.Uni020"). Numbering of all current genera started with 20; would-be duplicates were created using increments of 20. Numbering is alphabetical by Genus + Species + Infraspecific epithet; subsequent additions will be inserted alphabetically/numerically by this same scheme.
• The standard will be optional; if a particular organization doesn't choose to use these designators, it simply does not have to include these designators in its database. (No conflicts among users of standard data should arise, since no nonstandard (user-defined) taxa should ever be created with the "alt." rank anyway.)
• There are a few potential drawbacks to using these species/codes.
  1. The addition of many "non-real" species entries in the TAXA (and TAXONCOD) table(s) This problem may be addressed by adding the unidentified species to your database only on as as-needed basis (but then using the standard nomenclature instead of freestyle, incompatible-among-organizations formats), and/or using a workaround (such as a "N/A" designation in USFWS Status Code field of the TAXA table [or something similar]) to be able to eliminate these entries via a query when doing a "species count"/etc.
  2. The possibility that users will "lazily" (or due to lack of understanding) use these designators when they should, in fact, create a new "loc." taxon designator This is basically a system administration/training/quality control issue which must be handled on a case-by-case basis.
• If the idea is accepted by the Monitoring Database user community, this (optional) standard will be formalized in the next Monitoring Database documentation update.
• If you wish, you may get a copy of the proposed unidentified species Taxon Codes in dBase format [PKZIP'd]: download UNIDDSPP.ZIP

Monitoring Database: Table structure information (selected tables)

Information is available on the structures of selected tables in the Monitoring Database. Eventually, all tables' structures (as well as a data relationship diagram) will be available at this site.

• Kingdoms (KINGDOMS.DB) table structure information: download KINGDOMS.PDF
• Phyla/Divisions (PHYLDIVS.DB) table structure information: download PHYLDIVS.PDF
• Classes (CLASSES.DB) table structure information: download CLASSES.PDF
• Orders (ORDERS.DB) table structure information: download ORDERS.PDF
• Families (FAMILIES.DB) table structure information: download FAMILIES.PDF
• Genera (GENERA.DB) table structure information: download GENERA.PDF
• Taxa (TAXA.DB) table structure information: download TAXA.PDF
• Taxon codes (TAXONCOD.DB) table structure information: download TAXONCOD.PDF

Monitoring Database: User registry

Current users of the Monitoring Database (and/or other databases using the standard Taxon Codes) include:

• The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii (Maui, Molokai, and Oahu offices)
• State of Hawaii Natural Area Reserves System (Big Island baseyard)
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Endangered species tracking [Honolulu])
• Maui Pineapple Co. (Pu'u Kukui Watershed Management Area [West Maui])
• Haleakala National Park Vegetation Management (Haleakala National Park [East Maui])

Two e-mail lists have been created to facilitate information exchange among Monitoring Database users (and others who currently or potentially use the standard Taxon Codes).

• HIMONDB-L is a general discussion list RE: the Monitoring Database (and other standard Taxon Code-based data systems). All current and potential users of the Monitoring Database (or any other standard Taxon Code-based data systems)-as well as any other interested parties-are encouraged to join this list. Its purpose is to field questions to other users, discuss concepts related to the Monitoring Database, and to disseminate general information to all Monitoring Database users. To subscribe to the HIMONDB-L list, send to LISTPROC@HAWAII.EDU an e-mail message with a BLANK subject and the following text (don't include the brackets ["<>"]):

• HIMONDBA-L is a list reserved for Monitoring Database System Administrators. This is the "official" means of communicating to Monitoring Database sites updates to standard data. Changes/corrections/additions to standard data/codes, software updates, and other system administration information are distributed on this list. Typically, only one person per site/organization is subscribed to this list. The information is typically technical, and large attachments are sometimes sent. To subscribe to the HIMONDBA-L list, send to LISTPROC@HAWAII.EDU an e-mail message with a BLANK subject and the following text (don't include the brackets ["<>"]):