Harmonizing plot data with collection data

Although plot or monitoring data are quite often associated with objects collected in the plot and stored in specific collections, controlled vocabularies currently available do not cover both disciplines. This situation limits the possibility to publish common data sets and consequently brings a loss of significant information by combining plot-based research with collection object associated data. To facilitate the exchange and publication of these important data sets, experts in natural history collection data, ecological research, and environmental science met for a one-day workshop in Berlin. The participants discussed data standards and ontologies relevant for each discipline and collected requirements for a first application schema covering terms important for both, collection object related data and plot-based research.