The Development of Web-based Indonesian Bird Spatial Database

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The Development of Web-based Indonesian Bird Spatial Database

Firman Hadi ¹⁾, Ketut Wikantika¹⁾, Soni Darmawan¹⁾, Rudyanto ²⁾ and Yok Yok Hadiprakarsa³⁾
¹⁾Expertise Group on Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Science (ReSGIS),
Geodetic Engineering and Geomatic Program, Institute of Technology Bandung,
Jl. Ganesha 10, Bandung 40132, Indonesia

²⁾Birdlife Asia, Jl. Tumenggung Wiradireja 216, Cimahpar, Bogor 16155, Indonesia

³⁾Wildlife Conservation Society - Indonesia Program, Jl. Pangrango No.8, Bogor -16151, Indonesia

Abstract:
Indonesia ranks fourth in the world for bird species richness (1519 species, 28 percent endemic). This high diversity is in contrast with the fact that Indonesian bird faces a huge threat from habitat destruction, making it is listed as the Asian country with the most threatened forest bird species (101 species). One of the actions to overcome this problem as stated in the BirdLife International's Strategy for the Threatened Birds of Asia is to increase public awareness and advocacy activities. Spatial database (Indonesian Bird Spatial Database - ID-BSD) that will be developed in this research is aimed to support this action by making an on-line geographical information system of Indonesian bird. The objectives of this research are to develop a spatial database system of Indonesian bird, to build a mechanism for on-line data update and maintenance and to publish current status of Indonesian bird data and information as well. In this research, the bird data and information from relevant birdwatchers will be collected by making questionnaires, personal communication and on-line discussion via mailing list. Administrative maps, gazetteers and satellite images are spatial data that will be used and analyzed within an open source system which consists of GRASS GIS, PostgreSQL, PostGIS and Mapserver.

INTRODUCTION
Indonesia, which covers only 1.3 per cent of the Earth's land surface, has an abundant of wildlife species and ecosystems, some of which are found nowhere else in the world (Saryanthi and Subijanto 2001).

Tremendous richness of Indonesian bird species, give an illustration the importance of Indonesia's biodiversity in a global context. Indonesia ranks third in the world for bird diversity and first for bird endemism. There are 1,531 species of birds, which have been recorded in Indonesia and 397 of these species are endemic to the country. Research reveals that high diversity in birds correlates with high diversity in other wildlife groups and habitat diversity. (Saryanthi and Subijanto 2001).

In the contrary, high diversity of Indonesia bird facing a huge stochastic threat, from bird trade to massive habitat destruction has been set a side Indonesia into the most threatened forest bird species (101 species) country in Asia. One solution to answer the problem is to increase public awareness and advocacies activities (BirdLife International 2003).

The spatial database that will develop, has aimed to support public awareness by providing online geographical information system of Indonesian bird. In addition, the research has an objective to develop a spatial database system of Indonesian bird using web-based, to build an interactive and adaptive mechanism for online updating bird information and publish it into current status of Indonesian bird data and information as well.

Bird information will be collected by relevant birdwatchers using questionnaires, personal communication and virtual discussion via mailing list. Administrative maps, gazetteers and satellite images are spatial data that will be used and analyzed within an open source system which consists of GRASS GIS, PostgreSQL, PostGIS and Mapserver.

CONNECTING PEOPLE AND BIRD CONSERVATION WITH ON-LINE SPATIAL DATABASE
Birdwatcher is someone who do birding or bird watching, a hobby concerned with the observation and study of birds (the study proper is termed ornithology) (Wikipedia 2005).

Indonesia bird society, namely birdwatchers, play important role in increasing the public knowledge using public awareness approaches and conducting advocacy activities of bird conservation. After they observing birds in the wild, they can submit their finding to update the bird database, it will make every finding is worth. This work has been practiced in several countries such as England and United States of America. British Trust for Ornithology conducting numerous surveys in the United Kingdom, i.e., Breeding Bird Survey, Garden Bird Watch, Wetland Bird Survey which involves and encourages people to collect and pool the data within the organization which then they convert these into publications and strategic recommendation of bird conservation (Peakall 2000).

Despite the number of Indonesian amateur birdwatchers is increasing along the times, this mechanism is not existed yet. On the past days, bird information mainly scattered and hold by individual or institution with a lack access to it, and it is more complicated due to variety of data format. The establishment of Sahabat Burung Indonesia by BirdLife Indonesia four years ago (formerly BirdLife International - Indonesia Program), promising a good interaction space for Indonesia birdwatchers to share knowledge and information. To date, SBI has been work side by side with BirdLife Indonesia, together work to conserve Indonesia bird by providing their valuable sighting information into comprehensive bird database, such as Asia Red Data Book - BirdLife International.

Nowadays, with more than 500 SBI members throughout Indonesia, their create various interaction activities, virtual discussion on SahabatBurungIndonesia@yahoogroups.com with 120 messages per week; virtual SBI diary on various WEBLOG; various "off air" activities, such Birdwatching clinic and Let's Go Birdwathing Kid's in Bogor Botanical Garden; Birdwatching together in Segara Anakan, Muara Angke and many bird spot. These activities will surely pin point the society movement of SBI members to help give a strong input for policy makers.

Rising number of SBI members and followed by numerous activities, shaped the bird information flow enormously. However, collected information becomes less informative if there is no information system that integrating all information into accessible sources. Online database is one solution to integrating and making the information more useful for SBI members and other society. Its effectiveness shaped the person who conducts observation in any part of Indonesia, easily to contribute their data into the system as long Internet connection available. If they live in a remote places, they can send the hard copy data with standardize format by mail, then transferred into database by an administrator.

In this database, the most important thing is the positional aspect of bird sightings. Birdwatchers, always put the location name in their birdwatching notes below their names. This practice merely shows that location is the aspect that will make the data worth. To make the bird sightings useful for the conservation, the location attribute of the birds has to be precise. We cannot conserve bird's long term persistence comprehensively without knowing their localities.

The spatial aspect of the database is handled by an open GIS technology. Open GIS Consortium (OGC), provides an inter-operable geographical information system protocol that raises the development rate of on line spatial database technology. It is now possible to integrate various spatial data with different formats in a desktop, client-server or internet environment. This technology will surely gateway the people and bird conservation in Indonesia.

METHODOLOGY Indonesian Bird Spatial Database (ID-BSD) project was actually started as a result from mailing list discussion. One of the list's members once asked the other members if they are one method to query data so he can know which birds exist in some places and at particular time. The other member added that it should have the capabilities to be accessed remotely in real-time and also has the ability to be updated easily.

In respond to this, we initiated to develop a database that can fulfill the goals as stated above. It is reasonable that developing a complete and comprehensive Web-based Indonesian Bird Spatial Database in this early stage will be an impossible task. Overcome the problems, the database will be develop by prototyping method, which will have numerous iterative processes before the database establishment.

The database is designed only to perform simple queries to match the basic information needs of birdwatchers. These queries are:

Which species of birds that can be found in certain location?
When and the bird observed?
Who observed the bird?
What was the latest number of these birds on certain location?
What kind of method use by an observer?

The query is designed adaptively along the increasing birdwatching number engage the project. Consequently, database is re-develop if require by adding new queries. Re-development process will stop when the need of query function is satisfy.

The ID-BSD is built in a UNIX-based environment and mainly consists of GIS software (GRASS 5.4), database server (PostgreSQL with PostGIS module), web server (Apache) and server side script (PHP). GRASS 5.4 used for input and edit spatial data, PostgreSQL serves as a data warehouse, Apache used to host web interface for viewing and updating data while PHP plays as a bridge that make the communication between the web server and database server is possible.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Data model
Data model represents a real world of bird watching activity (Figure 1). During a trip, birdwatcher observes birds in certain location at particular time and produce bird records which called as sightings. Previously, this record would only be a personal record. Other people rarely see this record, which is sometimes much worthy.

The ID-SDB, become information gateway for birdwatchers, or people who just started watching bird in the wild. Moreover, consisted bird information can be use as a reference for his or her next birdwatching trip. The sighting record can also utilized as an input data to update larger, and more comprehensive database, such the Database of Conservation Status and Distribution of Indonesian Birds that mainly consists of historical records and scholarly publication. The input data from birdwatchers will accelerate the data flow and make the Database of Conservation Status and Distribution of Indonesian Birds holds the most recent and valid information.

Figure 1. Data model of birdwatching activity

Database schema
The figure below describes the database schema of Web-based Indonesian Spatial Bird Data Base. The database name is indobird and consists of tables that contain two main types of data, attribute and spatial data. The attribute tables are common name , local_name, genera, family, species, sightings and observer. The spatial tables for village, subdistrict, regency, province elaborated with BPS database code, spatial_ref_sys and geometry_column.

The relationship between table species, genera, common_name, local_name and family was adopted from J-Bird database schema (Repasky, 2005).

Figure 2. Database schema

Software design
The ID-SDB rely on open source technology to achieve its goal. PostgreSQL with PostGIS module serves as the backbone of ID-BSD. Spatial and attribute data is maintained in this server. All queries and data updates are also saved in the database. PostgreSQL was chosen as the database server due to its capability to handle geographical data, its transactional ability and the server is free of charge. It also can communicate interactively with GRASS as the spatial data contributor and PHP which serves as a binding language in Apache so the database can be displayed visually in the client's browser.

Conceptually, the client request attribute or spatial data via a web browser. The attribute query or spatial data input will handled by PHP that interprets codes in HTML to accessible command of PostgreSQL. The spatial query is handled by Mapserver CGI to access the spatial data in PostgreSQL.

Spatial data in PostgreSQL that have an errors and need to be further edited, are imported into GRASS Database with pgsql2shp module to fix-reprocesing, then re-exported into PostgreSQL via shp2pgsql module.

Apache Web-server function it contain two rooms to manage two different types of query. One room handled by PHP Script whether it is compiled as Apache module or as CGI and other room is handled by Mapserver which located in the cgi-bin directory of Apache.

Figure 3. Software design

When we tested the database, if the database server down or could not be contacted due a network failure the server send an error massage to web browser that contains database username and password on the message. Therefore, the database will be re-designed and replace Mapserver CGI with PHP Mapscript. The PHP Mapscript has an ability to customize the error message when connection problems occurs, and will eliminate previous database security issues

Database updating scheme
The database is designed to be restrictive. However, anonymous clients can view the queries results but they cannot update the database. Only an authorized client has the privilege to view and update the database with certain procedures.

Data input will provided via web pages forms that developed by PHP Script. Once all required columns are filled, and submitted, automatically updated data send to the server with queued transaction status. Then, notification message will send to Data Base Administrator (DBA) to be review. In the special cases, such very rare birds sighting, DBA will contacting an authorize individuals or institutions to verified and accept scientific bird finding. In addition, if the sighting has been verified, DBA just approved instantly. Figure 4 visually describes this updating scheme.

Figure 4. Database updating scheme

CONCLUSIONS
The Indonesian Bird Spatial Data Base (ID-BSD) is an initiative project by Sahabat Burung Indonesia. It is designed to provide a real-time and reliable information for the member's. Moreover, the present of ID-BSD will help Indonesia Birds Conservation Status and Distribution Database on updating process.

ID-BSD is an online web-based spatial database which rely on open source technology with reliable and secure UNIX-based environment and followed by inter-operable Open GIS technology. The Open source technology guarantees that the software is free, the source code is accessible for anyone with code modification is allowed. Furthermore, developing and implementing ID-BSD become low cost solution with enterprise level GIS technology to help conservation and long term persistence of Indonesia birds.

REFERENCES

BirdLife International. 2003. Saving Asia's Threatened Birds: A Guide for Government and Civil Society. Cambridge: BirdLife International.
Peakall, D.B. Avian Data Bases and their use in Environmental Assessment. Ecotoxicology: Aug 2000. ProQuest Biology Journals. pp. 239 - 253.
Repasky, D. 2005. About J-Bird Version 0.4.5. Internet source: http://j-bird.sourceforge.net/
Saryanthi, R and J. Subijanto. 2001. Threatened Species Listing in Indonesia: Status, Issues and Prospects in B. Pisupati (Ed.) 2001. Using the IUCN Red List Criteria at the National Level: A Regional Consultative Workshop for South and Southeast Asia. IUCN - Regional Biodiversity Programme, Asia.