The U.K. environmental change network database: An integrated information resource for long-term monitoring and research

Abstract

An integrated approach to information resource development has been adopted by the Environmental Change Network (ECN) to underpin environmental change research and policy requirements within the U.K. This approach views the data management process as an integrated system in order to achieve a smooth flow of data from capture through to access within the short time-scales required, incorporating the necessary quality assurance specifications. ECN is the U.K.'s long-term environmental monitoring programme, established in 1992 to provide comparable, reliable, multi-disciplinary, long-term runs of data on environmental change. The ECN site network operates a standardized programme of data capture for a range of physical, chemical and biological variables which drive and respond to change. Data quality standards are maintained through quality control, assessment and data validation procedures, and the resulting information accompanies the data. A central database, meta-database and geographic information system provide an integrated information resource for ECN. The meta-database is an essential component, providing “lower level” data specifications, dimensions and quality information, as well as developing “higher-level” links to other related data sources and monitoring networks. Remote network access systems provide rapid access to ECN data: a direct interface to the ECN summary database using the World Wide Web enables users to browse text and images, and progress to guided data query, retrieval and display in a single system. Increasing demand for timely access to reliable environmental information puts further pressure on information budgets; it is important that vulnerable areas such as data quality are not compromised.