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The Biótica Information system

(BIÓTICA ©)

The Biótica information (Biótica ©) System has been especially designed to handle curatorial, nomenclatural, geographical, bibliographical and ecological data. Its purpose is to assist, reliably and simply, in the capture and updating of the data.

Biótica© was developed in a modular form, both in the structure of the database and in its system (programs), taking into account the great variety of needs of the biological community (taxonomists, curators, biogeographers, ecologists, ethnobiologists, etc.); as well as other characteristics, such as bar codes for the labeling of samples. It is also possible to link the information from the databases to information managed for other applications, such as images, sounds, Web Pages, spreadsheets, other databases etc.

Biótica© is divided into nine modules, which are called: Database, Directory, Nomenclatural, Curatorial, Ecology, Georeferenciation, Bibliography, Tools and Help.


Fig. 1 General Outline of the module of Biótica© data v.4.0

Following is a brief description of each one of these modules:

  • Database: Here the connection of the system to the database is made where the information will be introduced; the configuration or predetermination of certain data used frequently, which allows for introducing the data more quickly, as well as the security of the data; it is possible to activate users and define permits for each one of them.
    This module is divided into the Database connection, configuration, security, change of user and exit.

  • Directory: In this module, it is possible to introduce information relative to institutions and collections involved in the project, such as the name, initials, address etc., as well as the introduction into the system of groups of determiners, groups of collectors and authors of publications.
    This module is divided into institutions, collections and groups and persons.

  • Nomenclatural: Here the capture and updating of scientific names is made with their respective taxonomic category, relations among taxons (synonymy, basonymy, etc.) association with external files (images, sounds, Web Pages, spreadsheets etc.), common names, regions and catalogues that can be personalized by the user, which contain physical and environmental characteristics etc. for the nomenclature, in addition to bibliographic citations for the name, the relation between taxons and for the related catalogues.
    This module is divided into Taxonomic Category, Catalogue of Relations, Catalogue of Characteristics, Name and Catalogues Associated to.

  • Curatorial: This module includes information related to the collection, observation and bibliographic report of the sample (scientific name, the collection to which it pertains, georeference, habitat, microhabitat, collection group, determination group, historical group of determination, etc.); its biotic and abiotic information being organized for the most part in the catalogues, it is possible to associate the sample with external files (images, sounds, Web Pages, spreadsheets etc.) There is a catalogue of nomenclatural types (holotype, paratype etc.), a catalogue of interaction types (Guest-Host, mutualism, etc.) and a catalogue of characteristics (physical, habitats, type of vegetation) in which the user may add the elements required to capture the information. It is also possible to define interactions among samples, or among samples and taxons.
    This module is divided into Catalogue of Characteristics, Nomenclature type, Catalogue of Interactions, Sample and Interactions.

  • Ecology: In this module you can introduce the following type of information: taxon, area of distribution and type (period),- that is, population information.
    This module is divided into a Catalogue of parameters related to the population, which contains various parameters that could be captured from a population (e.g. demography, behavior, ecomorphology, reproduction, physical aspects on the environment etc.); catalogues of study on… where it is possibly to classify the organism associated to the study (modified, wild, live organism etc.,) catalogue of researchers where it is possible to introduce the names of these specialists who conduct the study, and populations by taxons where it is possible to introduce data of a population, whether for the entire distribution area, or for defined regions within the area of population distribution ("plots"); these data may be registered for the entire period of the study or for a specific date.

  • Georeferenciation: Here is possible to introduce regions (geographic area which is defined in terms of its characteristics; for example, environmental socioeconomic etc.) sites ( geographic coordinate – in degrees, minutes and seconds or in a decimal format- defined in a latitude or longitude) and localities. These can be data related to the geographic location of observation sites. Report or collection sites of the sample, to the distribution of taxons (regions) to the common names (regions) and to the population study (population data samples). It is also possible to define the distribution of taxons by associating them with geographic objects (lines, polygons and points) of digitalized maps.
    There is a catalogue of types of distribution (current and original) where the user may introduce the types as required. This module is divided into: Catalogue of regions, Catalogue of the type of distribution, Regions, Sites and Localities, Catalogue of Localities and Name-Region.

  • Bibliography: In this module publications are introduced (books, results of studies, memoirs, thesis etc.) and sub-publications (articles, chapters, etc.) that may relate to the sample, to the scientific name, to the relation between names (synonymy, basonymy, etc.) to catalogues for the nomenclature and to the ecological module. Here the data of each bibliographic citation are specified such as title, volume, number, year etc. It is divided into Catalogue, Bibliographic entry by title and Bibliographic entry by author.

  • Tools: Information can be consulted through the Dynamic Reports which can be constructed by the user and a format defined for them according to their needs, for this purpose using the report designer; it is possible to create Bar Code labels, use the Geographic Information System (SIG), review the Activities Registry or all users within the system (LOG), use a tool to change the type of data from text type to memo-- available for some fields of information that may require more space--and insert new levels for the catalogues of type of region, population parameters, characteristics of the sample, characteristics of the taxon, and relations among taxons. This module is divided into Dynamic Reports, SIG, Activities Registry, Bar Code, change type of data and add level.

  • Help: In this module information is found related to the Biótica © Registry Number (which is required to use the system) Regarding Biótica, Information on the Database and an option to send Comments to Conabio in respect to the system.

Biótica © includes catalogues of:

  • Names of certain biological groups up to genus or species
  • Names of authors of taxons
  • Collections and institutions
  • States and municipalities according to INEGI for Mexico
  • Priority hydrological, marine and land regions of Mexico, according to Conabio
  • Catalogues that can be related to the sample and are personalized by the user such as: types of vegetation, forms of nutrition, forms of life, habits, etc.
  • Catalogue of population parameters that can be personalized by the user
  • Nomenclatural Types.
  • Biótica © can be used both in a single user environment as well as in a multi-user environment (network).


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