Introduction
The vegetation database software BIOTABase has been developed to cope with the structured storage of vegetation monitoring data and related environmental data. The database architecture facilitates specific environmental monitoring requirements like the handling of time series, nested plots, and individual-based monitoring plots.
Many routines provide a quick input and consistency check of empirical data – digitalisation, as well as the import of already existing data sources. A variety of functions helps the user to search through the records, to find answers and to understand the findings. The user can compile lists and cross tables, calculate indices and also export data to statistical software for enhanced analyses, or to geographical information systems for displaying items on a map, or to spreadsheet software for special calculations.
BIOTABase facilitates direct linkages between observation data, collection data and bibliographical reference data. The process of taxonomic identification of specimens and nomenclatural changes can be easily applied and documented by controlled update routines. Finally, the BIOTABase package comprises splitting and merging tools and multiple export procedures, which allow easy data exchange and thus satisfy the requirements of single users, large database projects and decentralised research projects.
Setup for first Installation
This installation is only necessary for the first time you want to use BIOTABase. If you want only updates of one or more components, you can download single components and overwrite existing files on your computer (see below). The installation package contains a setup routine with all components:
BIOTABase
BIOTAUpdate
BIOTAMerge
BIOTACheck
BIOTABase is Freeware and runs on Windows. Please download the file and save it in a folder of your choice. Then start the executable file BIOTABaseSetup.exe and follow the instructions.
Download Overall Package (44 MB)
Components of the software
For newer versions it is not necessary to run the installation again. Only the executable files have to be exchanged. For this purpose please download the relevant modules onto your computer. Decompress the zip-files and copy the executable files into your program folder (it is in most cases C:\Program files\BIOTABase). For installation you need administration rights.
You can read the version of BIOTABase, BIOTACheck, BIOTAMerge or BIOTAUpdate in the software menu item “Help / About”.
- BIOTABase is the main application. The download package contains the latest version of the executable file BIOTABase.exe and the latest version of the help file BIOTABase.chm. You will need this package if the component installed on your computer is of an older version than the version declared below. Latest version of BIOTABase: Download Main Application (20 MB) (Vers. 20180108)
- BIOTAUpdate is an additional tool for updating BIOTABase’s database structure.During the advancement of software sometimes changes to the database structure have to be implemented. In such cases, the database should be updated by the BIOTAUpdate – tool. The current version number of the database structure is shown below this section. BIOTAUpdate is able to update databases of BIOTABase since 2005. This is important if one wants to use an archive of vegetation databases.The download package (ZIP file) contains the latest version of the executable file BIOTAUpdate.exe. You need this package if the component installed on your computer is of an older version than the version declared below. Latest version of BIOTAUpdate: Download BIOTAUpdate (304 KB) (Vers. 20180108)
- BIOTAMerge is an additional tool for merging two BIOTABase databases.The program copies the data from a source database to a target database, under consideration of referential integrity of the target database. Before merging, the target database will be saved under a different name.The download package (ZIP file) contains the latest version of the executable file BIOTAMerge.exe. You need this package if the component installed on your computer is of an older version than the version declared below.
Latest version of BIOTAMerge: Download BIOTAMerge (207 KB) (Vers. 20180108) - BIOTACheck is an additional tool to test the structural conformity of BIOTABase databases. The program analyses the structure of a BIOTABase database, writes a diagnostic report and is very useful for technical support cases.The download package (ZIP file) contains the latest version of the executable file BIOTACheck.exe. You need this package if the component installed on your computer is of an older version than the version declared below.
Latest version of BIOTACheck: Download BIOTACheck (136 KB) (Vers. 20180108)
In most cases the version of a single component (BIOTABase, BIOTAUpdate, BIOTAMerge, BIOTACheck) differs from the version of the associated database structure. You can find the version of a component as well as the version of the associated database structure in the software menu of the component (Item “Help / About”).
Latest version of the database structure: (Vers. 20180108)
Imprint
BIOTABase is maintained by the IT team of SASSCAL. The development of BIOTABase was funded by BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research).
BIOTABase and its components are freeware. If you use it for scientific purposes, please cite as follows:
Muche, G.; Jürgens, N.; Finckh, M.; Schmiedel, U.: BIOTABase – Software for monitoring of biodiversity and environmental data, Version (as noted in the information of the software menu item “Help / About”).
