The largest biodiversity time-series database on the planet has had a major new release, offering unprecedented insight into how biodiversity is changing through time across the globe. The database spans nearly 150 years of ecological records from 1874 to 2023.
The new version of BioTIME, published in the journal Global Ecology and Biogeography, contains data from over 553,000 locations tracking species abundances from the Arctic to the Amazon. It helps researchers, policymakers, and the public better understand the complex dynamics that species face in a rapidly changing world.
BioTIME 2.0 dramatically expands on the previous version of the database, specifically targeting increased geographic and taxonomic representation. It now includes nearly 12 million records representing more than 56,000 species across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems
This is the most comprehensive collection of ecological assemblage time-series ever created. While a population tracks individuals of a single species, an assemblage includes multiple species living together in the same place – such as all the different flocks of birds you see at your local park. Assemblage-level data is essential for calculating biodiversity metrics like species richness and diversity.
Prof Dr Jon Chase, head of the Biodiversity Synthesis research group at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and professor at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, emphasised the significance of BioTIME 2.0, saying, “Of all of the work that I have been involved with over the years, contributing to database compilations like BioTIME 2.0 will persevere as among the most important.” He adds: “Analyses and questions can change on a whim over the years, but data like those compiled and archived in BioTIME 2.0, containing the labors of thousands of scientists over hundreds of years will provide a service to the field that will outlive us all.”
Several researchers at iDiv are involved in the BioTIME project, created by the University of St Andrews, and Chase’s European Research Council grant awarded in 2023 provides funding to support the database’s development.
A tool for a changing planet
The publication of BioTIME 2.0 brings together 485 co-authors from more than 400 institutions across 40 countries. It enables scientists to look beyond extinction headlines and explore deeper, more nuanced questions of ecosystem and community change in the context of land use, climate change and conservation efforts over time.
Since its initial release, researchers have used the database to challenge assumptions about how biodiversity is changing, uncovering more complex patterns of ecological change and also informing conservation strategies.
The BioTIME 2.0 database is freely available for use by researchers, conservationists, educators, and the general public at the project website.
This text is based on a press release by the University of St Andrews.
Links
BioTIME 2.0: Expanding and Improving a Database of Biodiversity Time Series