Services

Hosting Biodiversity Databases in the PlutoF Cloud

PlutoF - each registered user can create an unlimited number of databases which can be opened up for everyone to use, can be kept private, or can be granted access to a chosen group of users. Databases and datasets can be exported into different formats. As of August 2013 PlutoF cloud has more than 1200 registered users. According to statistics of use the most active users are hosts of data collections and users from Estonia, and USA (see PlutoF cloud - statistics of use). Very diverse datasets associated with biodiversity can be stored in PlutoF cloud, including the fields of ecology, genetics and taxonomy. Best-known data collections hosted by PlutoF are databases of Estonian biorepositories, UNITE - a global identification key for fungal species based on DNA sequences, repository of studies of Estonian nature, bird observations, etc.

Hosting Databases of Earth Sciences in the SARV System

Earth sciences information system SARV is used in managing the geological collections and associated scientific data of the Institute of Geology at Tallinn University of Technology, the University of Tartu Geological Museum and the Estonian Museum of Natural History. The basic components of this system are database server and diverse user interfaces both desktop-based and web-based, SARV offers the partners of NATARC the means to store and manage data using desktop-based and web-based applications. For everyone else most of the data kept in the information system is accessible through public web interfaces. Most important of these are: (1) the portal of Estonian geological collections and its institution-based subdivisions, (2) the register of fossil taxa and (3) the portal of analytical data of bedrock .

The Molecular Identification of Fungi

UNITE is a global sequence based database for identifying microorganisms. It is developed by an international community of scientists. UNITE identificaion is used as a standard microoranism specific software QIIME, mothur and SCATA. A new theoretical approach has been created to distinguish and identify species, according to DNA sequences (Kõljalg et al. 2013, doi: 10.1111/mec.12481).

Enquiries about Estonian Biodiversity

The public portal of Estonian eBiodiversity enables to search for information about species found in Estonia. Information about the presence of species in Estonia is based on scientific collections, DNA sequences, observations and published materials. The eBiodiversity is a web-based platform displaying information about Estonian biodiversity, derived from databases of taxonomy, ecology, phylogenetics, nature conservation etc, owned either by individuals, work groups or institutions.

Keeping and Lending Natural Sciences Materials

Following references are to the websites of the partner institutions of NATARC, exact guidelines can be found there about depositing scientific materials in collections or lending them out for study

• University of Tartu ( Access to the collections and regulations of use )
• Estonian University of Life Sciences ( Access to the collections and regulations of use )
• Tallinn University of Technology ( Access to the collections and regulations of use )
• Estonian Museum of Natural History ( Access to the collections and regulations of use )

Estonian Georepository – Repository of Drill Cores in Särghaua

Fieldwork Computers for the Environmental Board (Under the Ministry of the Environment)

Multimedia Laboratory