Activity report generated January 2021 Belgium This report provides a series of summary charts, statistics and other details about the mobilization and use of open-access species data through the GBIF network, relating to users and participating institutions in Belgium. These metrics show status at the time of report generation, unless otherwise noted. Taken together, the elements of this report can help guide and measure progress toward the information needs for biodiversity research, as well as for national commitments on biodiversity and sustainable development. ▶ Access and usage Researchers from Belgium contributed to 25 peer-reviewed articles citing GBIF use during 2020 and a total of 138 articles since 2008 ▶ Data availability in Belgium Animalia Plantae Fungi Unknown 27,256,479 9,475,650 98,500 75,662 occurrences occurrences occurrences occurrences Protozoa Bacteria Virus Chromista Archaea 4,993 19,344 19,344 108,260 8 occurrences occurrences occurrences occurrences occurrences ▶ Data mobilization Institutions from Belgium published 675,027 new occurrence records during 2020 out of a total of 268,835,604 occurrence records added globally to GBIF.org Number of records published by institutions in Belgium, categorized by kingdom 2 | 6 Access and usage Data downloads on GBIF.org from users in Belgium Users from Belgium made 3,599 download requests representing 1.6% of all downloads during 2020 Monthly downloads requested by users in Belgium Recent peer-reviewed articles using GBIF-mediated data by co-authors based in Belgium The GBIF Secretariat maintains and reports on an ongoing literature tracking programme, giving priority to substantive uses of GBIF- mediated data in peer-reviewed literature while identifying the countries or areas of the authors’ institutional affiliations. The citations below represent the five most recent journal articles with at least one co-author from Belgium. Those interested in assisting the Secretariat in identifying additional peer-reviewed uses of GBIF-mediated data may forward relevant citations to [email protected]. Marshall, Beckers, Vray et al. (2020) High thematic resolution land use change models refine biodiversity scenarios: A case study with Belgian bumblebees. Journal of Biogeography. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14000 Zanatta, Engler, Collart et al. (2020) Bryophytes are predicted to lag behind future climate change despite their high dispersal capacities. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19410-8 Batllori, Lloret, Aakala et al. (2020) Forest and woodland replacement patterns following drought- related mortality. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2002314117 Yang, Nie, Liu et al. (2020) Chromosome-level genome assembly of a parent species of widely cultivated azaleas. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18771-4 Sánchez-Guillén, Fadia-Ceccarelli, Villalobos et al. (2020) The See all research from this country or area evolutionary history of colour polymorphism in Ischnura damselflies gbif.org/country/BE/publications (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). Odonatologica. 3 | 6 Data availability Total data available for selected taxonomic groups in Belgium Mammals Birds Bony fish Amphibians 256,100 22,244,997 635,228 18,569 occurrences occurrences occurrences occurrences Insects Reptiles Molluscs 3,449,860 10,512 100,013 occurrences occurrences occurrences Arachnids Flowering Gymnosper Ferns 298,850 plants ms 222,689 occurrences 9,124,161 41,588 occurrences occurrences occurrences Mosses Sac fungi Basidiomycota 36,932 43,818 53,458 occurrences occurrences occurrences Mammals = Class Mammalia Insects = Class Insecta Flowering plants = Phylum Ferns = Phylum Pteridophyta Birds = Class Aves Reptiles = Class Reptilia Magnoliophyta Mosses = Phylum Bryophyta Bony fish = Superclass Molluscs = Phylum Mollusca Gymnosperms = Superclass Sac fungi = Phylum Ascomycota Osteichthyes Arachnids = Class Arachnida Gymnospermae Basidiomycota = Phylum Amphibians = Class Amphibia Basidiomycota Change over time in records about biodiversity in Belgium Occurrence records available about species occurring Species for which at least one occurrence record is in Belgium available in Belgium WHY MIGHT THE AMOUNT OF MOBILIZED DATA SPECIES COUNTS represent the number of binomial scientific DECREASE? names for which GBIF has received data records, organized as far Datasets are sometimes removed by publishers, but more often as possible using synonyms recorded in key databases like the decreases in the number of records are due to the removal of Catalogue of Life duplicate records and datasets. 4 | 6 Most recent datasets from publishers in Belgium Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences Bryozoa collection. Published by Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences https://doi.org/10.15468/f47a5v Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences Crustacea collection. Published by Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences https://doi.org/10.15468/xtppux Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences Rotifera collection. Published by Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences https://doi.org/10.15468/bsencg Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences Echinodermata collection. Published by Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences https://doi.org/10.15468/usj8dz Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences Reptile collection. Published by Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences https://doi.org/10.15468/5y77yc Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences Mollusc collection. Published by Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences https://doi.org/10.15468/w6ubjx See all datasets from this country or area: gbif.org/dataset/search?publishing_country=BE Newest publishers from Belgium Occurrence records downloaded from GBIF.org, published by institutions in Belgium Natagora Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO) Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp Natagriwal asbl BCCM - Belgian Coordinated Collections of Micro- organisms Number of occurrence records downloaded via See all publishers from this country or area GBIF.org published by institutions in Belgium gbif.org/publisher/search?country=BE 5 | 6 Data mobilization Data sharing with country or area of origin by national institutions in Belgium Belgium publishes data from 244 countries, territories and islands including 40,670,921 occurrences in 282 occurrence datasets Data sharing with country or area of origin The chart above shows the number of records shared over time by publishers within Belgium, with separate colours for records about species occurring within undefined and those occurring elsewhere. Top data contributors about biodiversity Top datasets contributing data about in Belgium Belgium Rank Country or area No. of occurrences Waarnemingen.be - Bird occurrences in Flanders and the Brussels Capital Region, Belgium. 12,811,851 1 Belgium 36,078,664 occurrences in Belgium. (Last updated 19 Jul 2019) 2 France 382,266 Bird tracking - GPS tracking of Lesser Black-backed 3 Germany 279,485 Gulls and Herring Gulls breeding at the southern North Sea coast. 6,857,925 occurrences in Belgium. (Last 4 United States of America 120,238 updated 13 Dec 2017) 5 Netherlands 82,762 Florabank1 - A grid-based database on vascular plant 6 United Kingdom 51,389 distribution in the northern part of Belgium (Flanders and the Brussels Capital region). 4,540,366 7 Luxembourg 11,101 occurrences in Belgium. (Last updated 4 Sep 2020) 8 Spain 4,857 Waarnemingen.be - Plant occurrences in Flanders and 9 Colombia 4,685 the Brussels Capital Region, Belgium. 2,300,868 occurrences in Belgium. (Last updated 19 Jul 2019) 10 Canada 3,654 Waarnemingen.be - Butterfly occurrences in Flanders Table 1. Ranking of countries or areas contributing data and the Brussels Capital Region, Belgium. 1,298,346 about Belgium occurrences in Belgium. (Last updated 4 Jun 2019) See all contributing countries and areas or datasets: gbif.org/country/BE/about 6 | 6 Belgium participates in the following projects coordinated by GBIF Internationalization of the ALA node portal Capacity Enhancement Support Programme, 2015–2016 Translation of ALA portal's user interface and technical documentation, such as installation and operation guides, into French, Portuguese and Spanish for use by the GBIF network. https://www.gbif.org/project/82202 European Bireme: EU Nodes in biodiversity reporting mechanisms Capacity Enhancement Support Programme, 2017–2018 By detailing national reporting processes and data flows in several European Union member states, this project will explore how changes to GBIF tools and procedures could streamline and improve biodiversity reporting across the region. https://www.gbif.org/project/83336 Strengthening GBIF Philippines BIFA: Biodiversity Information Fund for Asia, 2016–2017 This project aims at strengthening PhilBIF by enhancing the capacities of partners in the publishing of biodiversity information according to GBIF standards. https://www.gbif.org/project/82652 Using the CBD Clearing-House Mechanism to strengthen biodiversity data acquisition and data sharing Capacity Enhancement Support Programme, 2019–2020 A new content management system, Bioland Tool, could use the Convention on Biological Diversity's CHM network and infrastructure to improve biodiversity data sharing https://www.gbif.org/project/79ZRBGx5dNXYpR2ijHKebK International workshop on invasive species in the sub-Sahara area See all GBIF projects Capacity Enhancement Support Programme, 2014–2015 gbif.org/resource/search?contentType=project This bilingual regional training event will promote knowledge exchange between biodiversity experts and establish a coordinated early warning and response network for invasive alien species across the entire sub-Saharan region (Maghreb and Sahel). https://www.gbif.org/project/82223.