A community convention for ecological forecasting: output files and metadata v1.0

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dc.contributor.authorDietze, Michael C.en
dc.contributor.authorThomas, R. Quinnen
dc.contributor.authorPeters, Jodyen
dc.contributor.authorBoettiger, Carlen
dc.contributor.authorKoren, Gerbranden
dc.contributor.authorShiklomanov, Alexey N.en
dc.contributor.authorAshander, Jaimeen
dc.date.accessioned2024-01-24T14:39:17Zen
dc.date.available2024-01-24T14:39:17Zen
dc.date.issued2023-11-23en
dc.description.abstractThis paper summarizes the open community conventions developed by the Ecological Forecasting Initiative (EFI) for the common formatting and archiving of ecological forecasts and the metadata associated with these forecasts. Such open standards are intended to promote interoperability and facilitate forecast communication, distribution, validation, and synthesis. For output files, we first describe the convention conceptually in terms of global attributes, forecast dimensions, forecasted variables, and ancillary indicator variables. We then illustrate the application of this convention to the two file formats that are currently preferred by the EFI, netCDF (network common data form), and comma-separated values (CSV), but note that the convention is extensible to future formats. For metadata, EFI's convention identifies a subset of conventional metadata variables that are required (e.g., temporal resolution and output variables) but focuses on developing a framework for storing information about forecast uncertainty propagation, data assimilation, and model complexity, which aims to facilitate cross-forecast synthesis. The initial application of this convention expands upon the Ecological Metadata Language (EML), a commonly used metadata standard in ecology. To facilitate community adoption, we also provide a Github repository containing a metadata validator tool and several vignettes in R and Python on how to both write and read in the EFI standard. Lastly, we provide guidance on forecast archiving, making an important distinction between short-term dissemination and long-term forecast archiving, while also touching on the archiving of code and workflows. Overall, the EFI convention is a living document that can continue to evolve over time through an open community process.en
dc.description.notesThis document summarizes the open community standards developed by the Ecological Forecasting Initiative (EFI) for the common formatting and archiving of ecological forecasts and the metadata associated with these forecasts. Such open standards are intended to promote interoperability and facilitate forecast adoption, distribution, validation, and synthesis. For output files EFI has adopted a three-tiered approach reflecting trade-offs in forecast data volume and technical expertise. The preferred output file format is netCDF following the Climate and Forecast Convention for dimensions and variable naming, including an ensemble dimension where appropriate. The second-tier option is a semi-long CSV format, with state variables as columns and each row representing a unique issue datetime, prediction datetime, location, ensemble member, etc. The third-tier option is similar to option 2, but each row represents a specific summary statistic (mean, upper/lower CI) rather than individual ensemble members. For metadata, EFI expands upon the Ecological Metadata Language (EML), using additionalMetadata tags to store information designed to facilitate cross-forecast synthesis (e.g. uncertainty propagation, data assimilation, model complexity) and setting a subset of base EML tags (e.g. temporal resolution, output variables) to be required. To facilitate community adoption we also provides a R package containing a number of vignettes on how to both write and read in the EFI standard, as well as a metadata validator tool.en
dc.description.versionPublished versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifierARTN e4686 (Article number)en
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4686en
dc.identifier.eissn2150-8925en
dc.identifier.issn2150-8925en
dc.identifier.issue11en
dc.identifier.orcidThomas, Robert [0000-0003-1282-7825]en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10919/117650en
dc.identifier.volume14en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherWileyen
dc.relation.urihttps://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.4686en
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en
dc.subjectcomma-separated values (CSV)en
dc.subjectdata assimilationen
dc.subjectecological forecastingen
dc.subjectEcological Metadata Language (EML)en
dc.subjectensembleen
dc.subjectnetCDFen
dc.subjectstandardsen
dc.subjectuncertaintyen
dc.titleA community convention for ecological forecasting: output files and metadata v1.0en
dc.title.serialEcosphereen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
dc.type.otherArticleen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Techen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Tech/Scienceen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Tech/Science/Biological Sciencesen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Tech/All T&R Facultyen
pubs.organisational-group/Virginia Tech/Science/COS T&R Facultyen

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