Sampling Event and Occurrence Records of Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) from Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Study Extent

Sabah, Malaysia

Sampling

Biodiversity data found within this sampling-event (.core) and occurrence (.extension) dataset were obtained from published taxonomic papers, ecological papers and published datasets containing occurrence records with protocol information for dung beetles in Sabah, Malaysia. All raw extractable data related to taxonomy, occurrence and sampling effort from the sources were extracted into a single dataset (Bornean dung beetle dataset, Tropical Ecology and Entomology Lab) and was later refined into the sampling-effort core and occurrence dataset extension found here. The data was entered according to the Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A) formats and controlled vocabulary was used. Data was cleaned using OpenRefine and Excel and validated through 'GBIF species-lookup tool' and 'GBIF data validator'.

Method steps

1. Data extraction: Literature containing sampling-effort, occurrence and taxonomic records from Sabah were first identified and data such as taxonomy and occurrence were mobilized, geo-referenced and transcribed into a dataset 'Bornean dung beetle database, Tropical Ecology & Entomology Lab'. Verbatim data were extracted initially and no data conversion or transformation occurred at this stage.
2. Data Management and Cleaning: Taxonomy, occurrence and sampling-event data was then refined and extracted from the 'Bornean dung beetle database, Tropical Ecology & Entomology Lab' to create two datasets:(i) sampling-event dataset and (ii) occurrence dataset and it was cleaned and managed strictly according to Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A) formats and using its controlled vocabulary. The sampling-event dataset have columns like samplingProtocol which contains additional protocol information such as trap type, dung type, no. of transects, no. of traps, transect length and between trap distance. The eventRemark column is particularly important as it determines the type of data (i.e. TRAP-, SITE-, STUDY-LEVEL DATA and Taxonomic Data) and also contains verbatim site name, transect name/no. and trap no. Other useful sampling information such as duration is noted in samplingEffort and each unique event has a eventDate. Geographic data such as longitude and latitude is also provided in addition to locality information. Cells containing multiple data types are separated by '|'. Each unique event can be linked to its source through the column bibliographicCitation. The occurrence dataset on the other hand contains the recorded occurrence of each unique sampling-event. Other information such as scientificName, organismQuantity and higher taxonomic classifications (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family) are given here. Each occurrence can be linked back to the sampling-effort data through the unique identifier (eventID and/or parenteventID). The dataset was cleaned in Excel and later OpenRefine. The final dataset was then processed through the 'GBIF data validator' prior to publishing. All datasets are in the format .csv.

All Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae were identified to species level or in some cases subspecies level.

1. Scarabaeidae
   common name: Dung beetles rank: subfamily

Sabah, Malaysia