Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Merea Maps also notes that there is also a new pattern emerging: that of Feature
+ Cover = New Feature. So, for example, we can see that:
Every Heath is a kind of
Unenclosed Land.
Every Heath has dense cover of
Heather.
Class: Heath
SubClassOf: UnenclosedLand that
hasDenseCoverOf some Heather
In some cases, the addition of a function is required. An example of this is an
orchard, which is a constructed feature with a clear purpose, which helps to define
what it is:
An Orchard is anything that:
is a kind of Enclosed Land.
has part Trees.
is intended for Agricultural
Production.
Class: Orchard
EquivalentTo: EnclosedLand,
hasPart some Tree, isIntendedFor
some AgriculturalProduction
In contrast, a Heath has no clear purpose or reason for being: It just is.
10.5 ONTOLOGY REUSE: AIDING THIRD-PARTY
DATA INTEGR ATION
So far, we have only discussed combining ontologies in a fairly simple fashion. To this
point, we have always assumed they are additive; that is, they provide use with extra
classes, predicates, and axioms that we are able to use directly within our ontology.
Indeed, the theory behind micro-ontologies is that they are just this: additive. But,
what about situations where the ontologies are more complex than micro-ontologies
and there are semantic differences between them that cannot be resolved easily
because the ontology author does not have control or authorship over all the ontolo-
gies? This is the type of problem that will be faced by any organization wishing to
use the data supplied by Merea Maps and described by its Topographic Ontology. The
ontology is complex and clearly not a micro-ontology. It describes the world as seen
by Merea Maps, and although the data and the ontology are recognized by a third
party—say, Merean Nature—as useful, Merean Nature also recognizes that it has a
slightly different worldview that means it will not always be in total agreement with
Merea Maps. Nonetheless, the overall benefit of using the data and ontology from
Merean Maps outweighs the perceived issues, so Merean Nature decides to use the
Merea Maps' data in its business processes and the ontology to describe it.
One task that Merean Nature has is the need to provide an annual health report on
the state of the Merean environment in terms of the well-being of the various habitats
that exist on the island. These health reports are used to both inform central govern-
ment and to form the basis for action plans agreed between Merean Nature and the
various local authorities to ensure the habitats are properly managed. To do this,
it needs a topographic view of the world, but this view itself is not sufficient to enable
Merean Nature simply to deduce the habitats. Its plan is to copy the example of
Merea Maps and to produce its health plan as Linked Data described by an ontology.
