Journal of Agricultural Big Data ›› 2020, Vol. 2 ›› Issue (2): 55-66.doi: 10.19788/j.issn.2096-6369.200206

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Storing and Sharing Ecological Observation Data Using Blockchain Technology

Yue Hou1(), Changhui Peng1,2(), Mingxia Yang1, Zhihao Liu1, Xiaolu Zhou1   

  1. 1.College of Forestry, Center for Ecological Forecasting and Global Change Research, Northwest Agriculture and Foretry University, Yangling 712100, China
    2.Institute of Environment Science, University of Quebec at Montreal, Montreal C3H3P8, Canada
  • Received:2020-03-17 Online:2020-06-30 Published:2020-07-30
  • Contact: Changhui Peng E-mail:houyue199405@163.com;cpeng86@yahoo.com

Abstract:

The scale of ecological data storage continues to increase with the expansion of research in the field of ecology. However, traditional centralized data storage methods are unsustainable for dealing with increasingly large volumes of ecological data. More efficient data storage technology can deal with observation data that need to be easy to duplicate, process, share, and store and offset the current high costs and low levels of data reuse in ecological research. Blockchain technology offers the advantages of low cost of distributed data storage and a high degree of security when sharing data. This study examines the practical problems of storing and sharing ecological observation data. It describes a potential blockchain solution, "Ecosystem Observation Data Security System" (EODSS), including elements such as real-time data tag publishing, real-time data modification and other technical means, design and development. The solution is based on the classic C / S architecture development executable script file framework design, which is shown to effectively address the basic functional requirements of the field of ecology. Compared with the traditional centralized data storage method, the blockchain solution uses the Hash algorithm to encrypt the original data in the system data layer, and uses timestamp technology to ensure appropriate access to the actual data. This approach effectively avoids many security problems associated with traditional centralized data storage. In exploring the practical application of blockchain technology in the field of ecological data management, this study identifies the advantages and opportunities of using the blockchain to manage the secure long-term storage and sharing of ecological data, and provides a useful reference for related work.

Key words: blockchain, ecological information database, observation data, storage sharing, blockchain technology, scientific data

CLC Number: 

  • G203