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ChecklistBankDataset

ChecklistBank dataset viewer

Actions14

  • Dataset Search Actions
  • Decision Actions
  • Estimate Actions
  • Metadata Actions
  • Name Actions
  • Name Usage Actions
  • Name Usage Search Actions
  • Name Usage Suggest Actions
  • Reference Actions
  • Source Metadata Actions
  • Synonym Actions
  • Taxon Actions
  • Tree Actions
  • Vernacular Actions

Tree → Get

AI-generated

Overview

This node interacts with the ChecklistBank API to retrieve taxonomic tree data from a specified dataset. The "Tree - Get" operation fetches hierarchical taxonomic information, such as taxa and their children, counts by taxonomic ranks, and other related metadata. This is useful for users who want to explore or analyze biological classification trees programmatically.

Practical examples include:

  • Retrieving the full taxonomic tree or subtrees for a given dataset.
  • Counting taxa at specific taxonomic ranks within a dataset.
  • Including extinct taxa or placeholders for missing names in the tree.
  • Fetching children taxa of a particular taxon ID.

Properties

Name Meaning
Dataset Key The unique identifier of the dataset to query (dataset ID). You can find this key using the Dataset Search resource.
Additional Fields A collection of optional parameters to customize the tree retrieval:
- Children: Boolean flag to include children taxa for the specified taxon ID.
- Count By: Taxonomic rank to count by (e.g., Domain, Kingdom, Species, etc.).
- Include Extinct: Boolean to include extinct taxa.
- Include Placeholder: Boolean to include a placeholder named Not assigned when a name does not exist at a rank.
- Type: Type of tree data to retrieve, either "Catalogue" or "Source".
- ID: The root taxon ID to start the tree from.

The "Count By" property supports many taxonomic ranks, including but not limited to Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species, Subspecies, Variety, Form, and others.

Output

The node outputs an array of JSON objects representing the requested taxonomic tree data. The structure depends on the API response but generally includes:

  • Taxon details such as IDs, names, ranks, and status.
  • Hierarchical relationships, especially if "Children" is enabled, showing nested child taxa.
  • Counts of taxa grouped by the selected rank if "Count By" is used.
  • Metadata about extinct taxa inclusion or placeholders if those options are set.

No binary data output is produced by this node.

Dependencies

  • Requires internet access to call the ChecklistBank public API at https://api.checklistbank.org.
  • No special credentials or API keys are required according to the code; it uses public endpoints.
  • The node relies on standard HTTP GET requests with JSON responses.

Troubleshooting

  • Empty or no results: Ensure the correct Dataset Key is provided. If querying a subtree, verify the root ID exists in the dataset.
  • Invalid parameter values: Using unsupported taxonomic ranks or invalid IDs may cause errors or empty responses.
  • Network issues: Connectivity problems will prevent API calls; check network settings.
  • API changes: Since the node depends on an external API, any changes or downtime on the ChecklistBank API side may affect functionality.

Common error messages would likely relate to HTTP request failures or invalid query parameters. To resolve, verify input parameters and network connectivity.

Links and References

This summary focuses exclusively on the "Tree" resource with the "Get" operation as requested.

Discussion