Published
desert
vr.tr.desert · thing-q8514
Let an agent handle deserts by type, climate, ecology, travel safety and desertification.
Thing Registry Physical world and living systems PHY.PLC
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Type Which desert.
Kind
Hot, cold.
Kind
Desert type.
- Which type of desert is it? definition
- What surface dominates? definition
Climate
Data.
Climate
Climate.
- What are its rainfall and temperature ranges? measurement
- From which climate record? provenance
Ecology Life.
Species
Adaptations.
Species
Species.
- Which plants and animals live there? provenance
- How are they adapted? definition
Protection
Protected areas.
Protection
Protection.
- Is the area protected? provenance
- What rules apply to visitors? provenance
Safety Travel.
Planning
Preparation.
Planning
Travel planning.
- How much water and what equipment should be carried, according to official guidance? provenance
- Who should be told the route? action
Emergency
Heat illness.
Emergency
Emergency.
- What should someone do if a person shows signs of heat stroke? action
- How can rescue services be reached? provenance
Change Desertification.
Desertification
Causes.
Desertification
Desertification.
- Is desertification occurring here, according to studies? provenance
- What causes are identified? provenance
Restoration
Responses.
Restoration
Restoration.
- Which restoration projects exist? provenance
- How is progress measured? measurement
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- PHY
- Domain
- PHY.PLC
- Other names and narrower kinds
- gravel desert, sandy desert, polar desert, volcanic desert, desert pavement, desert in Afghanistan, stony desert, Dasht, bodiya, Roti jala, rocky desert, coastal desert
What it is Filled
A landscape or region that receives very little precipitation, generally under about 250 mm a year, with sparse vegetation; includes hot sandy and rocky deserts, cold deserts and polar deserts such as Antarctica.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent handle deserts by type, climate, ecology, travel safety and desertification.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Very dry
- Large temperature ranges in many
- Specialised life
- Cover about a third of land
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Encourage travel into a desert without water, navigation and a plan to be missed.
- Advise driving or camping in a dry valley when rain is forecast upstream.
- Direct people across borders or military zones in desert areas.
- Treat desert land as empty when indigenous and nomadic peoples live on it.
- Help take or damage desert wildlife, plants or rock art.
Only with a human decision
- Any decision to start or continue a desert crossing, and any rescue call.
May
- Report desert climate, terrain and route information from official and current sources.
- Warn travellers about heat, water needs and the risk of flash floods in dry valleys.
- Help a traveller leave route and return details with someone before setting out.
Moral aspects Filled
- Deserts kill the unprepared quickly through heat and dehydration.
- Indigenous and pastoral communities depend on these lands and their water.
Who is affected
- Travellers and migrants
- Indigenous and nomadic communities
- Rescue services
Owners Filled
Steward
The state that governs the territory; parts are held by indigenous peoples or protected by law.
Master systems
- National protected area and land tenure registers
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q107425 - registry parent class
- Q271669 - registry parent class
- Q37813 - registry parent class
- Q52105 - registry parent class
- Q5309708 - registry parent class
related
- landscape and ecosystem - category
- aridity - climate
- desertification - process
contains
- dune and oasis - features
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.desert
- Wikidata: Q8514 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8514)
Direct properties required Filled
- annual precipitation: under about 250 mm - common threshold
Recognition required Filled
- Very low rainfall
- Sand, gravel or rock surfaces
- Polar deserts are icy
- Dunes, gravel plains, rock, salt flats or ice, with sparse vegetation.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- classify desert types
- find climate and ecological information
- plan safe desert travel
- understand desertification
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Heat stroke and dehydration
- Getting lost
- Flash floods in dry valleys
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- UN Convention to Combat Desertification
- Protected area rules
Context of use required Filled
- A biome and landscape relevant to ecology, travel and land management.
- hot deserts
- cold deserts
- polar deserts
- coastal deserts
- sandy and gravel deserts
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q8514: desert - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Desert - general description of the item
Open questions
- Should each desert be a separate entry?
- How should climate data be linked?
- How should polar deserts be grouped?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q8514/spec.json