Managing inner and outer overinformation in EcoLexicon: an environmental ontology

EcoLexicon is a Terminological Knowledge Base (TKB) on environment. Our TKB is primarily hosted in a relational database (RDB) but at the same time integrated in an ontological model. Ontologies provide a suitable schema for sharing semantic resources. Nevertheless, before considering the interoperability of other environmental knowledge-based projects, we must first deal with overinformation in our RDB. Such a wide domain as the environment has caused an information overload and contextual constraints seem a plausible way to structure knowledge in a similar way to how things relate in the real world. The global domain is divided into different sub-domains according to multidimensionality. That means that concepts' dimensions are only activated when particular contexts arise. On the other hand, other environmental sources can be used to widen knowledge according to the Semantic Web initiative. Linked Data provide a useful and easy mechanism for the interaction of current infrastructures keeping them as independent resources.