samplingBase.xsd Sampling features are feature types that are used primarily for making observations: Abstract SamplingFeature, and collections are described in this schema document SamplingPoint, SamplingCurve, SamplingSurface and SamplingSolid are described in samplingManifold.xsd Specimen and LocatedSpecimen are described in specimen.xsd Copyright (c) 2008 Open Geospatial Consortium - see http://www.opengeospatial.org/ogc/software A "SamplingFeature" is a feature used primarily for taking observations. A SamplingFeature must be associated with one or more other features through an association role sampledFeature. This association records the intention of the sample design. The target of this association will usually be a domain feature. A SamplingFeature is distinguished from typical domain feature types in that it has a set of [0..*] navigable associations with Observations, given the rolename relatedObservation. This complements the association role “featureOfInterest” which is constrained to point back from the Observation to the Sampling-Feature. The usual requirement of an Observation feature-of-interest is that its type has a property matching the observed-property on the Observation. In the case of Sampling-features, the topology of the model and navigability of the relatedObservation role means that this requirement is satisfied automatically: a property of the sampling-feature is implied by the observedProperty of a related observation. This effectively provides an unlimited set of “soft-typed” properties on a Sampling Feature. Sampling features are frequently related to each other, as parts of complexes, networks, through sub-sampling, etc. This is supported by the relatedSamplingFeature association with a SamplingFeatureRelation association class, which carries a source, target and role. A common requirement for sampling features is an indication of the SurveyProcedure that provides the surveyDetails related to determination of its location and shape. A "SamplingFeatureRelation" is used to describe relationships between sampling features, including part-whole, siblings, etc. A Sampling Feature Collection is a simple collection of sampling features. The relationship of members to the collection is equivalent to a part-whole relation. A collection is a sampling feature so must still carry the sampledFeature association to indicate intention.