BiodiversityWorld GRID Workshop

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Taxonomic verification Species 2000 and the
Catalogue of Life

• Frank Bisby

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Species 2000 indexing the worlds known species
Species 2000 has the ambitious aim of creating a
uniform and validated index to the worlds known
species for use as a practical tool in
inventorying and monitoring biodiversity
worldwide. Species 2000 was initiated by the
scientific unions IUBS, CODATA and IUMS, with
TDWG and formally started at an Inaugural
Workshop in the Philippines funded by the GEF in
1996. It was subsequently established as an
independent not-for-profit organisation.
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The Catalogue of Life
A series of prototype projects was funded in the
UK, Japan and the Philippines and successfully
completed in the period 1997 - 2002. In June 2001
it was agreed to work jointly with ITIS to create
a common Catalogue of Life. Full scale
development of the Catalogue of Life started in
early 2003 with substantial resources being
negotiated for the European-based secretariat and
network (EC Species 2000 europa project), further
substantial support for the Japanese (Species
2000 Asia Oceania) and N. American (ITIS) partner
secretariats, and a developing partnership with
GBIF.
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Species 2000 on-line services and CD-ROM
Dynamic Checklist Web-service
Array of source databases for different higher
taxa
Annual Checklist
DB on CD-ROM
DB on the Web
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The Species 2000 Data Standard
Standard data for one species (or infraspecies)
1) Accepted scientific name (with reference) 2)
Synonyms (with references) 3) Common names (with
references) 4) Latest taxonomic scrutiny 5)
Source database 6) Optional / comment field 7)
Family 8) Distribution
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Properties of GlobalSpecies Databases(GSDs)
They can be put together end-to-end because they
do not overlap and they contain a consistent
taxonomic treatment for the whole of one higher
taxon. (Floras / Faunas do overlap, and must
therefore be reworked before being put together.)

GSDs (taxa) no overlap
Floras/Faunas overlap
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Essential properties of a Global Species Database

• Treats one taxon worldwide
• Contains a taxonomic checklist of all species
• Treats species as taxa, with synonymy and opinion
• Seeks at least one responsible/consensus taxonomy
  and applies it consistently - decoupled from the
  immediate debates of contentious taxonomy
• Cross-indexes to and from significant alternative
  taxonomies via its synonymy
• Has a mechanism for enhancing the taxonomy
  through time

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Catalogue of Life Architecture I
Hierarchies
interim lists
Array of GSDs
(the taxonomic core)
Gateway to biodiversity databases with rich
content, connected by onward links, and the
name-usage-registry
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Catalogue of Life Architecture II
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Available 2005
527,000 (Half a million) Species
Annual Species Checklist
ITIS
Dynamic Species Checklist
Names Service
Plants
Fungi
Fish
Invert.
Micro-
Insects
Algae
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• Catalogue of Life Milestones 2001 2011
• 1. 300,000 spp. 2003 achieved
• 500,000 spp. 2005 achieved
• (750,000 spp. likely in 2006)
• 3. 1,750,000 spp. 2011 further funding
  needed

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By Taxonomic Verification we mean

• checking that
• either a species of this name (or concept) is
  recognised in the current taxonomy
• or that material under this name (or concept) is
  now thought of as part of a species with another
  name

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By Taxonomic Verification we mean

• 2. locating all names (or concepts) -
• that refer to this species synonyms etc.
• and that refer to contained taxa infraspecific
  taxa and former segregates

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By Taxonomic Verification we mean

• 3. and ensure that -
• subsequent data searches include all of these
  names (or concepts)
• so that a globally comparable and comprehensive
  dataset is returned

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