DIVERSITAS SYSTEMATICS PROGRAMME
(Operational Plan for DIVERSITAS Programme Element 3:
Systematics: Inventorying and Classification of Biodiversity)
Report of the Meeting held 12-13 October 1997, Hersonissos, Crete
INTRODUCTION
It is widely recognised that the Earth's biodiversity is poorly known. Although 1.75 million species have been recognized and described, it is estimated that tens of millions of species remain unknown to science. At the same time the understanding of the relationships of organisms is still in its infancy, yet it is this very information that serves as an organising framework for both basic and applied biology. Moreover, although the world's natural history collections (museums, herbaria, living culture facilities, and seed banks) currently house nearly two billion specimens, a treasure of biodiversity information, very little of information from these specimens is available electronically and therefore cannot readily be provided to all countries of the world.
Systematics Agenda 2000 International
At the national level, increased capacity to undertake systematic research should promote the identification of important components of biological diversity for conservation and sustainable use (art. 7a of the Convention on Biological Diversity). This all refers to the documentation of the components of biodiversity, identification of patterns of diversity and endemism, recognition of regions of critical conservation concern, and support for efforts to manage habitats, ecosystems, and landscapes as well as agroecosystems and fisheries or for bioprospecting of new natural products.
The Systematics Agenda 2000 International (= core programme element 3 of Diversitas: Systematics - inventorying and classification) is therefore dedicated to promote systematic/taxonomic research in all countries and regions in order to support ongoing activities to conserve and sustainably use their biodiversity. This will be achieved through international programs of systematic inventorying, phylogenetic research, the creation of systematic knowledge bases, and the promotion of systematic infrastructure and training (See also Diversitas Operational Plan p.p. 14--16). This core element 3 is central to all other elements of the Diversitas Operational Plan (see p Diversitas program).
The Steering Committee realises that the implementation of these subprogrammes can only come into reality in close cooperation with existing global, regional and national ongoing initiatives. A number of these initiatives were presented at the Hersonissos meeting and wholeheartedly endorsed or fully or partly incorporated in the present operational plan (Bionet International, OECD MegaScience Forum on Biodiversity Informatics, ESF Network on Systematic Biology, DIWPA, Species 2000, IOPI Global Plant Checklist and Species Plantarum). It was also recognised that regional flora and fauna projects deserve ongoing support from the taxonomic community and international funding agencies.
Deadlines
The programme aims for the first tangible results to be presented and/or implemented by 2001, which Diversitas proposes the International Biodiversity Observation Year.
SUB-PROGRAMME 1 : SYSTEMATIC INVENTORY - DISCOVERING
AND DESCRIBING THE WORLD'S SPECIES****
Convenors: Lily Rodriguez and Henk Beentje
Background
This sub-programme aims to contribute significantly to implementation of Article 7(a) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) by stimulating focused scientific, coordinating and training activities that support and develop further the Global Taxonomic Initiative.
At its third meeting in Buenos Aires in 1996, the Conference of Parties to the CBD specified the following actions as part of such a GTI:
(a) develop national, regional and subregional training programmes;
(b) strengthening reference collections in countries of origin including, where appropriate, the exchange of paratypes on mutually agreed upon terms;
(c) making information housed in collections worldwide and the taxonomy based on them available to the countries of origin;
(d) producing and distributing regional taxonomic guides;
(e) strengthening infrastructure for biological collections in countries of origin, and the transfer of modern technologies for taxonomic research and capacity building; and
(f) disseminating taxonomic information worldwide, inter alia by the clearing house mechanism
In view of the tremendous gaps in our knowledge of taxic biodiversity and the widely acknowledged shortage of taxonomists, priority-setting and capacity-building are of key importance in providing systematic/taxonomic information that is basic to understanding the world's biodiversity.
Priority-setting and capacity-building in the systematics/taxonomic infrastructure are of key importance in providing the systematic/taxonomic information that is the basic key to understanding the world's biodiversity and communicating knowledge about it.
Plans of action
1. Identification of priorities, gaps, and opportunities
An expert panel to be appointed to:
(a) identify successful case studies on systematic inventories at different levels (national, regional and global) and analyse the reasons for their success as possible models for new projects (examples: Southern African Botanical Survey, Flora of Australia, Flora of China, Zoological Catalogue of the Australian Biological Resources Study).
(b) analyse national country studies and national reports of the parties to the CBD, as to their content on systematic biology, aiming to use any biosystematic information in such reports to identify needs, priorities, gaps and opportunities for further research projects.
(c) identify and prioritise (existing and new) projects on taxonomic groups, taking into account factors such as geographical distributions, ecological function and economic relevance. This is directly relevant for virtually all other programme elements of Diversitas, particularly to Core Elements 2 and 4, and STAR elements 6--9. It is also a prerequisite to fulfilling the obligations under Articles 6--8 of the CBD.
The Steering Committee recommends the following first experts to establish the expert panel (Convenors: Lily Rodriguez, Peru; vacancy botanist)
1) Plants and macro-algae - Karen Wilson, Australia
2) Vertebrates - Woody Cotterill, Zimbabwe
3) Fungi and bacteria - David Hawksworth, UK
4) Protists - Wilhelm Foissner, Austria
5) Terrestrial arthropods and other invertebrates - Ebbe Nielsen, Australia
6) Freshwater invertebrates and microalgae - H. Dumont, Belgium
7) Marine invertebrates and microalgae - Y. Shirayama, Japan
This panel will consult widely, particularly with relevant societies and members of the IUBS family, and will liaise with the Research Priority working group of sub-programme 2. Experts will be asked to contribute, covering the major taxa, the continental regions (terrestrial and freshwater systems), and the other components of biodiversity (marine, soil, microbial).
2. Guidelines, methods and capacity-building for systematic inventories.
The Steering Committee endorsed a proposal series of international workshops on guidelines and priorities for systematic inventories of biological diversity, which will begin in late 1998.
SUB-PROGRAMME 2: PHYLOGENY AND CLASSIFICATION
Convenors: Joel Cracraft and Michael Donoghue
Background
Creating the Framework for Predictive Biotic Information Systems:
An International Agenda for Research
A formidable challenge to conserving and utilizing the Earth's biotic resources is to build the capacity to manage all relevant information about the 1.7 million species currently known and the many millions of species yet to be discovered and described. The management of this information, which is crucial for the Clearing House Mechanism of the Convention on Biological Diversity, must also include the capability of making predictions about the characteristics of species based on what we know about the biology of close relatives. To do so requires knowledge of phylogenetic relationships because, as systematic biologists have demonstrated, phylogenetic classification systems are the most effective framework for predictive information systems about organisms.
Although systematists have made major strides in the past decade to understand the interrelationships of life, corroborated hypotheses of relationships are still lacking for many groups, including some of the most well studied, for instance birds and mammals. This lack of understanding constitutes a critical impediment to developing fully efficient information systems. Phylogenetic research is global in its perspective, and given the rate at which phylogenetic relationships are being resolved, as well as the presently uncoordinated nature of this research effort, it will require many decades before a satisfactory overview of the history of life is possible, thus hindering our efforts to build biotic informatic systems that are maximally predictive.
Phylogentics are particularly important in groups where most species are unknown. Without this the vast numbers of nematodes, fungi, diatoms, etc., cannot be placed into any reference framework. The first step is a phylogeny.
To fill this need Systematics Agenda 2000 International and the Diversitas Systematics Programme propose to coordinate a major international research initiative to achieve a reasonably well resolved phylogenetic framework for all of life by the year 2010. The aim will be to achieve an understanding of the relationships among all major lineages of life (living and extinct), as well as to obtain detailed knowledge of relationships for groups deemed to be of high priority.
To accomplish this goal will require a coordinated international effort, with established priorities, and with the intention of producing fundamental results over the short-term. Linkages to other Diversitas initiatives will also be explored.
Plan of Action
It is proposed to convene an international meeting, including 50 to 70 scientists, information specialists, and policy-makers, by the beginning of 1999. The purpose of this meeting will be to reach agreement on the structure and implementation of an internationally coordinated programme of research. Within the next six months, the convenors of this sub-programme propose to bring together 10 to 15 specialists, probably at Harvard University, to begin the planning process for the larger meeting. This group will outline the goals and structure of the major meeting, establish a preliminary list of participants, and coordinate the development of a proposal to obtain funding.
As a result of these meetings, it is envisaged to create a variety of working groups, including:
a. Phylogenetic Working Groups (PWGs).
These proposed groups will have the responsibility for coordinating research efforts on the phylogeny of major taxa. A number of groups —such as the Plant Phylogeny Working Group— are already in existence and can serve as models for the new groups that will have to be organized. These groups will be responsible for the grass-roots efforts of creating new subgroups and synthesizing ongoing research.
b. Terms of reference for the PWGs
A working group to consider and establish"terms of reference" for the PWGs in order to develop a plan for coordination within and among groups.
c. Research priorities
A working group to establish criteria for setting research priorities. Such criteria might include their economic value, conservation importance, or their relevance for biology (e.g., model organisms used in studies of genetics and development). This will help to identify those groups of organisms for which an understanding of phylogenetic relationships is especially critical. This working group will liaise with the expert panel of Sub-programme 1.
d. Phylogenetic databases
A working group on phylogenetic databases. Phylogenetic results (trees, hierarchical classifications) present special problems for biological informatics not presented by, say, a list of names. There are already models for phylogenetic knowledge bases, such as TreeBASE and Tree of Life, that provide a framework for future advances. A working group of experts will be essential for establishing and coordinating an information system of phylogenetic information and linking it to other systematic databases.
e. Building capacity for phylogenetic research
A working group on building capacity for phylogenetic research including the infrastructure and instrumentation needed internationally and the training of systematists and support staff to undertake phylogenetic research. This working group will also consider issues related to the exchange of materials necessary for phylogenetic research and the establishing of networks among institutions.
f. Uses of phylogenetic information
A working group on the uses of phylogenetic information. In recent years there have been extraordinary advances in using phylogenetic hierarchies to interpret biological data. This working group will explore and coordinate the development of new uses.
g. New technologies
A"megascience" working group that will explore how new technologies, particularly genome sequencing and informatics technologies, might be applied to solving large-scale phylogenetic problems.
Outcomes
A number of outcomes can be expected to emerge from these meetings within a period of three years, including:
a. Functioning, coordinated PWGs, and other working groups outlined above.
b. The coordination, standardization, and support of phylogenetic databases.
c. A database of expertise, training opportunities, and an overall assessment of international capacity for phylogenetic research.
d. The initiation of a"megascience" project.
e. A brochure explaining the importance of Mission 2 and its organizational structure.
SUB-PROGRAMME 3 : MANAGEMENT OF SYSTEMATIC KNOWLEDGE BASES
Mission convenors: Wouter Los & Maryati Mohamed
Rapporteur: Frank. A. Bisby
Background
i) A major component of systematics is information handling and knowledge creation. It is likely that electronic data handling and interlinked knowledge systems will become the principal medium for all these activities in the next 5 years.
ii) The application of systematic information in biodiversity studies and policies will be much improved and more efficient by the construction and use of large databases on taxonomic information, collection specimens, etc. However, databasing is lagging behind at a considerable scale with the actual needs. It is a megascience project to get the databasing done, but it is also conditional for further progress.
iii) Interconnected systems that support prime user needs as listed in table 1 will provide new solutions to link different and distributed databases. It is proposed that a Diversitas programme with respect to systematic knowledge bases will also focus on the management tools to support the user's needs.
User need Knowledge component Knowledge
management tools
taxonomic information (global) checklists
specimens collections catalogue
Identification of literature library (loans)
knowledge taxonomic & name register
common names
phylogenetic information hierarchy tools
taxa global checklists
inventories databases
Biodiversity distribution patterns GIS
management status links to other bases
identification identification tools
ecological relations biotope bases
Table 1: Management tools needed to support the prime user needs.
Plans of action
Central in the action plan is the goal to get the basic databasing realized. The application of knowledge management tools, essential for a proper use of databases, only makes sense if Diversitas shows leadership in promoting (inter)national initiatives directed at speeding up the databasing. Such a programme poses one of the largest scientific challenges of our time.
The Steering Committee defined 9 priorities:
The first two priorities 1 and 2 ask immediate action.
Priorities 3, 4, 5, and 6 are priorities with longer time scales.
Priorities 7,8, and 9 are not lower in rank, but are general priorities in conjunction with the previous actions. These comprise training, workshops, and attention to hard copy knowledge tools where needed.
1. Promotion of databasing
Diversitas will put high priority to the promotion of projects by (networks) of nations to include databasing in GEF proposals. Diversitas will support these initiatives. A first urgent step is to create a brief report that makes clear the kinds of knowledge systems presently in use or being developed, how they operate, the relations among them, and which places these in relation to the proposals and priorities below. In addition it is proposed to establish a working group of selected members that will focus on international lobbying to support the local initiatives.
2. Species 2000
It is urgent to establish a system of global species lists with checklist downloading, species locating, online indexing, and online gateway & linkage to local databases functions as encompassed in the Species 2000 program. This programme has already started, has a costed development plan, and immediate objectives that can be implemented now. To ensure full scale development within its medium and long-term objectives, resources must be secured for adequate management infrastructure of this program. Important features of this programme are its distributed nature, using many databases as maintained at their home sites, and its worldwide framework for interlinking highly heterogeneous local and national databases.
Implementation by the Species 2000 Project Management Team, supported by Species 2000 Steering Committee.
3. Interoperability / Metadata
The OECD Megascience Forum Working Group Bioinformatics expects to submit in the first half of 1998 a report to the OECD Megascience Forum on Biodiversity Informatics. The Working Group envisages full interoperability of distributed biodiversity databases of very different nature: the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. The Steering Committee endorses the recommendation that all nations should collaborate and sustain such a distributed facility, virtual in nature. Accelerated progress with Data Standards, Metadata and meta-software are needed now for the potential of modern knowledge systems in permitting connectivity and interoperability to be achieved. It is important to work with and build on the pioneering work of TDWG (the IUBS Taxonomic Databases Working Group). Financial support for the meetings of TDWG and dissemination of its reports will strengthen the position of Diversitas in relation to the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
4. Creation of electronic taxonomic handbooks
A major user need is for electronic handbooks focused on particular taxa, a particular region, and a particular user group, often in a particular language. A variety of generic softwares are available now. Where these tools are combined with adequate base knowledge of a species, creation of descriptive electronic handbooks, computer identification aids and GIS presentation proceeds rapidly. The need is to implement such electronic handbooks on a production scale for priority groups, so as to have significant impact on demand with local and regional products in all regions. The regional networks of BioNET-INTERNATIONAL are expected to identify the various needs. The priority groups under the subprogramme - 1 will contribute to the selection of the products.
The implementation can be at some global centres, including those operated by ETI, CABI, CSIRO, and many regional institutions and networks.
5. Transfer of information from specimens in collections
It is a high priority to start and accelerate progress on transferring information from specimens in collections. These specimens provide both the baseline records on which taxonomy is based, and a rich source of diversity data for continuing use. It will be a long haul: the very largest collections include 50 - 60 million specimens and will require both disciplined project leadership and major funding. At short term it is proposed to focus on those priority groups where the information from specimens will provide specific needs; for example distributional data of endemic groups in GIS to support improved land-use planning. New software tools are expected to support these activities. The introduction of these software tools in different parts of the world will support the development of regional collections for local priorities. Regional networks of BioNET-INTERNATIONAL should cooperate with natural history museums, herbaria, and culture collection federations.
6. Directories
The enormous expansion of inventorying and para-taxonomic work associated with the Convention on Biological Diversity means that there is ever-increasing demand for
· a directory (or directories) of systematic expertise
· a directory of field stations
· a directory of animal collections, to match those available for herbaria, botanic gardens and culture collections.
7. Training
The Species 2000 system, interoperability over the databases, the production and the use of electronic handbooks and identification keys, and many other new computer-based developments in science and applications require skills in the work-force. Training programmes in Biodiversity Informatics are needed, alongside other elements of training and capacity-building.
Implementation promoted by the mechanisms of BioNET-INTERNATIONAL and executed by universities and major institutes in natural history.
8. Workshops
Specialist workshops for communication and interaction among (newly appearing) specialists in biodiversity informatics need strong support. Presently it happens too often that experts work independently, which is very inefficient. Diversitas will promote global workshops of:
· Data / Database custodians
· Software providers/ custodians / distributors
· Software developers.
9. Hard Copy
In many biodiverse areas the Internet and CD-ROM usage are not available to front-line biodiversity workers. There is a substantial need for printed and downloaded hard copy to be distributed.
Implementation: Regional organisations and UNESCO, UNDP, UNEP, GEF, etc.
The implementation of these priorities requires international cooperation with other established organisations, especially the UN organisations. It is recommended to establish linkages. 40).
These programs will directly contribute to the Global Taxonomic Initiative as specified at the third meeting of the Conference of Parties to the CBD in Buenos Aires (1996). Capacity building, which is the focus of the Global Taxonomic Initiative, is an essential prerequisite for the implementation of this Operational plan of Diversitas Programme Element 3. Diversitas calls up all nations and international bodies to support these plans actively.
The Steering Committee
At its meeting in Hersonissos, Crete, on 12 and 13 October 1997, the Steering Committee of SA 2000/I - Diversitas CoEl 3 developed the operational plan for research and capacity building in systematics, in accordance with the three missions of SA 2000-International. These three missions: (1) systematic inventory, (2) phylogeny and classification, and (3) the management of systematic knowledge systems are developed into interrelated subprogrammes, that jointly are closely linked to all other 9 programme elements of the with BioNET-INTERNATIONAL, since the framework of its regional networks may contribute to the identification of local needs (e.g. priorities 4, 5, 6, and 7), essential for keeping focus in the process of implementation.
