Species 2000 (fwd)

[Bernard Picton]

This message has been posted to several listservers already, apologies for
the duplication, but I haven't seen it on TAXACOM (unless I deleted it in
the midst of all this talk about getting rid of Latin names!). This is the
first step, we have to index them all and give them numbers. ;~)

>Date:         Sun, 19 Mar 1995 19:49:00 -0500
>Reply-To: STEVE YOUNG 703-235-5593 <YOUNG.STEVE at EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV>
>Sender: CONSLINK - The Conservation Network <CONSLINK at SIVM.BITNET>
>From: STEVE YOUNG 703-235-5593 <YOUNG.STEVE at EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV>
>Subject:      Species 2000 (fwd)
>To: Multiple recipients of list CONSLINK <CONSLINK at SIVM.BITNET>
>
>                     Species 2000
>          Indexing the World's Known Species
>
>     International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS)
>                  in co-operation with
>    ICSU Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA)
>      International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS)
>
>Species 2000: Indexing the World's known Species is a new
>programme launched by the International Union of Biological
>Sciences at its General Assembly in September 1994. It will
>operate in collaboration with CODATA and IUMS, as well as
>interacting with the existing DIVERSITAS and Bionomenclature
>programmes of IUBS.
>
>Species 2000 has the objective of enumerating all known species
>of plants, animals, fungi and microbes on Earth as the baseline
>dataset for studies of global biodiversity. The names of these
>species provide the crucial link both in the communication of
>biodiversity information, and in accessing the data of pure and
>applied biological disciplines. The objective is to facilitate
>the creation of global master species databases, by augmenting
>existing taxonomic databases and where appropriate establishing
>new systems.
>
>The output will be an important element in the information needed
>for the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity,
>providing support for the preparation of surveys and inventory of
>biodiversity, and a common medium for global communication about
>biotic resources, their utility and conservation.
>
>Implementation of Species 2000 will involve:
>
>1) forming a federation of existing taxonomic databases,
>
>2) establishing a user access framework and common gateway to
>member databases using electronic (eg. Internet) and
>non-electronic media,
>
>3) stimulating the establishment of global master species
>databases for all groups of organisms, by accelerating the
>completion of existing systems and developing new ones,
>
>4) working to an ultimate goal of providing a computer based
>index of all known species,
>
>5) developing procedures both to maintain the databases and to
>update the taxonomy,
>
>6) cooperating with international nomenclatural authorities in
>stabilizing nomenclature.
>
>The Species 2000 programme will thus provide a clearing house for
>taxonomic data on the world's known species.
>
>Global master species databases, as envisaged here, are those
>which:
>
>* cover a group of organisms worldwide,
>
>* include structured information for all known species in the
>group, in particular names and synonymies,
>
>* provide links to any species-relevant information such as;
>common names, descriptions, images, hosts or substrates,
>geographical or ecological distribution, threats, uses, chemical
>or molecular data, germplasm sources and identification aids,
>
>* subject records for each species to expert taxonomic scrutiny,
>with regard to the distinctness and appropriate position of the
>species within a consistent taxonomic hierarchy.
>
>Species 2000 seeks as members of the federation holders of
>taxonomic databases. Taxonomic databases contain data relevant to
>specified taxa, designated by scientific names and including
>synonyms; they need not be worldwide in coverage or primarily
>taxonomic in purpose.
>
>The Species 2000 Programme will develop rapidly during 1995.
>Funding proposals will be made, contacts established with
>prospective members and a discussion meeting will be held for
>both the users and holders of existing taxonomic databases.
>
>For further information contact :
>
>Species 2000 Secretariat,
>Biology Department, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16
>7PX, UK.
>Tel: +44 1703 592444
>Fax: +44 1703 594269
>Email: sp2000 at soton.ac.uk
>
>Initial Steering Committee
>
>Frank Bisby (Chair)     ILDIS, University of Southampton, UK
>
>Chris Thompson (Vice-chair)  BIOTA, U.S.D.A. Systematic
>                             Entomology Lab, USA
>
>Peter Schalk  (Secretary)    ETI, University of Amsterdam, The
>                              Netherlands
>
>Simon Duffield (Project planning)  University of Southampton, UK
>
>Lois Blaine         ATCC, American Type Culture Collection, USA
>
>Mike Boulter        Fossil Record, University of EastLondon, UK
>
>Werner Greuter      Liaison with IUBS Bionomenclature Programme
>
>David Hawksworth    President, IUBS
>
>Larry Speers        Agriculture Canada, Canada
>
>Nigel Stork         Liaison with  IUBS DIVERSITAS Programme
>

    Bernard E. Picton,
    Environmental Sciences Unit,
    Trinity College,
    Dublin 2,
    IRELAND.
    Phone: Int + 353-1-608-2055   Irish: 01 608-2055
    Fax:   Int + 353-1-6718047   Irish: 01 6718047
    E-mail: bepicton at mail.tcd.ie

    "The beginning of wisdom is calling things by their right names."
(Chinese proverb)