[Taxacom] Checklist samples

[Shorthouse, David]

> The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is sponsoring the
> development of a software tool for the provision of taxonomic
> checklist data to the GBIF network

[David Shorthouse wrote:] 
This sounds like interesting work & I expect it will have some unforeseen
uses. But, how is it that the checklist data will be vetted/verified? Cannot
one create on-the-fly checklists from existing GBIF specimen data, which
have the added benefit of being associated with actual specimens for
verification? Or, will the tool to parse checklists be cross-referenced with
GBIF specimens to provide the contributor with green, yellow, or red lights
for each species or higher taxon in the list? That sounds like a tough
geospatial problem because checklists aren't necessarily bound by
geopolitical constraints. There are undoubtedly better works that can be
cited on this front, but here's at least one:
http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/bsc/briefs/brvouchers.htm.

Perhaps I am misunderstanding what is meant by a checklist or the goals for
such an effort...

David P. Shorthouse
------------------------------------------------------
Department of Biological Sciences
CW-403, Biological Sciences Centre
University of Alberta
Edmonton, AB   T6G 2E9
mailto:dps1 at ualberta.ca
http://www.canadianarachnology.org
http://www.spiderwebwatch.org
http://ispiders.blogspot.com
------------------------------------------------------