Towards indexing the biodiversity of the Carpathian region (Europe)
Eduard Stloukal, Department of Zoology, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia.The Carpathian Mountains are of the largest mountain ranges of Europe , with wide range of habitats and areas of untouched nature.
While the total expected number of animal species known from Europe reach about 100,000, there are up to 50,000 species of animal species recently known from the Carpathian Mountains .
The Carpathian Mountains , as a barrier between Balkan – Eastern European areas and Central and Western Europe , play significant role in evolution of European nature and they are recently (altogether with surrounding lowlands) considered as one of the areas with the highest species and habitat diversity in the whole Europe .
The Carpathian Mountains afford refuge for many species dislodged from areas intensively used by human population and by naturally changing environment. High number of endemic species and primary type species (e.g. species with type localities bounded to the Carpathian Mountains ) do occur in vast forested uplands, alpine mountains, and carstic or marshland areas. Determinative role of Carpathians is obvious in distribution of animal species in Central and Easter Europe as well as for seasonal migration of animals.
In spite of the importance of the Carpathian Mountains for Pan-European nature, knowledge of the biodiversity as a headstone for its protection is still incomplete and no informational and/or indexing system operates in this area.
Partial faunal dataset on taxonomic or regional level are maintained by some academic or governmental institutions or by individual persons, however no facility have been operating towards indexing of the biodiversity of the whole Carpathian area or covering all animal taxa.
Project built on the experience and tools of the Databank of Slovak fauna and the Fauna Europaea should develop biodiversity information system on taxonomy and distribution of all species of the Carpathian fauna.