Taxonomic authority files for the Mexican biodiversity information system
Patricia Koleff, Susana Ocegueda, Diana Hernández & Jorge Soberón.
National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (Conabio), Liga Periférico- Insurgentes Sur 4903 Col. Parques del Pedregal. Tlalpan 14010. Mexico D.F. Mexico (pkoleff@xolo.conabio.gob.mx)Scientific names are the key to organize and retrieve biological information. As an effort to manage, analyse and divulgate our biodiversity information, Conabio established the National Biodiversity Information System of Mexico (SNIB, for it spanish acronym) that is based on specimen data from national and foreign collections. In order to guarantee interoperability and integrity among databases that supply information to the SNIB, Conabio uses the Taxonomic authority filesas standards of quality control. These files consist in hierarchical databases reviewed by expert taxonomists, based on recognized classification systems, that integrate valid/accepted names and their synonymies with the respective references. Common names and distribution information are integrated when available. About 50,000 valid names of different taxons, that include around 15 000 valid species names, have been integrated and are available through the Conabio’s website, and recently begun to integrate them to ITIS-North America, a regional initiative to retrieve taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.
Conabio has ~10% of the estimated national biodiversity, therefore it’s necessary support the elaboration of authority files. Such information is essential for the decision-making regard the use and conservation of biodiversity, supported by a scientific knowledge.