the web of life: uksf committee members 1998

priorities for systematic biology research

i. Discovering and accounting for the diversity of life
ii. Uncovering the patterns of evolutionary history
iii. Organising and communicating information from systematics

‘We now understand that the sustained bounty of our Nation’s lands and waters and of its native plant and animal communities is the natural capital on which our economy is founded… ’ President’s Committee of Advisers on Science and Technology (PCAST). March 1998

Our knowledge of the astonishing variety of species that inhabit the Earth is gained through taxonomic research. Discovering and describing the diversity of life – the biological inventory of the planet – progresses through the sampling and collecting of material from habitats across the world, which is then identified by comparison with specimens already preserved in reference collections. In this way, the new samples are either assigned to an existing group or recognised as a new species. In exceptional cases, identifications can be made using publications that describe every known species within a group or, increasingly, using on- line identification systems. As the first step in finding out about life on Earth today and in the past, descriptive systematics provides the critical foundation upon which all subsequent discoveries about the ecology, behaviour and properties of species are built.

Given that we have discovered only an estimated ten per cent of the world’s species, the task of extending this knowledge is monumental. It is remarkable to realise that there is still no natural ecosystem on Earth of which we know all the inhabitants; and, as species vanish through extinction, the opportunity to discover their value is lost forever. The international will to slow the loss of species through promoting the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity is embodied in the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, which has now been ratified by 174 nations. The UK was the first nation to produce a Biodiversity Action Plan under the Convention in 1994, which has led to the development of plans to conserve 172 threatened species and 14 habitats, with more to follow. But even though the UK is better documented than any other country, its biological inventory is far from complete and new species continue to be discovered. For example, about 70 species of lichen and over 100 species of parasitic wasps new to the UK have been recorded since 1992, some also being new to science. Consequently, the Biodiversity Action Plan can only make provisional estimates for the number of viruses, bacteria, protozoa, algae, fungi, arthropods and many other invertebrates occurring in Britain.

A global shortage of expertise in systematics has now been recognised as a major constraint on delivering the aspirations of the Convention on Biological Diversity, especially in biodiversity- rich developing countries (Heywood and Watson, 1995). This problem, which has been termed ‘the taxonomic impediment’ (figure 9), requires international collaboration to increase the capacity of countries around the world to discover and understand local biodiversity and to mobilise the information that is held within collections and the heads of experts. Given the richness of its collections and its strength in systematic biology, the UK has the potential to make an enormous contribution.

figure 9 The taxonomic impediment

The ‘taxonomic impediment’ is a term coined to describe the obstacles that prevent us from realising the full potential of systematic biology:

Although our knowledge of species, distribution biology, phylogenetic relationships and genetics is partially complete for certain groups such as birds and mammals, and a few groups of insects and molluscs, little is known about the majority of groups. This inevitably impacts on our ability to manage and use our biological diversity.
Many of the least- studied groups are the most species- rich and are potentially the most economically or ecologically important; however, there are often few, if any, taxonomists specialised to work on them.
Although about 94% of systematists, and the majority of natural history collections and research institutions, are based in the wealthier, more developed countries, an estimated 80% of the Earth’s terrestrial diversity is found in the economically poorer tropics.

Efforts to reduce the taxonomic impediment include:

Training more taxonomists, particularly in the more biologically diverse tropics;
Improving access to information held in collections, including the provision of information on specimens to their countries of origin (data repatriation);
Prioritising systematic research on little- known groups;
Coordinating all the above efforts at an international level;
The provisions of Articles 15 to 18 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which aim to promote the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of biodiversity by promoting access to genetic information, access to and transfer of technology, exchange of information, and technical and scientific cooperation.

Several UK initiatives are working to overcome the taxonomic impediment:

The Darwin Initiative – administered and funded by the Department of Transport, Environment and the Regions (DETR, formerly DoE), this initiative draws upon British strengths in the field of biodiversity to assist with the conservation and sustainable use of the world’s biological resources. The Initiative funds collaborative projects in countries poor in resources and rich in biodiversity, including training in taxonomic and other techniques.

Biodiversity assessment a guide to good practice (Jermy et al. 1995) – This manual is a collaborative project written by UK specialists and directed at those with a responsibility to survey and assess the biodiversity of their own countries. The guide covers issues such as ownership, implications for scientists working in other countries, international initiatives and opportunities for overseas students to carry out biodiversity research or to receive specialised training in the UK. It also includes two practical manuals for field use.

Setting global priorities for discovering and describing life on Earth is a task that is being undertaken by nations within the framework of the UN Convention. The priorities for the UK in descriptive systematics and biological inventory are therefore twofold: to use its unique resources in support of these international programmes; and to promote the conservation and sustainable use of the nation's own biological resources:

1 Increase the UK’s contribution to biological inventory The UK has the global collections and skills resources to design and deliver training programmes, whether through formal courses at home or overseas (such as the Masters degree courses at British universities, which attract a high proportion of overseas students) or based around collaborative research projects.

Participation in biological inventory around the world, in partnership with other nations. The UK has the reference collections and expertise to assess and identify biodiversity rapidly. Without access to this kind of capability it is difficult for many biodiversity rich nations to begin inventory projects because they lack these resources themselves (figure 9).

Basic research in support of ex situ and in situ conservation. Drawing on the UK’s outstanding living collections in botanic gardens, culture collections, seed banks and zoos, this work would encompass efforts to conserve individual species, or the genetic diversity within them and the assessment of priority areas for in situ conservation. As one current example, the Conifer Conservation Programme of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh has established over 120 sites in the UK where viable populations of endangered conifer species are maintained and researched.

2 Accelerate the biological inventory of the UK by targeting taxonomic research on:

Groups of organisms that impact, positively or negatively, on human activities and well being. These include invasive species (both native and introduced species); biological indicators of pollution or other environmental change; key species in interdisciplinary environmental studies; biological agents to control pests; and wild relatives of crop species.

Groups where the number of undescribed species is known to be large (figure 2), including algae, fungi and invertebrates.

Habitats of economic and ecological importance where unknown species are frequently encountered. Initial targets should be marine habitats and the soil environment, which underpin fisheries and agriculture, because it is widely recognised that these have received insufficient attention. Difficulties of collecting and studying marine biodiversity have meant that our level of knowledge lags behind that of more accessible terrestrial organisms. As is also the case for the soil environment, information is especially lacking on the microorganisms that form the basis of food chains and are key to many natural cycles and processes.

Mapping and monitoring programmes in the UK to determine the status of protected, vulnerable or harmful species and to test contrasting models of environmental change. This could contribute to the national environmental monitoring and assessment framework being developed by the Environment Agency for England and Wales. Standardised sampling protocols, verification and quality control systems and training programmes will additionally be needed to establish these programmes successfully.

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