Global Taxonomy Initiative

Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming the species of plants, animals and micro-organisms of the world. It is a vital component of biodiversity management.

Approximately 1.7 million species have so far been identified and named. There may be as many as 30 million species living on the Earth today.

While there are many species still to be described, there are too few taxonomists to do the job. Most of these taxonomists work in relatively biodiversity-poor countries in the north. For biodiversity conservation they are most needed in the biodiversity-rich developing countries of the tropics.

The Global Taxonomy Initiative (GTI) was created under the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) to provide the taxonomic information and expertise needed to support implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

National Focal Point

Each country that is a party to the Conventional on Biological Diversity must nominate a National Focal Point for the GTI, as a central point of contact.
UK taxonomic needs assessment

The UK Taxonomic Needs Assessment identifies the taxonomic information required for biodiversity conservation in the UK.
The UK Register of Taxonomic Expertise

The UK National Focal Point for the Global Taxonomy Initiative has compiled a register of practicing taxonomists for the UK.
GTI Programme of Work

Find out about the GTI programme of work, which has been agreed by all the countries that are parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.