A globally integrated structure of taxonomy to support biodiversity science and conservation

Emily L Sandall; Aurore A Maureaud; Robert Guralnick; Melodie A McGeoch; Yanina V Sica; Matthew S Rogan; Douglas B Booher; Robert Edwards; Nico Franz; Kate Ingenloff; Maisha Lucas; Charles J Marsh; Jennifer McGowan; Stefan Pinkert; Ajay Ranipeta; Peter Uetz; John Wieczorek; Walter Jetz

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2023.08.004

A globally integrated structure of taxonomy to support biodiversity science and conservation

Trends Ecol Evol. 2023 Dec;38(12):1143-1153. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.08.004. Epub 2023 Sep 6.

Authors

Emily L Sandall¹, Aurore A Maureaud², Robert Guralnick³, Melodie A McGeoch⁴, Yanina V Sica⁵, Matthew S Rogan⁵, Douglas B Booher⁵, Robert Edwards⁶, Nico Franz⁷, Kate Ingenloff⁵, Maisha Lucas⁵, Charles J Marsh⁵, Jennifer McGowan⁸, Stefan Pinkert⁹, Ajay Ranipeta⁵, Peter Uetz¹⁰, John Wieczorek¹¹, Walter Jetz¹²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Center for Biodiversity & Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. Electronic address: sandall.emily@gmail.com.
² Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Center for Biodiversity & Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA. Electronic address: aurore.aqua@gmail.com.
³ Department of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
⁴ Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, Department of Environment and Genetics, LaTrobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
⁵ Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Center for Biodiversity & Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
⁶ Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Center for Biodiversity & Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, OH, USA.
⁷ School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
⁸ Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Center for Biodiversity & Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, USA.
⁹ Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Center for Biodiversity & Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Conservation Ecology, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
¹⁰ Center for Biological Data Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
¹¹ Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
¹² Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Center for Biodiversity & Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, Durham, NC, USA.

PMID: 37684131
DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.08.004

Abstract

All aspects of biodiversity research, from taxonomy to conservation, rely on data associated with species names. Effective integration of names across multiple fields is paramount and depends on the coordination and organization of taxonomic data. We assess current efforts and find that even key applications for well-studied taxa still lack commonality in taxonomic information required for integration. We identify essential taxonomic elements from our interoperability assessment to support improved access and integration of taxonomic data. A stronger focus on these elements has the potential to involve taxonomic communities in biodiversity science and overcome broken linkages currently limiting research capacity. We encourage a community effort to democratize taxonomic expertise and language in order to facilitate maximum interoperability and integration.

Keywords: biodiversity conservation; data linkage; integrative science; social infrastructure; taxonomic backbone.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Biodiversity*
Classification*
Conservation of Natural Resources