About the Catalogue of Life
The member databases of Species 2000 and the Integrated
Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), working closely with
the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), are
working together to produce the Catalogue of Life.
The Catalogue of Life programme aims to create a uniform and validated index to the world's known species for use as a practical tool in inventorying and monitoring biodiversity worldwide. The index will be used to provide:
- electronic baseline species lists for use in inventorying projects worldwide;
- an index for an Internet gateway to species databases worldwide;
- a reference system for comparison between inventories;
- a comprehensive worldwide catalogue for checking the status, classification and naming of species.
The Dynamic Checklist of the Catalogue of Life can be used to search multiple databases simultaneously for the scientific name of an organism. The Dynamic Checklist provides real-time access to an array of taxonomic databases around the world.
The Annual Checklist is a single database compiled annually from all the member databases. It is distributed on CD-ROM and searchable on the Internet.
The taxonomic database organisations starting the Catalogue of Life programme currently provide or are developing indexes for: Viruses, Bacteria, Corals, Molluscs, Crustacea, Flies, Ichneumon Wasps, Geometrid Moths, Weevils, Fishes, Birds, Mammals, Fungi, Mosses, Fossil Plants, and Angiosperms (including Cacti, Palms, Legumes and Umbellifers). Organisations with databases covering a further 40 major groups are joining the Programme and it is projected that existing database projects may provide for approximately 40% of known species. Major resources, however, will be needed to establish indexes for the remaining groups.
Current estimates are that about 1.75 million species of plants, animals, fungi and micro-organisms are "known" in the sense that they have been described and named by taxonomists. One hundred or more global species databases, each initially covering 10,000-25,000 species, will be needed for all species to be included. The Catalogue of Life programme aims to stimulate completion of the array of taxonomic databases. It will seek resources both for the completion of the existing databases, and to help establish new databases in different countries.
During its current development phases, the Species 2000 project team is keen to contact the custodians of global species databases covering any group of organisms worldwide, and containing a validated taxonomic component.