European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy (EDIT)
www.e-taxonomy.eu
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Cork tree
Knowledge gap?
The taxonomic impediment for users of systematic information (WP4)
Workshop Wednesday 23rd of January 2008, 16.45- 19.15, chair: Philippe Bouchet
The European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy (EDIT) is a network of leading institutions in the
area of research on the taxonomy of organisms. The general objective of the network is to overcome
the taxonomic impediment by improving the taxonomic capacity in research and expertise and making
taxonomic information available and readily accessible to all the users of taxonomic information.
In the implementation process of EDIT the users of taxonomy are generally divided in two groups: the
first consists of taxonomists working within and outside academia doing taxonomy, the second group
includes all those who use taxonomic information for their work in other professional fields or out of
personal interest. As taxonomy affects all fields of biology and many other areas concerned with
environmental issues, a major challenge for EDIT is to prioritise its outreach effort. The range of users
of taxonomic products and services is extremely wide, and we must identify important and relevant
user groups and their needs.
Rather than focusing on access to biodiversity data (which EDIT is also concerned with), in this
workshop we would like to address the potential nature of this data. What (kind of) information would
people like to access in the integrated taxonomic information systems? During the workshop in
Carvoeiro, we will give the stage to users of taxonomy, i.e. those organisations and individuals who
make use of taxonomy in their own field of work.
European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy (EDIT)
www.e-taxonomy.eu
Speakers:
1. Anne-Sophie Roy - EPPO - European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization
Anne-Sophie Roy is EPPO Information Officer, specialised in plant protection. She is responsible for
the information services provided to EPPO’s member countries, in particular: the EPPO Reporting
Service on new events concerning quarantine pests, and the EPPO Alert List on early warning on pests
which may present a risk for Europe. She participates in the development and maintenance of the
EPPO databases called PQR on geographical distribution and host plants of quarantine pests, and the
EPPT on preferred names, common names, elements of taxonomy, computer codes for organisms and
plants of importance in agriculture. EPPO is an intergovernmental organization responsible for
European cooperation in plant health. Its objectives are to protect plants, to develop international
strategies against the introduction and spread of dangerous pests and to promote safe and effective
control methods. EPPO has produced a large number of standards and publications on plant pests,
phytosanitary regulations, and plant protection products.
2. Anthony Turpaud - Mercantour National Park
Anthony Turpaud works as ranger for the Mercantour National Park, in France and is thus directly
involved in the conservation of the unique biodiversity in the area. Anthony Turpaud is responsible of
aggregating all available information on insect diversity in the area and is actively involved in the
organisation of EDIT's All Taxa Biodiversity Inventories and Monitoring to assure close interaction
between scientists and park management and maximize the re-usability of results. Taxonomic
inventories are crucial for the identification and validation of the natural and patrimonial value of the
highly diverse habitats. Geo-referenced biodiversity data in the form of ATBI+M results allow GIS
analyses that can be used in the planning of conservation measures in the unique and diverse
Mercantour National Park. The Mercantour National Park is one of Europe’s key areas of biodiversity.
The different climatic influences (Mediterranean, Ligurian, Alpine and Provençal) and the presence of
high peaks in close proximity to the sea combine to create a remarkable variety of natural
environments.
3. Roel Lauwerier - RACM - The National Service for Archaeology, Cultural Landscape and
Built Heritage
Roel Lauwerier is trained as a biologist and archaeologist and works today as an archaeozoologist at
the RACM, in the Netherlands. He has published about the use of animals and animal products from
the Late Palaeolithic period until the seventeenth century AD, and is engaged with the
archaeozoological aspects of subjects like degradation, the availability of information, the valuation of
sites, and research agendas. Besides, as an archaeozoologist he is as programme manager responsible
for the research programme ‘Archaeological Resources’. For an archaeologist, remains of plants
(mostly wood, seeds and pollen) and of animals (mostly fragments of bone, antler and teeth) are
important resources of information. These remains help to reconstruct the environment people lived in.
The basis of all these interpretations is the ‘simple’ identification of these remains. RACM is
responsible, with others, for managing the Netherlands’ heritage both above and below the ground and
under water. The RACM takes the lead in ensuring the conservation, statutory protection, conservation
and investigation of the country’s heritage. RACM acts as a partner in the design and implementation
of land use plans, and helps develop policy, conducts research, and issues grants for activities in the
field of archaeology, cultural landscape and built heritage management. RACM makes knowledge and
information accessible and is charged with implementing and enforcing the Monuments and Historic
Buildings Act.
European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy (EDIT)
www.e-taxonomy.eu
Objective of the workshop:
 Exploring the needs of users of taxonomy to gain insights in the knowledge needs and
priorities and identifying points to which EDIT, as distributed infrastructure in taxonomy
could facilitate.
Subjects discussed in the workshop:
 Knowledge gap: on what specific topics is there a need among users of taxonomic
information? What research topics should be given priority?
 Which users need what kind of knowledge (e.g. fundamental taxonomy or multi-,
interdisciplinary, what kind of interdisciplinary knowledge)?
 How to integrate these needs in taxonomic research avenues?
Structure of the workshop:
 Presentations by users of taxonomic information
 Coffee break
 Roundtable where presenters will be asked to react on statements from the organisers and
from the rest of the participants
Roundtable panel
 Anne-Sophie - EPPO
 Antony Turpaud - Mercantour National Park
 Roel Lauwerier - RACM
 Patrick Grootaert - RBINS
 Beáta Papp - HNHM
 David Schindel - CBOL
Contact details organisers:
Daphne Duin
Stakeholder Liaison Officer
Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
duin@mnhn.fr
+33(0)140795739
Meeting venue:
Hotel Tivoli Almansor
Apt 1299, Vale Covo, Praia do Carvoeiro
8401-911 Carvoeiro LGA
Portugal
T. +351 282 351 100
www.tivolihotels.com
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Photo by F. Schnell http://flickr.com/photos/frenchy/30606294/