A Workshop to Explore the Feasibility, Protocols and Costs of an "All-Taxa Biodiversity Inventory;" University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA; April 16-18, 1993

本次研讨会将讨论生物多样性研究的终极问题之一：在单一地点进行所有分类群的生物清查是否可行？如果是这样，实现它所需的策略、协议、资源和时间是什么？在宾夕法尼亚大学举行的为期三天的讲习班将有42名科学家参加，他们的专业知识将包括生物取样、调查和清查、生态学、系统研究、管理事务和大多数陆地生物数据的计算机化/网络化。作为生物多样性研究和保护的领导者，PI在最近的一次国际生物多样性会议上开展了这个研讨会并吸引了与会者。他将制作一份研讨会文件，这可能是计划这样一项全分类群调查的初步蓝图。这次研讨会是朝着解决生物多样性研究、管理和保护中的一个重大问题迈出的大胆的第一步：在一个地理地点清点所有物种的生物是否可行？如果是，如何实现，需要哪些资源？如果成功，该研讨会对科学基础设施的长期影响将是巨大而广泛的。讲习班的三个直接的主要好处将是：汇集多学科工作者；分类学和生态学信息数据管理技术的发展；解答有关生物多样性的基本科学问题。全物种清单的潜在好处首先是向社会表明，通过发现和利用遗传资源和其他资源来可持续地利用生物多样性在经济上是值得的。

This workshop will consider one of the ultimate issues of biodiversity research: is an all-taxa biotic inventory at a single site feasible? If so, what are the, strategies, protocols, resources and time required to carry it off? The 3-day workshop at the Univ. of Pennsylvania will involve 42 scientists whose expertise will encompass biotic sampling, survey and inventory, ecology, systematic studies, curatorial matters and computerization/networking of the data for most terrestrial organisms. The PI, a leader in biodiversity research and conservation, followed up on a recent international biodiversity conference by developing this workshop and attracting its participants. He will produce a workshop document which could be the initial blueprint for planning such an all-taxa survey. %%% This workshop is a first bold step toward tackling one of the great issues in biodiversity research, management and conservation: is an inventory of all species of organisms at one geographic site feasible? If so, how can it be accomplished and what are the necessary resources? If successful, the long-term effect of the workshop on the infrastructure of science will be substantial and broad. Three immediate major benefits of the workshop will be: bringing together of multidisciplinary workers; development of data management techniques for taxonomic and ecological information; answers to principle scientific questions concerning biodiversity. The potential benefits of an all-species inventory would initially be to society in demonstrating that sustainable use of biodiversity through discovery and use of genetic and other resources is economically worthwhile.