Systematic Partnerships in Biodiversity Assessment
Andrew J. Beattie
Key Centre for Biodiversity and Bioresources
School of Biological Sciences
Macquarie University NSW 2109
The following is the text of the slides associated with the presentation at the Systematics: Advancing Knowledge and Conservation of Australia's Biodiversity conference, October 1997.
Abstract
The decline in taxonomy and systematics in terms of resources, personnel and funding is now well documented. Biodiversity offers a means of turning the situation around. The concept is now embedded in many high-profile activities, such as ecologically sustainable development, environmental monitoring and conservation planning, all of which require the services of taxonomists and ecologists for biodiversity assessment. Neither can do the job alone. In addition, assessment is often driven by political rather than scientific deadlines. This situation requires the creation of partnerships between taxonomists and ecologists, particularly in situations where the organisms in question are poorly known taxonomically and/or hyperdiverse; or where large or contentious areas of land or ocean are in question. Such partnerships are nothing new, but by imaginatively adjusting the relative contributions of taxonomists and ecologists, parataxonomists and biodiversity technicians, automation and instrumentation, and by setting the taxonomic penetration required to get the job done, much biodiversity assessment, monitoring and conservation planning can be accurately achieved. Biodiversity science and its applications offer a practical channel through which the resources, funding and personnel for the taxonomic network, and systematics, will grow.
CONTENTS
- Introduction
- Taxonomy, Ecology and Biodiversity
- The Role of Parataxonomy
- Taxonomic Penetration
- Automation
- Scoping Biodiversity and Taxonomy
- Training for the Present and the Future
INTRODUCTION
Units of Biodiversity:- Genes, Species, Ecosystems
Shortage of People and Resources Worldwide
Assessment Crisis
Ecologically Sustainable Development
Janis Criteria, Forest Reserve System
NSW Biodiversity Survey Program
Conservation Planning
Environmental Monitoring
Biodiversity is a Tool
TAXONOMY, ECOLOGY AND BIODIVERSITY
Continuing Misunderstanding of Relationship
Alpha and Beta Diversity
Practical Questions:
Conservation
Natural Resource Management
Environmental Impact Assessment
Environmental Monitoring
Biodiversity:
Determination of Units Present
Determination of Their Spatial and Temporal Arrangement
Tight Deadlines, Political Timetables
THE ROLE OF PARATAXONOMY
Parataxonomists
Biodiversity Technicians
Sorting
Separating
Preparation
Identification
Data Management
Data Analysis
Quality Control by Taxonomists
TAXONOMIC PENETRATION
Family, Genus, Morphospecies
Relationship Between Species and Higher Ranks
Balmford et al. 1996
Williams & Gaston 1994
Monism v Pluralism
Morphospecies
Landsberg et al. 1997 CSIRO
Wilkie 1996 Australian Museum
Basset et al. 1996 Pacific Science
Oliver &d Beattie
1996 Ecological Applications
1998 Conservation Biology
Different Taxonomic Arrangements
Different Degrees of Integration
COMPUTING AND AUTOMATION
The Role of Automation in Parataxonomy
Data Storage and Retrieval
Networking
Molecular Methods, Robotics
New Instrumentation for Separation and Sorting
SCOPING BIODIVERSITY AND SYSTEMATICS TOGETHER
Biodiversity-Based Industries:
Agriculture
Grazing
Tourism
Forestry
Fisheries
Ecosystem Services Provided by Biodiversity:
Pollution Control
Waste Management
Crop Protection
Soil Fertility
Atmosphere and Water Regulation
New Industries and Products based on Biodiversity:
Bioremediation
Biological Engineering
Biological Monitoring
Bio-mimetic Materials
Pharmaceuticals
RELEVANCE OF SYSTEMATICS
Economic interests embrace most groups of organisms by one route or another
Many groups are virtually unknown
Many groups are known only to Systematic Specialists
Broad overlap between basic and applied research
PARTNERSHIPS
SYSTEMATICS - Environmental Sciences
SYSTEMATICS - Industry
SYSTEMATICS - Government Agencies
SYSTEMATICS - Society
PROGRAM FOR SYSTEMATICS TRAINING AND RESEARCH
The Case
Mission
Objectives
Marketplace
Funding
Products
Impacts
THE CASE FOR BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMATICS TRAINING AND RESEARCH
Systematics is a science central to the Australian economy through its applications to industry, food supply, public health, environmental health and the public good.
The expertise and technologies of systematics support economic activities as varied as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, tourism, environmental monitoring and impact assessment, natural resource management, conservation, waste management, pollution control, science and technology.
Without the services of systematics many of these ventures would fail.
In Australia, there are insufficient resources and personnel so that the risk to these ventures is increasing.
There are two ways of ameliorating the risks to the economy: training and research.
MISSION
To provide trained professional systematists to support Government services, industry, science and technology and the public.
To carry out the basic and applied research required to maintain this support at the most advanced levels to protect the Australian people, economy and environment.
OBJECTIVES
- Establish an educational and training program focused on the needs of the four major client bases:- government, industry, science and technology and the public.
- Provide trained professionals in sufficient numbers and to those standards that will enhance the performance of the Australian economy and government services and to protect the Australian environment.
- Carry out or mediate focused research programs in systematics that enhance the education and training programs and that support and enhance client goals.
- emergency programs in response to major risks to either the private or public sector
- medium/long-term programs investigating basic and applied questions in systematics
- Establish a career structure for systematists so that the support and enhancement goals are not again threatened by inadequate resources and personnel.
- Establish formal partnerships between the program and its client base, including industry, government agencies, science and technological organisations and non-government organisations.
THE MARKETPLACE: CLIENTS
- Agriculture
pests, pathogens, new varieties, biological control agents, ESD, GIS - Fisheries
taxonomy and systematics of adults and larvae, pests, ESFM - Forestry
inventory, survey, pests, pathogens, new varieties - Tourism and Ecotourism
survey, identification, pests pathogens - Pharmaceuticals
survey, inventory, phylogenies - Biotechnology and New Industries
survey, identification, phylogenies - Conservation and Environment Agencies e.g. NSW:EPA, DLWC, NPWS
survey, inventory, phylogenies, GIS, ESD, EIS - Other State and Federal Agencies e.g. Environment Australia, AQIS, NSW SF
survey identification, ESD, GIS - Science and Public Service
identification, regional and global inventory, bioinformatics
FUNDING
1. Commonwealth:
Cooperative Research Centre or Key Centre for Biodiversity Systematics
2. Funding from Partners
Industry
Agencies
Contracts
Consulting
Fee Paying Students
Publications
PRODUCTS
1. Training
Parataxonomy
Certificates and Diplomas
Masters and Doctorates
Re-training (Workshops, Professional Short Courses)
Public Education
Scholarships
Education
Multi-skilling
TWO-YEAR MASTERS IN BIODIVERSITY SYSTEMATICS
General Principles of Systematics
Evolution and Ecology
Molecular Biology
Information Technology and Bioinformatics
Practical Internship
2. Research
Carried out in Universities, Museums and Agencies
Examples:
Applications of Systematics as a Predictive Science for Industry and Commonwealth and State Agencies
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Processes Required for Primary Industry
High-Speed Identification of Commercially and Medically Important Organisms
IMPACTS
Services to Industry
Government
Australian Public
Safer, more efficient, sustainable
agriculture
forestry
fisheries
public health
environmental health
waste management
pollution control
New products, services, industries
