Peter White
Wednesday, October 15, 2008 - 9:00-9:30
The All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI), whose aim is to document all species of all taxonomic groups in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is one of the largest biological inventories in North America. It has been a remarkable and ambitious collaboration that has attracted many partners, including scientists, educators, and conservation managers, as well as artists (photographers, artists, writers, and even a few musicians). The work is addressing all habitats — from caves to the special communities of the forest canopy high in the old growth forests — and all taxonomic groups. The species level is central to the ATBI but the work is structured in an ecological and conservation context. The project aims to go beyond checklists (and the accompanying museum specimens that will form a lasting archive for future study) to develop databases, maps, and natural history profiles for the estimated 100,000 species that occur in the rich landscape of the Smokies. The discoveries have been remarkable: as of January 2008, researchers have documented 874 species new to science and 5,207 species previously unreported from the park. Although some groups are better known that others, all groups have received attention and the information base for managing the park and protected the biodiversity of the region has expanded. A non-profit, Discover Life in America (www.dlia.org) is coordinating the work.
Keywords: BIODIVERSITY, ATBI, INVENTORY, GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK