Memorandum by the Joint Nature Conservation
Committee
JNCC is the statutory adviser to the Government
on UK and international nature conservation. Its work contributes
to maintaining and enriching biological diversity, conserving
geological features and sustaining natural systems. JNCC delivers
the UK and international responsibilities of the four country
nature conservation agencies—Council for Nature Conservation
and the Countryside, the Countryside Council for Wales, Natural
England and Scottish Natural Heritage.
THE STATE
OF SYSTEMATICS
AND TAXONOMY
RESEARCH
Q2. What is the role of systematics and taxonomy
and, in particular, in what way do they contribute to research
areas such as biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services and
climate change? How important is this contribution and how is
it recognised in the funding process? How is systematics integrated
in other areas of research?
1.1 Biodiversity conservation is concerned
with sustaining the full variety of life, from biomes containing
many species down to the genetic variation that is present within
individual species. Systematics is an essential tool that underpins
biodiversity conservation by providing a logical classification
and framework for describing and studying living organisms.
1.2 Biodiversity conservation depends upon
the accurate definition of species, but it is increasingly becoming
realised that each level in the hierarchical classification of
living organisms is of value for conservation. Higher levels (genera,
families and above) group together related species that share
common ancestors and many biological properties. These shared
properties can be used predictively to investigate how related
species can best be conserved. At lower levels (for species, and
segregates within species) inter-breeding organisms contain much
genetic variation, which is essential for their long-term survival.
Discovering the extent and nature of this variation is important
when attempting to conserve threatened species with small populations.
1.3 The accurate identification of species
is fundamental to current biodiversity conservation programmes
in the UK, including in particular:
i.
in the selection of Sites of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSIs) in Great Britain and Areas of Special Scientific Interest
(ASSIs) in Northern Ireland. SSSIs and ASSIs are the primary mechanisms
for protected area-based nature conservation in the UK, and are
at the core of the UK's nature conservation strategy;
ii.
species recovery and action programmes undertaken
under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, where the accurate identification
of species is necessary to implement needed conservation action
(including legal protection and enforcement);
iii.
measuring progress towards halting the decline in
biodiversity by 2010, which is a key international obligation
for the UK;
iv.
reporting on the conservation status of UK species
of European Community importance, which is an international obligation
for the UK under the EC Habitats Directive.
1.4 In addition to traditional taxonomy,
there appears to be significant potential in applying the rapidly-expanding
field and knowledge of genomics to nature conservation, and to
our understanding of ecosystem services.
1.5 DNA sequencing has already proved to
be of considerable value in the understanding of the evolutionary
relationships between organisms, including determining which organisms
are closely related, and their relative position on the evolutionary
"tree". The study of DNA characteristics has already
revolutionised ideas about the nature and categorisation of life-forms
and is proving a considerable aid to traditional taxonomy in the
identification of species having otherwise very similar characteristics.
1.6 Potentially, DNA sequencing also provides
a way of identifying different microbial species, 99 per cent
of which cannot be grown in laboratory cultures. However, given
that there are estimated to be very large numbers of "species"
of micro-organisms (probably millions), the technique could be
problematic to apply in practice. Another approach currently being
explored is to characterise the DNA of small samples of seawater
and soil, treating the whole sample as if it were an organism
and endeavouring to predict its ecological and environmental role.
The facilities made available as a result of the human genome
project are helping to drive this work forward, but its potential
may be some way from being realised.
1.7 Perhaps more prosaically, genomics may
help us to prioritise conservation action by concentrating effort
on taxa which are genetically quite distinct from others, as opposed
to endeavouring to conserve numbers of taxa which are genetically
quite similar. It would be regrettable to fail to take action
to conserve species which were genetically quite distinct from
others, simply because we failed to recognise the fact.
1.8 JNCC considers that, in the future,
there will be a need for both traditional taxonomic expertise
and also new approaches such as those referred to in 1.5 to 1.7
above.
Q3. Does the way in which systematics research
is organised and co-ordinated best meet the needs of the user
community? What progress has been made in setting up a body to
lead on this? What contribution to the leading systematics research
institutions make both nationally and internationally?
2.1 Traditional systematics in the UK is
marking time; it is not competing effectively for funding with
other biological sciences and is dwindling in relation to the
needs of its users. There is a declining population of professional
systematists and funding is probably also declining overall; new
initiatives that have been attempted to improve the situation
have been inadequate for the task.
2.2 UK systematics has a complex organisational
structure, with no single body responsible for leading and developing
the subject. The multiple users of systematics in the UK are too
diverse in their needs to be able to act effectively together
in giving the leadership and direction required. These users include
biodiversity conservation, ecological research, trade and industry,
medicine, agriculture, forestry and education.
2.3 JNCC considers the fundamental problem
lies in the lack of overall direction and responsibility for UK
systematics. JNCC is not aware of significant progress being made
to provide overall direction and responsibility for UK systematics
since the Select Committee's last report into this matter, and
remains of the view that a single Government Department needs
to be given responsibility for this. Its responsibilities should
include: considering the range of taxonomic skills that will be
required in the future, identifying areas of projected shortfall
in the supply of these skills, and initiating action to ensure
such shortfall is addressed. Co-ordination mechanisms, however
well-intentioned, are unlikely to meet this requirement.
2.4 JNCC and the country agencies assess
the changing status of UK biodiversity, working in partnership
with research institutes, universities, national societies, non
governmental organisations and expert individuals. The JNCC and
country agencies commission little systematic research, but instead
seek to work in partnership with professional and volunteer systematists
to deliver checklists of UK species and higher level taxa, as
well as reliable ways of identifying these, to enable their detection
and effective conservation. These activities should be seen in
both their national and international contexts, because, increasingly,
biodiversity conservation is working via international conventions
(such as the Convention on Biological Diversity) and Directives
of the European Union (the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive).
2.5 Systematics enables effective sharing
of information about species by establishing an internationally-recognised
system for describing, naming and classifying taxa. Both biodiversity
conservation and systematics rely upon networking and sharing
information, using checklists of named species to ensure that
dispersed sources of information can be located and used reliably.
JNCC is a partner in the development of the UK biodiversity information
network, the National Biodiversity Network (NBN), to share information
about UK flora and fauna. There is a particular association between
JNCC and the Natural History Museum to deliver the species dictionary
for the NBN. It is important that UK biodiversity is understood
in relation to the changes taking place in the status and distribution
of species in other countries, which depends upon extensive sharing
of information via networks.
2.6 UK research institutions and user bodies
are attempting to fill the gap left by the absence of clear direction
and oversight by coming together to achieve improved co ordination
and greater efficiency of effort, and the better direction of
available resources to meet needs. However, these endeavours tend
to be somewhat ad hoc and piecemeal.
2.7 JNCC considers that the UK contributes
considerably to global systematics, via its extensive collections,
libraries and expertise. We are aware that many UK institutions,
including the Natural History Museum and the Royal Botanic Gardens,
Kew, make substantial contributions to biodiversity conservation
internationally, including through programmes such as the Government's
Darwin Initiative. By far the major part of UK biological collections
and information, and associated expertise, relate to species of
overseas origin. UK institutions are actively engaged in supporting
biological conservation overseas by facilitating access to their
collections, contributing their expertise and assisting in knowledge
transfer. The potential to increase this contribution is enormous,
were resources for that to become available.
2.8 UK institutions are aware that the development
of innovative and cost effective ways of achieving knowledge transfer
in the fields of systematics and taxonomy to developing countries
will be required if these countries' conservation and other needs
are to be met.
Q6. What impact have developments in DNA sequencing,
genomics and other new technologies had on systematics research?
In what way has systematics embraced new technologies and how
can these research areas interact successfully and efficiently?
3.1 JNCC is not in a position to comment
substantively on this question, but we would refer you to our
response under paragraphs 1.5—1.7 above in relation to the
future potential significance of these research areas to nature
conservation.
Q9. What progress has been made in developing
a web-based taxonomy? How do such initiatives fit in with meeting
demand for systematics and taxonomy information? How do UK-led
initiatives fit in with international initiatives and there is
sufficient collaboration?
4.1 JNCC considers that web-based taxonomy
has enormous potential to transfer taxonomic knowledge to the
user community worldwide, to communicate innovative and cost-effective
taxonomic techniques to a dispersed audience, and to update information
rapidly.
4.2 Web-based taxonomic initiatives are
developing rapidly, but as there is no effective co-ordination
of these there is no means of ensuring resources for this work
are directed cost-effectively, and there is a risk of proliferation,
duplicated effort and important areas not being addressed. To
the end-user, the large scale European and International initiatives
appear competitive when in reality they are, in the main, tackling
different but related problems. For example, the Biodiversity
Heritage Library is digitising historical literature, the European
Distributed Institute of Taxonomy is mainly developing tools,
while the Global Biodiversity Information Facility is concentrating
on joining digital data together.
4.3 The real constraint to ensuring web
taxonomy delivers information that is readily and easily used
for conservation and other purposes is the absence of clear mechanisms
to support this. The current (mainstream) way taxonomic information
is disseminated is via a very fragmented base of institutional
publication mechanisms, and subscription journals. To make web
based systems work, and become the mainstream, adequate incentive
mechanisms are needed to encourage this. These are not yet in
place.
Q10. What needs to be done to ensure that
web-based taxonomy information is of high quality, reliable and
user friendly
5.1 The quality of information in web-based
systems is generally of good quality and it is possible to build
peer review, and other quality assessment measures, into web-based
systems. For example, both UK National Biodiversity Network, and
the Global Biodiversity Information Facility have developed standards
for describing web delivered data content. They have also produced
tools that enable data to be fitted to their intended applications.
5.2 The methods for ensuring quality can
be developed. The issue is how to sustain the resources for the
web-based publication mechanisms so that they can run the quality
assurance processes once these become available.
Q11. How does the taxonomic community engage
the non-taxonomic community? What role do field studies play?
6.1 Taxonomy is specialist in character
and not always easy to communicate effectively to a non-specialist
audience, but this is an important challenge that taxonomy needs
to address if its tools are to be used effectively, and if the
resources needed to maintain taxonomic expertise, and to develop
new, and potentially easier-to use, tools are to be forthcoming.
6.2 In general, we do not consider that
the taxonomic community has been successful in communicating the
value of its work to the non-taxonomic community, and outreach
activity needs to be developed considerably. Nonetheless, there
are examples of institutions with good outreach programmes, for
example the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Q13. What is the state of training in systematics
and taxonomy? Are there any gaps in capacity? Is the number of
taxonomists in post, and those that are being trained, sufficient
to meet current and future needs across all taxonomic subject
areas?
7.1 JNCC is not able to give a comprehensive
response to this question, although we would anticipate that the
answer would be that there are gaps in current capacity and that
we would be very surprised (though pleased) to hear that future
training needs in systematics and taxonomy have been investigated
and plans to meet these needs put in place.
7.2 JNCC is aware that gaps can arise in
expertise in the UK or in parts of the UK. For example, although
Scotland is of international importance for lichens, five years
ago there was a dearth of lichenologists working in Scotland and
this caused significant problems for lower-plant conservation
there. Action was taken to address this but the potential for
gaps in expertise to emerge is always there.
7.3 It is necessary for specialists with
taxonomic expertise to be deployed in the field and the need for
identification of species on sites cannot always be met by sending
samples to distant centres for identification purposes. The same
issue applies in implementing in situ species recovery
programmes effectively, with lower plant and invertebrate groups
being those where lack of specialist taxonomic expertise is felt
most. Increasingly, as conservation effort addresses the needs
of marine biodiversity, an increased demand for taxonomic expertise
in marine organisms can be expected.
4 February 2008
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