About Species 2000

Species 2000 is a "federation" of database organisations working closely with users, taxonomists and sponsoring agencies, and has the objective of enumerating all known species of organisms on Earth (animals, plants, fungi and microbes) as the baseline dataset for studies of global biodiversity.

The thrust of the Species 2000 plan is to create an array of participant global species databases covering each of the major groups of organisms. Each such database will cover all known species in the group, using a consistent taxonomic system. The headquarters of the present databases are widely distributed throughout the world, and this trend will continue as new databases are added. The existing global species databases may presently account for some 40% of the total known species, so substantial investment in new databases will be needed for full coverage of all taxa to be achieved.

In March 1996, senior representatives of 18 taxonomic databases met in Manila, Philippines to give the formal go-ahead to the Species 2000 programme. The workshop was sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Some of the taxonomic groups being addressed by the organisations starting the Species 2000 programme are: Viruses, Bacteria, Corals, Molluscs, Crustacea, Diptera, Ichneumon Wasps, Moths & Butterflies, Curculionid Beetles, Fishes, Birds, Mammals, Fungi, Cacti, Palms, Legumes, Umbellifers and Fossil Plants.