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The Convention on Biological Diversity,
The Global Taxonomy Initiative
and managing local biodiversity
Chris Lyal
UK National Focal Point, GTI
Contents of talk
I’m going to talk about:
Policy
Biodiversity – variation at genetic, species
and ecosystem levels
Taxonomy – naming of species of animals,
plants, fungi and microrganisms
Collections of those organisms
In the context of tourism and Protected areas
The UN Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity
Role of CBD:
•International legal framework
•Political agreement
•To initiate and facilitate action
CBD: Objectives
Three core objectives:
To promote:
Conservation of biodiversity
Sustainable use of biodiversity
Fair and equitable sharing of benefits
from utilization of genetic resources
CBD: How it works
• CBD has 42 binding Articles:
• Refined and regulated by ‘Conference of the Parties’
(COP)
• COP informed by ‘Subsidiary Body on Scientific,
Technical and Technological Advice’ (SBSTTA)
• Executive Secretary and Secretariat manage process
CBD: How it works
• COP has met 10 times
• Taken 296 Decisions, many of them very
extensive
• Provide guidance on how to implement the CBD
CBD implementation:
Action at a national level
Communication between Secretariat and Country is via
National Focal Points
In Turkey:
CBD Focal Point (Directorate General of Nature Conservation and
National Parks)
Protected Areas FP (Directorate General of Nature Conservation and
National Parks)
GTI FP (Dr. A. Ertuğ Firat, Agean Agricultural Research Institute)
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety FP (Dr. Vehbi Eser, Field Crops
Research Department, Directorate General of Agricultural Research)
CBD implementation:
Action at a national level
goals and
obligations
CBD
national
reports
national
government
National Biodiversity
Strategy and Action
Plan
national laws
conservation
initiatives
integration into
other areas
CBD ‘Thematic areas’
Agricultural biological diversity
Dry and sub-humid lands biodiversity
Forest biological diversity
Inland waters biological diversity
Island biodiversity
Marine and coastal biological diversity
Mountain biological diversity
CBD ‘Cross-cutting issues’
• Aichi Biodiversity Targets
• Access and benefit sharing
• Biodiversity for
development
• Climate change and
biodiversity
• Communication, Education
and public Awareness
• Economics, trade and
incentives
• Ecosystem approach
• Gender and Biodiversity
• Global Strategy for Plant
Conservation
• Global Taxonomy
Initiative (GTI)
• Impact Assessment
• Identification, Monitoring,
Indicators and
Assessment
• Invasive Alien Species
• Liability and redress
• Protected Areas
• Sustainable use
• Tourism and Biodiversity
• Technology transfer &
cooperation
• Traditional knowledge
CBD: Tourism and Biodiversity
COP Decision VII/14 in 2004
Guidelines on biodiversity & tourism development:
“need to improve awareness and exchange of
knowledge between those responsible for and
affected by tourism and nature conservation at a
national, subnational and local level.”
“national biodiversity strategies and action plans
should include consideration of tourism issues,
and tourism plans should likewise include full
consideration of biodiversity issues.”
CBD: Tourism and Biodiversity
COP Decision VII/14 in 2004
Tourism projects - baseline information should
include:
• Maps, geographical information systems;
• Detailed indication of the protected and
biodiversity significant areas;
• Specifications on the ecosystems, habitats,
species;
• Indexing of species.
CBD: Tourism and Biodiversity
COP Decision VII/14 in 2004
Impact assessments should include information at
all levels of biodiversity (genetic, species,
ecosystem)
• Species composition, genera, families etc, rarity /
abundance, endemism / exotics
• Population size and trends
• Known key[stone] species
• Conservation status
Composition
Structure (temporal)
Structure (spatial)
Key processes
Genetic diversity
Minimal viable
population (avoid
destruction by
inbreeding / gene
erosion)
Local cultivars.
Living modified
organisms.
Cycles with high and
low genetic diversity
within a population.
Dispersal of natural
genetic variability
Dispersal of
agricultural cultivars.
Exchange of genetic
material between
populations (gene
flow)
Mutagenic influences
Intraspecific
competition
Species diversity
Species composition,
genera, families etc,
rarity / abundance,
endemism / exotics
Population size and
trends
Known key species
(essential role)
Conservation status
Seasonal, lunar, tidal,
diurnal rhythms
(migration, breeding,
flowering, leaf
development, etc. )
Reproductive rate,
fertility, mortality,
growth rate.
Reproductive
strategy.
Minimal areas for
species to survive.
Essential areas
(stepping stones) for
migrating species.
Niche requirements
within ecosystem
(substrate preference,
layer within
ecosystem)
Relative or absolute
isolation
Regulation
mechanisms such as
predation, herbivory,
parasitism,.
Interactions between
species.
Ecological function
of a species
Ecosystem diversity
Types and surface
area of ecosystems
Uniqueness /
abundance
Succession stage,
existing disturbances
and trends
(=autonomous
development)
Adaptations to /
dependency on
regular rhythms:
seasonal
Adaptations to /
dependency of on
irregular events:
droughts, floods,
frost, fire, wind
Succession (rate)
Spatial relations
between landscape
elements (local and
remote)
Spatial distribution
(continuous or
discontinuous /
patchy);
Minimal area for
ecosystem to survive.
Vertical structure
(layered, horizons,
stratified).
Structuring
process(es) of key
importance for the
maintenance of the
ecosystem itself or for
other ecosystems
CBD: Tourism and Biodiversity
COP Decision VII/14 in 2004
“Prior to … any new tourism development or activities, an inclusive
monitoring and reporting system should be put in place”
“important to raise awareness within the academic sector
responsible for training and research on issues regarding the
interaction between biological diversity and sustainable tourism, of
the role that they can play concerning public education, capacitybuilding and awareness-raising on these issues.”
“Capacity-building activities can … include strengthening human
resources and institutional capacities, the transfer of know-how,
the development of appropriate facilities, and training in relation to
biological diversity and sustainable tourism issues, and in impact
assessment and impact management techniques.”
The Global Taxonomy Initiative
“The governments of the world that
recognize the Convention on Biological
Diversity have affirmed the existence of
a taxonomic impediment”
Darwin Declaration 1998
GTI Work Programme
COP 6 endorsed a ‘Programme of Work’ for the GTI
COP 9 developed ‘outcome-oriented deliverables’
5 ‘operational objectives’
• Taxonomic needs assessments
• Capacity-building
• Improving access to information
• Support for Thematic areas
• Support for Cross-cutting issues
Taxonomic needs in Turkey
Turkey’s NBSAP identifies several issues,
including:
• Pollinator – plant relationships need greater
understanding; butterflies poorly known
• Soil microorganisms insufficiently known
• No effective conservation of insects in place due to lack
of data and regulations
• Insufficient number of qualified personnel in the areas of
biosafety, genetic resources, information management
systems, GIS, modelling, mapping, databases, medical
plants, taxonomy, climatology, storage, ecology,
environmental law
Taxonomic needs and capacity-building
For example: to manage a protected area the
authorities may need to know:
• What species are present?
• What is their population density?
• What is their distribution across the country / PA?
• Are any genetic outliers present?
• Are there any exotic invaders?
• How do I monitor them over time?
Taxonomic needs and capacity-building
This translates into a set of taxonomic needs:
• Inventories
• Identifications
• Identification tools for non-taxonomists
• Observational and specimen data
• Distribution information
• Standardised monitoring systems
Taxonomic needs and capacity-building
And a set of taxonomic capacities required:
• Taxonomic expertise that can be accessed in a
timely and effective way
• Access to specimen data from local and other
collections
• Creation of identification tools
• Creation of distribution information
• Ability to manage standardised monitoring
systems
Taxonomic needs and capacity-building
To ensure that information and expertise can be
delivered:
Where it is needed
When it is needed;
In a format (and language) in which it is needed.
Taxonomic needs and capacity-building
Strategic actions from Turkish NBSAP, 2007
1.1.1. plan to compile inventory, data and collection of invertebrates
(especially insects), micro-organisms and fungi
1.1.2 macro-level inventory plan for biological diversity in order to have
interrelated and coordinated studies
1.1.3. identification of reliable and economic biological diversity
inventory methods and technologies
1.1.4. Correlation between biological diversity inventory studies and
research on soil, climate and other issues
1.1.5. development and use of biological diversity indicators which are
expressive, scientifically justifiable, practical and ecosystem-based
1.1.6. programmes for monitoring of ecosystems, species and
populations under pressure and of the functional relations within
ecosystems
Taxonomic needs and capacity-building
And strategic actions (from Turkish NBSAP, 2007)
1.1.7. In order to identify, classify and store the
collected samples scientifically, the strengthening
of academic institutions’ capacity and the
achievement of an effective sharing of the data
and information obtained by those institutions
Records of Bufo species in Ghana displayed on
Google Earth generated on www.GBIF.org
Ecological Niche Model of Bufo species in Central Africa
generated form Ghanaian data on GBIF. Red – high probability;
blue – low probability.
•Loss of habitat – use of ENM: Tamandua mexicana
•(100% of original records through GBIF)
•1940
•443,000 km2
•1994
•291,000 km2
•1976
•306,000 km2
•2000
•246,000 km2
•Tamandua illustration: SEMARNAT, Mexico
Migratory species
State of knowledge of biota in Turkey
• GBIF mediates 157,564 records of animals,
plants and micro-organisms from Turkey and
surrounding areas
• 39,714 occurrences are georeferenced
• None of the records come from Turkish
institutions (although Turkish databases exist –
e.g. TÜBİVES)
State of knowledge of biota in Turkey
• “The number of insect species identified in Turkey so
far is about 30,000, although the estimated number
is between 60,000 and 80,000. (NBSAP, 2007)
• “The number of invertebrate species in Turkey is
approximately 19,000, out of which 4,000 species
and sub-species are endemic.” (2010 MDG report;
4th National Report from Turkey; National Capacity
self-assessment project (2010)
• “There are 2000 genera belonging to 225 families in
14 insect orders and more than 25,000 specimens of
more than 3000 species in the Plant Protection
Museum” (Plant Protection Museum web site)
State of knowledge of biota in Turkey
• Inventories are being produced, but perhaps not
coordinated
• Taxonomic tools also needed
State of knowledge of biota in Turkey
Some aimed specifically at tourism
Other GTI deliverables
Surveys etc:
• Need to be carried out rapidly
• Reports generated in short time
• Standard techniques
February 2012
Key Actions
Turkish NBSAP, 2007:
• “education of people specialized in taxonomy,
ecology and genetic areas to be able to build up a …
biological diversity inventory with the cooperation of
education and research institutions, and the
organization of those people so that systematized
work can be done”;
• “For identification and classification, capacity needs,
including human resources needed in … taxonomy
and ecology, are determined and actions to meet
those needs are taken.”
Key Actions
Turkish NBSAP, 2007:
“strengthen the coordination and cooperation
among universities, governmental agencies and
institutions, gene banks, museums, zoos,
aquariums, botanic gardens, non-governmental
organizations, private sector organizations and
other organizations”