Building a taxonomic reference authority for conservation: the Digital Catalogue of Biodiversity of Poland

What this was about

Piotr Tykarski presented the Digital Catalogue of Biodiversity of Poland, built from 2021 under the Polish Biodiversity Information Network (SIBP) by more than 120 specialists from over 20 institutions and now reaching the stage where authors can edit checklists online. It covers all eukaryotes and cyanobacteria recorded for Poland (over 65,000 species in 107 chapters), each backed by at least one reference and a presence status, using an ITIS-based taxonomy model with role-based permissions. Each chapter is published to GBIF and synchronised to ChecklistBank; a portal offers interactive summaries and graphical views, and plans include DNA barcodes, printed publications and a Europe-wide network of comparable national checklists.

Why it matters. A national taxonomic reference authority supports conservation agencies and could, if replicated, enable comparison of biodiversity across European countries.

In the room

• Launched 2021 with government subsidies; more than 120 cooperators from over 20 institutions.
• Over 65,000 species (more than expected) in 107 chapters supervised by authors.
• Every species has at least one bibliographic reference (publication or expert opinion) and a status (present, absent, needs confirmation).
• Taxonomy tables follow the ITIS data model; keywords/attributes attach extra information.
• Checklists are published as GBIF checklist datasets, synchronised with ChecklistBank; the team hopes governmental agencies will adopt it.
• Portal provides checklist perspectives, Excel download, interactive taxon summaries and sunburst-style views with adjustable depth.

Notable moments