STATE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GLOBAL TAXONOMY INITIATIVE IN ARGENTINA

CARMARÁN CECILIA, PONCE MÓNICA & CONFORTI VISITACIÓN

Montreal

Congreso; 11th Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice of the Convention on Biological Diversity CBD; 2005

Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity

During 2004, the Secretaria de Medio Ambiente of Argentina have began the actions for appointing Institutions as focal point for Global Taxonomy Initiative. In 2005 the Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental of the Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales of the University of Buenos Aires and the Instituto de Botanica Darwinion was appointed in this sense. With the purpose to implement the programme of work for the Global Taxonomy in Argentina the coordinator of both Institutions have developed a plan for it. The following plan has been presented: To compile information about the taxonomic groups study so far and the research groups involve in this studies. - Individualize geographic regions explore for each taxonomic group - To evaluate the state of the situation taking into account the obtained information. - To estimate the grade of knowledge for each taxon - To conform a net of Sub-regional Centers for the GTI coordinated by the Argentinean focal points, for a better access to the information. - To try to get financial support for the activities of the GTI in Argentina - To create a National taxonomic Net, with a national expert in taxonomy. Objectives at short and medium term - Identify taxonomic groups with a scanty develop in Argentina - To obtain taxonomic maps showing the areas more and less studied - To compile information about the taxonomic research groups. - To generate an expert list - Spread out the GTI objectives - Identify financial mechanisms for the develop of taxonomic research. - To develop the National taxonomic net. - To identify the knowledge gaps in Argentina. - To help build and maintain the human resources, systems and infrastructure needed to develop Long-term operational objectives - To facilitate the implementation of the programmes of work of the Convention on thematic and cross cutting issues - To improve public education about the importance of taxonomy - To provide necessary information to improve the current legislation and rules for sustainable use of biological diversity and its components - To strengthen the relationship between the government and the taxonomic expert community.