ABSTRACT
Many authors have discussed the “taxonomic impediment”—the lack of trained taxonomists and the technical infrastructure needed to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity (Lyal and Weitzman, 2003; Rodman and Cody, 2003). The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) entered into force at the end of 1993, and taxonomists were quick to point out the critical role that taxonomy would play in reaching the CBD’s objectives. In 1995, the CBD Second Conference of the Parties (COP 2) called for a study of the lack of taxonomists needed to achieve the CBD’s objectives.* In 1998, COP 4 endorsed the need to increase research capacity in taxonomy and a recommendation† to create the Global Taxonomy Initiative (https://www.cbd.int/gti/).
