| DAPSİS

A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure

Reliable taxonomy underpins communication in all of biology, not least nature conservation

and sustainable use of ecosystem resources. The flexibility of taxonomic interpretations,

however, presents a serious challenge for end-users of taxonomic concepts. Users need

standardised and continuously harmonised taxonomic reference systems, as well as highquality

and complete taxonomic data sets, but these are generally lacking for nonspecialists.

The solution is in dynamic, expertly curated web-based taxonomic tools.

The Pan-European Species-directories Infrastructure (PESI) worked to solve this key issue

by providing a taxonomic e-infrastructure for Europe. It strengthened the relevant social

(expertise) and information (standards, data and technical) capacities of five major

community networks on taxonomic indexing in Europe, which is essential for proper

biodiversity assessment and monitoring activities. The key objectives of PESI were: 1)

standardisation in taxonomic reference systems, 2) enhancement of the quality and

completeness of taxonomic data sets and 3) creation of integrated access to taxonomic

information.