DISCOVER LIFE IN AMERICA
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory
Planning Workshop
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
18-19 December, 1997
OBJECTIVES
By definition the objective of an All Taxa Biotic
Inventory (ATBI) is to inventory all the
biodiversity within a specific geographic area. In addition to the basic
research of collecting, identifying, describing, and documenting
information on each species, we envision conducting an inventory with a
strong educational component that will increase the public's general
understanding of the diversity of life and the benefits to society from
conserving biodiversity within our parks.
Here we outline the objectives and rationale of an
ATBI of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) and
other parks. These inventories are necessary to provide the sound basis
for the management, conservation, use, and enjoyment of our natural
heritage. We propose to host a planning workshop on 18-19 December, 1997.
The goals of the workshop will be to coordinate our efforts with other
parks, solicit the support of organizations and individuals to focus a
collective effort on inventorying the GSMNP, and to facilitate a
cooperative venture to inventory the biodiversity of additional national
parks. We feel the ATBI contains four evenly balanced components or legs:
- Basic Research and Inventories
- World Wide Web Interface
- Education
- Outreach
Within the guidlines of the four "legs" we would like to discuss these Topics:
- Why a comprehensive biological inventory is needed at Great Smoky
Mtns. National Park.
What an ATBI is, and is not.
- Alternatives for sampling, processing samples, specimen ID, and
curation.
- Explore data management possibilities, including access by the
non-specialist audience.
- Assess partnership potentials amoung individuals and entities.
- Brainstorm intial and longer term funding needs and sources.
- Development of an Action Plan, including a list of items/issues to
be resolved.