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The World Database on Protected Areas
maps information on over 250,000 protected areas around the world.
Unfortunately, lists of the species in these areas are not centrally available,
either because many areas lack inventory data or because nobody has yet assembled the data that do exist.
Here our goal is to assemble species lists for most, if not all, protected areas within five years,
creating a valuable on-line resource for biodiversity science and conservation.
To do so we will use automated artificial intelligence tools and crowdsource the necessary human input and oversight.
As proof of concept, we are focused taxonomically on databasing plant species from available North American floras and
geographically on assembling lists of as many taxonomic groups as possible for the Texas Biological Survey.
All our checklists are publicly available through this page and our web services.
We add their data to our maps and use them to customize our identification guides by location.
When necessary to stop unwanted collecting, we redact data on rare and endangered species
from public access, making them available only to authorized users.
Whether you are a taxonomic expert or a novice who cares about biodiversity,
if you would like to help build and review checklists, please contact us.
Please see technology for further details of what we are doing and how to help.
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