A Global Species Database (GSD) is a digital catalog of organisms often defined around a conservation purpose for the organisms of interest.[1] GSDs attempt to be globally inclusive of species within their inclusion parameters versus local species databases. GSDs have a defined purpose, SPECIESDAB is a GSD for economically valuable fish species,[2] while FishBase focuses on fin fish regardless of their human potential for exploitation. Attempts have been made to create GSDs for extinct species such as trilobites.[3] A GSD can be broad in taxonomic scope, such as AlgaeBase comprehensively including algae and seagrasses from the entire planet, or narrow such as International Legume Database & Information Service, a GSD for members of a single plant family, the Fabaceae.[4]
A database restricted by geography such as Calflora focusing on California Floristic Province flowering plants and ferns is not a GSD.
The Catalogue of Life links together a number of GSDs of animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms, such as FishBase[5] and AlgaeBase, and integrates these at a high level through a single node facilitating ease of access to global species data.[6]
See also
- Global 200, a global list of ecoregions that are conservation priorities
- Global biodiversity, includes species diversity, as well as genetic and ecosystem diversity