Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

E-taxonomy: an affordable tool to fill the biodiversity knowledge gap

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biodiversity and Conservation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

As part of a recent North-South collaboration a plant diversity inventory of Angola was compiled virtually exclusively using web-based resources. Here we report on the feasibility and cost of conducting this work and test the hypothesis that existing and new internet resources enable and simplify taxonomic work and support filling gaps in biodiversity knowledge.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aké Assi L (1984) Flore de la Côte d’Ivoire: étude descriptive et biogéographique, avec quelques notes ethnobotaniques. Université d’Abidjan, Abidjan

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrews FW (1950–1956) Flowering plants of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. Buncle, Arbroath, Scotland

  • Audru J, César J, Lebrun J-P (1994) Les plantes vasculaires de la république de Djibouti: flore illustrée. CIRAD, Département d’Élevage et de Médicine Vétérinaire, Djibouti

  • Boudet G, Lebrun J-P (1986) Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Mali. Études et Synthèses de l’IEMVPT 16. Institut d’Élevage et de Médicine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, Maisons-Alfort, Val-de-Marne

  • Boulvert Y (1977) Catalogue de la flore de Centrafrique: écologie sommaire—distribution. Centre ORSTOM, Bangui

    Google Scholar 

  • Braun KP et al (2004) A preliminary checklist of the plants of Lesotho. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report no. 27. SABONET, Pretoria

  • Brunel JF, Hiepko P, Scholz H (eds) (1984) Flore analytique du Togo: phanérogames. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit, Eschborn

    Google Scholar 

  • Catarino L, Martins ES, Pinto Basto MF, Diniz MA (2008) An annotated checklist of the vascular flora of Guinea-Bissau (West Africa). Blumea 53:1–222

    Google Scholar 

  • Craven P (1999) A preliminary checklist of Namibian plant species. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report no. 7. SABONET, Pretoria

  • Dinklage M (1937) Verzeichnis der flora von Liberia. Repert Spec Nov Regni Veg 41:235–271

    Google Scholar 

  • Figueiredo E, Smith GF (2008) Plants of Angola/Plantas de Angola. Strelitzia 22. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria

  • Frodin DG (2001) Guide to standard floras of the world. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Germishuizen G, Meyer NL, Steenkamp Y, Keith M (2006) Checklist of South African plants. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report no. 41. SABONET, Pretoria

  • Gledhill D (1962) Check list of the flowering plants of Sierra Leone. University College, Sierra Leone

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones M (1991) A checklist of Gambian plants. The Author, Gambia College

  • Klopper RR, Chatelain C, Bänninger V, Habashi C, Steyn HM, De Wet BC, Arnold TH, Gautier L, Smith GF, Spichiger R (2006) Checklist of the flowering plants of sub-Saharan Africa. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report no. 42. SABONET, Pretoria

  • Kobisi K (2005) A preliminary checklist of the plants of Lesotho. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report no. 34. SABONET, Pretoria

  • Lebrun J-P (1973) Énumeration des plantes vasculaires du Senegal. Études et Synthèses de l’IEMVPT 2. Institut d’Élevage et de Médicine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, Maisons-Alfort, Val-de-Marne

  • Lebrun J-P (1991) Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Burkina Faso. Études et Synthèses de l’IEMVPT 40. Institut d’Élevage et de Médicine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, Maisons-Alfort, Val-de-Marne

  • Lebrun J-P (1998) Catalogue des plantes vasculaires de la Mauritanie et du Sahara occidental. Boissiera 55:1–322

    Google Scholar 

  • Lebrun J-P et al (1972) Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Tchad méridional. Études et Synthèses de l’IEMVPT 1. Institut d’Élevage et de Médicine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, Maisons-Alfort, Val-de-Marne

  • Mapaura A, Timberlake J (2004) A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report no. 33. SABONET, Pretoria

  • Peyre de Fabrègues B, Lebrun J-P (1976) Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Niger. Études et Synthèses de l’IEMVPT 3. Institut d’Élevage et de Médicine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, Maisons-Alfort, Val-de-Marne

    Google Scholar 

  • Phiri P (2005) A checklist of Zambian vascular plants. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report no. 32. SABONET, Pretoria

  • Setshogo MP (2005) A preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report no. 37. SABONET, Pretoria

  • Silva MC, Izidine S, Amude AB (2004) A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique [Catálogo provisório das plantas superiores de Mocambique]. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report no. 30. SABONET, Pretoria

  • Sita P, Moutasmboté J-M (1988) Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du Congo. ORSTOM, Brazzaville

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith GF (2004) The African plants initiative: a big step for continental taxonomy. Taxon 53(4):1023–1025

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith GF, Klopper RR, Figueiredo E, Van Wyk AE, Crouch NR (2008) Aloes in the Eastern Cape of South Africa: the value of natural history observations in biological sciences. S Afr J Sci 104:421–422

    Google Scholar 

  • Sosef MSM et al (2006) Check-list des plantes vasculaires du Gabon/Checklist of Gabonese vascular plants. Scr Bot Belg 35:1–438

    Google Scholar 

  • Souza S (1987) Flore du Benin, 1: Catalogue des plantes du Benin. Universite National du Benin, Cotonou

    Google Scholar 

  • Thulin M (ed) (1993–2006) Flora of Somalia, vol 1–4. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

  • Troupin G (1978–1987) Flore du Rwanda: spermatophytes, vol 1–4. Publ. Inst. Nat. Rech. Sci. Rwanda 18, Butare

Download references

Acknowledgements

Two anonymous referees are thanked for suggesting useful improvements to the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biosystematics Research and Biodiversity Collections, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X101, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa

    Gideon F. Smith & Estrela Figueiredo

  2. H.G.W.J. Schweickerdt Herbarium, Department of Botany, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa

    Gideon F. Smith & Estrela Figueiredo

Authors
  1. Gideon F. Smith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Estrela Figueiredo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Estrela Figueiredo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Smith, G.F., Figueiredo, E. E-taxonomy: an affordable tool to fill the biodiversity knowledge gap. Biodivers Conserv 19, 829–836 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-009-9738-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-009-9738-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation