Assessment of Capacity‐Building Needs for the Convention ......This section outlines the national...

Assessment of Capacity‐Building Needs for the Convention on Biological Diversity

Capacity and Needs for Taxonomic Knowledge

Dayne Buddo Ph.D.

April 2010

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Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................................................3

List of Tables .................................................................................................................................................3

List of Acronyms............................................................................................................................................3

1.0 Introduction .....................................................................................................................................6

2.0 The Ideal Situation for Taxonomic Knowledge .....................................................................................10

2.1 Agency and Research Programmes ...............................................................................................11

2.2 Human Resources ..........................................................................................................................12

2.3 Information Management .............................................................................................................13

3.0 Major Findings: Resource and Capacity Assessment.....................................................................15

3.1 The Institute of Jamaica – Natural History Museum of Jamaica (NHMJ) ......................................15

3.1.1 The Jamaica Clearing‐House Mechanism (The JA CHM) .......................................................20

3.2 The Department of Life Sciences (DLS) – UWI Mona.....................................................................20

3.2.1 The UWI Herbarium ..............................................................................................................21

3.2.2 Marine Taxonomy .................................................................................................................23

3.2.3 Plant Mycology and Nematology ..........................................................................................25

3.2.4 Entomology ...........................................................................................................................26

3.2.1 The Centre for Marine Sciences (CMS), Department of Life Sciences ......................................27

3.2.1.1 The Caribbean Coastal Data Centre (CCDC)......................................................................27

3.3 The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) ..............................................................29

3.4 The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries......................................................................................30

3.4.1 The Forestry Department......................................................................................................31

3.4.2 The Fisheries Division............................................................................................................31

3.5 The Non‐Governmental Organizations ..........................................................................................32

3.5.1 The Nature Conservancy .......................................................................................................32

3.5.2 Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust (JCDT) .........................................................33

4.0 Conclusions from Main Findings....................................................................................................38

5.0 Recommendations for Bridging the Gaps in Taxonomic Knowledge.............................................47

6.0 References .....................................................................................................................................56

Appendix 1‐Taxonomic Questionnaire .......................................................................................................57

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List of Figures

Figure 1: Sites for Reef Check (blue triangles) and AGRRA (red dots) (Creary, CCDC 2006) ......................29

List of Tables

Table 1: Breakdown of Botanical Collections at NHMJ (IOJ) ......................................................................16

Table 2: Breakdown of Zoological Collections at the NHMJ (IOJ) ...............................................................16

Table 3: Summary of National Capacity and Gaps in Taxonomy ................................................................42

List of Acronyms

ABRS Australian Biological Resources Study

AGRRA Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment

BJCMNP Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park

CARICOMP Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity

CBD Convention on Biological Diversity

CCDC Caribbean Coastal Data Centre

CCAM Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation

CCMS Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals

CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna

CMS Centre for Marine Sciences

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CPACC Caribbean Planning for Adaptation to Climate Change

CWIP Jamaica Coastal Water Quality Improvement Project

DBML Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory

DLS Department of Life Sciences

EFJ Environmental Foundation of Jamaica

GCRMN Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network

GTI Global Taxonomy Initiative

I3N IABIN Invasive Information Network

IABIN Inter‐American Biodiversity Information Network

IAS Invasive Alien Species

IOJ Institute of Jamaica

IT IS Integrated Taxonomic Information System

JA CHM Jamaica Clearing House Mechanism

JCDT Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust

JCRMN Jamaica Coral Reef Monitoring Network

MACC Mainstreaming Adaptation to Climate Change

MCZ Museum of Comparative Zoology

Min. of Ag. Ministry of Agriculture

NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

NCU Northern Caribbean University

NEGAR National Ecological Gap Assessment Report

NEPA National Environment and Planning Agency

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NHMJ Natural History Museum of Jamaica

NLBIF Netherlands Biodiversity Information Facility

NOAA National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration

OECS Organization of Eastern Caribbean States

PEET Partnerships for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy

PRML Port Royal Marine Laboratory

TNC The Nature Conservancy

UK United Kingdom

UWI University of the West Indies

WBD World Biodiversity Database

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1.0 Introduction

Taxonomy is the science of naming living organisms. The relation of one individual as a

similar species to another individual depends on similarities in external morphology, internal

anatomy and genetic composition. Individuals deemed to belong to the same species would

exhibit similar physiology, ecology and fecundity, and would have the capacity to mate with

each other producing viable offspring.

Conservation of biological diversity is often focussed on the ecological status of species,

especially the endemic, endangered and rare species. Taxonomy therefore, would play an

integral role in first identifying the species located in a particular area to inform conservation of

that species or conservation of the habitat of the species. Therefore the first step to

conservation is the determination of the species present in an area to deem that area necessary

for conservation.

The importance of islands in biodiversity conservation has been underscored in the

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Islands, especially Jamaica, have shown a high level of

endemism as species found on islands are often not found anywhere else in the world.

Geographic isolation over millions of years has led to increased evolutionary divergence and

increased speciation. The rate of increase in knowledge in taxonomy is likely to lead to

increased discoveries of new species, and perhaps more species of important ecological

significance requiring conservation.

The objectives of this assessment of taxonomic knowledge are to identify the current

strengths and weaknesses in taxonomic knowledge in Jamaica for both individuals and

institutions, and recommend practical solutions to address the gaps. Relevance to the CBD was

a constant feature of this review.

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Elements of the task included:

• Define the needs for taxonomic capacity and research

• Assess the strengths and weaknesses and capacity needs for individuals involved

in taxonomy

• Assess the strengths and weaknesses and capacity needs for institutions involved

in taxonomy

• Identify the gaps in taxonomic research along with the steps to meet the

technical capacity requirements

• Define programmes which need to be established in order to monitor the status

of selected and/or designated species and environmental areas

• Investigate and propose best practices for local implementation of suitable

practices, based on current international standards or procedures

The Approach and Methodology used in the assessment was designed to capture all the

pertinent information in a participatory manner. Pertinent documents and other literature

were reviewed including the CBD and associated documents, National Biodiversity Strategy and

Action Plan, National Ecological Gap Assessment Report, among others. A questionnaire was

developed which covered the thematic areas; Agency and their Research Programmes, Human

Resources and Information Management. The questionnaire has been included as Attachment

1 of this report.

One‐on‐One interviews were conducted with most of the selected major stakeholders

involved in taxonomic research and/or management of taxonomic records. These interviews

were conducted with most of the major stakeholders to identify work being done and ensure

representation of the various natural realms and groups directly related to their work. During

the interviews the questionnaires were used as a guide. Identification of Needs, Gaps and

Mechanisms to fill the gaps was done, and preliminary findings and recommendations were

presented to the wider stakeholder groups island wide for input and feedback.

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This list comprised:

o University of the West Indies (Mona), Department of Life Sciences

Herbarium: Both the Curator and the PhD Researcher were

interviewed to assess the level of involvement of the UWI

Herbarium in taxonomic research, research projects by the

Herbarium, extent of taxonomic collections, interfaces with other

herbaria, and technical and institutional capacity of the

herbarium.

Dr. Mona Webber: Marine Ecology

Professor Phyllis Coates‐Beckford: Plant Pathology (Nematology

and Mycology)

Dr. Katherine Murphy and Dr. Eric Garraway: Entomology

Dr. Karl Aiken: Fisheries

o Institute of Jamaica, Natural History Museum of Jamaica: The Director,

Zoologists and Botanists, and the Clearing House Mechanism (CHM) Focal

Point (by email) were interviewed to assess the extent of the botanical

and zoological collections.

o National Environment and Planning Agency: Representatives from the

Ecosystems Management Branch including the Manager. These persons

were interviewed to assess the required needs for taxonomic knowledge

to manage the resources, the capacity in the agency and the national

linkages with the CBD.

o The Forestry Department: The Conservator of Forests was interviewed to

assess the capacity in taxonomic knowledge of the Forestry Department

and the needs of the department.

o The Fisheries Division: The Fisheries Officer acting in the capacity of Data

Manager was interviewed to assess the level of fisheries data possessed

by the Fisheries Division and the use of the data in fisheries management.

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o The personnel of the CMS and CCDC were consulted on numerous

occasions prior to this project, and documentation on their function and

capacity in taxonomy available for review.

o The personnel of the JCDT were consulted on numerous occasions prior

to this project, and documentation on their function and capacity in

taxonomy available for review.

o The Nature Conservancy

The individuals not interviewed included:

o Windsor Research Centre: Conflict with time availability

o Other Staff at DLS: Conflict with time availability due to teaching and

examination duties of the researchers. These included Dr. Eric Hyslop, Dr.

Kurt McLaren, Dr. Byron Wilson.

o NCU: Conflict with time availability due to teaching and examination

duties of the faculty

o BirdLife International: Consulted only at Kingston Workshop, but

representative did not produce meaningful inputs

o National Arboretum: Consulted only at Kingston Workshop, but

representative did not produce meaningful inputs

o Montego Bay Marine Park: Conflict with time availability, and in addition,

lack of experience of new Manager to address questions via phone or

email.

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2.0 The Ideal Situation for Taxonomic Knowledge

Jamaica has a rich biodiversity and the high rate of endemism (ranked 5th in the world

for endemism) which is a characteristic of many islands. The need for effective and coordinated

approaches to taxonomic research is consequently significant and provides a very important

foundation for all biodiversity assessments or conservation planning.

The need for taxonomic knowledge in Jamaica has been highlighted in the National

Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) as one of the major gaps and challenges affecting

the conservation and sustainable use of Jamaica’s biodiversity.

“Overcoming gaps in knowledge of the ecology, taxonomy and systematics,

and status of species, and overcoming gaps in capacity for these …”

Depicted as Goal 5: Enhance Resource Management Capacity, within the NBSAP, the

objective is, “To increase the number of trained personnel in conservation, biodiversity,

taxonomy, biotechnology and genetics”. The rationale is that “Graduate training is required to

increase the number of dedicated specialists, especially in some areas where no national

specialist now exists”.

This document also cites the need to identify training programmes locally and/or

overseas to address the gaps in knowledge among institutions and agencies, as well as

community based and environmental non‐governmental organizations.

This section outlines the national needs in taxonomic knowledge to meet the required

objectives under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and is done in context of the

Jamaican situation. These needs cover the:

1. agency and research programmes,

2. human resources and

3. information management.

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2.1 Agency and Research Programmes

There are numerous agencies that are involved in biodiversity conservation in Jamaica.

These agencies include government, non‐government and academic entities spread across

Jamaica. Without a Coordinating Body, this would naturally result in overlap in the geographical

area and the scope of work of these entities, underscoring the importance of coordination of

the programmes of work.

Generation and management of taxonomic records are essential for all scientific studies

of the environment or biodiversity and provide the basis for justification of any biodiversity

conservation programmes. These records may take the form of actual specimens, species lists

or digitised specimen records with the associated taxonomic classifications for each record. A

critical step in this process is the accessioning of these records using the correct taxonomic

characteristics of the specimen which will avoid mistakes in future identification of species.

The coordination of specimen collections and subsequent accession of these specimens

is important to ensure adequate representation of the natural biodiversity of Jamaica within

these collections. Collection programmes in Jamaica require coordination with respect to

geographical areas as well as taxonomic groups. Such programmes should be firmly entrenched

into the work programmes of these entities with the requisite budgetary allocations, field

resources and staff. This would allow consistent collections and taxonomic research in Jamaica,

rather than be confined to the time frame or scope of a project.

The research agenda for an entity in Jamaica should be focussed on meeting the needs

of the country. Therefore, the agenda in taxonomic research should be driven by gaps in

taxonomic knowledge as they pertain to biodiversity conservation. Some areas in Jamaica are

not given adequate attention such as the Cockpit Country, Pedro and Morant Cays, Dolphin

Head Mountains, the majority of Jamaica’s Rivers and others (NEGAR, 2008) for a variety of

reasons. Some of these reasons include accessibility to the location, costs for transportation,

lack of expertise to study the area, intellectual interest in the area among other reasons. This

then results in some areas being studied in far more detail and with greater frequency than

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other areas. A mechanism of regular dialogue among entities is needed in the country to guide

the research agendas as well as to inform on the areas of research. Research programmes

should be able to demonstrate relevance to biodiversity conservation in Jamaica.

In the recently concluded National Ecological Gap Assessment for the Protected Areas

System Master Plan (NEGAR, 2008), the lack of taxonomic data formed a limiting factor in the

assessment. Also, some areas of Jamaica were in significant need of better biodiversity

information. These, and other documents including the TNC Ecoregional Plan and NBSAP,

should be used to guide the research agendas of the entities.

A mechanism to document research in taxonomy is required on a national scale. It is

required that the mechanism be dynamic and regularly updated. This would also be beneficial

to funding agencies in addition to research entities. A strong link to the CBD Portal for

biodiversity information would also prove useful. Naturally, protocols for access to information,

especially sensitive information, are required.

2.2 Human Resources

Taxonomy is a very specialized science, requiring uniquely honed skills and training over

a number of years. This science is, on the one hand, focussed on being able to identify and

accurately assign a name to those species of plants and animals found in the field; and which

had previously been found and have a valid published description. However the greater level

of skills are required to determine when species new to science have been collected; and the

associated discipline and process required to properly describe and publish these new species

and then to also ensure that the international scientific community has access to this data. The

vast spectrum of species requires specialists within almost each major taxonomic group to be

fully confident that the taxonomic knowledge in Jamaica is adequately covered.

It is necessary, in Jamaica, to develop academic training programmes in taxonomy at the

tertiary level. These programmes should be designed in a coordinated and participatory

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manner to ensure a high standard and reduce duplication of effort. More intensive post‐

graduate programmes would be needed in the country to further the development of skills in

the science while filling gaps in taxonomic knowledge in Jamaica. Short courses and exchange

programmes would also be needed to supplement knowledge in some taxonomic groups.

Periodic review of the technical capacity in taxonomy is necessary in entities in Jamaica.

There is need for a proactive approach to ensuring that the full cadre of technical expertise

exists in the country. Upgrade of skills of existing staff is necessary in a dynamic manner to

ensure that the capacity in taxonomic knowledge is improving.

2.3 Information Management

Information management of taxonomic records comprises the collection, identification,

accession, storage and access. The quality of the information system hinges on the quality and

effectiveness of all these components as well as the ability for the system to be dynamic to

reflect current national needs.

It is necessary to have a national body to coordinate the information management

programme. This body does not need to have an active role in any of the specific elements, but

should be cognisant of the value of taxonomic knowledge and the role it plays in biodiversity

conservation.

The development of comprehensive and accessible collections of taxonomic records is

needed to adequately support research and conservation of Jamaican biodiversity. These

collections are required to be accessible on a web‐based portal to enable convenient and timely

use of information. It would also be useful to have digitised herbarium records and zoological

specimens available through this web‐based solution, as opposed to only having metadata on

the specimens. This would be more useful in the identification of the unknown species.

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A policy for access to taxonomic records and information is required to ensure security

of specimens as well as protect sensitive information that may affect conservation of certain

species or ecosystems. Various levels of access should be critical to this system so that the

taxonomic records benefit conservation in a controlled manner. A competent national body

would then be responsible with appropriate legislation to implement and enforce this policy.

A key element to taxonomy is a system of dichotomous and polychotomous keys. These

are used to identify unknown species. There is a need to make these keys readily available to all

persons who are working in conservation of biodiversity. The information system can make

these keys available and served through a web‐based portal. This is the case with the World

Biodiversity Database and the Global Biodiversity Information Network.

Collection of species information from field research is required. A system is needed to

extract information from scientific reports to be added to the information system. This

information should go through a system of validation before it is added to the system and made

available.

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3.0 Major Findings: Resource and Capacity Assessment

These major findings are based on the interviews conducted with the persons and

entities described in Section 1.0, as well as through the review of relevant literature.

3.1 The Institute of Jamaica – Natural History Museum of Jamaica (NHMJ)

The NHMJ is responsible for the collection and management of the island’s botanical

and zoological specimens. It is the repository for Jamaica’s natural history and serves to

promote and facilitate research and education on Jamaica’s biodiversity. The NHMJ has a

programme in place that is embedded in their Corporate and Operational Plans to collect

specimens and manage taxonomic records according to prescribed standards for conservation

of records.

There are currently botanical and zoological collections present in the NHMJ. The

Herbarium consists of over 130,000 specimens (see Table 1 below) covering most of the major

plant groups found in Jamaica. The zoological collections comprise approximately 110,000

specimens (Table 2 below). There is currently a programme to digitize the botanical collections,

making the taxonomic records easier to access and share locally and overseas. The zoological

collections metadata are also being digitally formatted.

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Table 1: Breakdown of Botanical Collections at NHMJ (IOJ)

Groups Estimated Numbers Spermatophyta 90,000 Pteridophyta 24,000

Algae 8,000 Lichens 2,000 Fungi 6,000 TOTAL 130,000

Table 2: Breakdown of Zoological Collections at the NHMJ (IOJ)

Specimen Type Estimated Numbers

Echinoderms 1318 Annelids 420

Reptiles 720 Tunicates 125

Amphibia 800 Mammalia 400

Coelenterates 1800 Aves 463

Crustacea 1050 Pisces 5000

Lepidoptera 8000 Diptera 6500

Coleoptera 13000 Porifera 200

Homoptera 6400 Orthoptera 500

Odonata 2000 Slides 1400

Eggs 100 Molluscs (marine) 35000

Molluscs (land) 20000 Arachnida 5000

TOTAL 110,196

NB: Estimates based on complete inventory conducted in 1986 as well as

Specimen counts from the computer database up to 2009.

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The NHMJ is closely involved with the CBD as the host of the Jamaica Clearing‐House

Mechanism (JACHM). This is the island’s biodiversity information network and it also has links

with other taxonomic databases which provide information on species present in many

countries. The JACHM also hosts the database for invasive alien species (IAS) through the Inter‐

American Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN) – I3N Jamaica Programme. This database of

invasive alien species for Jamaica was recently updated (in 2007) to encompass all known IAS in

Jamaica, and now hold over 80 records for Jamaica. These records comprise taxonomic

information on the species as well as distribution and management information.

The NHMJ is currently conducting several projects focussed on taxonomic research in

Jamaica, and has also conducted other projects in the last ten (10) years. These are listed

below:

1: Endemic Trees of Jamaica: Funded by the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ)

examines the taxonomy, distribution, and uses of endemic trees in Jamaica to promote

best practices and conservation. There are over 350 tree species covered in this project

which is near completion. A Technical Report and a Field Guide will be produced.

2: Ongoing accession of zoological taxonomic records into Biolink® and FishBase®. These

are two of the main zoological cataloguing mechanisms currently in use. Biolink® is a

biological database that supports both primary species information, as well as research

findings and resource persons. FishBase® is a global Information System on fishes, that

allows users to search for primary species data, as well as larval fish data and food web

information.

3: Cockpit Country Conservation Strategy: Conservation of Cockpit Country, using biota

to define the boundaries of the Cockpit Country and document new species found. A

Technical Report will be produced.

4: Bird Survey of Mason River Reserve: Funded by the Environmental Foundation of

Jamaica (EFJ) in 2003 examined the diversity of avifauna in the Mason River Reserve.

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This Reserve is also home to one of the NHMJ’s field stations. A Technical Report was

produced and can be accessed through the JACHM.

5: Lost Species in Cockpit Country: This project aims to rediscover species from the

Cockpit County that have not been described for a very long period of time, and are

feared extinct.

6: Jamaica Clearing‐House Mechanism (JACHM): Developed in accordance with the CBD,

this programme has seen the development of a very dynamic biodiversity information

network of websites, databases, institutions and people within Jamaica as well as

throughout the party countries to the CBD.

7: Invasive Fern in Mason River: This project examined the removal of the invasive fern

Dicranopteris sp. from the Mason River Reserve to promote the colonization of native

species. A Technical Report was produced.

The Research Agenda for the NHMJ is set based on taxonomic gaps in collections, gaps

in knowledge of particular taxonomic groups or geographical areas as well as current and

impending projects. These gaps are identified based on the requests by external agencies and

persons for taxonomic records. For the most part, this agenda is set by the NHMJ.

Taxonomic research by the NHMJ is concentrated in the following areas, which has been

driven by the research agenda and availability of resources:

• Mason River

• Green Hills

• Cockpit Country

• Around the Central Inlier (Harris Savannah etc)

• John Crow Mountains

• Braziletto Mountains

• Fresh River

• St. Thomas

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Research in the following taxonomic areas has been identified by the NHMJ as critically

needed nationally, and the Museum will aim to target these in future projects.

• Lower Plants

• Aquatic Plants

• Ferns

• Mites

• Soil organisms

• Threatened groups (Orchids, palms, marine mammals, cycads, bromeliads)

Other needs identified were training in:

• Molecular taxonomy

• Identification of Juvenile birds

There are currently six (6) staff members that are involved in taxonomic research at

varying levels within the NHMJ. Four (4) of the six (6) have received scientific training at the

tertiary level. Their skills have been improving significantly mainly due to on‐the‐job training

and periodic training courses on specific areas such as entomology and botany. The percentage

of the work effort spent on taxonomic research is estimated to be as low as 20% and as high as

80% among these staff members. The low levels are due to other tasks, such as day‐to‐day

administration, which have been assigned to the scientific specialists.

One of the two experts listed for Jamaica on World Taxonomist Database, The Director

of the NHMJ, currently only spends about 20% of her effort in taxonomy, as the remaining 80%

is spent in administration of the NHMJ. This disparity is not unique to the NHMJ as often

taxonomic scientists are obligated to take on administrative roles which become greater roles

than their scientific role.

The strength of taxonomic knowledge varies significantly, and is concentrated in

Flowering Plants and Entomology. The main weaknesses exist in the areas of Molecular

Systematics, Marine Flora and Fauna, Phylogeny and Lower Plants.

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3.1.1 The Jamaica Clearing‐House Mechanism (The JA CHM)

The JA CHM is the island’s biodiversity information network. It was established in

accordance with Article 18(3) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It supports the

National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. The JA CHM receives ad supplies information

through a variety of requests, from sources both locally and internationally. Though the JA CHM

does not generate taxonomic information, it is responsible for the dissemination of such

information.

Species information is held by the JA CHM as species lists, and the information is

available through the internet. This database is also linked to other web‐based portals involved

in biodiversity such as the Inter‐American Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN). There is an

online alien invasive species database for Jamaica as part of the IABIN Alien Invasive Species

Information Network (IABIN I3N) programme. This database requires taxonomic names and

classification for the species in the database.

In the Jamaica I3N database, the list of available species is based on ITIS ‐ Integrated

Taxonomic Information System, which is an internationally recognized system.

The JA CHM currently has lists for endemic species. However, these lists are only limited

to Endemic Birds, Butterflies and Orchids.

3.2 The Department of Life Sciences (DLS) – UWI Mona

The Department of Life Sciences (UWI‐Mona) represent the section of the University

dedicated to the biological sciences. The DLS covers areas of botanical and zoological studies

spanning the terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments. The DLS is also involved in

conservation management and agricultural applications.

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3.2.1 The UWI Herbarium

The main repository of floral taxonomic information in the DLS is the Plant Herbarium. The

herbarium both generates and stores taxonomic information. The quantity of specimens

represented here are less than those of the NHMJ Herbarium. There are over 35,000 specimens

covering Gymnosperms, Angiosperms and Pteridophytes which are represented by

approximately 609 species; 3,000 specimens of Angiosperms belonging to 183 Angiosperm

families and approximately 30 species belonging to 4 families of Gymnosperms. These

collections not only include specimens from Jamaica, but also several countries throughout the

wider Caribbean Region.

Though the DLS and the Herbarium are not directly linked with the CBD, they provide

useful support to the national commitments under the CBD, especially in biodiversity research.

Past projects that the herbarium was integrally involved include:

• 2007: Herbal Plants of Jamaica‐Monica Warner

• 2004: Flowers of Jamaica‐Monica Warner

• 2003: Manual of Dendrology, Tracey Parker for the Forestry Department

• 2002: A Guide to Plants in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica ‐ Susan Iremonger

• 1985: Ferns of Jamaica‐George Proctor

• 1972: Flowering Plants of Jamaica, CD Adams

One of the major taxonomic projects conducted by the DLS (just recently completed) was

“Digitising Jamaica’s Natural Botanical History Collections”. This is being done by Ph.D.

Candidate, Philip Rose of the DLS. This project is being done in partnership with the Institute of

Jamaica – Natural History Museum with funding from the Environmental Foundation of

Jamaica. It focuses on both herbaria using ten (10) plant families common in the tropics, from

two (2) collectors who have and are collecting specimens (Harris 1800s‐1915 collection at UWI;

Proctor 1950’s‐present at NHMJ). Approximately sixteen hundred (1600) specimens from DLS

Herbarium and one thousand (1000) specimens from NHMJ Herbarium were digitised. The

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Jamaican Virtual Herbarium is based on the WAMP web page/database software application

stack that integrates the Windows operating system, Apache web server, MySQL database

server and PHP Hypertext Pre‐processor into presenting a web‐based interface that handles

both back‐end data entry and end‐user database queries (source: Rose, pers. comm. & Ph.D.

Project Outline document).

This EFJ Funded Pilot Project is complete; however, the methodology and principles of

digitisation of botanical collections have been entrenched in the NHMJ and DLS Herbaria. Both

herbaria are set to continue the transformation of the specimen records into digital formats.

This process is anticipated by both institutions to be ongoing.

The research agenda for the DLS‐Herbarium is largely based on external national and

international requests for research purposes. There is currently no research programme or

dedicated researcher as yet for the herbarium and primarily, the herbarium provides support in

the field for researchers. The DLS currently has plans to introduce a dedicated researcher for

the Herbarium, but this has not materialized to date. Once this is in place however, the

herbarium would have its own research programme. There are no limitations for the herbarium

to be involved in taxonomic research with respect to location, as research is conducted all

across the island as well as in other countries.

It was cited by the DLS Herbarium that for the most part, the research agenda for the

herbarium fills the national needs. However, some taxonomic groups of plants are

understudied. These include ferns, gymnosperms and other lower plants. More research is also

needed for freshwater and marine plants. There are some areas in Jamaica that require more

taxonomic research. These include, in priority sequence, the Cockpit Country, John Crow

Mountains, Hellshire Hills and Dolphin Head Mountains.

There are two (2) persons who work closely with the herbarium. One is the herbarium

curator and the other is a PhD student who is close to the end of his graduate programme and

is responsible for the Digitisation of the Herbarium Project. The range of formal training varies

from specific courses at the University level to post‐graduate training in botany to the PhD

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level. Numerous courses have contributed to the on‐the‐job training. These courses include

Smithsonian Institution Training Course for Herbarium Employees, Monocot Flora of Puerto

Rico – Smithsonian Institution, Kew Workshop on Herbarium management and techniques and

Tropical Flowering Plants course‐Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens. On‐the‐job experience has

been vastly important, as the knowledge gained from conducting research and serving the

needs of scientists has been greater than the knowledge gained from the training courses.

These courses, though useful, are short courses and tend to have very direct areas of focus.

Training in grasses, ferns and desktop research techniques are areas identified by the

staff that are major weaknesses in their technical capacity.

3.2.2 Marine Taxonomy

Dr. Mona Webber, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Life Sciences is one of the main

marine researchers within the Department of Life Sciences. According to Dr. M. Webber, the

epifauna (aquatic animals that live on the bottom substratum) is reasonably well understood as

research in this area has been sustained over the years. Meiofauna (size class between

microfauna and macrofauna which tends to be the ~50‐500 µm size range) has been studied

through the research of then graduate student Avery Galbraith. Mangrove biota is reasonably

well known through work done mainly at the Port Royal Mangroves out of the Port Royal

Marine Laboratory. Hard‐bottom fauna, such as coral and algae, are also well studied and

understood.

With respect to Sponges, taxonomic work has been done on mangrove sponges using

spicules, and a photographic guide was developed. This guide can be used for future taxonomic

work in mangrove sponges. However, reef sponges are poorly known.

Nudibranchs are also poorly known. Research done in this area in the past has been

limited to brief descriptions, but the taxonomic range of species on Jamaica has not been the

focus of any research project.

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Phytoplankton and Zooplankton taxonomy is perhaps the area that is mostly studied.

There are also adequate reference collections of species that are used for both research and

teaching. These reference collections are also supplemented with photos and taxonomic keys.

Taxonomic knowledge in the Crustacean zooplankton is especially strong.

Bryozoans in Kingston Harbour have been studied in depth. There is now a taxonomic

key produced by Marcia Creary, and this is available for use. Reef bryozoans, however, is an

area that requires more taxonomic work.

Mangrove ascidians have been extensively studied and documented by Prof. Ivan

Goodbody, especially from the Port Royal mangroves. There are also collections of these

specimens at the Port Royal Marine Laboratory and the Department of Life Sciences.

Other gaps in marine taxonomy include benthic macroinvertebrate infauna and

jellyfishes. The former would serve pollution monitoring activities for port areas and urban

bays, while the latter would be important in trophic interactions in fish stocks.

Dr. Karl Aiken specialises in fisheries management, ecology and biology. The bony fishes,

especially the commercially important groups such as snappers, parrotfishes, acanthurids,

groupers, jacks and triggerfishes are well understood. There are no comprehensive fish

collections, however, photographic and descriptive keys are readily available for assistance with

taxonomy. One of the largest gaps in taxonomic knowledge in fishes is the larval groups.

Currently, these specimens are only grouped as “larval fish”.

Dr. Eric Hyslop is the primary fish biologist in the Department of Life Sciences. With

respect to freshwater taxonomic knowledge, the macroinvertebrates require more attention.

This is also a similar situation with freshwater phytoplankton and freshwater zooplankton.

Freshwater fish, on the other hand, is reasonably well studied, including the development and

availability of taxonomic keys and reference collections.

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3.2.3 Plant Mycology and Nematology

Professor Phyllis Coates‐Beckford is the Department’s expert on plant pathology,

covering both the mycology and nematology realms in taxonomy. Prof. Coates Beckford has

developed expertise to identify most of the plant parasites, but only as far as the genus level.

There are associates that are used as taxonomic experts on occasions, and these include:

• Dave Hutton – plant parasites (mainly nematodes)

• Kadene Williams – Plant nematodes

• Ministry of Agriculture, Bodles Research Station – fungi and namatodes that are

parasitic to agricultural plants (3 Officers)

• Trevor Yee: Mushroom taxonomy

With respect to gaps in free‐living nematodes in the soil, very little is known about their

taxonomy. There are keys developed for the temperate and some tropical areas that may be

applicable to Jamaica, but this has not been explored. It is opinion of the Prof. Coates‐Beckford

that it would be a worthwhile task to develop keys for soil nematodes in Jamaica, first

examining the applicability of the international keys. Currently there are no collections of

nematode species, and this would be beneficial to taxonomic work on the group.

Soil fungi are not adequately described. Overall, fungi research has been focussed on

those that affect agricultural crops. Currently there are no collections of fungal species, and this

would be beneficial to taxonomic work on the group.

Courses in Nematology and Mycology have been under‐subscribed over the years, and

even lead to the removal of these kinds of courses from the teaching roster of the department.

More recently, the courses have shown a return to the desired subscription level, and Prof.

Coates‐Beckford attributes this to a drastic increase in the number of students overall in Life

Sciences. This short‐fall in undergraduates being taught the disciplines has also impacted on the

level of graduate research in the disciplines.

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Training is required in molecular taxonomy of fungi and nematodes to complement the

limited morphological taxonomic expertise. This would provide faster methods to identifying

the species.

Training courses for Jamaican scientists are available in the United States, more

specifically, University of North Carolina, Cornell University and University of Florida.

3.2.4 Entomology

Entomology in the Department of Life Sciences is lead by Dr. Eric Garraway, with strong

support from Dr. Catherine Murphy and Dr. Tanice Hall.

This section houses a small insect collection. It comprises approximately 500 species

representing especially members of the Lepidopteran Order. There is also a collection of

approximately 100 land snails (mainly from eastern Jamaica). However, there are large

quantities of specimens to be curated, which are mainly from undergraduate and graduate

students’ field collections.

The Research Agenda is set by Dr. Garraway with inputs from his aforementioned

colleagues. Most of the agenda arises from needs for conservation studies that are

encountered by other projects. He uses the pure research to feed the applied research. One

such example is the pioneering work done on the Jamaica Swallowtail Butterfly.

Taxonomic work in this discipline has been limited to Eastern Jamaica for the most part.

There has been smaller number of projects in West End Negril and the Cockpit Country. Dr.

Murphy cited transportation and safety in the field as main reasons for the limitations with

localities for the research.

Some of the taxonomic groups which have been under‐studied in Jamaica include

Pyralidae (snout moths), Nocturidae, Caribidae (beetles), Pseudococcidae (mealy bugs) and the

Homopterans. Many of these are pest species, and very little is currently known about their

taxonomy.

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There are currently 3 lecturers in Entomology and 6 graduate students.

3.2.1 The Centre for Marine Sciences (CMS), Department of Life Sciences

The CMS is responsible for marine research and training in the University. There are two

marine laboratories that are under the Department, the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory and

Field Station (DBML) and the Port Royal Marine Laboratory (PRML).

The DBML and the PRML support the scientific research for the UWI’s marine

researchers primarily, but also international agencies and universities. These include Stony

Brook University, Wisconsin University, Dartmouth University, University of Miami, Florida

International University, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Mote Marine Lab among others. These relationships have fostered and encouraged meaningful

research collaborations and have built technical capacity in Jamaica in marine research.

Research has been concentrated in the general region of these marine laboratories over

the years, but research in other parts of Jamaica such as Pedro Bank, Portland Bight, Morant

Bay, Montego Bay and Negril have been done from the marine laboratories. The research

agenda for these entities are determined by the mandate of the CMS and the DLS as they aim

to provide scientific guidance to the national objectives. Relevance to the country has been a

feature and will continue to be a feature of the research agenda of the CMS. Inputs for the

research agenda of the CMS have been received from NEPA, Fisheries Division, Maritime

Authority of Jamaica and the NGO community. These inputs allow the CMS to focus their

research in areas of national needs.

Dr. Dale Webber is an expert in marine phytoplankton. He has also coordinated training

in this discipline through the research of graduate students. Currently, the CMS and the DLS

have a total of five (5) researchers on staff that are experts in plankton taxonomy, both

phytoplankton and zooplankton.

3.2.1.1 The Caribbean Coastal Data Centre (CCDC)

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The main repository for marine taxonomic information within the CMS is the Caribbean

Coastal Data Centre (CCDC). The CCDC is located on the Mona Campus within the DLS and

serves as the main data centre for the Centre for Marine Sciences. The CCDC was initially

created in 1993 as the Data Centre for the Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity (CARICOMP)

Project, and then became the CCDC in 1998. It provides data archival support to various

national and regional marine monitoring programs, such as Global Coral Reef Monitoring

Network (GCRMN) and the Jamaica Coral Reef Monitoring Network (JCRMN).

The CCDC deals with database creation and management and provides reports and

summaries for marine data from these programmes and projects. These include:

• Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity (CARICOMP)

• Caribbean Planning for Adaptation to Climate Change (CPACC)

• Mainstreaming Adaptation to Climate Change (MACC)

• Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA)

• Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN)

• Reef Check®

• Coral Disease Survey

• Jamaica Coral Reef Monitoring Network (JCRMN)

• Fish Survey Data

• Jamaica Coastal Water Quality Improvement Project (CWIP)

The generation of taxonomic information on coral reefs is concentrated mainly on hard

and soft corals, reef fish, sponges, shellfish and some other invertebrates. The localities covered

are limited and restricted by several factors including accessibility and funding. However, there

is a concentration of activities in areas where the marine research facilities (the Port Royal

Marine Laboratory and the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory and Field Station) are located. The

other areas around Jamaica receive coverage due to the presence of environmental non‐

governmental organizations. Figure 1 below shows the survey sites for AGRRA and Reef Check.

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Figure 1: Sites for Reef Check (blue triangles) and AGRRA (red dots) (Creary, CCDC 2006)

3.3 The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA)

NEPA generates small amounts of taxonomic information; however it has a heavy

demand for taxonomic information to carry out its functions. NEPA does not keep taxonomic

specimens, but keeps species distribution data which are usually georeferenced. This taxonomic

information within NEPA is in the form of products of species surveys conducted by the Agency

or by consultants, and the information is embedded in technical reports.

The Agency is integrally involved in the CBD. It is responsible for projects

implementation, preparation of the National Reports, participation at CBD meetings,

Programme of Work for Invasive Alien Species and also the Focal Point for Access and Benefit

Sharing. The focal point for Protected Areas also resides within NEPA.

The Research Agenda of the Agency is driven by management and conservation goals. It

generally aims to fill gaps in information to support conservation and management Plans for

conservation areas. The NBSAP is also used to guide this process. Research is also done as an

imperative for a development order and focus is given to areas where there is a concentration

of impending development projects. This is especially important in processing of applications.

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One of the significant needs is to validate and collate species data that are currently part

of Environmental Impact Assessments and other studies such as species surveys. This would

assist in filling gaps in information as well as to provide greater input in classification of

ecological status of species and locations.

It was cited by NEPA that more attention should be paid to taxonomic research on

grasses and herbs, insects (with the exception of butterflies), freshwater faunal species, and

endemic flora and fauna generally. These are seen as areas where insufficient biological

information is available, but better information on these taxa would assist greatly in the design

and implementation of conservation and management strategies.

There are currently approximately eight (8) persons involved in some level of taxonomic

research. These persons have received formal training to the post‐graduate levels as well as on‐

the‐job training and experience. There is an equal spread of the persons between the terrestrial

zoological (4) and marine realms (4), however, the botanical terrestrial realm is

underrepresented and plant taxonomists are needed. A permanent freshwater taxonomist is

also of urgent need within the agency.

The most significant areas of taxonomic knowledge exist in coral reef species (reef fish,

hard and soft coral, and algae), seagrasses, wetland flora and fauna, flora and fauna in dry

limestone forests, avifauna, sea turtles, snakes, butterflies and bats.

The greatest weaknesses in the NEPA exist in the areas of herbs and grasses, freshwater

species, marine benthic macroinvertebrate infauna, ichtyoplankton and marine sponges.

3.4 The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries

The main entities within the Ministry that have some mandate for conservation of

biodiversity are the Forestry Department and the Fisheries Division. Both these entities do not

focus on the generation of taxonomic information; however they are more responsible for the

management of the resource through sustainable utilization.

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3.4.1 The Forestry Department

The Forestry Department generates taxonomic information on a limited and ad‐hoc

basis. There is not a dedicated taxonomic research programme in place at the Forestry

Department. There is heavy reliance on the resources of the IOJ and the UWI Herbaria for

support. There is however, the desire by the Forestry Department to establish a small collection

in the future. The reliance on the UWI‐DLS Herbarium and the IOJ‐NHMJ Herbarium would

continue, as it is not deemed necessary to create a replicate of these herbaria. Research

projects are generally done in collaboration with the IOJ and visiting researchers, who may

require the support of the Forestry Department.

There are very limited human resources in taxonomic research in the Forestry

Department. Most of the focus by the scientific officers is placed on forestry management

rather than the generation of new taxonomic information. The new design of the Department

will see the introduction of specialized scientists in the field of arboriculture, ecology and

biology. This would be the opportunity to implement a strong taxonomic research programme.

Training programmes in botanical species are needed for the field staff. These

programmes are not only to be limited to the tree species, but shrubs and lower plants as well.

3.4.2 The Fisheries Division

The Fisheries Division’s focus is on commercial species, and marine taxonomic research

outside of these commercial species is not an area of focus for the division. Fish surveys are

carried out at 216 landing sites across the island. Information is collected on reef species,

coastal pelagic species, large pelagic species, conch and lobster. These surveys are geared

towards assessing the fishable stock of these species, and therefore information is limited to

species that are removed by the fishers.

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There is a Fisheries Information System within the Fisheries Division. The mechanism to

collect the data on the species is decentralized through the operation of field officers based at

or near major fish landing sites across the island. The management of the fisheries data is done

at the main office; however, this data is not readily available for use. There is a notable lack of

confidence in the quality of the data collected, as species are sometimes misidentified.

3.5 The NonGovernmental Organizations

3.5.1 The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a non‐profit US based environmental non‐

governmental organization and has the reputation of being the largest such organization in the

world. The Jamaica Programme focuses on projects in all three eco‐regions, terrestrial,

freshwater and marine. These however, have significant variation in the emphasis that is placed

on each. The Jamaica Programme is currently heavily biased towards ecosystem management

rather than taxonomic research. Most of the programmes now are focussed on the marine

environment with management of marine protected areas, not only in Jamaica, but regionally.

TNC is involved in the CBD, especially as it relate to the Programme of Work on Protected

Areas. There are currently three (3) scientific officers within TNC Jamaica:

• Conservation Coordinator, Pedro Bank Management Project

Management of Pedro Bank Management Project

Establishment and Maintenance of Remote Field Station on Pedro

Bank

• Sustainable Waters Programme Manager

Main tasks includes the Marine Protected Areas Sustainable Financing

Project (OECS/World Bank/TNC)

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• Jamaica Country Representative

Main tasks includes integral involvement in the Formulation of the

Protected Areas System Master Plan for Jamaica (policy level)

TNC Jamaica previously generated taxonomic information in freshwater environments,

but currently, they are not generating much of this kind of information on a regular basis, but

rely heavily on the information that is generated from other sources. There is limited and ad‐

hoc generation of freshwater taxonomic information.

The organization does not keep specimens but do however, retain species information

such as those that emanate from specific projects in Jamaica. Over the past 6 years, the

Conservancy has spent considerable effort in Eco‐regional planning for the terrestrial, marine

and freshwater environments. These assessments depended heavily on existing taxonomic

knowledge available in Jamaica.

There is no current agenda for freshwater research at TNC Jamaica. This research was

being done ‐ several years ago ‐ but with the shift in programme objectives to more

management the research work has ceased. This is in a significant way the result of funding

constraints which have caused the Conservancy to shape the Work Programme to adapt and

meet other objectives. Conservation programmes in freshwater environments was

concentrated in the Cockpit Country and the Rio Grande Valley. The Conservancy’s Cockpit

Country Parks in Peril Project aimed to promote the sustainable use of the Cockpit Country as

well as preservation of the rich biodiversity with the area. In the Rio Grande Valley, the

prevalence of River Poisoning events as a fishing practice was substantial and deemed

necessary for attention by TNC in order to conserve the freshwater fauna in the system.

3.5.2 Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust (JCDT)

Since its inception in 1987, the JCDT has been a leading environmental NGO in Jamaica.

The focus of its work has been and continues to be the conservation of the Blue and John Crow

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Mountains National Park (BJCMNP). The JCDT has conducted some biological research such as

bird surveys, and has facilitated and participated in floral and faunal research within the park.

The Research Prospectus of the JCDT is shown below:

1. The distribution of Pittosporum undulatum and appropriate methods of control in the

Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park.

2. Controlling Pittosporum viridiflorum, Melinus minutiflora (molasses or Wynne grass),

Gleichenia sp. (fern), Hedychium gardnerianum (ginger lily), and Polygonum chinense

(red bush) in the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park.

3. Investigating competition between invasive plant species (P. undulatum, P. viridiflorum,

Melinus minutiflora, Gleichenia sp., Hedychium gardnerianum, and Polygonum

chinnense) of the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park.

4. Bird composition in the central and eastern regions of the Blue and John Crow

Mountains National Park.

5. Bird composition in the Blue and John Crow Mountains below 1,000 meters.

6. Status of the range expanding Shiny Cowbird in the Blue and John Crow Mountains

National Park.

7. Population status of the Jamaican Blackbird in the Blue and John Crow Mountains

National Park.

8. Demographic Study on the Jamaican Hutia in the Blue and John Crow Mountains

National Park.

9. A taxonomic survey of the insects found in the Blue and John Crow Mountains National

Park.

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10. Investigating potential bio‐indicators of ecosystem health in the Blue and John Crow

Mountains National Park.

11. Demographic study of the Giant Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio homerus)

12. A taxonomic survey of the aquatic invertebrates found in the streams and rivers Blue

and John Crow Mountains National Park.

13. Ecological studies of conservation targets and other species within the Blue and John

Crow Mountains National Park, with particular emphasis on specific threats and

conservation management requirements.

14. The distribution, size, growth and shrinking rate of coffee farms in and around the Blue

and John Crow Mountains National Park.

15. The harvesting of non‐timber forest resources, and the examining of resource dynamics

and resource users.

16. Silvicultural requirements and suitability of some indigenous tree species on farmland

areas around the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park.

17. The survival and growth rates of young indigenous trees in open agricultural areas

around the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park.

18. Species composition in forest soil seed banks of the Blue and John Crow Mountains

National Park.

19. Habitat assessment of the upper montane rainforest over limestone on John Crow peak.

20. Habitat assessment of the Montane Summit Savannah and Riparian communities in the

Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park.

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21. Assessment of species on the northern slopes of the Blue Mountains, particularly

bryophytes and lichens.

22. The effect of forest clearance on soil fertility and productivity and water yield.

23. Updated forest and wildlife inventory

24. Re‐opening of the Park/Forest Reserve boundary and investigation of land tenure and

lease issues resulting in an accurate delineation of Park lands and boundaries.

25. The impact of buffer zone communities on the Blue and John Crow Mountains National

Park, including issues related to demographic changes.

26. Maroon communal land ownership within the Blue and John Crow Mountains National

Park.

27. Analysis of participatory approaches to natural resources management.

28. Impact of wild hog hunting on the ecological integrity of the BJCMNP.

29. Studies and pilot projects on sustainable harvesting and use of natural resources e.g.

wicker, insects.

30. Studies and pilot projects on growing of native plant species e.g. orchids, and farming of

animal species e.g. Giant Swallowtail Butterfly for revenue generation.

31. Limits of acceptable change in the protected area especially recreational areas.

32. Analysis of hazard vulnerability within the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park,

and identification and mapping of areas for special management.

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This Research Prospectus shows the linkages between taxonomy and conservation, and also

demonstrates the involvement of communities within the BJCMNP in conservation and

research. Though it is mainly focussed on management strategies for conservation, the JCDT

carries out early detection and response to invasive alien plants, larval food preservation for

butterflies, avifuanal surveys, park wildlife inventories, lower plants (such as bryophytes and

lichens), and entomological surveys. The Trust carries out some of this taxonomic research, but

collaborations with the UWI, Forestry Department and other agencies are prevalent in meeting

the goals of the Research Prospectus.

The Rangers and other staff members who work for the JCDT in the BJCMNP have received

training in plant and animal identification, and this training has been continuous while they

perform their duties. Their interest levels are high in also broadening their skills and learning

about the flora and fauna that are found in the park.

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4.0 Conclusions from Main Findings

The following represents a summary of the major gaps elucidated during the study.

1. Human capacity at the NHMJ is limited. Persons are not trained specifically for a

taxonomic area, but are required to be knowledgeable across all taxa in order to serve

the country’s needs.

2. Marine Collections are the most limiting at the NHMJ as there is the absence of a marine

biologist on staff; ongoing collections are therefore biased towards the terrestrial

environment though adequate SCUBA gear is present within the NHMJ.

3. The JACHM’s capacity to house comprehensive statistics is limited to lists, and features

such as georeferenced distribution data is not available.

4. Information flow into the JA CHM is limited, and persons have to be urged to contribute

data to the JA CHM. This is reflected in the representation of taxa in the JACHM.

5. There is currently no taxonomic research project in the NHMJ focussed on the marine or

freshwater environments, and this is primarily a reflection of the training and expertise

of the current staff cadre towards the terrestrial environment.

6. The Research Agenda for the NHMJ is set internally mainly, thereby underscoring the

need for increased collaboration and coordination of taxonomic research.

7. The geographic range of taxonomic research by the NHMJ is limited though the

responsibility given to the Museum is island wide. Lack of resources for travel and

shortage of trained persons appear to be the main reasons for this finding.

8. Training in Molecular Systematics, Marine Flora and Fauna, Phylogeny and Lower Plants

required for existing researchers in NHMJ, or persons with these skills added to the

current staff cadre.

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9. Taxonomic Research Programme for the UWI‐DLS herbarium absent. Taxonomists are

also absent from this facility.

10. Only one (1) dedicated staff member is assigned to the herbarium, as the other person

has recently completed his graduate work, and will soon be relocating out of the

Herbarium.

11. The staff of the UWI‐DLS Herbarium require training in lower plants, grasses, ferns as

well as performing effective and accurate desktop research.

12. Mangrove biota is reasonably well known through work done mainly at the Port Royal

Mangroves out of the Port Royal Marine Laboratory.

13. Hard‐bottom fauna, such as coral and algae, are also well studied and understood.

14. Taxonomic work on Sponges has been done on mangrove sponges using spicules, and a

photographic guide was developed. However, reef sponges are poorly known.

15. Nudibranchs are poorly known.

16. Mangrove ascidians have been extensively studied and documented by Prof. Ivan

Goodbody, especially from the Port Royal mangroves.

17. Phytoplankton and Zooplankton taxonomy is perhaps the area that is mostly studied in

the UWI‐DLS/CMS.

18. Bryozoans in Kingston Harbour have been studied in depth. Reef bryozoans, however, is

an area that requires more taxonomic work.

19. Other gaps in marine taxonomy at UWI‐DLS/CMS include benthic macroinvertebrate

infauna and jellyfishes.

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20. The marine bony fishes, especially the commercially important groups such as snappers,

parrotfishes, acanthurids, groupers, jacks and triggerfishes are well understood.

21. The freshwater macroinvertebrates require more attention.

22. With respect to gaps in free‐living nematodes in the soil, very little is known about their

taxonomy.

23. Soil fungi are not adequately described.

24. Training is required in molecular taxonomy of fungi and nematodes to complement the

limited morphological taxonomic expertise.

25. Some of the entomological taxonomic groups which have been under‐studied in Jamaica

include Pyralidae (snout moths), Nocturidae, Caribidae (beetles), Pseudococcidae (mealy

bugs) and the Homopterans. Many of these are pest species, and very little is currently

known about their taxonomy.

26. At NEPA, a substantial amount of species information is embedded in environmental

assessment submitted to the Agency. This information is not however in a readily usable

form, and validation of the taxonomic data is required.

27. NEPA requires in‐house human capacity in plant taxonomy, freshwater taxonomy and

increased technical capacity in several areas of taxonomy which include herbs and

grasses, freshwater species, marine benthic macroinvertebrate infauna, ichtyoplankton

and marine sponges.

28. The Forestry Department’s field staff lack substantial training in plant identification, to

include not only trees, but also shrubs and lower plants.

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29. The Forestry Department does not have reference collections and relies substantially on

the UWI‐DLS and the IOJ‐NHMJ Herbaria. There is however the future desire to have a

small reference collection with the Department.

30. The Fisheries Division does not focus on taxonomic research in the marine environment.

Focus is on management of the fish stocks based on data collected on landings. The

Fisheries Information System at the Fisheries Department collects inadequate data to

produce meaningful stock assessment to guide management of the fishable resources.

Human, technical and infrastructure gaps exist and these hinder the collection and

provision of useful information.

31. TNC is focussed currently on management of the marine environment mainly. There is

some focus on the terrestrial and freshwater environments, but this again is limited to

mainly protected area management and community participation in conservation.

32. The JCDT’s research programme covers some areas of taxonomy in the BJCMNP. These

include invasive alien plants and animals, freshwater invertebrates, avifauna, tress

species, and insects.

33. There is no nominated focal point from Jamaica for the Global Taxonomy Initiative (GTI)

under the CBD.

Table 3: Summary of National Capacity and Gaps in Taxonomy

Taxonomic Group Current Main Research Activities

Existing Human Resources (Please note that the numbers

presented here will have overlaps, as there is normally one person that has

more than one skill set)

Availability and Status of Reference Collections

Aspects for Improvement of Capacity

Angiosperms ‐ Collections of specimens occur regularly at UWI‐DLS and NHMJ‐IOJ

‐ Research consistently being carried out across Jamaica by UWI‐DLS, NHMJ‐IOJ, NEPA, JCDT, Forestry Department

‐ UWI‐DLS: 4

‐ NHMJ‐IOJ: 3

‐ NEPA: 2

‐ Forestry Dept: 4

‐ JCDT: 2

Herbaria at UWI‐DLS and NHMJ‐IOJ; both collections are well kept and extensive.

‐ Expertise in grasses needed

‐ Research Programme needed

Pteridophytes ‐ collections and research being done but on a minimal and ad‐hoc basis

‐ UWI‐DLS: 1 Herbaria at UWI‐DLS and NHMJ‐IOJ; contain some specimens, but this needs improvement.

‐ Expertise in pteridophytes needed

‐ Research programme needed

Gymnosperms ‐ collections and research being done but on a minimal and ad‐hoc basis

‐ UWI‐DLS: 1 Herbaria at UWI‐DLS and NHMJ‐IOJ; contain some specimens, but this needs improvement.

‐ Expertise in gymnosperms needed

‐ Research programme needed

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Taxonomic Group Current Main Research Activities

Existing Human Resources (Please note that the numbers

presented here will have overlaps, as there is normally one person that has

more than one skill set)

Availability and Status of Reference Collections

Aspects for Improvement of Capacity

Marine Hard bottom flora & fauna Ongoing research being done at the UWI‐DLS, CMS, NEPA, and some eNGOS such as MBMP, CCAM.

UWI‐DLS: 8 (includes current graduate students)

CMS: 6 (includes current graduate students)

NEPA: 5

eNGOs: 4 (transient numbers)

No established reference collections exist, but photos and field guides are easily available at these agencies, as well as from online sources

‐ current capacity is adequate

‐ succession of new students and trainees also adequate

Marine Phytoplankton Ongoing research, teaching and monitoring being done at the UWI‐DLS, CMS.

UWI‐DLS/CMS: 10 (includes current graduate students)

Reference collections exist in the DLS‐UWI



Marine Zooplankton Ongoing research, teaching and monitoring being done at the UWI‐DLS, CMS.

UWI‐DLS/CMS: 6 (includes current graduate students)

Reference collections exist in the DLS‐UWI



Sponges ‐ Significant Research was done on the taxonomy of mangrove sponges by UWI‐DLS

‐ UWI‐DLS/CMS: 1 Though some collections exist in UWI‐DLS, these collections are not exhaustive. Photographic guide of spicules available for the mangrove sponge taxonomy

Reef Sponges need attention

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Mangrove Ascidians ‐ Significant Research was done on the taxonomy of mangrove ascidians by UWI‐DLS: Prof. Ivan Godbody

No current expert resident in Jamaica

Extensive collections exist on the mangrove ascidians collected and accessioned by Prof. Goodbody

Sustained programme required

Nudibranchs No current work being done on this group

No human capacity currently engaged

No reference collections exist

Programme required

Bryozoans Bryozoans in Kingston Harbour studied by UWI‐DLS

UWI‐DLS: 2 Key for Bryozoans in Kingston Harbour developed

Reef Bryozoans need to be studied

Macrobenthic Invertebrate Infauna No current work being done on this group



Programme required

Jellyfishes No current work being done on this group



Programme required

Bony fishes Ongoing research, teaching and monitoring being done at the UWI‐DLS, CMS.

UWI‐DLS/CMS: 14 (including current graduate students)

NEPA: 4

Fisheries Division: 24

‐ Small reference collection exist at UWI‐DLS;

‐ Fisheries Division has fisheries information management system



Freshwater Phytoplankton No current work being done on this group



Programme required

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Freshwater Zooplankton No current work being done on this group



Programme required

Freshwater Fish Ongoing research, teaching and monitoring being done at the UWI‐DLS, CMS.

UWI‐DLS/CMS: 5 (including current graduate students)

‐ Small reference collection exist at UWI‐DLS;



Mycology Ongoing research and teaching being done at the UWI‐DLS and Min. of Ag. on small sectors of the group, mainly agricultural pests.

UWI‐DLS: 4

Min. of Ag.: 3

No reference collection exist

‐ succession of new students and trainees inadequate

‐ scope of taxonomic knowledge needs to be broadened to cover soil fungi

‐ molecular taxonomic training needed

Nematology Ongoing research and teaching being done at the UWI‐DLS and Min. of Ag. on small sectors of the group, mainly agricultural pests.

UWI‐DLS: 4

Min. of Ag.: 3

No reference collection exist

‐ succession of new students and trainees inadequate

‐ scope of taxonomic knowledge needs to be broadened to cover soil fungi

‐ molecular taxonomic training needed

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Entomology Ongoing research and teaching being done at the UWI‐DLS

UWI‐DLS: 9 (including current graduate students)

NHMJ‐IOJ: 3

Reference collection exist at the UWI‐DLS and NHMJ‐IOJ

Some of the major gaps in taxonomic work include Pyralidae (snout moths), Nocturidae, Caribidae (beetles), Pseudococcidae (mealy bugs) and the Homopterans.

Land Snails Ongoing research and teaching being done at the UWI‐DLS

UWI‐DLS: 3 (including current graduate students)

NHMJ‐IOJ: 3

Reference collection exist at the UWI‐DLS and NHMJ‐IOJ

Large quantities of specimens to be curated; work to be done outside of the eastern sections of Jamaica

Taxonomic Databases and Information Systems

Maintenance of Information Systems at UWI‐CMS‐CCDC, JACHM‐IOJ, Fisheries Division‐Min. of Ag.

UWI‐CMS‐CCDC: 1

JACHM: 1, sometimes 2

Fisheries Division‐Min. of Ag.: 1

Not applicable Synergies to be enhanced; quality and quantity of data coming into the systems also to be enhanced

5.0 Recommendations for Bridging the Gaps in Taxonomic Knowledge

There are several gaps in taxonomic knowledge which have been outlined in the previous

section and covers areas such as infrastructure, resources and technical expertise. The

recommendations to bridge these gaps are outlined below:

Recommendation 1: Training programmes in taxonomy should be developed and implemented on an ongoing basis.

These programmes should target the training of undergraduates and postgraduates in the

first instance. There is a shortage of taxonomists, and therefore the training of high level

experts in taxonomy is crucial. It would be strategically wise to implement this level of training

first to improve the cadre of trainers in taxonomy, as well as increase high level research in

taxonomy. These persons would then be able to design and deliver similar training programmes

as well as short courses in certain areas of taxonomy, especially those areas cited as gaps in the

previous section.

Of immediate focus, taxonomic training programmes should be developed in the following

areas:

• Molecular Systematics,

• Phylogeny

• Lower Plants

• Marine Benthic Macroinvertebrate infauna

• Grasses

• Herbs

• Ichtyoplankton

Trainees for these high level programmes should be comprised of persons from the Natural

History Museum, University of the West Indies, National Environment and Planning Agency,

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Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and selected non‐governmental agencies and tertiary

institutions. These persons are both generators and/or significant users of taxonomic

information. Taxonomy is a very specialized science, and requires significant aptitude and

patience to acquire the necessary skills. Training of persons who are already in the field and

who truly realize the value of taxonomic knowledge would be the first step to ensuring that the

training is effective and long lasting.

These trained experts can now design programmes to train young taxonomists for

succession planning. Training of environmental scientists, protected areas personnel,

naturalists and other such person as parataxonomists would add value and capacity to the field

of taxonomic research in Jamaica.

This training programme would be better served to be hosted in Jamaica. The University of

the West Indies (Mona) ‐ Department of Life Sciences, is currently more distinctly placed than

other academic institutions in Jamaica to lead the training. There is the combination of the

accredited academic structure, teaching facilities, field resources, laboratory facilities,

taxonomic collections, as well as a network of academic partnerships that can provide the

training. The programmes being hosted in Jamaica would make the training more affordable

and would be able to train more persons over a long period of time. The training would also be

more relevant as areas of special biodiversity, such as the Blue and John Crow Mountains,

Hellshire Hills and the Cockpit Country can be used as the field locations.

Some training programmes overseas that would fill current gaps in taxonomic knowledge

identified above include:

• Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens – “Tropical Flowering Plants” course, which

provides a logical basis for identification of species in a structured way

• Internship/Observership with KEW and/or UWI‐Trinidad‐Kew Workshop on

Herbarium management and techniques

• Smithsonian Institution Internship Programme

• University of Puerto Rico taxonomy programme

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• University of Georgia taxonomy programme in freshwater shrimp

• North Carolina State University taxonomy programme in migratory fish

• Exchange Programmes through the Centre for Marine Sciences to NOAA South‐east

Fisheries Science Centre (Florida)

Recommendation 2: Digitisation of Botanical and Zoological Collections should be done for all previous collections along with the implementation of a programme to digitise current collections.

It should be the goal to digitise all botanical and zoological collections and make these

databases searchable through the internet. The process has started with the work being done

at the UWI Herbarium and the IOJ/NHMJ Herbarium, and represents a good model. Digitisation

should be embedded in practice as part of the accession process for new specimens. This

should include creating an electronic entry and updating the database at regular intervals. The

vast number of specimens that currently exist at these herbaria makes the process of

digitisation extremely labour intensive, and therefore dedicated staff time is required over a

protracted amount of time to covert these into digital records. It is not possible for this to be

done using the existing staff members, as already the human resource capacity present in the

herbaria is significantly lacking in numbers and technical expertise. Therefore, new staff will be

required. A programme of digitisation should be implemented rather than specific projects, as

these projects are often short‐lived and would not lead to a significant and sustained

conversion rate of the specimens into digital formats.

Training in the methodology can be delivered locally employing the skills learned by the

current researcher.

In addition to specimens, reference materials such as books, journals, dichotomous and

polychotomous keys should also be digitally formatted and made available through the

internet.

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A model for biodiversity systematics and taxonomic databases is ETI Bioinformatics. ETI

BioInformatics develops and produces scientific and educational computer‐aided information

systems. They offer a wide range of products and services, including scientific and educational

web applications; the Linnaeus II software package for biodiversity documentation; a series of

scientific and popular titles on CD‐ and DVD‐ROM and a 3D imaging studio.

Taxonomists and specialists are invited to become ETI partners and to sign up to the World

Taxonomist Database, joining 4,602 colleagues. The World Biodiversity Database currently

includes 25,493 extensively described and illustrated taxa.

The World Biodiversity Database (WBD) is a continuously growing taxonomic database and

information system that allows you to search and browse a number of online species banks

covering a wide variety of organisms. The 21 species banks accessible through the WBD offer

taxonomic information, species names, synonyms, descriptions, illustrations and literature

references, as well as online identification keys and interactive geographical information

systems. The WBD currently includes 25,493 unique taxa, plus 4,149 synonyms. The online

publication of several projects was made possible by the financial support of NLBIF. The World

Biodiversity Database allows a user to work through taxonomic keys to identify an unknown

species. The interactive mechanism shows a series of decisions based on taxonomic traits that

the user can employ to identify the species, and also includes definitions for anatomical parts,

as well as drawings and images to assist.

Recommendation 3: Advancement of DNA Bar‐coding should be done and used as a tool for Taxonomic Research to complement traditional techniques.

DNA bar‐coding employs the use of short genetic markers to identify an already known

organism as belonging to a particular species. This has far‐reaching benefits in filling the gaps in

human resources for identification of specimens. It will also assist as a filter for taxonomists, as

effort would not have to be spent to try and identify an already known and described species.

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This would also reduce the chances of duplication of classification of specimens as belonging to

two different species, rather than two specimens of the same species.

The technology should be made available in at least one institution in Jamaica. This type

of technology is very expensive and the associated human and technical capacity is required on

a permanent basis. The best place for this is the Natural History Museum – Institute of Jamaica.

With the high percentage of species in Jamaica being endemic, genetic signatures for these

species should be formulated and added to the system for future comparisons.

Recommendation 4: A mechanism to improve access to technical assistance should be implemented

The users of taxonomic information and the providers of taxonomic information should

have clear lines of contact. Though taxonomic professionals are limited, the country should

make more efficient use of the existing capacity.

The World Taxonomist Database is an excellent platform that can be used to list

taxonomic experts in Jamaica. Currently, only two experts are listed from Jamaica. The

population of this database with the other Jamaican taxonomists will be very beneficial to

linking the demand and supply for taxonomic knowledge in Jamaica.

It would prove to be more beneficial for the JA CHM to provide a link to this database,

rather than host the Jamaican list of taxonomic experts. This would allow a user to visit one

database to find experts in particular taxa that may not be present in Jamaica. The JA CHM

through its network of subscribers and visitors should aim to regularly update the experts

listing for Jamaica, and also to publicize such listing to biodiversity practitioners, especially

those environmental professional who carry out biological assessments for Environmental

Impact Assessments.

The JA CHM can also have a mirrored list of local experts which is simultaneously

updated with the world database.

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Recommendation 5: Publication of taxonomic research regionally should be encouraged

The publication of taxonomic research is vitally important to the sharing of knowledge

nationally and globally. Though there are numerous international journals in taxonomy, there

are no such journals regionally. The presence of a regional taxonomy journal would promote

the dissemination of taxonomic research locally and regionally. This would also encourage

taxonomic research in Jamaica by scientists, as they would now have a suitable and receptive

outlet for their valuable work.

The Institute of Jamaica should source funding from the Global Taxonomy Initiative to

start this kind of publication. The scope can be broadened to include the wider Caribbean

region, and a sustainable fee structure would be required for submission of papers.

Recommendation 6: Nominate a focal Point for the Global Taxonomy Initiative (GTI)

At the CBD Conference of the Parties (COP8) in 2006, all party countries were urged to

nominate GTI National Focal Points. Jamaica is currently without a nominated GTI Focal point.

This move would positively advance taxonomy in Jamaica. The presence of a focal point

would place the country’s commitment to improve taxonomic knowledge to conserve

biodiversity in a clear light with the CBD. This move would also allow for greater information

sharing among participating countries in the GTI which will also increase the county’s technical

capacity.

According to the CBD‐GTI, the general role of the GTI National Focal Points is to:

• Develop linkages and facilitating information exchange in order to advance the

implementation of the GTI at national level;

• Respond to requests for input from the Conference of the Parties and the Secretariat

related to the GTI;

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• Communicate and collaborate with other GTI National Focal Points to facilitate

implementation of the GTI at sub‐regional, regional and global levels;

• Collaborate with other national‐level focal points for the Convention and focal points

from other biodiversity‐related conventions to facilitate implementation and

mainstreaming of the GTI at national level.

The nominated focal point from Jamaica for the GTI should reside in the Natural History

Museum‐Institute of Jamaica.

Recommendation 7: Coordination of Taxonomic Research and Dissemination of findings should be a feature of the national biodiversity action plan.

The establishment of a national working group on taxonomy should be done. This body

would be responsible, among other things, to:

• Review national needs for taxonomic research in particular taxa and localities on

an ongoing basis

• Make recommendations for research agendas for institutions such as UWI, TNC,

NEPA, IOJ to include taxonomic research ensuring that the research is relevant to

the national objectives

• Monitor projects to provide updates to the wider group as well as ensure the

effective use of research in conservation planning

• Coordinate research to promote effective use of resources and maintenance of

scientific integrity and rigour

• Source funding for taxonomic research, training and publication

• Source technical expertise to fill gaps in taxonomic research

The Institute of Jamaica – Natural History Division is the best positioned institution to

lead this Working Group.

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Recommendation 8: Source funding for taxonomic research should be established and managed to ensure it is available continuously

A sustainable and coordinated approach to seeking funding for taxonomic research

should be a part of the mandate of all institutions involved in taxonomy. Small grants are

available on a regular basis to supplement larger but more irregular grants.

Some of these small grants targeted towards taxonomic research are outlined below:

1. The Ernst Mayr Travel Grants in Animal Systematics

This special grant is focussed on research in animal systematic and is administered

by The Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ) at Harvard University. This grant

provides travel support only to conduct research on poorly‐known taxa. The

principal objective of these grants is to stimulate taxonomic work on neglected taxa.

These include taxa in institutional collections. The study of type specimens and their

correct identification is the greatest need in poorly known taxa. This typically

requires visits to other museums.

2. The Linnean Society

This Society distributes a number of small grants to a total of £30,000 in any one

year. These grants are separated into different themes:

• SynTax: Collaborative research in systematics

• The Systematics Research Fund: Systematics and Taxonomy

• The Anne Sleep Award: Biological Research in the Middle and Far East

• The Appleyard Fund: Supporting research projects in botany or zoology by

Fellows and Associates of the Society

• The Dennis Stanfield Memorial Fund: Supporting botanical research on

tropical African plants

• Percy Sladen Memorial Fund Grants: Supporting field work abroad in the

earth and life sciences

3. Partnerships for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy (PEET)

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This grant supports and encourages partnerships with academic institutions, botanical

gardens, freshwater and marine institutes, and natural history museums. It is administered by

the US National Science Foundation and seeks to enhance taxonomic research and help prepare

future generations of experts. Projects should train new taxonomists and should translate

current expertise into electronic databases and other products with broad accessibility to the

scientific community.

4. National Taxonomy Research Grant Program

The Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS) National Taxonomy Research Grant

Program provides grants for taxonomic research. Grants are awarded for research projects

where the primary aim is to undertake taxonomic research on the Australian biota or to

develop products that aid in the dissemination of taxonomic information. The program also

supports projects that build Australian taxonomic capacity.

5. GTI Special Fund

Delete space

At COP8, the GTI received offers for special funding from external agencies to conduct

research in taxonomy. The major player and administrator of this special fund is BioNET

International.

6. The Darwin Initiative

Delete space

The Darwin Initiative assists countries that are rich in biodiversity but poor in financial

resources to meet their objectives under one or more of the three major biodiversity

Conventions: the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); the Convention on International

Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES); and the Convention on the

Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CCMS), through the funding of collaborative

projects which draw on UK biodiversity expertise.

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6.0 References

Documents:

1. Baseline Survey for the Development of a Sustainable Fisheries Management Plan for

CARICOM (2009) – CRFM and Trevor Hamilton and Associates Ltd.

2. Jamaica’s National Environmental Action Plan (JaNEAP) – 2006‐2009

3. National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

4. National Ecological Gap Assessment Report (2008) for the Jamaica Protected Areas

System Master Plan

5. The Nature Conservancy Eco‐Regional Plan – Marine ERP, Terrestrial ERP and

Freshwater ERP

6. United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity

Websites:

1. Department of Life Sciences (UWI): http://www.mona.uwi.edu/lifesciences/

2. ETI Bioinformatics ‐ http://www.eti.uva.nl/

3. Global Biodiversity Information Network: www.gbif.org

4. Global Taxonomy Initiative (GTI): http://www.cbd.int/gti/

5. Jamaica Clearing‐House Mechanism: www.jamaicachm.org.jm

6. Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust: http://www.greenjamaica.org.jm

7. The Nature Conservancy: www.nature.org

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Appendix 1Taxonomic Questionnaire

Date:

Name of Interviewee: Organization/ Agency /Affiliation:

Status: (Gov’t, NGO, Academia etc.):

Section A: Agency and Research Programmes

1. Does your organization generate or use taxonomic information, (or both)?

2. Does your organization keep taxonomic records, such as specimens or species information?

3. Which plant or animal taxonomic groups comprise the collections?

4. Is the organization involved with the Convention on Biological Diversity and in what capacity?

5. Outline any projects undertaken and publications produced by your organization in taxonomic research in the last 10 years.

6. How is the research agenda for this organization set, especially as it relates to generation of taxonomic information?

7. Do you think that the research agenda is aligned to meet the needs of the country?

8. Which locations in Jamaica is the agency focussed on with respect to taxonomic research?

9. Which area(s) of taxonomy do you think is (are) not given as much attention in Jamaica as it should? .. .and why is the attention required?

Section B: Human Resources

10. How many staff members are involved in taxonomic research in this organization?

11. What level of training in taxonomy do you and/or your staff possess in taxonomy?

12. Where did you/they receive training?

13. What was the focus of the training programmes?

14. Which area of taxonomy do you consider your / your team’s greatest strength?

15. Which area of taxonomy do you consider your or your team’s greatest weakness?

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16. Which training programme would be most desirable for you to increase your taxonomic knowledge? Please also state the reason.

17. Do persons outside your organization seek assistance from you with respect to taxonomy? Describe the assistance provided.

18. Do you think that your organization adequately fosters your development in taxonomy?

19. What percentage of your work effort is spent on taxonomy?

20. Other (describe)

Section C: Information Management

21. Does your organization keep and manage taxonomic information?

22. In what form does this information exist?

23. Is taxonomic information generated by your organization available to persons outside the organization? In what form?

24. Is the taxonomic information shared through a web-based mechanism?

25. Are there duplicates of this information?

26. Is the format and design of the information system aligned to any particular standard, local or international? If so, which one (s)?

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