Yet knowledge about species and ecosystems is woefully inadequate. An estimated five to 50 million species of living organisms exist in the world today, yet only 1.5 million have been identified. Given the current rates of extinction, efforts must be accelerated to learn more about organisms and the biological services that are essential to wildlife and humans. Comprehensive systems can provide a state with an assessment of its biological resources so it can plan how to best conserve and protect those resources. Without information about the distribution and status of species, it is extremely difficult for a state to make any meaningful efforts at protection.
More data is needed on species taxonomy, distribution, status, trends and ecosystem processes.
In forging strategies to conserve biodiversity, information also is needed about human uses, development trends and other socioeconomic data. An important first step for states interested in protecting biodiversity is to create a consistent framework for collecting, updating and expanding the level of knowledge about resources. Existing information is often difficult to find, understand and apply to management decisions. Often, complimentary data is compiled in different and incompatible formats. It also will provide baseline data for future inquiries and help guide priorities for research and conservation.