The Past, Present, and Future of Online Biodiversity Knowledge Systems

In recent decades, the availability and accessibility of biodiversity data and the profusion of portals, tools, and platforms through which to utilize them have increased rapidly. This reflects the extensive variety of challenges biodiversity data are being used to address and the need to enhance decision-making by different stakeholder groups. Although this has provided unprecedented opportunities for those outside mainstream academia to contribute to and benefit from these resources, it can create confusion in navigating biodiversity data within a highly saturated landscape. We present a new database of 698 global, more than 200 regional, and at least 1,400 national web-based data systems. We then apply both a newly developed typology for online biodiversity data systems and the DPSR+B (drivers, pressure, state, response, benefits) framework to categorize them. We also consider whether target groups are well-defined for these systems. Our analysis shows delivery gaps in systems and data for nature's benefits, agricultural- and wildlife-related supply chains, and specific pressures such as illegal and unsustainable use. Moreover, users’ inability to find the right systems, or interpret them accurately, may lead to poorer conservation outcomes. We make recommendations regarding next-generation online systems that reduce redundancy, lower costs, and improve delivery of information for decision-making.