This workshop will consider one of the ultimate issues of biodiversity research: is an all-taxa biotic inventory at a single site feasible? If so, what are the, strategies, protocols, resources and time required to carry it off? The 3-day workshop at the Univ. of Pennsylvania will involve 42 scientists whose expertise will encompass biotic sampling, survey and inventory, ecology, systematic studies, curatorial matters and computerization/networking of the data for most terrestrial organisms. The PI, a leader in biodiversity research and conservation, followed up on a recent international biodiversity conference by developing this workshop and attracting its participants. He will produce a workshop document which could be the initial blueprint for planning such an all-taxa survey. %%% This workshop is a first bold step toward tackling one of the great issues in biodiversity research, management and conservation: is an inventory of all species of organisms at one geographic site feasible? If so, how can it be accomplished and what are the necessary resources? If successful, the long-term effect of the workshop on the infrastructure of science will be substantial and broad. Three immediate major benefits of the workshop will be: bringing together of multidisciplinary workers; development of data management techniques for taxonomic and ecological information; answers to principle scientific questions concerning biodiversity. The potential benefits of an all-species inventory would initially be to society in demonstrating that sustainable use of biodiversity through discovery and use of genetic and other resources is economically worthwhile.
