Background.

Inventorying, monitoring and ultimately using biodiversity (e.g. for pharmaceutical prospecting etc.) all require one to be able to recognise the species present. However, despite two centuries of taxonomic activity the overwhelming majority of species in most ecosystems are more or less unrecognisable, except by a few highly trained specialists. Very few taxonomic experts have the skills necessary to recognise a wide range of taxa, and their numbers are declining (Holden, 1989; Gaston & May, 1992). Traditional applied taxonomic products dichotomous identification keys are often almost impossible to use without adequate reference collections, comprehensive literature sources and an extensive knowledge of arcane specialist terminology. Even where keys for the identification of a group of organisms exist, many biologists cannot and do not use them (Gauld, 1986; Tilling, 1987; Alberch, 1993). This is mainly because non-specialists have not honed their skills for perceiving many of the subtle differences used by taxonomists to discriminate species. Scientists at the NHM are aware of this problem and have been developing a novel computerised system for undertaking large scale taxonomic identifications. A prototype of DAISY (Digital Automated Identification SYstem).

Showing wings of parasitic hymenoptera used to test initial DAISY implementation

The intial version of DAISY has been implemented under Windows 3.11 on a Pentium based Personal Computer (PC) which also runs an image processing and analysis system that acquires imagery to be identified. Using DAISY, trained on a small number of images of wings of different species, high levels of accuracy in identification (>90 percent) have been achieved (Weeks et al. 1996a & b). DAISY offers a high degree of promise for the automation of routine identifications, thus removing the taxonomic impediment to those wishing to implement Article 7 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and to develop sustainable uses for biodiversity. It provides an approach to both reducing pressure on taxonomists, and to capturing, for wide dissemination, the huge quantity of information embodied in the taxonomic collections of major museums. However, to maximise the use of DAISY it is necessary to take the pilot experimental system and develop it in a practical manner by reimplementing it as a scalable modular sytem which can be applied in real situations.