<< Back 6/26/02 The Naturalist's Corner By Don Hendershot One of the most ambitious projects in science began in 1997. That is when the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) began in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The ATBI’s grandiose mission is to identify and classify all living organisms in the park. Scientists hope to accomplish this feat in 10 to 15 years. As a species, we tend to forget how little we know. With our “Star Trek” mentality we are poised to go “where no man has ever gone.” We think we are set to probe the nooks and crannies of space. We’re even looking at other galaxies, like ours is an old hat. But what do we know? The surface area of the earth is roughly 197 million square miles. The surface area of the GSMNP is roughly 800 square miles. Scientists estimate 100,000 species of flora and fauna live in the Smokies. To date, approximately 9,800 of these organisms have been identified. Ninety percent of the organisms that compose the GSMNP (which equals only .000004 percent of the surface of the earth) are as foreign to us as anything that might exist trillions of light years away in space. The absurdity of this is, we have texts, scientific treatises and experts to tell us how to manage ecosystems. We even have factions warring over the proper management of these ecosystems. The truth, though, is that at best the most objective, most adept scientists are merely making educated guesses; at worst, and far more common, are spokespersons for special-interest groups masquerading as scientist to simply push their agenda. Think of it this way. Your brand new Lexus came in a box, disassembled, with no directions. That’s troubling, but it’s not an obstacle that can’t be overcome. You see, there are “expert” mechanics out there. However, there is a problem. Those experts don’t agree on what your Lexus should look like or exactly how it should operate once it is assembled. Now to compound your problem, none of the experts have seen or know anything at all about the form or function of 90 percent of the parts in your Lexus box. Beginning to get the picture? This is why the ATBI is so important. Not only as a project but as a process. As a project, it could increase our knowledge of the park by 90 percent. It will allow resource managers to make more intelligent decisions regarding the interactions and complexities of the natural resources and the ecosystems within the park. They will begin to see how the Lexus goes together and how it works. Some of the specific goals of the ATBI are; complete a comprehensive checklist of species for the park; create range maps for all species; compile natural history information for each species and organize the information and make available to other scientists, resource managers, educators, students and other interested parties. ATBI works under the umbrella of Discover Life In America (DLIA.) DLIA is a nonprofit organized to work with the Park Service to identify and develop resources and partnerships for conducting the ATBI. As the ATBI proceeds, scientists will be creating a Lexus manual. The ATBI will serve as a model for similar projects throughout the world. In truth, an ATBI of the world is needed before we can truly talk intelligently about preserving natural resources. To date, the ATBI has recorded 1,752 species new to the park. And perhaps more significant, 232 species new to science. While the primary purpose of the ATBI is taxonomy (the identification and classification of organisms), other valuable data is collected, catalogued and shared. This data helps scientists see and learn more about the interactions of the species identified. Examining shovels full of mud from the GSMNP may not sound as glamorous as going “boldly where no man has gone before,” but the knowledge we stand to gain if the ATBI process is expanded worldwide may have a much more profound effect on human kind. To learn about DLIA and the ATBI and how to support and/or become involved contact Jeanie Hilten at 865.430.4752 or jeanie@discoverlife.org. (Don Hendershot can be contacted at don@smokymountainnews.com)