NaBiD - Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Where did NaBiD get the information that is here?
• What kinds of information will NaBiD accept?

• Where did NaBiD get the information that is here?
  
  A series of species lists were produced for use in Namibia's 1998 Biodiversity Country Study. These disparate lists were later consolidated under the auspices of the Biosystematics Working Group of the National Biodiversity Programme into a comprehensive checklist (NaBiD's precursor) that went on-line here on 18 November 2003. These lists varied in quality from excellent to warty but acceptable. At the time of consolidation, some initial sources were superceded by, or updated from, newer sources as listed below. Some errors probably slipped in during the transfer and consolidation of data. So, we started off with known spelling mistakes, outdated names, misplaced taxa, and things that plainly do not occur in Namibia but somehow got onto the lists anyway.
  
  Since then, NaBiD has been busy with a process of verification of the names on the lists, with the help of expert collaborators worldwide. This is being done concurrently with a process of expanding the scope of the data, including by adding distribution data from literature sources. Generally, if a species page displays a distribution map, we can tell you where we got the data. If a collaborator is listed on a page for a higher taxon in the same group, it means that the data for that group has been checked and is probably correct. If neither, it came directly from the original lists, and has not yet been verified. The following can be used a guide to the reliability of species listings.
  
  Major sources for the initial lists:
  • Non-lichenous Fungi. Original unpublished list by Coleen Mannheimer.
  • Lichens. Feuerer, T., 2003: Checklist of lichens and lichenicolous fungi of Namibia. Version 1 November 2003 - http://www.biologie.uni-hamburg.de/checklists/namibia_l.htm
  • Higher plants. Originally: Craven, P. (Ed.). 1999. Checklist of Namibian Plant species. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 7, SABONET, Windhoek.
    Since replaced by: Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14: 1-1231,
    with reference to: Klopper et al. 2006. Checklist of the flowering plants of Sub-Saharan Africa: an index of accepted names and synonyms. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 42, SABONET, Pretoria,
    as well as contributions by individual experts.
  • Marine invertebrates. Original unpublished lists by Bronwyn Currie, at the time partially updated from: Palomares, M.L.D. & Pauly, D. 2003. Biodiversity of the Namibian Exclusive Economic Zone: a brief review with emphasis on online databases. http://saup.fisheries.ubc.ca,
    as well as contributions by individual experts since.
  • Aquatic invertebrates. Originally: Curtis, B.A. 1991. Freshwater macro-invertebrates of Namibia. Madoqua 17: 163-187.
    with contributions by individual experts since.
  • Arachnida. Original unpublished lists by Eryn Griffin, partially updated at the time by Tharina Bird, with contributions from individual experts since.
    Spiders also based on: Griffin, E. & Dippenaar-Schoeman, A. 1991. A checklist of, and references to, the Namibian spider fauna (Arachnida, Araneae). Cimbebasia 13: 155-181.
  • Insects. Original unpublished lists by John Irish, at the time partially updated by Eugene Marais and Ashley Kirk-Spriggs, with contributions from individual experts since.
  • Fish. Original unpublished lists by Clinton Hay and Ben van Zyl, at the time updated with reference to: FishBase, http://www.fishbase.org.
  • Reptiles. Original unpublished list by Mike Griffin,
    since replaced by: Griffin, M. 2002. Annotated checklist and provisional conservation status of Namibian reptiles. Technical Reports of Scientific Services Nr. 1, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Windhoek.
  • Birds. Harrison, J.A., Allan, D.G., Underhill, L.G., Herremans, M., Tree, A.J., Parker, V. & Brown, C.J. 1997. The Atlas of Southern African Birds. 2 vols. Birdlife South Africa, Johannesburg.
  • Mammals and amphibians. Original unpublished lists by Mike Griffin.
    Mammals since replaced by: Griffin & Coetzee (2006)


• What kinds of information will NaBiD accept?
  
  Biodiversity data from any reputable source, which we will verify as appropriate. This includes:
  • Formally published scientific literature. This is our mainstay and current primary focus.
  • Unpublished formal reports / grey literature.
  • Personal communications. This is our main source of Namibian common names. We do run them past other speakers of the same language before posting them on the site, though.
  • Sight records, subject to correspondence between the ease which which the taxon may be identified and the recorder's proficiency, i.e., anybody can identify an elephant, but for an LBJ you need an experienced birdwatcher, and then there are things that can only be reliably identified by an expert on the group concerned. Sight records accompanied by photographs sufficiently clear to allow expert identification / verification are automatically accepted, of course.
  • Non-scientific literature (from historical documents to today's newspaper). We treat these as sight records that just happen to be published, and subject them to the same reliability evaluation.
  • Natural history museum or herbarium specimen databases (including private collections), subject to the negotiation of a fair usage agreement.
  • Private databases or unpublished data from individuals, subject to the negotiation of a fair usage agreement.
  We are not enthusiastic about:
  • Phantom publications ('this is going to be in my forthcoming revision, due next year or maybe the one after, but you can list it in the mean time').
  • Anonymous personal communications submitted by email. These are essentially unverifiable, ever, and are ignored.
  • Obvious crap of the 'polar bear in the Namib' kind.