Quantifying Biodiversity: Experience with Parataxonomists and Digital Photography in Papua New Guinea and Guyana

In recent years, there has been much interest in documenting biodiversity (e.g., Stork 1993, May 1994, Blackmore 1996, Janzen 1997, Cresswell and Bridgewater 2000). A large part of this biodiversity is represented by insect herbivores feeding on tropical vegetation (Wilson 1988). Many authors have commented on the theoretical and ethical aspects of this quest (e.g., May 1994, 1999) and on whether it can be achieved within a reasonable time frame given the taxonomic facilities available worldwide (e.g., Raven and Wilson 1992, Janzen 1993, Krishtalka and Humphrey 2000). However, few workers have proposed practical measures to inventory insect species in tropical rain forests (but see Hammond 1994, Oliver et al. 2000). In this article, we describe a first step toward documenting this rich insect fauna: training local people in the basics of insect collecting, mounting, and sorting; in digital photography; and in simple, yet powerful, computer databases. The work of these trainees can yield high-quality insect material and data, which are also available for subsequent taxonomic studies, within a relatively short period of time. This speed is important because species depletion resulting from the reduction of tropical habitats is rapid (e.g., Reid 1992). We discuss training and use of parataxonomists with particular reference to insect herbivores, with examples from two research projects in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Guyana. Identifying, describing, and storing insect specimens are separate issues, which we do not address (see Miller 1991, Raven and Wilson 1992, New 1998).