Effective conservation and management of biodiversity depends in large part on our understanding of taxonomy. Unfortunately, inadequate taxonomic information and infrastructure, coupled with declining taxonomic expertise, hinders our ability to make informed decisions about conservation, sustainable use and sharing of the benefits derived from genetic resources. Governments, through the Convention on Biological Diversity, have acknowledged the existence of a "taxonomic impediment" to the sound management of biodiversity, and have developed the Global Taxonomic Initiative to remove or reduce the impediment. More »