OSLO : Scientific organisations are working to link up thousands of computer databases of animals and plants into a one-stop "virtual observatory" that could be similar to global systems for monitoring the weather or earthquakes. The idea is to compile an Internet-based observatory of life on earth as a guide to everything from the impact of climate change on wildlife to pests that can damage crops.
"I would hope (for) millions of people providing data", said Mr James Edwards, head of the Encyclopedia of Life based at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, of the 10-year project.
People in many countries already log observations on the Internet, ranging from sightings of rare birds in Canada to the dates on which flowers bloom in spring in Australia.
The new system, when up and running, would link up the disparate sites.