European Checklists
Country presence map, February 2020. Maps according to TDWG standards (World Geographical Scheme)
Checklists
Though there are initiatives in place to record the presence of species within countries, notably Fauna Europaea (2004/5) and GBIF, neither are comprehensive or referenced nor able to produce country checklists. This project begins afresh by gathering evidence. Inevitably some will be missed, access to museum collections is limited to the few which publish their lists online and many published papers are not made available through open access. I am indebted to correspondents and authors of open access published lists in many countries for the information provided. If you see omissions then please contact me.
The country checklists are compiled from the following evidence:
- published country checklists
- verified images posted on galleries and other sites
- verified occurrences (on Global Biodiversity Gateways or as species occurrences reported)
- museum specimens (where verifiable and appropriately georeferenced)
Excluded: Lists of countries which may be included in published papers if they are not accompanied by specific references or if they are imprecise. Online sources unsupported by georeferenced occurrence information.
Method
Maintained in MSAccess as a many-to-many relationship table (country vs taxon) which permits a short reference note to each occurrence. Methodology is limited to country occurrence.. For further detail, specific country-based mapping projects or the posting of georeferenced species occurrences to GBGs would be required. Updates of the country presence map will be made when additions are reported, responses to requests are currently awaited.
This is an ongoing task. If you happen across country checklists absent from the literature listed on this site then please get in touch (see Country presence map on home page). I would especially be pleased to hear from museum curators in countries without published lists.