Dr. Sarah McGrath1, Ms. Tayla Lawrie1, Dr. Geoffrey Heard1,2
1Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network, Brisbane, Australia, 2Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
Biography:
Dr. Sarah McGrath is the Project Officer for the Threatened Species Index (TSX) at the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN). Sarah works with data providers to incorporate their data into the index to generate up-to-date and reliable trends in abundance at national, state and regional levels. In addition to her TSX role, Sarah continues to pursue her interest in the conservation of primates and other wildlife. For her PhD, she investigated the impacts of illegal selective logging and hunting pressure on the endangered northern yellow-cheeked crested gibbon (Nomascus annamensis) in Veun Sai-Siem Pang National Park, Cambodia.
Abstract:
The Threatened Species Index (TSX) provides reliable and robust measures of changes in the relative abundance of Australia’s threatened and near-threatened species at national, state, and regional levels. Monitoring these changes is essential for assessing progress towards global conservation targets. Since its launch in 2018, the TSX has become a vital data asset for Australia, recognised as a key metric for the nation's biological diversity and integrated into national reporting frameworks. Updated annually, the TSX continues to expand, incorporating additional taxonomic groups each year. In this presentation, we will detail the processes involved in updating the index each year, with a particular focus on the critical step of updating our taxonomic lists and associated conservation information. We will provide an overview of our methodologies, address the challenges we encounter, and emphasise the need for a standardised taxonomic database in Australia. Additionally, we will discuss the role and application of Persistent Identifiers (PIDs) in developing and maintaining FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) taxonomic lists for Australia.