1989: first PC's were available to "normal" persons.
No online or computer version of Kew index, European checklist etc. was available
Idea (together with Joachim Rheinheimer / Beetles): how to get databases onto our computers?
It was way too early (no digital pictures, Kew Index and ZooRec were "printed only" and very cumbersome to use with many supplements)
Joachim Rheinheimer started to work on a Curculionidae worldwide database (60.000 species)
Ca. 1994: First version of Kew Index appears on CD-ROM, contains "names only", no synonymy, no distribution
Project idea: Take those data, sort them worldwide and cross-check against local floras and checklists
If I had known 1994 the monumental size of the task, I would have never started...
Phase 1: Get all Kew Index names in files, organize them in a proper format
Completed from 1994 - 1997
1 million names, initially ca. 500.000 species listed as valid
Index Filicum was not available electronically, needed to be re-typed manually (which by the way was the reason that World Ferns started as a separate project and dataset)
Phase 2: Incorporate available country and regional checklists including synonyms
Biggest task of the entire project, needed 13 years
Completed from 1997 - 2010 (additions still added...)
Reduces number of valid species to about 380.000
Phase 3: Incorporate major published floras, where no detailed checklist was available
Mostly completed from 1997 - 2012, regular additions ongoing
Reduces number of valid species to about 350.000
Distribution record complete for 90% of countries
Phase 4: Publish databases for Ferns and Orchids on own website (Karlsruhe University)
Completed 2004 (with Bernd Schmitt as technical support), ongoing since with regular updates
-> Other groups not yet covered (system insufficient for large groups)
Phase 5: Establish export procedure to Catalogue of Life
Completed ca. 2013, since then regular exports into COfL
Ca. 150.000 species curated = 45 % of total
Phase 6: Cross-check against IPNI files and standardize
IPNI has much more information vs. Kew Index (publication year!)
Completed 2010 - 2014 (COfL part, 150.000 species), 2014 - August 2016 (non-COfL part)
Standardize abbreviations of authors (completed 2019-2020)
Standardize distribution data and enable automatic data analysis (completed 2019-2020)
Phase 7: Establish new online format for World Plants
Completed August 2020 (current website)
Many new functionalities were subsequently added 2020 - 2023, ending in version 15.0 (March 2023)
Better automatic counting and statistics functions established
Country checklists generated on request
Phase 8: Refine taxonomic tree, establish sequence according to true relationship
Completed July 2022 (section "Tree of Life")
Use Kubitzki, APG etc.
Use phylogenetic "DNA-Articles" - currently a multitude of publications
Ongoing since inception of database, currently almost complete, additions ongoing
Phase 9: Add a survey of the major literature
Completed November 2022 (section "Floras and Guides Worldwide")
Phase 10: Review and reorganize whole database critically
Completed between March 2022 and March 2023
About 3000 uncertain taxa were eliminated and put into synonymy
Tried to standardize literature citations (at least as far as possible without too much work)
About 300,000 synonyms which were suppressed in the early years were "reactivated" because the database system is more capable now
Remaining countries with incomplete distribution data were specifically addressed (Siberia, Russian Far East, Bangladesh, Gambia...)
Phase 11: Cross-check against genus revisions and single taxonomic papers
- Impossible to complete by one person in a lifetime (too much work)
- Access to online publications not available (no academic sponsor or access)
- During working hours in regular job a major library is not accessible for me
- Newer major publications are reviewed (Taxon, Novon, Phytotaxa, Phytokeys, etc.)
Phase 12: Add pictures for all groups
- Not achievable for one person
- Crowdsourcing is problematic (correct ID?)
- Partnership with major picture archives are discussed