streeter inspiring new naturalists and taxonomists · higher education david streeter university of...
TRANSCRIPT
Higher Education
David StreeterUniversity of Sussex
What’s in a Name? – Taxonomy and Biodiversity
Inspiring New Naturalists and Taxonomists
Some conclusions of House of Lords Report
Perceptions of state of systematic biology in universities
“almost extinct in universities” (BSBI)
(of mycology) “it has declined catastrophically”, “there are no, effectively, no fungal systematists ….. employed in UK universities” (European Mycological Association)
“There are no lichen taxonomists left in British universities” (British Lichen Society)
“near-elimination of taxonomists from the university sector in the UK” (Systematics Association)
‘we have reached a stage where there are no lichen taxonomists left in British universities and no research students.’
‘Sadly, by early 2009 there will be only one professional lichen taxonomist left in the UK’
A.Fletcher (2008) British Lichen Society Bulletin
Decline in lichen taxonomy
Reasons for decline in universities
Changing nature of biology
Recruitment
Funding
‘One of the key drivers of the decline in taxonomy at UK universities has been the RAE (Research Assessment Exercise)’ (6.10)
Some conclusions of House of Lords Report
RAE and REF metrics
I PublicationsPublications rated by ‘Impact Factors’
II Grant IncomeTaxonomic research relatively inexpensive
Subject low on research council priority list
III Post-graduate StudentsLargely dependent upon research council allocations
31
35
45
Number of ‘acceptable’
journals
221
157
275
Numbers of journals in category
334Neurosciences
338Cell Biology
752Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Number that are review journals
Number of journals with
IF > 5Subject Area
Source: ISI Web of Knowledge
Journal Impact Factors by Subject Groupings
20228Biodiversity and Conservation
00041Palaeontology
00018Ornithology
549156Plant sciences
000125Zoology
02272Entomology
8210124Ecology
Journal of Animal Ecology 4.2
Journal of Applied Ecology 4.6
Journal of Ecology 4.3
Zoological J. of Linnean Society 2.10
Botanical J. of Linnean Society 1.19
Journal of Bryology 0.81
Lichenologist 1.28
Systematic Botany 1.40
Taxon 2.36
Systematic Entomology 1.81
Ibis 1.44
Cell 31.25
Journal Impact Factors
‘The Committee recommends that in developing the replacement mechanism for the RAE – the Research Excellence Framework – HEFCE should take into consideration the way that citation-based metrics disadvantage systematic biology and also the bias that that would be introduced if grants-based metrics were employed, given that pure taxonomy is not deemed fundable by the Research Councils. It is essential that criteria appropriate to systematic biology research should be incorporated into the new mechanism’. (6.14)
Some conclusions of House of Lords Report
1st year Botany undergraduates (C2)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
1996 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
1st. Year Zoology undergraduates (C3)
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1996 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
1st year Undergraduates 2008
C Biological Sciences (all) 35,598
C1 Biology 4,628
C2 Botany 22
C3 Zoology 1,289
C4 Genetics 450
C5 Microbiology 354
C7 Molecular Biology, Biochemistry 2,368
1st year Undergraduates 2008
C Biological Sciences (all) 35,598
C1 Biology 4,628
C2 Botany 22
C3 Zoology 1,289
C4 Genetics 450
C5 Microbiology 354
C7 Molecular Biology, Biochemistry 2,368
c.5,900
500520540560580600620640660680
1991 1995 1999 2001 2008
British Lichen SocietyMembership
Botanical Society of the British IslesMembership
1957 1,231
1960 1,253
1967 1,723
2008 2,960
UK Membership of British Botanical Societies
BLS BBS
Academic departments 14 26
Museums/botanical gardens 9 19
Research institutes 2
UK Membership of British Botanical Societies
Botanical Society of the British Isles 2722
British Bryological Society 449
British Lichen Society 359
BBS + BLS 65
BSBI + BBS + BLS 37 (of whom only4 have academic addresses)
Post-Graduate Taught Courses
Universities: 20 (out of 141)
Courses:
Conservation, Ecology 37
of which:
with ID as significant component 16
specifically Taxonomy, Systematics 4
Identification and Survey Skills course
Special taxonomic group
Membership of appropriate learned society
Sussex Wildlife Trust prize
University of Sussex
MSc Biodiversity Survey
Special Taxonomic Groups 2005-2008
Bryophytes 8
Beetles (Carabids, Water-beetles) 4 Lichens
Spiders 3
Grasses, sedges, rushesReptiles, amphibiansBugs 2 Hymenoptera Molluscs
Caddis-flies 1 Macro-Lepidoptera
Size of HEFCE ‘R’ stream informed by RAE (now REF)
RAE value and ratings depends on metrics e.g. publications,grant income, numbers of post-graduates
I Research
3 sources: HEFCE Research Councils Private sector
II Teaching Undergraduate Postgraduate
Funding