To understand fundamental aspects of the evolution of diversity, and to manage the biosphere that sustains life on Earth, there is a need systematically to compile and provide lists of recorded species, complete with information about life histories, geographical distributions, and other ecological properties. This includes information about how many species there may be in total, both in specific locations and more generally. There is also a need for understanding extinction rates in response to environmental changes. Without such collection-based information, society cannot begin to make quantative assessments of the likely biological effects of climatic global change, or to plan strategies to mitigate adverse effects.