Baseline analysis

Early assessment of local extinction risk

Baseline analyses offer a useful preliminary approach to assessing biodiversity change. By comparing historical collections data with contemporary “big biodiversity data”, such as those available via the Global Biodiversity Information Facility or iNaturalist, we can identify species or populations that may potentially be at risk of local extinction. Keeping this approach simple, we can overcome some of the immediate challenges posed by the analysis of complex biodiversity data sets.