Taxonomy, biodiversity and management of knowledge in Asia

At the Biodiversity 2000 Kuching Conference in November 2000, I put forward the thesis that biodiversity is a knowledge resource, and that Asian societies have an attitude problem with respect to the management of knowledge (Ng, 2001). I offered the following evidence: In AD 304, Chi Han published his famous monograph on the Flora of Southeast Asia (available in English translation by Li, 1979), covering about 80 species of plants from what is now Vietnam and S China. Chi Han covered 18 edible fruits and nuts, 5 useful palms, 3 vegetables, 2 other food crops, 5 spices, 2 masticatory plants, 2 dye plants, 5 fibre plants, 6 perfume plants, 7 drug plants, 11 wood and wood-products plants and 10 ornamental plants. Chi Han’s book became a classic in the Chinese scientific literature.