Intraspecific genetic diversity is an essential biodiversity component, is considered key to the persistence of populations in a changing environment, and is vital for adaptation to extreme events. The global Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) obliges all countries to assess, monitor, and ultimately halt the loss of genetic diversity. However, there is no systematic collection of intraspecific genetic data tailored to the needs of conservation management to support this process.

We see a clear gap in the assessment and monitoring of genetic diversity and would like to present our project vision:

Switzerland is the first country in the world to have a tailored biodiversity database for intraspecific genetic diversity data. The data contained in this database can be used to describe the status and, in the case of repeated surveys (monitoring), trends of biodiversity at the genetic level. Collectively, this information can be used for national and international reporting to the CBD. Furthermore, the data are publicly available for research, teaching, and implementation for nature conservation practice.