Data networking for conservation biology in Asia

We provide a snapshot overview of developments in data networks for conservation biology in Asia. Three main types of networks are described: special interest, regional and global. Although they overlap, each has characteristic goals and features. Special interest networks tend to be complex with many kinds of information, regional networks are intermediate in complexity, and global networks may be complex and limited in record capacity or relatively simple in design with very large databases. We give representative examples of each. Since this paper grew from a Society for Conservation Biology workshop held in Nepal, the focus is on networks with potential use for Asian conservation efforts. We report the rapid development of networks, their trends towards dispersed rather than centralized systems, and the necessity for professional consensus and trust in their development.