speciesand

Speciesand is a neologism used in discussions of biology and biodiversity to describe an integrating approach to the study of species that combines taxonomic practice with data science, ecology, and policy considerations. It is not a formally defined term within taxonomy, and its usage varies by author.

Origin and usage: The term appears sporadically in online forums, informal reports, and some biodiversity informatics projects in the 2020s. It is sometimes used as shorthand for projects that assemble multi-source data about species, or as a concept to emphasize the interconnections between species identity, distribution, genetics, and conservation.

Concept and scope: As a concept, speciesand signals an emphasis on integration—linking species descriptions with genetic data, occurrence records, ecological roles, and policy implications. It does not replace established species concepts, but complements them by foregrounding data integration, interoperability, and reproducibility in biodiversity research.

Relation to related terms: It is related to biodiversity informatics, open data standards for taxonomic information, and integrative taxonomy. It should not be confused with rigid taxonomic ranks or with formal species concepts such as biological or phylogenetic species concepts; rather it is about the collaborative framework for working with species information.

Reception and status: As of now, "speciesand" lacks formal definition or wide adoption in peer-reviewed literature. It remains a niche term used in informal writing and experimental projects; its enduring value would depend on clearer usage guidelines and consensus among practitioners. See also: species concept, biodiversity informatics, taxonomic data standards.