An expert system approach to identification keys

There are many environmental applications which rely on the accurate identification of insects, plants, etc. The availability of personnel with sufficient identification and taxonomic skill is often a limitation and the production of identification keys has been one means of alleviating this problem. It is the purpose of this paper to show that expert system techniques can be employed to provide computer based keys that are both simpler to use and easier to construct and maintain. This paper describes the structure, development and use of such an expert system based identification key. Experience indicates that quicker and more accurate identifications are possible and that there are other less obvious benefits. In particular the system can be both easily modified and maintained and that the addition of new knowledge is a relatively simple operation.