Key aspects of ecology, from understanding biodiversity to identifying conservation targets, depend on how organisms are classified. For ecologists, the importance of taxonomy is undisputed. Yet most sub-disciplines of ecology treat the taxonomic classification of organisms as static, while in reality it is dynamic and subject to periodic change. TAXON-TIME aims to bridge the gap between taxonomy and macroecology. The project investigates 250 years of botanical explorations in African and Amazonian rainforests and analyses the impacts of taxonomic reclassifications on macroecological patterns of plant diversity. This EU-funded project relies on data-intensive research methods to integrate massive volumes of digital data of historical species discoveries and reclassifications.