Laboratory of Animal Diversity and Systematics
Lab involved in major conservation paper
In a recent study involving some 174 authors from 115 institutions and 38 countries, the impact of conservation efforts on the status of the world’s vertebrates has been reviewed. This first ever study to quantify the conservation status of the fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals of the world was published in the influential journal Science on 10 December 2010.
The team of scientists evaluated the data for 25 780 vertebrate species (which represents almost half all vertebrate species described), categorized on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. About one fifth of them were found to be threatened. Every year on average 52 mammals, birds, and amphibians species are moving one category closer to extinction. The worst situation is found within the amphibians where the percentage of threatened species has risen to 41 percent of all known species.
While these figures are quite distressing, the situation could have been worse, the authors argue. Indeed, though the signed parties of the international community have largely failed in their commitment to reach the biodiversity 2010 target aimed at a reduction of biodiversity loss, without conservation efforts the status of biodiversity would have declined even more by nearly 20 percent.
Tropical regions harbour most threatened vertebrates even when taking into account there generally greater species richness.
Prof. dr. Jos Snoeks is co-author of the paper and a specialist of African freshwater fishes. He admits that, compared to the other vertebrate groups, still a lot of work needs to be done on fishes. Indeed, representing about half of the species, fishes are the largest and most diverse, yet the least known group of vertebrates. This is especially true for the African continent where, in addition, millions of people rely on fish as the main source of animal protein.
10/12/2010
