Biodiversity Loss Is Earth's 'Immense and Hidden' Tragedy, Darwin's 'Natural Heir' Warns
Mark Graffis
ward-wilson
Published on Friday, November 20, 2009 by The Guardian/UK Biodiversity
Loss Is Earth's 'Immense and Hidden' Tragedy, Darwin's 'Natural
Heir' Warns Problem of biodiversity loss has been 'eased off centre
stage' by focus on climate change, according to Prof Edward Wilson,
the ecologist described as 'Darwin's natural heir' by James Randerson
The diversity of life on Earth is undergoing an "immense and hidden"
tragedy that requires the scale of global response now being deployed
to tackle climate change, according to one of the world's most
eminent biologists.
Prof Edward Wilson, an ecologist who has been described as "Darwin's
natural heir" and hailed by novelist Ian McEwan as an "intellectual
hero" and "inspirational" writer, told the Guardian that the threat
was so grave he is pushing for the creation of an international
body of experts modelled on the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC).
An Emperor Tamarin monkey is seen at the Manu Biosphere Reserve in
Peru's southern Amazon region of Madre de Dios November 3, 2009.
(REUTERS/Enrique Castro-Mendivil) The IPCC, which is credited with
convincing world leaders that the threat from climate change is
real, includes about 2,500 scientific expert reviewers from more
than 130 countries and was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 2007
along with Al Gore. Wilson's proposed organisation which he names
the Barometer of Life would report to governments on the threats
posed to species around the world.
Wilson said the problem of biodiversity loss had been "eased off
centre stage"
because of the focus on climate change.
"We don't hear as much public concern, protestation and plans by
political leaders to save the living environment. It doesn't get
anything like the attention the physical environment has," he said.
In the last decade, 183 species are known to have become extinct,
including the Tasmanian tiger, the Caribbean monk seal and the
toolache wallaby. But this number is a gross underestimate of the
true number of extinctions, according to the International Union
for Conservation of Nature species programme.
Wilson was speaking ahead of the 150th anniversary of the publication
of the Origin of Species on Tuesday. The 80-year-old scientist will
deliver a lecture via video link to an audience at London's Royal
Institution on Darwin's legacy and "the future of biology".
The extent of scientific ignorance about the diversity of life on
Earth is vast. Scientists have catalogued about 1.9 m species, but
estimate there are about 20m-30m in total (excluding microbes).
Wilson said the scale of the mass extinction now under way was even
harder to comprehend.
At the start of the Neolithic period about 9500BC scientists
estimate that species were becoming extinct at a rate of 20-30 per
year. Since the population explosion of modern humans, that is
estimated to have increased to 20,000-30,000. Most have never been
documented by scientists. And in a couple of decades, Wilson reckons
this will have increased to 200,000-300,000.
Wilson's proposed international initiative, which he has developed
with Simon Stuart, the chairman of the Species Survival Commission,
would document this species loss and work out how to tackle it.
"Darwin would be simply appalled by what humanity had done to the
richness and diversity of natural life," said Randal Keynes, one
of Darwin's great-great-grandsons, who is helping to coordinate the
150th anniversary with the British Council. "He would be in the
lead of campaigning on the preservation of biodiversity."
Some of the species that played a central role in the formulation
of Darwin's theoryof evolution by natural selection are now either
extinct or severely threatened. The Floreana mockingbird, that lives
on the island of the same name in the Galapagos, was one of a handful
of related species that first gave Darwin the idea that species
could change (it is a myth that finches were the crucial group).
Reflecting on the similarities and differences between mockingbirds
on different islands and on the mainland, Darwin gave the first
vague hint of his later theory in his notes on the Beagle voyage
that "such facts would undermine the stability of species".
Today, the Floreana mockingbird is classed as "critically endangered"
and exists in two populations numbering 200 and 49. The giant
tortoise that Darwin encountered on the same island Geochelone
elephantopus was driven extinct by hungry whalers who enjoyed
eating its meat in soup.
Wilson said conservation efforts around the world were far from
adequate.
"Right now we are just piddling around with efforts here and there,
some of them strong and dedicated, the aggregate of which is not
even close to what we need.""The benefits for humanity [of a concerted
international effort on biodiversity] would be enormous ... the
discovery of the rest of life on Earth and fuller evaluation of it
is going to result in all sorts of very valuable knowledge," said
Wilson, pointing at new crops, products and biotechnology advances.
A year of celebration of Darwin's achievements (and his 200th
birthday) is drawing to a close and will segue neatly into the
International Year of Biodiversity in 2010.
"The public recognition of the importance of biodiversity as an
issue is very poor, very low," said Kenyes, "I think Darwin would
want everyone to pick up that agenda and give it all the support
they can."
Guardian News and Media Limited 2009
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