- The global extinction crisis is worse than thought, because
thousands of "affiliated" species also at risk do not figure
in calculations.
-
- "With the extinction of a bird, or a mammal or a
plant, you aren't necessarily wiping out just one, single species,"
said Heather Proctor of the University of Alberta's department of biological
sciences. "We are also allowing all these unsung dependent species
to be wiped out."
-
- Dr Proctor and a research team have calculated the expected
levels of co-extinction across a wide range of species. Their research
is published today in Science.
-
- More than 12,000 endangered plants and animals were first
listed, then any insects, mites, fungi or other organisms that are uniquely
adapted to the threatened hosts were also listed.
-
- At least 200 "affiliate" species have been
lost through co-extinction and a further 6,300 should be classified as
"co-endangered".
-
- Dr Proctor said a type of vine that became extinct in
Singapore took with it a species of butterfly, Parantica aspasia, dependent
on the plant for survival.
-
- "When we lose this vine, this beautiful butterfly
dies off with it, and we'll never see it again except in photos at museums,"
she said.
-
- Craig Hilton-Taylor, co-ordinator of the International
Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources "red list"
of endangered species, said: "There may be a person working on some
bird but they don't know that that bird's also pollinating various plants
because they're not botanists."
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- Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited
2004 http://www.guardian.co.uk/conservation/story/0,13369,1301531,00.html
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