Originally posted on sciy.org by Ron Anastasia on Sat 20 Jan 2007 06:43 PM PST
warmly
RY Deshpande
Let us live in Savitri who shall give us the truth and the things of the truth
Discovering new life
The thrilling discovery of 52 species of animals
and plants from the equatorial island of Borneo in just one year is
proof that the task of cataloguing all life on earth deserves the
highest priority. A treasure trove of species, which includes a
miniature fish that lives in highly acidic peat swamps, six Siamese
fighting fish, a tree frog with bright green eyes, and 16 new ginger
plants, has been found in a mountainous area described as the "heart of
Borneo." Indexing biodiversity is a discipline with a deadline.
Continuing deforestation, habitat loss, the spread of invasive species,
and the annexation of resource-rich areas to feed mass consumption
leave insufficient time to classify everything. Harvard biologist
E.O.Wilson, who views each species as a masterpiece of evolution,
believes that only about 1.5 million species (representing
approximately 10 per cent of all life) have been described since
Carolus Linnaeus began the process some 250 years ago. According to
Professor Wilson's educated guess, the agenda of producing a reasonably
comprehensive encyclopaedia of life involves 10 to 20 million species.
Several international agencies are working to produce this database
with support from governments, conservation-minded philanthropists, and
agencies such as the United Nations. The results from Borneo highlight
the need to enhance and speed up the process. The Bornean governments
of Indonesia and Malaysia and Brunei must be commended for making a
commitment to save the 220,000 sq km region, which they share.
The search for new species is a continuing process in tropical countries. In recent years, India has done a decent bit for conservation with the description of the Arunachal macaque, the purple frog of the Western Ghats, and the Bugun babbler in Arunachal Pradesh. These findings remind us that national biodiversity hot spots require full protection and greater research attention. As a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity, India is bound to do its utmost to record and preserve its natural heritage. At the CBD meeting in Curitiba, Brazil, in 2006 India acknowledged the vulnerability of even famous species — isolated populations of Jerdon's courser, the lion, Manipuri deer, Wroughton's free-tailed bat, and the red panda. These and other species thrived before forests were cut down to facilitate colonial expansion and commerce. Today, the forests represent a small part of the land area. Reasonably preserved spaces account for just two to three per cent of the land mass. These forests can be the crucible of fresh discoveries if the Ministry of Environment and Forests adopts a more welcoming approach to research.
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