https://phys.org/news/2024-09-world-unique-endangered-species.html
'Conservation efforts directed towards just 0.7% of the world's land mass could
help protect one third of the world's threatened and unique tetrapod
(four-limbed vertebrate) species, new research by Imperial College London, On
the Edge, and ZSL has shown.
The study, led by researchers at Imperial College London and published this
week in Nature Communications, finds that large gains in conservation are
possible by focusing on areas home to exceptional biodiversity and species with
high levels of evolutionary distinctiveness and global endangerment.
These endangered species include animals like the aye-aye, a highly distinctive
lemur found in Madagascar; the long-legged and eagle-bodied secretary bird; the
purple frog, which has a nose similar to a pig; and the gharial, a long-snouted
and critically endangered crocodile found in the Indian subcontinent.
At present, however, just 20% of the areas identified in the study are under
some form of protection, with most areas facing consistent and increasing
levels of human pressure.
Lead author Sebastian Pipins, a Ph.D. candidate at the Grantham Institute,
Imperial College London, said, "Our research highlights the regions of the
world that are of immediate concern. Furthermore, it shows that in protecting
just a fraction of the Earth's land surface, huge gains can be made for the
preservation of nature."'
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
