biodiversity in the tropics and the 2010 targets. Talk presented at gtoe meeting in Bonn, 2009

1. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
Halt of Biodiversity Loss:
Can we reach the 2010 Targets
in the Tropics?
Klaus Riede
State Museum of Natural History,
Stuttgart (SMNS)

2. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
The Challenge:
Reduction of biodiversity loss by 2010
• Reduction of biodiversity loss by 2010 is among
the most ambitious targets of the Johannesburg 2002 summit.
• The European Union is most ambitious
by aiming at a total halt of biodiversity loss
http://www.countdown2010.net/

3. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
The Challenge:
Reduction of biodiversity loss by 2010
• Reduction of biodiversity loss by 2010 is among
the most ambitious targets of the Johannesburg 2002 summit.
• The European Union is most ambitious
by aiming at a total halt of biodiversity loss
• The European Union does comprise tropical areas
http://www.countdown2010.net/

4. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
Good News
• Political target:
Ecologists and Environmentalists are not alone

5. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
Good News Bad News
• Political target:
Ecologists and
Environmentalists are
not alone
• How do we measure
loss?
Where is the baseline?
• Implementation:
Even if we know loss:
how do we stop it?

6. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
The Extraterrestrial Consultant

7. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
The Extraterrestrial Consultant:
The Martian aks about:
Purpose of monitoring,
Magnitude and distribution of benefits,
The Martian finally concludes that benefits from
Biodiversity are large.

8. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
The Extraterrestrial Consultant:
The Martian did not ask
a fundamental question:
How many species on earth?
Do we have a list?

9. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
The Extraterrestrial Consultant:
The Martian did not ask
a fundamental question:
How many species on earth?
Do we have a list?
Or an illustrated catalogue?

10. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
The Problem:
Diversity in the Tropics is overwhelming
(gu)estimates from canopy studies:
30 million Erwin
80 million Stork
Consensus:
appr 5 million

11. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
New Orthoptera Species
Borneo
47 (49)
Floren, Riede
& Ingrisch
2001
Ecuador
(lowland) 37 (42) Nischk 1999
Ecuador
(mountain) >50 100) Braun 2002

12. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
.... but how can insect diversity be mapped or
monitored, if most species not even have a name?
Eneoptera sp.
www.dorsa.de

13. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
Good News Bad News
• More than 5 million
species on Earth
• „only“ 1.8 million
described
• Taxonomic
impediment
• Unprecedented
species loss: many
species probably
disappear before they
are described

14. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
Good News
• A well-established
assessment scheme
by the IUCN Red List

15. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
Top Ten countries with Extinct
bird numbers
United States (Hawaii: 18) 24
Mauritius 18
New Zealand 15
Saint Helena 9
Réunion 9
French Polynesia 8
Australia 7
Japan 4
Canada 3
Guadeloupe 3
Jamaica 3
Mexico 3
Norfolk Island 3
Cuba 2
Indonesia, Seychelles, Martinique, Cuba 2

16. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
Good News Bad News
• A well-established
assessment scheme
by the IUCN Red List
• IUCN criteria not
applicable to many
tropical species only
known from
singletons
• Actual rate of species
loss is a (gu)estimate,
• …but definitely
around 1000 times
higher than natural
extinction rates

17. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
Global Amphibian Assessment
The GAA assessed threat status
and distribution for each of the
5,743 amphibian species
known to science.
More than 520 scientists from
over 60 countries contributed to
the three-year study.
Results provide a baseline for
global amphibian conservation,
and will be used to design
strategies to save the world’s
rapidly declining amphibian
populations
The Panamanian golden frog is one of roughly
110 species of harlequin frog (Atelopus), many of
which are dying out. Although this species still
survives, its numbers have fallen significantly.
35 EXTINCT/EW
427 Critically
Endangered

18. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
Distribution of Threatened Amphibians
Worldwide
[Source: Global Amphibian Assessment]
92% in Haiti

19. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007

20. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
Haiti;
Google Earth 2007

21. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
RAP, CAMP & TEAM &
(ATBIs)
RAP scientists gather and report
information about:
•Vegetation structure and
richness
•Birds
•Mammals
•Reptiles
•Amphibians
•Selected insect groups
RAP conducts terrestrial
biodiversity surveys in Central and
South America, the Asia-Pacific
region, and Africa.
Conservation Assessment
Medicinal Plants (CAMP)
Conservation Assessment and
Management Plan (CAMP
Tropical Ecology, Assessment & Monitoring
(TEAM) Initiative
"All Taxa Biodiversity Inventories" (ATBIs)

22. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
Acoustic monitoring:
a TEAM protocol
afternoonearlyHG.mp3

23. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
WWF Living Planet Index
The LPI is the average of three separate
indices measuring changes in
abundance of
555 terrestrial species,
323 freshwater species
267 marine species
around the world.
LIVING PLANET
REPORT 2004

24. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
Good News
• Sufficient information is available for clear
recommentdations to reduce biodiversity loss:
- protect primary forests
- connect forest fragments
- Implement sustainable tropical agriculture

25. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
Bad News
• Main drivers of tropical
diversity loss continue or
increase:
- dams,
- biofuel
- climate change
- biological invasions
• International Conventions
not binding (CBD) or limited
to few species (CITES,
CMS)

26. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
Conclusion
There is societal consensus for „halt
biodiversity loss“ by 2010
This is a unique opportunity to find new
mechanisms to implement what we know
(for the politicians), for the scientists this
means to find new and more efficient ways
to overcome the taxonomic impediment
and to open for a more dialogue

27. 22/02/2007 Gtoe 2007
Thank you