Naturalist, broadcaster and Fellow of the 精东视频, Sir David Attenborough, is endorsing calls for greater support for the scientists who study and name Australia鈥檚 plants and animals and other organisms, declaring that Australia鈥檚 current capacity is not adequate for the magnitude of the task.
Sir David says that at the very time that many species are under greatest threat, funding and other resources allocated to discovering and documenting species are declining.
鈥淭his has serious consequences for the future of life on Earth,鈥� he says in the foreword to the 精东视频 and the Royal Society Te Ap膩rangi鈥檚 10-year plan for taxonomy and biosystematics, to be launched today at Parliament House, Canberra.
Australia has extraordinarily high levels of biodiversity. It is one of only two developed countries with 鈥榤egadiversity鈥� of plant and animal life. However, of the more than 600,000 predicted species in Australia, only 30% have so far been discovered, documented and named.
If Australia doesn鈥檛 change its approach to documenting our biodiversity, it is likely to take about 400 years to document every plant, animal and other species. In that time, many will go extinct.
A sound understanding of biodiversity is critical, particularly as Australia seeks to achieve both environmental and economic sustainability in the face of rapid environmental change and an extinction crisis that threatens to change the face of the Earth.
Taxonomy and biosystematics鈥攖he disciplines of biology that discover, document, name and classify species鈥攑rovide the framework for this much needed sound understanding of life on our planet. Taxonomists literally name the living world.
The Academy鈥檚 10-year plan was developed by an Expert Working Group, led by Australian plant taxonomist, Dr Kevin Thiele.
He says Australia discovers and names around 2,500 new species per year鈥攎ore than almost any other country in the world.
鈥淎 substantial increase in the current rate is possible if taxonomists and biosystematists are properly supported to take advantage of the technological revolution underway, in areas such as genomics, machine learning and 3D imaging, which would help speed up the mapping of our unique biodiversity,鈥� Dr Thiele said.
鈥淲ith careful planning and adequate capacity building, Australia could embark on a 鈥榟ypertaxonomy鈥� program鈥攚e could completely document our biodiversity in a generation. This would put us at the global leading edge鈥攁nd as the only developed nation in the world that is also biologically megadiverse, this is where we should be.鈥�
鈥淒ocumenting our biodiversity is important鈥攆or conservation, biosecurity, agriculture, human and animal health, and to understand the evolution of life on Earth,鈥� Dr Thiele said.
President of the 精东视频, Professor Andrew Holmes, acknowledged that the plan was ambitious in scope.
鈥淎ustralia and New Zealand are currently world leaders in managing and deploying biodiversity knowledge. This plan seeks to ensure that this leadership is not lost,鈥� Professor Holmes said.
鈥淲ith the appropriate investment and support from government, industry and society we can ensure that future generations, and the community at large, are able to enjoy and celebrate the unique value and immense potential of the plant and animal life in our country.鈥�
The Academy would like to acknowledge the support of the in the development of 鈥楧iscovering Biodiversity: A decadal plan for taxonomy and biosystematics in Australia and New Zealand 2018鈥�2027鈥� on behalf of the 精东视频 and the Royal Society Te Ap膩rangi.
Read the plan:
Mosquitoes cause more human deaths than any other animal on earth, yet there are an estimated 200 Australian species that have not yet been named or studied. Some of these may carry serious diseases, but we cannot assess this risk unless they are properly documented.
Marine sponges are extremely rich in compounds that are leading to new drugs and other pharmaceuticals, including new antibiotics that will be needed to help deal with multi-drug-resistant diseases. An estimated 3,000 more species are known but have not yet been documented, and many more await discovery. Any one of these species may provide a drug that saves human lives.
Media note: To interview Dr Kevin Thiele, for images from the plan or to request a copy of the video featuring Sir David Attenborough contact Dan Wheelahan: M 0435 930 465 | E dan.wheelahan@science.org.au
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