Current Species Loss 1000 Times Higher Than Normal, Say Savingspecies Scientists

Current species loss 1000 times higher than normal, say SavingSpecies scientists

1888 Press Release - A new scientific study shows extinction rates are much higher than normal, but technology and innovation provide hope for conservation.

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC - Today, SavingSpecies president, Stuart Pimm, announced the publication of a highly significant scientific paper in the prestigious journal Science. The paper reports on the current loss of biodiversity. It presents a dramatically increased estimate of the rate of human-caused extinctions. It also describes the use of new technology for the conservation of biodiversity.

The article is the result of years of four years of work by scientists across three continents, including co-author Dr. Clinton Jenkins, who serves as Vice President of SavingSpecies.

The paper represents a milestone in conservation science. The key findings are: 1) current extinction rates are 1,000 times the natural rate, higher than previously estimated, 2) scientists know more than ever before about where the at-risk species are, and 3) new technologies make it easier to find and monitor species and focus conservation actions more efficiently.

While the higher estimate of extinction rate is alarming, the scientists offer good news as well. The authors detail how new technologies, such as those used by SavingSpecies, are helping scientists and conservation professionals. Today, it is easier to monitor biodiversity trends, populations of endangered species, and fragmentation of vital habitat. The technologies include crowd-sourced databases of species with GIS positional data, and satellite imagery to create maps of biodiversity density and species' populations.

Dr. Pimm said: "Human beings have been devastating wildlife populations for centuries and their impacts on biodiversity have increased massively over the last hundred years. But we now have the technology to pinpoint precisely where to aim limited...