There is a big push on to draw attention to species extinction
in the run up to a Biodiversity Jamboree in Japan.
But something struck me as odd as I listened to the radio this
morning. There was a lot of talk of `extinctions’ of thousands of
plants, as turned up by a new report from Kew Gardens. When I
opened the newspapers (online), I found that actually the report
was not about extinctions, but about threats of extinction. Then I
looked at the list cited by the Times and Guardian. Right there at the top:
Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis) –
critically endangered
The wollemi pine was discovered in 1994 in
Wollemi National Park, Australia, and there fewer than 50 mature
individuals are known. Its long-term regeneration from seed is
unknown but seems doubtful due to competition with other trees. Its
small size and limited range means it is at risk from any chance
event such as fire or the spread of disease.
Er, sorry. How can a species that you can buy in a garden centre
or online for £61.25 possibly be described as in
danger of extinction? I have one in my garden. It is thriving.
Whoever decied to include that species on the list just damaged
my trust in the rest of the list.
Second on the list at the Guardian:
Common snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis)
– near threatened
The common snowdrop was once widely
distributed in the east Carpathian mountains in central and eastern
Europe. Although it is widely naturalised, including in the UK,
during the past decade its native distribution has been
considerably reduced, due mainly to habitat loss through the
increase in residential developments and recreational land use.
My faith in the list just dropped another notch. I thought this
was a list of species in danger of extinction, not in danger of
dying out in its native range but thriving as never before
elsewhere.
Let’s try No 3.
Rosewood (Dalbergia andapensis) –
critically endangered
D. andapensis is a species of rosewood, a
highly valued timber used in the production of fine furniture and
musical instruments. It is estimated that 52,000 tonnes of rosewood
and ebony were logged in north-east Madagascar in 2009, and this
habitat is itself under threat from conversion to agriculture for a
growing rural population.
Hmm. Maybe. But highly valued and critically endangered do not
usually go together. Cattle are highly valued. Sounds like a
candidate for commercial farming: jobs exporting the raw materials
for violins probably pay better than subsistence peasantry.
I am not in favour of extinction. But I do like the truth,
rather than the spin.