Although the development of science and technology have been able to let God into the sea, but in fact human beings living on our understanding of the planet is still very limited - such as on earth we still do not know how many species of animals. If you find all the animals on earth, and the identification of each animal again, have to spend much money? Brazilian scientists predicted that: $ 263 billion!
$ 263 billion is how come?
So far, researchers have identified 1.4 million kinds of animals, but there are still millions of new species yet to be discovered, named and scientifically described. Then, for each animal on Earth should have identified again, have to spend much money? Biologist at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil Antonio Spurs Quest (Antonio Marques) and Funaduoka Pak Ou (Fernando Carbayo) a lot of data processing, gives an answer: $ 263 billion.
Marquis is a jellyfish expert, card Bai European research flatworms, they are through the investigation of the Brazilian taxonomists come to this conclusion. They are 44 Brazilian taxonomists (about active taxonomists throughout Brazil 9%) for a survey of taxonomists describe new species, including the speed, they spend in school, pay for life, laboratory equipment and fieldwork expenses, etc.
They believe that these data can be reasonable to assume that the whole world, because Brazil has one-tenth of the world's known animal species, as well as the global average of close to a very active taxonomists. The two scientists found that the average taxonomists in their career can be found in less than 25 new species, the annual cost of 97,000 dollars.
Of course, not all species are "born equal" - in general, than that found in vertebrates, insects, "expensive" is much more. Marquis and card Bai Europe found that all surveyed people said, describing a new Brazilian vertebrates, such as birds, spending about 12 to 12,000 dollars. This is a description of a new non-insect invertebrates and worms twice the cost - a new insect identification spent about 30 009 thousand dollars. Marquis and card Nigel Europe used these data need to be found about 5.4 million species of animals, came to $ 263 billion combined. "Of course, no money paid in full immediately." Marquez and Europe, said card Bai.
Count more than $ 263 billion?
New York's American Museum of Natural History ornithologist Joey Craik Akhmetov (Joel Cracraft), said that even spend $ 263 billion, for the understanding of those in agriculture, fisheries, medicine, new energy and other essential areas biological species, is only a small price to pay. He said: "It is no exaggeration to say that running the world economy depends on biological diversity. People do not really understand our dependence on biological diversity how deep."
Most biologists agree that, with the rising rate of species extinction and climate change looming, the planet's biodiversity or biological groups working to create the file is imminent, especially those species in crop pollination, clean air, etc. play an important role in the survival of human solidarity. Marquis said: "According to some estimates, the rate of species extinction than we have described a new species is much faster. To preserve and protect the organism groups, we must understand them."
Experts say that in addition to the money away to a comprehensive understanding of the animal kingdom, another huge obstacle to a global shortage of taxonomists. Taking into account the necessary training and doctoral degree costs a lot of money, the future expansion of the ranks of professional taxonomists are not likely, Arizona State University classes beetle expert 多尼德皮尔森 (Dauid Pearson) said: "The future is not there will be more taxonomists in my opinion, but that is a pipe dream. "
Marquez and card Bai Europe estimate that current annual 10,006 one thousand kinds of new animal species cataloging speed to complete identification of all animals on Earth takes about 360 years. Therefore, the scientists suggest, so that more amateurs to join the field. Pearson had called for: If you have a telescope or a microscope, then at least 5 million kinds of species in the attention waiting for you!
Although the answer is not unique, but scientists agree it should invest more
In fact, back in 2000, the famous Harvard University biologist Edward Aowei ants Wilson (Edward O. Wilson) had been identified estimated cost of all animals on Earth. He estimated 50 billion dollars, but also for each species on the planet, not just animals.
Why Marquis and card Bai Europe's higher estimate Biweiersen so much? Wilson that there may be two factors causing this gap. First, the Marquis and the card Nigel Europe estimates are based on current practice taxonomists, while such as image matching software, electronic publishing and photography, and other advanced technology is rapidly reducing the cost of species identification. In addition, many taxonomists to identify new species of Brazilian scientists speculate that the number is much higher than the results. Wilson himself had identified about 450 new species, much higher than the average of 25.
On the other hand, Wilson said he had a premonition that the number of species on earth is far more than the final article in a conservative forecast of 6.8 million kinds of animals, although the figure with his estimate of ten million kinds of species similar results. But Wilson fully endorsed and should devote more resources to train more taxonomists to study life on Earth. He said: "This is a poor area."
Loss of biodiversity, threats to human health
People often ask: "Why should we care whether a species extinct?" Some time ago, published in "Nature" magazine reports on a study gives the answer: a healthy biodiversity is essential to human - species extinction, infectious diseases in humans and will increase in the animal kingdom, human beings as a species will affect the survival probability.
The first author of the study, an ecologist at Bard College 费利西娅科 Xing (Felicia Keesing) said: "The loss of biodiversity in a wide range of pathogens likely to cause the spread of infectious disease systems." These pathogens include viruses, bacteria and fungi, humans and other animals and plants are in such a risk.
Scientists found that the increase in diseases and other pathogens seems to be in the so-called "buffer" when the disappearance of species. Article co-author Richard Oswald Crawford (Richard Ostfeld) with the increase in Lyme disease cases illustrate how this happened - black leg flat lice is the main carrier of Lyme disease pathogen, wildlife this is the main host of lice. Marsupial opossum, black legs, carrying the pathogen's resistance to tick better than flat white-footed mice, which is equivalent to Lyme disease in humans and adds a barrier between the pathogen. However, due to forest fragmentation, the United States to reduce the possum population, white-footed mice are rapidly multiply, causing an increase in lice flat black leg, "which makes the black legs flat ticks and Lyme disease increased while the number of pathogens."
This is not an isolated event, scientists have also found that West Nile fever epidemic in the United States and the related decline in bird population density. In addition, scientists also studied, including Hantavirus and the rest of the world as nine other bacteria and found that each case has in common - in the local biodiversity, reduce the time spread of the disease will become more is common. Scientists warn that: a healthy planet is equivalent to the health of human beings - we really should understand this truth. Build Yinan Liu
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