Planning is now
underway by DIVERSITAS,
an International Program of Biodiversity Science, to launch a
year of observations on the status of the Earth's biological
diversity, entitled IBOY (International Biodiversity Observation
Year). Below is a description of why a program of this nature
is needed, and what could be accomplished by such a massive endeavour.
What is DIVERSITAS?
DIVERSITAS is an international program for the study of biodiversity,
in all of its dimensions, including the study of origins and
maintenance, inventorying and classification, assessment and
monitoring, role in ecosystem functioning and conservation and
restoration. This program was created in 1991 and is co-sponsored
by six international scientific organizations: the International
Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS), the Scientific Committee
on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE), the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International
Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS), the International
Council for Science (ICSU) and the International Geosphere-Biosphere
program (IGBP). The basic idea of DIVERSITAS is to promote and
integrate the various dimensions of research on biodiversity,
from genes to landscapes, to ensure that all areas are receiving
attention and to reduce duplication of effort. The results of
this program provide syntheses and a platform for discussion
for the scientific community as well as for managers and policy-makers
as they move toward meeting the requirements of the Convention
on Biological Diversity.
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Why a DIVERSITAS/IBOY?
Getting out the message
The why for the program is rather simple. Globally, biological
diversity is being lost at all levels of organisation, from genes
to landscapes. This has been abundantly documented in the scientific
literature. Biologists generally believe that these losses represent
a threat to Earth System functioning and the well being of human
societies. Yet, this message does not seem to be penetrating
the general public's consciousness, much less into the policy-making
and planning processes of many nations. In short, biologists
as a whole have not yet made a compelling case for general concern
and action about the losses of biodiversity that are being incurred
and the consequences they have for society in general. DIVERSITAS/IBOY,
if successful, could provide a new approach to accomplishing
our unfinished business. It could also do more:
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Pushing the frontiers of science: The
IGY model
DIVERSITAS/IBOY could advance our understanding of the nature
and functioning of biological diversity, in addition to helping
better convey the importance of biodiversity to societal welfare.
A model for such an approach is the International Geophysical
Year, or IGY. This "year", which took place during
the period of July 1957 to December 1958, brought together many
of the geophysical sciences to derive a more synoptic view of
geophysical phenomena of the Earth and its atmosphere. The project
was made possible by the arrival of new research tools, including
instruments mounted on rockets, and the determination to utilise
them to understand better the physical characteristics of the
Earth. Studies were made of the aurora, airglow, cosmic rays,
geomagnetism, glaciology, gravity, ocean-floor soundings, the
ionosphere, solar activity and most notably, the upper atmosphere
(Chapman, 1959). The ocean soundings led to our understanding
of plate tectonics and the upper atmospheric studies to the discovery
of the Van Allen radiation belts. The IGY in a large sense ushered
in space age research. Special attention was given to making
measurements in relatively inaccessible regions of the Earth.
Thus the project was a great unifying force for the relevant
sciences, bringing together unprecedented co-operation among
the world's scientists and even leading to a remarkable political
gain: the Antarctic Treaty (Greenaway, 1996).
Some measurements initiated during the IGY were continued
after the program ended and subsequently provided crucial data
sets of the changing characteristics of the atmosphere. The most
notable of these were the measurements of atmospheric ozone concentrations
made at Halley Bay, Antarctica.
Thus, the hallmark of the IGY was innovative geophysical science
that was globally and disciplinarily integrated. It also led
to longer term research efforts building on the data gathered
during the one intensive year. Furthermore, the program led to
policy change.
DIVERSITAS/IBOY has the potential of playing the very same
multiple roles for biodiversity science and could help establish
the emerging global observation systems. These systems need care
and input from the general scientific community since they are
absolutely essential for tracking the successes and failures
of our management policies. DIVERSITAS/IBOY could lead us to
the frontiers of biodiversity --in the soils and in the sea,
with targeted global studies. The establishment of a DIVERSITAS/IBOY
international science network could bring together data sets
and new observations for a comparative view of the world's diversity.
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Forging the links among disparate elements
to develop a new cohesive science --the IGBP model
The International Geosphere-Biosphere program (IGBP) was a
product of the 25th anniversary celebration of the success of
the IGY. The IGBP has already been enormously successful, but
of a different nature than the IGY. Firstly, it was not designed
with a time limit, but open-ended from its starting date in 1986.
The main thrust of the IGBP has been to develop an understanding
of the Earth as a system, bringing together information from
biogeochemistry and the elements that drive climate. The philosophy
of the IGBP is best expressed in the wiring diagram showing the
interactions among the oceans, land and the atmosphere. The IGBP
in a sense has concentrated on the linkages among the Earth System
boxes, more than on the isolated disciplines. In doing so, a
new scientific concept has been born - one that has a holistic
view of the interactions and feedbacks between the physical and
biological components of the Earth. Subsequently, and haltingly,
the program started to incorporate social sciences into the effort.
There is an analogy with the aims of DIVERSITAS/IBOY and the
goals of the IGBP. The best evidence that the IGBP was working
on the cracks rather than the boxes was the fact that universities
and funding agencies had traditionally been structured around
the disciplines, so it was a challenge to mobilise a constituency
to move the program forward in a multidisciplinary fashion. Ten
years after the program's inauguration there are now many institutions
and agendas that are following the IGBP organisational model.
The study of biodiversity also calls for new coalitions among
diverse disciplines in order to learn about how the diversity
capital of the Earth originates and is maintained, how it contributes
to ecosystem functioning and human services, and how we can preserve
and protect it. Much of this work is in the realm of biology,
however, important contributions are needed from social and physical
scientists, including those from commerce and the legal professions.
DIVERSITAS/IBOY could create the glue to put these disparate
pieces together into a new powerful science.
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Providing the basis for policy decisions--the
IPCC scientific assessment model
In recent years, and in certain areas, the time between scientific
discovery and the use of its results for policy decisions has
become shorter and shorter as evidenced by the designing and
operation of the Montreal Protocol on ozone and to a certain
extent, the climate convention. During the past decade, a new
mode of providing scientific advice to policy-makers has evolved,
that of integrated assessments conducted by the world's leading
scientists, at the request of the governments signatory to various
international agreements. These documents, such as the scientific
assessments produced for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC), have been powerful and persuasive instruments
that have played a strong role in policy negotiations.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has had a very
different history from that of the Climate Convention. For one,
a scientific assessment of the status of biodiversity was not
conducted prior to the signing of the Convention, but rather
after the fact, and even then, not initiated by the adhering
nations. Thus, the products of the assessment carried insufficient
force to be used for action. Given that DIVERSITAS is playing
a crucial role by attempting to offer scientific advice to the
CBD advisory body, its IBOY initiative could help refocus governmental
attention on important biodiversity issues. This would hopefully
contribute to a renewed commitment to the Convention and a stronger
coalition between the scientific community and policy-makers.
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Educating the Public
A very important objective of DIVERSITAS/IBOY is educating
the public on the importance of biodiversity in their lives and
on the nature and consequences of the threats that exist to the
biotic diversity of the Earth. Biologists continually try to
convey this message, but much more effort is needed. DIVERSITAS/IBOY
could bring a concentrated, highly visible effort to educating
the public. This could be done at many levels, from directly
involving school children in the program, to more attention given
by the media---from press, the web, to video. More of this will
be discussed below.
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Where does this initiative stand now?
The planning process has been launched and an initial DIVERSITAS/IBOY
Scientific Steering Committee has been established. This committee
consists of representatives of all of the subdisciplines within
the DIVERSITAS framework. The proposal for the program has been
presented at a number of large scientific meetings in order to
generate input from the scientific community. This process is
just beginning. National DIVERSITAS committees are being established,
and will be able to provide more formal input to the planning
process. These committees should be broadly constituted among
disciplines but also among academics, policy-makers as well as
those from the private sector. There is a long way to go to be
ready for the tentative target date of 2001. However with the
rapid communication now available, this date is not unfeasible,
if the resources that are needed can be generated.
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What has been proposed?
Already there have been a large number of interesting proposals
suggested for the DIVERSITAS/IBOY. All of these will have to
be screened through the national committees and the scientific
steering committee. Some of them are presented here to indicate
the kinds of projects that are being considered.
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The voyages of discovery
One of the attractive proposals for DIVERSITAS/IBOY is a revisit
of some of the locations encountered on the pioneering voyages
of the great naturalists of the last century, Charles Darwin,
Sir Joseph Banks, Alexander von Humboldt and Alfred Wallace.
These scientists provided a new expanded view of the rich diversity
of the biota of the world. What the new visits would entail would
be a comparison of what the original visitors saw with that existing
today. It could be a powerful demonstration of the impact of
human societies on our biotic richness placed in an iconic context.
The passengers would include specialists on the regions and on
the explorers as well as interested citizens.
In addition to the actual voyages, parallel virtual voyages
are also anticipated in which students around the world could
keep in contact and interact with the actual cruises. These activities
could help involve the general public into this great venture.
New exploration
There are a number of proposals that are in the spirit of
the IGY---exploration and synopsis. A few of these include exploring
the biotic diversity of the oceans and examining global hot spots
of diversity.
Caves and islands
Marine biodiversity in coastal zones is under particular stress
in many regions of the world. Anchialine habitats, a new type
of coastal zone habitat consisting of inland marine waters lacking
a direct surface connection with the sea, are particularly important
as refuges for ancient lineages of animals. Newly discovered
families, orders and a class of crustaceans, for example, are
still known only from anchialine caves on islands around the
world.
Creatures of the deep
Only in fairly recent times has the incredible biotic diversity
of the ocean vents been discovered. These studies have revealed
an amazing array of organisms with unique ways of dealing with
their highly specialised environment. There is a DIVERSITAS/IBOY
proposal to amplify our search for new forms in the ocean depths.
There is an expedition to survey deep benthic biodiversity along
a North-South oceanic transect, proposed by the German marine
biological community, which could form a marine focal point.
A global fish census
At the moment there is considerable discussion about the feasibility
of carrying out a large-scale synthesis of the magnitude of the
populations of various species of marine fishes utilising new
technology. As we are depleting many marine fish species, we
are also most likely having a large impact on marine ecosystems,
yet we have no measure of these effects since our population
data come primarily from the species of commercial interest.
The fish census would be a major undertaking and could be an
important contribution to DIVERSITAS/IBOY.
A census of the global centres of biological richness and
of invasions
In recent years there has been an increasing sense of urgency
for documenting the diversity of the Earth's biota since many
areas of known richness are being lost through forest conversion.
Rapid assessments of the biota of suspected centres of biological
richness have been an important tool for inventorying our biotic
heritage. DIVERSITAS/IBOY would bring a further impetus to this
approach building on the Rapid Assessment program of Conservation
International and extending it to assessments of critical centres
of invasions, documenting where they are, and examining what
makes these places so vulnerable to the disruptive impacts of
invasive species. Furthermore, there is still a need to locate
and highlight areas of endemism and centres of speciation.
The Earth's changing biota
The ecosystems of the world are being greatly impacted by
the introduction of previously absent biological material. Biogeographic
barriers that have separated the world's biota into separate
realms have been destroyed by human commerce. Although all are
aware of individual stories of biological invasions and their
detrimental effects, we do not have a good sense of their quantitative
global impacts. There is a proposal to mount a project that would
attempt to quantify the status of the world's most important
invasive species. An assessment is needed to understand the global
dimensions of the events that are happening in many different
places on the globe. Such an analysis could bring attention to
the rapid changes that are occurring to our biotic capital and
also help generate information for better control policies.
Observation networks
A very central part of biodiversity research is developing
systems for quantifying the status of diversity through time.
It is only through such observations that we can understand how
both the environment and human endeavours alone, and in combination,
are affecting the diversity patterns that we see at any given
instant. DIVERSITAS/IBOY, with its unique "umbrella"
approach, will ensure these observations will be done by collaborating
with various international organisations.
Global Observing Systems
There is now a great effort, through the auspices of many
collaborating international organisations (UNEP, ICSU, WMO, FAO,
UNESCO) to develop global monitoring systems of our physical
environment. The value of such measurements has been clearly
shown for such parameters as the composition of the atmosphere.
There is recognition that we need comparable measurements for
some aspects of biological systems. There is a great need for
indicators of fundamental changes in the environment and of the
viability of ecosystem functioning. It is, however, very difficult
to decide exactly what crucial biological features can be monitored
most easily and economically. The international community, through
DIVERSITAS/IBOY could help in this debate and in program development.
Marine Sites
A network could be established among the existing Marine Research
Stations throughout the world. Flagship sites could be earmarked
under the responsibility of these stations, either governmental
or academic, which are sites of sustained biodiversity research
using an number of standardised observations which allow for
comparison.
Declining amphibian populations
A network has been developed to observe populations of amphibians
in the hope of better understanding those factors, singly or
in combination, that are driving the decline of certain species
and how sensitive and non-sensitive ones differ in their characteristics.
This network has gained considerable momentum and as a contributor
to DIVERSITAS/IBOY can serve as a model for observations of other
organisms.
Coral reefs
Similarly, the apparent sensitivity of coral reefs to the
activities of humans, including overfishing, as well as to direct
environmental change, particularly sea water change, make them
an excellent system to observe the impact of global change, in
all of its dimensions, on biotic systems. A pilot study, sponsored
by the Total Foundation, will survey shallow and deep coral and
fish communities at selected sites around islands in Venezuela,
Indonesia, and Myanmar, using rapid ecological assessment techniques.
Biosphere Reserves
UNESCO maintains over 300 reserves around the world, in different
states from natural to managed, representing virtually all of
the ecosystems found on Earth. They offer a wonderful opportunity
of providing a comparative snapshot of the characteristics of
our biotic world as we are moving closer to a significantly changed
climate and atmosphere. To date, no comparative analysis has
been made of these systems. DIVERSITAS/IBOY could provide the
momentum for establishing a comparison of a number of these Reserves
as well as promoting their linkage with other global ecosystem
networks.
Data synthesis and access
As noted above, the IGY took advantage of the beginnings of
the space age. Similarly DIVERSITAS/IBOY can fully utilise, and
stimulate, the growing capacities of the web to bring data bases
together that will be available to all. There are already plans
to use this event to further data base development.
Building a phylogenetic tree of life
One particularly attractive proposal is to build a phylogenetic
tree of life utilising all of the genetic information that is
becoming available along with the analytical tools for quantifying
relationships among organisms.
Computerising ranges of distribution
The information age is also making it possible to collate
and make readily available digital information on the distribution
of organisms utilising museum collection data. A fully operational
system for doing so has already been constructed for Mexico (CONABIO)
and can serve as a model for building a more globally centred
system. The use of this information is of vast importance in
making decisions about land use and in documenting range changes
due to human activities and climate change.
Diversity and functioning
In recent years there has been a new focus of research exploring
the ecosystem functional consequences of the loss of biodiversity.
These studies are still in their infancy. programs have been
put forth to examine these relationships in a more global manner.
Global patterns of decomposition
The lack of understanding of the role of microbes in ecosystem
functioning will be addressed by the establishment of a global
network of decomposition experiments utilising standardised techniques
and substrates.
Metabolism of diverse ecosystems
The emerging capacity to measure the metabolism of whole ecosystems
is becoming apparent. These measurements are quite important
since they reveal, among other things, the carbon gaining capacity
of whole ecosystems, and thus knowledge of their sink strength
in a CO2 enriched world. Further they can indicate, by comparison,
how the richness of dominant species affects productive capacity
of these systems. We now have the beginnings of measurement networks
in the United States and in Europe. DIVERSITAS/IBOY could provide
a mechanism to increase the network more globally.
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A new synthesis
DIVERSITAS/IBOY will also provide an opportunity to consolidate
the various fields of biodiversity research into a more integrated
whole by bringing the various subdisciplines involved the study
of diversity at various levels into an operational program. The
International Geosphere-Biosphere program has brought many of
the natural sciences together in an operational manner for understanding
atmosphere, ocean and terrestrial system interactions. A comparable
integration of the many disciplines examining the nature, origins,
maintenance and functioning of the Earth's biodiversity could
be equally innovative.
Integrated assessment
This new synthesis will also provide the means to construct
a more integrated assessment of what is happening to the biological
diversity in the world, what these changes mean, and finally
what the possibilities are for ameliorating, either the driving
forces of change, or the consequences of the changes to biotic
systems.
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What is needed to be done:
how to get from the present situation in 1998 to the expected
results in the year 2001?
Put forth proposals
First and foremost, the biological community needs to put
forth proposals for programs that are desirable for inclusion
in the DIVERSITAS/IBOY effort. These proposals should be international
in character but can be complemented by national and regional
efforts. Importantly, they should be designed to deliver a product
in the year or so duration of the program.
It is important that this program be an intensive effort that
has a finite ending point so that all program components are
interactive during the program period and a high momentum is
maintained. In order to achieve this, most programs will have
to build on the existing data bases. The projects should provide
important and exciting dimensions for biodiversity research in
order to stimulate the interest of the general public, funders
and policy-makers.
Generate commitment
The success of IBOY will largely depend on the establishment
and initiatives of DIVERSITAS national committees along with
those of the international steering committee. DIVERSITAS is
in the process of encouraging the establishment of national committees
in as many countries as possible. National Committees have been
established in Brazil, France, Norway, Germany, Indonesia, Japan,
Malaysia, Peru and Russia. The DIVERSITAS national committees
will help generate, screen and support initiatives. Without these
committees, and the direct interest of individual nations, the
DIVERSITAS/IBOY effort will not have the commitment to make this
program work. Interest must be generated, not only of the scientific
community, but also of the general public, especially educators,
and the business sector. All of these groups must be involved
in order to obtain the high interest necessary to make this initiative
move forward.
Think boldly
In designing DIVERSITAS/IBOY, one must think boldly. programs
must be considered that will best advance our state of knowledge
and that will also engage the greatest number of people in this
crusade to bring attention to the Earth's biotic riches and their
decline.
The Players
A number of international organisations have already endorsed
this concept and will be contributing. These include the co-sponsors
in the DIVERSITAS program (International Union of Biological
Sciences, International Union of Microbiological Societies, International
Council for Science, Scientific Committee on Problems of the
Environment, International Geosphere-Biosphere Program, and the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).
These organisations provide entry to the world's scientific community.
The challenge, as noted above, is to bring governments, educators,
corporate sponsors and the general public into this singular,
and crucial, event.
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Whom to contact for more information
For more information on DIVERSITAS/IBOY, contact the IBOY
secretariat.
Please send your ideas and suggestions to help make this initiative
achieve the success it deserves.
Literature Cited
Chapman, S. 1959. IGY: Year of Discovery. The University of
Michigan Press, Ann Arbor.
Greenaway, F. 1996. Science International. A History of the
International Council of Scientific Unions. Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge.
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