Claims such as that "a 2022 WWF report estimates that global wildlife populations have declined by 69% since 1970. Entire ecosystems are collapsing before they can even be fully documented" need to be taken with extreme skepticism, because the input data tends to categorically exclude any wildlife species deemed to be non-native; because the definition of "eco-system" tends to overlook that almost all habitat is constantly in evolutionary flux (even a so-called "climax forest" is usually less than 500 years old); and because "collapsing" actually just means "transition" from supporting one suite of species to better supporting another.
Even if the definition of "wildlife" is narrowed to include only vertebrate species, anywhere from 10% to half of all wildlife in most of the world are "non-native" when "native" is defined as "whatever was there when first scientifically catalogued."
Conversely, when the species counts of the 19th and early 20th centuries are compared to the species counts of today, including "non-native" species, every inhabited continent has had a marked net gain in resident species, according to International Union for the Conservation of Nature data. Moreover, the pace of species discovery, even among vertebrates, far outstrips species losses. If insects are included, the ratio of discoveries to losses becomes more than 1,000-to-one.
Among the likely benefits of airborne DNA analysis will be rediscovery of many now cryptic species, believed to be extinct when in truth they are merely "vanishing" by learning how better to conceal themselves in human habitat.
The species we are truthfully in possible danger of losing are mostly the largest of the large, with the biggest habitat needs and most likely to come into conflict with humans. Except for some of these species, primarily found in Africa at the present time, nature is doing quite well at maintaining & expanding bio-diversity.
Also worth remembering is that 100 years ago the U.S. was much closer to losing grizzlies, wolves, bison, et al, than Africa is now to losing elephants, hippos, gorillas, and lions, but as our affluence and level of education rose, we saved them. The same trend is clear in Africa, where the more educated and affluent nations are making strides toward saving their species at risk, often with little or no useful help from the trophy hunters and traffickers of the developed world.
Fascinating stuff! And, due to the likelihood of misuse, terrifying.
Thanks, Sharon—totally agree. It's a breathtaking leap for conservation… and a wake-up call for privacy. The potential is huge, but so are the stakes.
I guess stardust is DNA.
Claims such as that "a 2022 WWF report estimates that global wildlife populations have declined by 69% since 1970. Entire ecosystems are collapsing before they can even be fully documented" need to be taken with extreme skepticism, because the input data tends to categorically exclude any wildlife species deemed to be non-native; because the definition of "eco-system" tends to overlook that almost all habitat is constantly in evolutionary flux (even a so-called "climax forest" is usually less than 500 years old); and because "collapsing" actually just means "transition" from supporting one suite of species to better supporting another.
Even if the definition of "wildlife" is narrowed to include only vertebrate species, anywhere from 10% to half of all wildlife in most of the world are "non-native" when "native" is defined as "whatever was there when first scientifically catalogued."
Conversely, when the species counts of the 19th and early 20th centuries are compared to the species counts of today, including "non-native" species, every inhabited continent has had a marked net gain in resident species, according to International Union for the Conservation of Nature data. Moreover, the pace of species discovery, even among vertebrates, far outstrips species losses. If insects are included, the ratio of discoveries to losses becomes more than 1,000-to-one.
Among the likely benefits of airborne DNA analysis will be rediscovery of many now cryptic species, believed to be extinct when in truth they are merely "vanishing" by learning how better to conceal themselves in human habitat.
The species we are truthfully in possible danger of losing are mostly the largest of the large, with the biggest habitat needs and most likely to come into conflict with humans. Except for some of these species, primarily found in Africa at the present time, nature is doing quite well at maintaining & expanding bio-diversity.
Also worth remembering is that 100 years ago the U.S. was much closer to losing grizzlies, wolves, bison, et al, than Africa is now to losing elephants, hippos, gorillas, and lions, but as our affluence and level of education rose, we saved them. The same trend is clear in Africa, where the more educated and affluent nations are making strides toward saving their species at risk, often with little or no useful help from the trophy hunters and traffickers of the developed world.