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In the 250 years since the publication of Systema Naturae, a book by Carl Linnaeus, who is one of the most eminent names in the history of science, some 1.75 million species have been named and described—again, only a very small part of the world's total number of species. But these species named by researchers have not yet been collected under a single scientific index. As yet, there is no list containing all the known animals, plants, fungi and micro-organisms.18
This state of affairs can be compared to a library with nearly 2 million books, but no ordered index that lists them all.
The lack of a catalog including all species naturally gives rise to some confusion. In order to eliminate this, many scientists are trying to collect the names of all known species under a comprehensive index. For example, the Species 2000 program is one such study, intended to catalog all known species.19 By the end of 2001, this project, had listed some 250,000 species, and existing global species databases may presently account for some 40% of the total known species. 20
Other studies are being carried out to identify as yet unknown species. Thousands of scientists from many countries, particularly the USA, are now researching the species on Earth. The total budget set aside for this endeavor is hundreds of millions of dollars. Many institutions whose objective is to discover and understand diversity are active today.
Within the framework of this research, 2001 and 2002 were declared to be International Biodiversity Observation Years, and a special study to which eminent biologists, environmentalists and experts are participating was initiated in order to obtain more information about species throughout the world.21 This research is regarded as one of the most important developments in 21st century science. Diana Wall, a professor at Colorado State University and Director of the International Biodiversity Observation Year Management Board, summarizes the importance of this research:
Scientists have described about 1.75 million species, but we estimate that there are over 12 million species still to be described. For 99% of species we simply don't have good information on their distribution, abundance, whether they are plentiful or endangered, or their role in providing goods and services that we get from ecosystems, such as renewal of soil fertility, decomposition of waste and purification of water…
Exploring biodiversity will unlock many benefits, through discovery of new genes and chemicals that can be used for drugs, to improve crops, or to restore polluted land. Perhaps even more importantly, learning where species are, their role in maintaining healthy ecosystems, and how we can conserve them will be vital for making more informed decisions about our land, rivers and oceans.22
A new study initiated in this field is the All Species project.23 Eminent biodiversity experts such as Edward Wilson and Peter Raven are involved in this project, whose aim is to name and describe all species, and to prepare an Internet page for each one. This project is far more complex than other studies being carried out in the world of science, and a much wider-ranging one than the Human Genome project, as was made clear in the 26 October 2001 issue of Science magazine. According to All Species Project researchers' estimates, it will cost some $20 billion to establish a data bank of all species. 24 This cost alone is enough to give an idea of the project's size.
It therefore seems certain that increasing research will permit us to discover previously unknown species. Every organism newly discovered, from smallest to the largest, once again shows thinking and rational people the sublime nature of their own creation.
References
- "Biodiversity", http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761579557/Biodiversity.html ↩
- Species 2000, Indexing the World's Known Species, http://www.sp2000.org. ↩
- Andrew Lawler, "Up for the Count?," Science, Vol. 294, 26 October 2001, p. 769; http://www.catalogueoflife.org/dynamic-checklist/info_about_sp2000.php ↩
- "What is IBOY?", http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/projects/iboy/index2.html#whatbiodiv. ↩
- "Scientists Launch The International Biodiversity Observation Year (IBOY) To Raise Awareness Of Biodiversity", Science Daily Magazine, 2001, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/01/010103072716.htm ↩
- All Species Foundation, http://www.all-species.org/ ↩
- Andrew Lawler, "Up for the Count?", Science, Vol. 294, 26 October 2001, p. 769. ↩