How Can We Speed Up the Discovery of Biodiversity on Earth?.

Format:

Video

Series:

Academic Video Online

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource (12 minutes)

Place of Publication:

[Place of publication not identified] : Latest Thinking, [date of publication not identified]

System Details:

video file

Summary:

Humans may be sharing earth with up to twenty million species of macroscopic life, let alone microscopic life. Today, about 1.8 million species have been described and currently, we discover about 18,000 species per year, which means it would take us thousands of years to describe them all. This is why JOHANNES VOGEL endeavors to increase the current rate of discovery dramatically, as he explains in this video. Traditionally, taxonomy has relied of morphology as the method to describe nature. In order to introduce more speed, Vogel suggests methods such as DNA barcoding, entire genome sequencing, CT scans or X-rays. Bringing together modern technology, biodiversity informatics and even citizen science will increase the rate of discovery. This, in turn, will enable researchers to build a model of the living biosphere that allows us humans to work with the ecosystem, not against it, in order to sustain life on earth.

Notes:

Title from resource description page (viewed August 24, 2020).