BIO + MED by SUZANNE BARTRAM

Everyone
Counts Creating a global biodiversity
observation network

Credit: sxc.hu

According to a 2007 report by Approaches to

the International Union for the Biodiversity
Conservation of Nature, “16,119 Harold Mooney, PhD, a professor in
species of animals and plants are the Department of Biology, works with
threatened with extinction and numerous organizations both at Stanford
many ecosystems – wetlands, forests – are and beyond to study global biodiversity. As
being degraded and destroyed.” chair for the international research program
Diversitas, which focuses on the ethical,
The consequences of humanity’s presence economical, and biological consequences
on Earth have increased in the past decade. of loss of diversity, Mooney is particularly
Issues such as global warming, the collapse interested in the role biodiversity plays in
of fisheries, declining air quality and national stability.
increasing water scarcity are coming to the
fore in discussions held by political and The “wealth of nations,” he explains, is
public agencies around the globe. subdivided into three areas of capital:
monetary, social, and natural. Even despite
One of the most pressing concerns lies the current economic downturn, many
in the loss of biodiversity. “Biodiversity” countries are experiencing a net growth in
encompasses all living things and their monetary wealth due to industrialization
interactions with each other in a particular and globalization. Social wealth is also
ecosystem. The study of biodiversity looks rising with higher literacy rates and better
at the origins, maintenance and loss of health care. However, natural wealth has
many dimensions of diversity extending been severely depleted in recent history,
from genes to ecosystems. It is crucial that and has fallen into an imbalance as a result.
we come to understand the many facets Society is not only losing the aesthetic
and influences of biodiversity in order to appeal of diverse species, but also valuable
better understand the forces that threaten ecosystem services such as crop pollination
to destabilize the very foundations of human that are only maintainable through the
survival. biological diversity of the region. Moreover,

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“Stanford represents an ideal environment for

learning about the interactions of society and
biological diversity.“ - Harold Mooney

as unknown and untapped resources According to its mission, GEO BON consists
are vanishing, so are potential sources of of a “global partnership to help collect,
valuable medicine and products. manage, analyze, and report data relating to
the status of the world’s biodiversity.” Over
In order to track these losses, Diversitas and seventy-four GEO members and fifty-one
other environmental organizations have organizations are a part of this large-scale
begun a collaborative effort to create a project.
global biodiversity observation system.
Currently, GEO is also forming GEOSS,
Surprisingly, the creation of such a system is the Global Earth Observation System of
not limited by available information – there Systems. GEOSS distinguishes nine essential
are years worth of studies available – but “Societal Benefit Areas” on which to focus
lack of a suitable organization scheme. “We – disasters, health, energy, climate, water,
have all the pieces,” says Mooney, “but we weather, ecosystems, agriculture, and
don’t have a good handle on how it all fits biodiversity. GEOSS is creating a web portal
together.” to allow members to attain data, services,
tools, and even modeling applications for
Before we can understand the role of use on decision-making and policies. In
biodiversity in today’s world, a greater effect, it aims to streamline data collection,
understanding of its changing status must standardize practices, and encourage
be attained. Controls and trends must be information exchange in order to expand
established in order to compare today’s research from the most basic levels for
research with past history. One would then application on a global scale.
be able to map the actual rate of change in
biodiversity against the natural variation that GEOSS represents a hugely interconnected
should occur. This would provide explicit network. All participating GEO members
scientific evidence as to the magnitude of and organizations own a part of the system
human impact on biodiversity. and have access to the most up-to-date
research. By 2010 GEO BON hopes to have
In order to stop the loss of biodiversity, developed an initial approach to minimizing
we must first quantify how much loss is biodiversity loss. GEOSS’ implementation
occurring and relate the significance of includes mitigating climate change
these losses in terms that society could through areas such as the expansion of
comprehend, be they ethical, aesthetic biofuel plantings and payments to avoid
or economic. A biodiversity observation deforestation. As data continues to be
network could provide exactly the evidence, collected, this “System of Systems” will be
and social impetus necessary. able to assess changes in biodiversity more
precisely, as well as determine which issues
The Global Biodiversity are most important and the most effective
Observation System and solutions.

GEOSS
The Group On Earth Observations Challenges
Biodiversity Observations Network (GEO Developing a global effort of any type In less than ten years, the
BON) was created with the intent to develop faces several challenges. One of the main giraffe population in Kenya,
cooperative strategies between public challenges of the Biodiversity Observations Somalia, and Ethiopia has
organizations and governments by which Network is its cost. Estimates predict that reduced from 27,000 to just
to promote environmental conservation. the final costs of GEO BON could reach 3,000.
Credit: sxc.hu

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upwards of $300
million, and possibly
‘‘We have all the
as high as $700 million.
However, the costs would
pieces, but we don’t
be spread out over the nations and have a good handle
members and could be disbursed over
several years. on how it all fits
Other, larger issues concern how to link up together’ - Harold
research projects with similar interests but
different locations, and how to integrate
Mooney
individual projects into the larger model.
Similar projects could vastly benefit from
Credit: sxc.hu

shared techniques and hypotheses, but Biological Sciences, is analyzing the impact
physical and cultural distance can prove of conservation on societal benefits. She
to be profound barriers. Lastly, in order has shown how economical conservation
for GEO BON to reach its full potential, initiatives can be and encourages their
both government and non-government incorporation into government policies and
organizations will need to cooperate government.
and share the full extent of their data, a
requirement that is sure to be plagued by Carol L. Boggs, PhD, professor in the
bureaucracy. Program for Human Biology and a researcher
It has been estimated that only 20,000 in the Center for Conservational Biology,
to 25,000 polar bears exist in the studies ecological evolution and how
world. GEO BON will also need public support if it
is to succeed. Although individual efforts variation in the environment influences the
are important, large scale change will effects of invasive species.
only result from effective policy, targeting
entire regions and populations. Costs and The Earth Systems Program, an
benefits must be weighed against each interdisciplinary environmental science area
other, efficiency must be evaluated, and of study is also growing. Students in this
distributions must be fair. Environments program learn about Earth’s natural cycles
are changing everywhere, and though and how humans interact with them while
we may want to save our own valuable developing skills in developing solutions to
species and ecosystems first, efforts will key environmental problems.
have to be prioritized to the most at-risk
locations. Large scale public awareness and Armed with the information these and other
support can only help to increase the forces researchers are collecting on diversity, soon
available to combat specific local issues. we may be able to judge ways for each of us
to help preserve biodiversity through little
changes to our daily routines.
Local Research on
Biodiversity
Here at Stanford the campus is vibrant
with conservation efforts. Faculty from To Learn More
For more information, visit the website of
many departments are involved in research
the Group of Earth Observations at
Credit: sxc.hu

pertaining to biodiversity. Gretchen Daily, www.earthobservations.org

PhD, a professor in the Department of

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