182: saving whole ecosystems

Some hugely encouraging news from the UK's Independent newspaper today. Over the last decade, apparently, a quietly ambitious experiment has been underway in Madagascar, one of the world's richest sources of biodiversity. A team of scientists has been mapping 2315 species of insects, mammals and plants, to determine where they remain on the island. They then designed computer software that could analyze the habitat range of each species, to show how they interrelate and to determine the best way to protect them. It's the first time such a large number of species has been assessed - but the scientists involved say working at this kind of scale is necessary if conservation efforts are to succeed. Indeed, their approach may well work in other areas of the world, though for now the focus is on preserving Madagascar's amazing ecosystem and the nearly 13,000 species that are found only there... (Stunning photo of giant leaf-tailed gecko from the Independent.)