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Precious Heritage > Reviews & Editorials Precious Heritage: The Status of Biodiversity in the United
States "This landmark book lays the groundwork for protecting
the rich biodiversity found in the United States." "The study says that new species are being discovered
all the time, and that the United States may actually contain double the number
documented so far. But as new species appear, so old ones disappear. The study
found that 500 native American species had gone extinct or missing, and that
one-third of the remainder are at risk . . ." "The book-length study reports that the United States
is a wealthy nation, biologically speaking. It has a greater variety of large-scale
ecosystems (such as prairies, swamps, and tundra) than any other nation, and
is home to many aquatic species found nowhere else." "While the United States has many more native species
of plants and animals than once believed, many could be forever lost if nothing's
done to protect them, a new study says. The findings were based on a review
of 25 years of information compiled, in many cases, by state agencies as part
of natural heritage programs. It is the first time an attempt has been made
to compile the state data into one report." "The inventory of species was conducted over the last
25 years by the conservancy's Natural Heritage Network, made up of survey centers
in all 50 states, most of them parts of state governments and universities.
The network's database on species and ecosystems is widely viewed as the most
complete and detailed in the nation, and is the country's leading source of
biological information for conservation planners, government agencies and land
managers." "As a result of this impressive systematic effort, people
in the United States have access to a wealth of information about their biological
heritage, including data on the locations of threatened species and habitats
and the tools to determine what the priorities should be for safeguarding them.
. . . Surely, this marvelous U.S. effort should be extended to other parts of
the globe." Interview with Bruce Stein, co-editor of Precious Heritage, National Public Radio's Morning Edition, March 16, 2000. (Search audio archives for story). |
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