h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Biodiversity - A699078
Author: Giford - U187177

For your consideration.

Gif

A good entry . I don't have the expertise to comment on this in any detail. I read it with interest and I think it's an excellent choice of subject. Biodiversity is a major issue and I haven't noticed any real attempt to educate people as to it's meaning. I would welcome a little more detail on how it can be measured but see what others think.

You haven't mentioned the native/non native species in relation to this. Are non native species always left out of the biodiversity measurement?

Hi Wazungumza,

I didn't come across any reference to a distinction between native and non-native species when researching this. I guess that once a species is established somewhere, it counts towards the b-d, no matter how it got there.

This article was intended to be read by non-experts, so if you had trouble understanding it, I should probably rewite it so that it flows a bit better - hopefully over the weekend.

Gif

I've updated this, added the actual link to the WWF site I referenced and reordered/rewritten a bit. Hopefully it should flow better now and be clearer to read. I've also put in a note about 'alien' species.

Let me know if any of it is still unclear (I've read it back so many times now it's hard to tell!).

Gif

I haven't read it thoroughly yet (looks good anyway ), but IMHO the section 'why B. matters' should be further up so the importance gets noted before the examples.

Good stuff Gifford. I imagine it will be deservedly picked on the morrow.

What a coincidence: German TV had an interview with the ambassador from Costa Rica this morning, and he claimed that his country featured top on the list of biodiversity!

Typical, they grab themselves a bit of rainforest and a coral reef and suddenly they're the world leaders in biodiversity ...

I've added Costa Rica's claim, and also a sentence on the Galapagos Is., just for the hell (Hi Hell, if you're reading) of it.

I haven't moved the last section, as it uses phrases like 'genetic diversity', which were only explained in the preceeding paragraph. I also feel it makes a good closure for the article. I agree it is important, but you'll have to try harder to persuade me to move it

Gif

Hi Giford
This is a great article, which is why the editors have accepted my recommendation that it goes into the guide. I look forwards to seeing it on the front page.

If you want to know what happens next, A463259 will tell you.

Hooray!

Gif