Issue 3 of the journal Lychnos, published in December 2010, is devoted to the issue of endangered species.
The journal starts with an introduction to the subject by Enrique Macpherson, a marine ecologist at the Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes (CSIC). His article highlights that in just half a century human beings have wiped out the results of between 50 and 100 million years of evolution.
The second section covers R&D on endangered species and describes the five research projects granted funding by the 2010 edition of the FGCSIC’s Proyectos Cero for Endangered Species. In his article, José Antonio López Godoy (Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC) summarises the importance of genome sequencing for Iberian lynx conservation. This is followed by an article by Pablo Vargas (Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC) describing the study of five genera of flowering plants endemic to Spain which are living fossils. The topic addressed by Jaime Bosch (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC) is the threat to amphibians from a «killer fungus» and how to eradicate it. Next, Lluís Brotons (Forest Technology Centre of Catalonia) and his team look at how to reconcile the economic viability of agriculture with the conservation of threatened birds. This section is rounded off by José Templado (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales) and Javier Guallart (Catholic University of Valencia), with its exhibition on the endangered Patella ferruginea limpet and the importance of conservation.
The third section of the journal is devoted to the topic of species conservation. Eduardo Roldán and Montserrat Gomendio (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC) highlight the role of germplasm and tissue banks in conservation. Eulalia Moreno (Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, CSIC) then discusses captive breeding programmes. And this section of the journal ends with an interview with Miguel Angel Valladares, communications director of WWF Spain.
The socio-economic issues surrounding conservation are the subject of the fourth section. Daniel Oro (Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, CSIC-UIB) discusses a number of dogmas of conservation biology which have little basis in the scientific evidence. Then, Erik Baggethun and Berta Gómez-Martín López (Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona and the Autonomous University of Madrid, respectively) examine the socioeconomic costs of the loss of biodiversity. The section ends with an interview with Cristina Narbona, Spain’s ambassador to the OECD, who makes the point that the loss of natural heritage due to the low importance placed on biodiversity.
In the forum section, Javier Gregori, environmental journalist and head of the Department of Environment in the Cadena Ser, calls for a balance to be struck with nature and its destruction avoided.
