THE URGENCY OF BUILDING GLOBAL CAPACITY FOR BIODIVERSITY SCIENCE

The biodiversity sciences represent the disciplines of whole-organism biology, including systematics, ecology, population biology, behaviour and the fields of comparative biology. The biodiversity sciences are critically important to society because it is knowledge of whole-organ isms that is essential for managing and conserving the world's species . Because of an acceleration in environmental degradation and global b iodiversity loss in recent decades, the need for the biodiversity scie nces has never been more urgent. Yet, biodiversity science is not well supported relative to other fields of science, and thus the need for knowledge about organisms and their environment is far outstripping bi ologists' ability to provide it. National and international capacity f or biodiversity science must therefore be increased substantially. Eac h nation should establish a national biodiversity research programme c oordinated across all government agencies. An international biodiversi ty research programme should also be established, perhaps with an orga nizational structure that parallels the International Geosphere-Biosph ere Programme. Biodiversity scientists must assume a leadership role i n educating the public and bringing about policy changes that will enh ance our understanding of the world's species and their ecosystems.