“We were extremely surprised by how much the IUCN ranges overestimated what we deem the true ranges to be,” said researcher Don Melnick.
Researchers found the geographical range of the Nilgiri flycatcher, Eumyias albicaudatus, is 65 percent smaller than estimates used by IUCN scientists. Photo by Adesh Shivkar/Columbia University
April 26 (UPI) — The extinction risks of many species are greatly underestimated, according to new research by ecologists at Columbia University.
The underestimation can be explained by overestimation, the new study — published in the journal Biological Conservation — shows. Researchers have been systematically overestimating the geographical range in which vulnerable species can thrive, the new study argues, suggesting extinction risk for many species is far greater than thought.
Maps featuring overly generous geological ranges are used by conservation organizations like the International Union for Conservation of Nature to determine a…
View original post 361 more words
Exposing the Big Game 