ANKARA - Known as the "godfather of biodiversity", Prof. Dr. Thoma Lovejoy, who gained the phrase "biodiversity" to the literature told, "Humanity is better served and will be healthier if we respect nature and biodiversity" as he emphasized his warning that the current pandemic crisis and the associated environmental crises cry out for a new sustainable model for development.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the discussions regarding the decrease of living species, which is one of the indicators of ecological destruction are rewaken again. In the last 50 years, there has been a decrease of 38% in the population of terrestrial species and a decrease of 36% in the population of marine species according to the report published in 2018 by the World Wildlife fund (WWF) and the London Zoological Association.
A recent study titled as "Pervasive human-driven decline of life on Earth points to the need for transformative change" published in Science reveal that the human actions have directly altered at least 70% of land surface and around 85% of wetland area has been lost since the 1700s as the terrestrial ecological communities worldwide are estimated to have lost more than 20% of their original biodiversity on average as a result of result of human impacts.
Leading ecologist and an Amazon expert Thomas Lovejoy spoke to our agency. Lovejoy, who spent half a century in Amazons working for the conservation of the rainforests evaluated on how the human intervention in wild-life causes the nvironmental crises, which cry out for a new sustainable model for development, one in which Nature is put first.
As the “godfather of bio-diversity” that you are famously called, you have become the first scientist who academically explain how humans are pushing biological diversity towards crisis and causing habitat fragmentation. How do you relate ecological crises to human-caused habitat fragmentation?
Biodiversity integrates all environmental problems – they all have negative impacts on biodiversity. We now clearly understand that one of the main ways we are causing biodiversity loss is through habitat fragmentation. (There of course are many others.) We have shown that a 100 Ha. Fragment loses more than have its forest interior bird species in less than 15 years.
How accurate is it to call it a biological crisis/environmental crisis or ecological crisis scientifically? How should we understand the nature of the coronavirus pandemic based on a biological approach, on a conservation-biology approach?
The Pandemic is clearly the consequence of ongoing massive human disruption of nature together with wildlife trafficking, bushmeat and wildlife markets like the wet market of Wuhan. We did it to ourselves.
What is your opinion regarding the human interference in the nature and the impact of this intrusion on coronavirus pandemic in general?
Pathogens normally circulate in nature and disruption can lead to spillover into human populations. Two to four new pathogens are identified as potential emerging diseases every year. Climate change is sending ripples of change through wild ecosystems and enhancing the probability of spillover and future pandemics.
What is the role of wildlife markets, wet markets on the emerge of novel coronavirus? Do live animal markets, which sell farmed or wild animals in unhygienic conditions, play a role in the spread of new viruses between animals and humans?
Wildlife trade and wildlife markets greatly enhance the probability of a pathogen (e.g. Ebola) jumping from its normal wild cycle into human beings. They enhance the contact between humans, wild animals and their pathogens, including moving into a secondary host (wild or domestic) and from there into humans.
What is the place of viruses in biological diversity? Coronavirus is discussed pejoratively, it is called as “evil enemy” just because it harms people, but this is clearly an anthropocentric judgement over nature...
Pathogens are an integral part of nature but not likely to spill over into humans if care and respect is taken. We should also remember that a virus (the cowpox virus) led to the concept of vaccination (Edward Jenner) which has benefitted many billions of people ever since. Humanity is better served and will be healthier if we respect nature and biodiversity.
You have devoted so much of your life to study Amazonian eco-systems. Can you share your observation on habitat loss that you witnesses and studied in Amazon rainforests?
Habitat of course is made up of living plants, animals and micro-organisms so when forest or other habitat is destroyed the constituent biodiversity – all those living things -- are lost too. The Amazon actually generates half of its own rainfall because of evaporation off the complex surfaces and transpiration through the leaves – the water recycles five or six times between arriving from the tropical Atlantic and reaching the Andes.
Today because of negative synergies between deforestation, climate change and extensive use of fire the Amazon is close to a tipping point where there will be insufficient rainfall to support rainforest in the south and east of the Amazon. It will convert to savannah with a tremendous loss of biodiversity, major carbon emissions, and impacts on the local people. Aggressive reforestation can provide a safety margin to avoid the tipping point.
What would be your comments and approach suggestions for a solution to this pandemic crisis, based on conservation biology, based on an ecology-friendly science and policies?
The current Pandemic crisis and the associated environmental crises cry out for a new sustainable model for development, one in which Nature is put first, and where human aspiration is imbedded in nature. We are long overdue to listen to what the Living Planet is telling us.
MA / Eylül Deniz Yaşar