Dr Bob Berry wrote:
>The only justification for it is those authors' preference for the
>phylogenetic species concept. Their interim classification was adopted in
>the listings of the endangered and vulnerable species subject to the
>Australian Federal Government's Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 when
>updated in January 2000 (Environment Australia 2000). The merit of this
>change is doubtful. Robertson and Nunn themselves state that
It seems to me (not having read ANY of this albatross stuff first hand),
that the Phylogenetic Species Concept (PSC) is a middle ranking issue here.
Robertson & Nunn seem to be concerned principally about biodiversity
protection, and see the PSC as an enabling tool for that purpose. In
Australia subspecies receive protection under most federal & state
conservation legislation (perhaps all?), and so the PSC is not seen as being
a political necessity. In many other parts of the world only so-called
'full species' are covered - ssp are ignored - making the PSC a perhaps
understandably attractive proposition. The following reference gives a good
example of this approach, and there's also a reference for a rebuttal. I
can see various positives about the PSC, but political expediency as sole
justification is a poor excuse for deploying it IMHO.
Hazovoet, C.J. (1996), Conservation and species lists: taxonomic neglect
promotes the extinction of endemic birds, as exemplified by taxa from
eastern Atlantic islands. Bird Conservation International 6: 181-196.
Collar, N.J. (1996), Species concepts and conservation: a response to
Hazovoet. Bird Conservation International 6: 197-200.
Cheers -- Lawrie
(PS: These papers were supplementary reading provided by Dr Dave Watson for
the 'Evolution, Taxonomy and Biogeography of Birds' subject for the Charles
Sturt Uni course - Graduate Certificate of Ornithology. Thanks Dave.)
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