birding-aus

RFI: Albatross taxonomy

To: "Birding-Aus Mail" <>
Subject: RFI: Albatross taxonomy
From: "Lawrie Conole" <>
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 16:06:27 +1000
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.)


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
L A W R I E   C O N O L E
2/37 Myrnong Crescent, Ascot Vale, Victoria 3032 AUSTRALIA.
Phone AH (03) 9370 3928; BH (03) 9510 5750; Mobile (0419) 588 993.
E-mail:  <>
Web page:  http://www.bluep.com/~oco/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message
"unsubscribe birding-aus" (no quotes, no Subject line)
to 


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Admin

The University of NSW School of Computer and Engineering takes no responsibility for the contents of this archive. It is purely a compilation of material sent by many people to the birding-aus mailing list. It has not been checked for accuracy nor its content verified in any way. If you wish to get material removed from the archive or have other queries about the archive e-mail Andrew Taylor at this address: andrewt@cse.unsw.EDU.AU