Data from the Johannesburg Zoological Gardens and other zoos and aquariums assisted in publishing a paper recently confirming that critical information such as fertility and survival rates is missing from global data for more than 98 per cent of known mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.
The paper, titled Data gaps and opportunities for comparative and conservation biology published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), shows that this gap has far-reaching implications for conservationists seeking to bring an end to the impact of mass extinctions.
Scientists working worldwide require more complete data in order to make informed decisions.
The Johannesburg Zoological Gardens assisted to deliver missing information on some 10 853 birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals of 814 species since 1992. This sought to add to the previously untapped source at the Zoological Information Management System (Zims), filling in the blanks with relevant data.
Non-profit organisation Species360 is a leader in wildlife care and conservation. Their multi-disciplinary team believes we can substantially increase what we know by applying new analytics to data that has long been overlooked including that from the Johannesburg Zoological Gardens.
In order to predict when species are at risk and how best to bolster populations, researchers must know data about when females reproduce, how many hatchlings or juveniles survive into adolescence and how long adults live. In order to measure the void, a Species Knowledge Index (SKI) was developed to classify available information for 32 144 known species of various animals.
This index registers comprehensive birth and death rates of 1.3 per cent of the major classes of species, with many remaining blank.
Director of the Species360 Conservation Science Alliance Dalia Conde said, “Adding Zims was like turning on the lights in an otherwise very dim room. Class by class, from mammals through to amphibians, we saw large gaps fill with fundamental data needed to help conservationists assess populations and advocate for threatened, endangered and vulnerable species.”
Incorporating Zims boosted the SKI eightfold for comprehensive life table information used to assess populations.
The study suggests a value far beyond the data itself. As the Conservation Science Alliance and other researchers apply analytics to data, they glean insights that impact outcomes for species in danger of extinction.
The team of over 30 scientists developed the first SKI to map just how much is known about the species worldwide. This index seeks to aggregate, analyse and map data from 22 databases and the IUCN Red List of threatened species.
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