Tropical island animals at greater risk of extinction

The title of the paper could not be more daunting to the layperson, but the publication contains golden nuggets for our country: “Convergent evolution toward a slow pace of life predisposes insular endotherms to anthropogenic extinctions,” authored by Ying Xiong and others. It was published last month in the journal Science Advances.

In essence, the startling conclusion of the paper based on new evidence is that warm-blooded animals living on tropical islands are more prone to extinction than their mainland counterparts. Turns out that these animals have adapted to cozy island life by having slower metabolic rates. It’s like people, too, as we can glean from social media quotes like “On island time, nothing is urgent” or “Island life is simple, slow, but full of sunshine and sea.”

Xiong and co-writers assessed the metabolic rates of more than 2,000 island mammals and birds. Then they compared their findings with the conservation status of each animal as contained in the IUCN Red List. Through correlation analysis, they demonstrated that the slower the metabolism, the higher the risk of extinction. In other words, tropical island animals are more vulnerable to environmental changes, primarily those caused by humans. Because they cannot adapt fast enough, they are in greater danger of extinction due to habitat destruction brought about by deforestation, over-exploitation, and climate change, among others.

The study highlights the need to redouble our efforts in conserving our biodiversity resources since the Philippines is composed of thousands of small islands. The Philippines has one of the richest biodiversity resources in the world. The country harbors two-thirds of the earth’s biodiversity and between 70 percent and 80 percent of the world’s plant and animal species. But sadly, more than 700 species are under threat of extinction.

All sectors of society must collaborate to stave off a catastrophic loss of our rich plants and animal life. The government’s efforts, ably led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and specifically the Biodiversity Management Bureau, must be supported and expanded. A number of civil society organizations are valiantly trying to conserve our remaining natural resources.

The private sector is also becoming more engaged in conservation efforts, as exemplified by the BINHI program of the Energy Development Corp.

The science is becoming more apparent every day. Humans have altered the earth’s face in ways that could only be described as irresponsible. As stewards of God’s creation, we should do a far better job conserving our rich natural heritage.

Dr. Rodel Lasco,author, IPCC sixth assessment report