A global parasite conservation plan

Colin J. Carlson, Skylar Hopkins, Kayce C. Bell, Jorge Doña, Stephanie S. Godfrey, Mackenzie L. Kwak, Kevin D. Lafferty, Melinda L. Moir, Kelly A. Speer, Giovanni Strona, Mark Torchin, Chelsea L. Wood

Research output: Contribution to journalShort surveypeer-review

133 Scopus citations

Abstract

Found throughout the tree of life and in every ecosystem, parasites are some of the most diverse, ecologically important animals on Earth—but in almost all cases, the least protected by wildlife or ecosystem conservation efforts. For decades, ecologists have been calling for research to understand parasites' important ecological role, and increasingly, to protect as many species from extinction as possible. However, most conservationists still work within priority systems for funding and effort that exclude or ignore parasites, or treat parasites as an obstacle to be overcome. Our working group identified 12 goals for the next decade that could advance parasite biodiversity conservation through an ambitious mix of research, advocacy, and management.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number108596
JournalBiological Conservation
Volume250
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2020
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Biodiversity inventory
  • Coextinction
  • Conservation prioritization
  • Natural history collections
  • Red listing
  • Symbionts

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Nature and Landscape Conservation

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