2 March 2012

A bug's life

We need a Global Strategy for Microbial Conservation, writes Gareth Griffith.

Some endangered bugs are, shall we say, an acquired taste. For example, a recently discovered anaerobic fungus at risk of extinction before it is even formally described is, apparently, specific to the hindgut of the critically endangered Somali wild ass.

More important, however, are microbially dominated habitats such as certain desert soil crusts, glaciers or unusual geological formations.

No comments: