100 Questions to Conserve Global Biodiversity

A panel of experts, led by Professor William Sutherland at the University of Cambridge, has formulated a list of the top 100 questions which, if answered, could help to conserve global biodiversity.

Published online in the journal, Conservation Biology, the questions are designed to address the gaps which can emerge between the topics studied by academics and the areas which conservationists need studied in order to make a real difference on the ground to species conservation. By examining the list of questions, academics can make sure that they are addressing the questions which really need to be answered.

761 conservationists and 12 academics generated a list of 2291 questions initially, with a more selective shortlist then generated through email voting. Over the course of a two day meeting in Cambridge, a select group of 44 met to decide on the final list of 100.

Questions include: “are there critical thresholds at which loss of biodiversity disrupts ecosystem functions and services?” and “how effective are different methods for assessing ecosystem services?”
The full paper, including all questions, can be accessed at Conservation Biology