Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
ing gyre of questions: What if the glorious Andean cock-of-the-rock, one of the most colorful
birds on the planet, were as ubiquitous as the house sparrow? Would anyone bother to look
at it? Or would its fate be like that of the blue jay, a stunner for visitors to the United States
but a backyard fixture evoking yawns from the locals?
Back on the trail, we heard the males start up another chorus. Left to their own devices,
most rare species, like this charismatic Andean bird, would persist for several million years.
A logical conclusion, one that will be explored and challenged in this topic, is that rare spe-
cies have adapted to cope with life at low densities, in small areas, or in restricted habitats.
Unfortunately, wild nature is no longer being left to its own devices, and many species face
a tenuous future. Our own species, now shooting past 7 billion and far from rare, faces a dif-
ferent challenge: how to live sustainably without destroying the last strongholds of rarity. For
rare species, the struggle is to hang on for dear life until, one day, humans gain the wisdom
and humility to share nature's kingdom.
