What if a species isn't actually lost, but just waiting to be rediscovered?
This is the driving question behind a new academic journal focused on documenting species on the brink of extinction.
According to UNR biology professor Matt Forister, the Journal of Lost Species provides an accessible record of lost, declining, or endangered species. He said “lost” species that have not been seen in a decade or more, could be found again.
“We have a responsibility to the species we share the planet with,” Forister explained, “We should understand where species go, how extinction happens.”
The journal also aims to better understand how species become extinct.
“We have lost hundreds of species of plants and animals in the last couple of hundred years. Probably many more than that. And in many cases, we don't really know because it takes so long for us to agree that something is extinct,” he said.
Forister said the journal is especially important with growing concerns around global climate change, habitat reduction, and other factors driving biodiversity loss.
The journal accepts submissions from academics and anyone else who takes an interest in lost, declining, or endangered species.
Along with providing an opportunity for those outside academia or scientific professions to engage with research, Forister hopes the journal will inspire appreciation for lesser known species and encourage people to go out and document what they find.
“As humans, we have a hard time giving up on things. We don't really want anything to be gone. Hope comes from remembering and from getting out there and documenting what's still left,” he said.
