Bio-breakthroughs are afoot at the Field Museum
Whenever science makes a significant leap forward, Sandbox is interested. That’s why with the Field Museum announcing the discovery of new species from their latest Rapid Inventory Survey, as well as being the newest Sandbox client, we felt it was all worthy of writing about.
Rapid Inventory Surveys are quick surveys of the biological diversity of an area with the aim of protecting and managing in the long-term. From Peru, through a rickety satellite phone/internet setup, herpetologists announced Wednesday that they have discovered a plethora of new species on their latest Rapid Inventory Survey.
The current Rapid Inventory is taking place in the Kampankis region of Peru, an Andean area remote enough that it has never before been visited by biologists. It’s amphibian and reptile communities are among the most diverse in the world. This week’s discoveries include ”as many as 13 species that may be new to science, new to Peru, or significant extensions from their previous known ranges in Peru.”
The area of the Field responsible for sponsoring this field work is called ECCo: Environment, Culture, and Conservation. ECCo not only works in the Andes-Amazon region, but also works close to home, setting aside and protecting public lands in the Chicago region.
Below are two facts you can repeat at dinner tonight and impress your family with:
• The Field Museum’s involvement has led to the protection of an astonishing 34.2 million acres in the Amazon headwaters.
• ECCo’s track record in the tropics is five acres of land protected for every one dollar invested in rapid inventories.
