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How many #species are there on Earth? Projections have ranged from the millions to the trillions.

This Perspective looks at how a 2011 #PLOSBiology study transformed this field and what still needs to be done to find a definitive answer.

https://plos.io/3QRppvc

in reply to PLOS Biology

What needs to be done, clearly I am not biased, is to fund more studies in entomology, and to open and expand entire new undergraduate and graduate schools dedicated to invertebrates, with emphasis on insects.

Sadly, "Soon, we may not be estimating how many species there are on Earth. We will be estimating how many there were."

#EcosystemCollapse #biodiversity

in reply to Albert Cardona

clearly I am not biased, but I think we need to focus more on microbial diversity. Every time an animal or plant species goes extinct I wonder how many microbial symbionts went with it.

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