Assessing biodiversity : a glorious past, an uncertain future

Abstract

Measuring and maintaining diversity of life forms is undoubtedly of high importance. Paradoxically, support allocated to taxonomists, that is to those who reveal this diversity, seems to be negatively correlated to the importance given to biodiversity. The true reasons for the current biodiversity disaster, primarily derived from economic myopia, ignorance, and population pressure, seem to be to a large extent disregarded while, taxonomists are used as a scape-goat.