Europe ramps up climate-change fears

animals had evolved independently for the longest period of time. The results were cross-referenced with the International Conservation Union's offi cial list of endangered species to identify the 10 priority animals. " When species have few close relatives there could be a number of reasons — they could have evolved for a long time and not created new species or their close relatives could have died off. Either way, they represent entire lineages, " said Baillie. The public can track the progress of the conservation effort and contribute through the project's website. " It's appealing to the general public through the website and identifying what needs to be done to empower people, " he said. " It's one thing to tell people that species are threatened but its another to provide solutions and allow them to get involved in the solution. " Many of the animals on the Edge list have been overlooked because they come from poorly explored regions or species groups where scientists have had little interest. Baillie said raising the animals' profi le would be key to the future. In collaboration with local scientists and biodiversity groups, ZSL scientists will come up with the conservation plans needed for each species on the Edge list. Their plans will be posted on the website and move ahead as funds accumulate. " We'll move as fast as we can with the funding available, through the internet and other sources. People can fund projects over the internet and, as soon as they are funded, we'll move forward with them. We'll also have blogs, where people can follow progress, and web forums, " he said. ZSL scientists plan to expand the project. They are working on an Edge list for amphibians, and will then move onto other groups. " There is such a gap and so many people are interested in this that it will grow quite rapidly. " The ZSL has also launched an exhibition about the key endangered species at London Zoo. The ecosystems that have underpinned all European societies until the present day and have helped European culture gain global signifi cance will be disabled by climate change, according to a new report by EU scientists. Much of the continent's agriculture, which developed the vine and the olive and now involves many other crops and livestock, is threatened and much of the continent's wildlife is also at risk. Europe's …