ABSTRACT
Information about the world’s animal communities is very uneven. As with plant species, more is generally known for richer, industrialized countries. Many others, including a number rich in both animal and plant species such as Brazil or Zaire, have little in the way of scientific monitoring services. The data is uneven in other important respects. More money is available to fund studies of large mammals and primates (perhaps because of perceived kinship and ‘usefulness’ to humans). Little attention is given to less attractive animals and birds and even less to fish or insects. There are only broad estimates for losses of fish and although many insect species are disappearing there is not even a ‘best estimate’ for the number becoming extinct.
