Discuss the “Drive by Extinction” Radio Report
The Checkerspot Butterfly was once a vibrant part of spring in San Mateo County, but today’s it’s hard to spot a single one. Exhaust fumes from Highway 280 have contributed to the decline of this tiny butterfly, making it a victim of what is called “drive-by extinction.” QUEST follows a biologist in Edgewood Park and Natural Preserve as he works to bring back the Checkerspot.
You may also listen to this report online, as well as see and discuss geotagged photos from our visit to Edgewood Park and the Bay Checkerspot Butterfly in our Drive by Extinction - KQED QUEST Flickr photo set.
Andrea Kissack is Senior Editor for QUEST at KQED Public Radio.
A fine report: except for one really unfortunate and crucial detail: it misuses the word “extinction” in a very damaging way. A species is extinct when none are left (and certain to be extinct when no breeding pairs are left). The Checkerspot butterfly might have been endangered, or near-extinct, but is was NOT extinct, as shown by its come back.
Extinction means, by definition, that the species is good for good–it can NEVER be brought back (assuming genetic scientists can’t produce a future near-miracle).
This report suggests that you can bring an extinct species back–a terrible idea to spread. If we could bring an extinct species back, why spend so much energy protecting endangered ones?
Hmm.. apparently ecologists use “extinction” to refer to disappearance of local communities–which seems to be unfortunate.
see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinction
While I was glad to hear good news this morning about the Checkerspot Butterfly, I was alarmed when the term extinct was used to describe an animal that has recently returned to an area it once occupied. The correct term to use would be extirpated, or locally extinct. At the very least a distinction should be made between local extinction and global extinction. Extinction is not reversable and the improper use of the term may confuse listeners in this and other discussions about threatened and endangered species.
Thanks to both Mark and Shannon for their postings. Yes, the butterfly is locally extinct, rather than regional or global. That is the term the ecologists and biologists we talked with used. There is an effort to restore species when they go locally extinct. Because there has been quite a bit of coverage about that effort, known as assisted migration, I didn’t get into the semantics, given the amount of information we were trying to convey. It sounds like that would have been helpful. Thanks very much for pointing it out.