EDGE of Existence
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| EDGE of Existence | |
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| Name | EDGE of Existence |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Zoological Society of London |
| Type | Conservation programme |
| Headquarters | London |
EDGE of Existence
EDGE of Existence is a conservation programme run by the Zoological Society of London that focuses on species with high evolutionary distinctiveness and global endangerment. The initiative combines assessments from the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, phylogenetic research, and field-based conservation to prioritize taxa such as pangolins, tuatara, axolotl, and saola. It works with a network of museums, universities, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations including the World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, and national parks to direct funds and expertise to neglected lineages.
Overview
The programme identifies species with extreme phylogenetic uniqueness and high extinction risk, integrating metrics used by institutions such as the IUCN Red List and drawing on phylogenies from researchers affiliated with University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Harvard University, Smithsonian Institution, and the Natural History Museum, London. EDGE maintains species profiles that link to work by experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, American Museum of Natural History, Australian Museum, and regional conservation bodies like BirdLife International and TRAFFIC. It engages stakeholders ranging from national ministries (e.g., Ministry of Environment and Forests (India)) to multilateral bodies such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Environment Programme.
History and Development
EDGE launched in 2007 within the Zoological Society of London framework, drawing on early concepts from evolutionary biology and conservation pioneered by figures associated with Charles Darwin and later synthesized in works by scientists at Cambridge University and Oxford University. Early collaborators included academics from Imperial College London, University College London, University of California, Berkeley, and the Max Planck Society. The programme built on precedents set by organizations like the World Conservation Union and conservation milestones such as the Rio Earth Summit and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Over time EDGE expanded partnerships with field research teams operating in biodiversity hotspots like the Amazon Rainforest, Congo Basin, Himalayas, and Western Ghats.
Conservation Prioritization and Methodology
EDGE uses a composite metric combining evolutionary distinctiveness derived from molecular phylogenies published in journals like Nature, Science, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, together with extinction risk from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Methodological inputs have involved researchers from University of Chicago, Yale University, Duke University, ETH Zurich, and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. The approach complements other prioritization frameworks used by Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund. Statistical tools applied by the programme have roots in software and methods developed at Princeton University and Stanford University, while taxonomic expertise comes from curators at the Natural History Museum, London, Smithsonian Institution, and the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle.
Notable EDGE Species and Programmes
EDGE has highlighted species including the pangolins (linked to research at Zoological Society of London and TRAFFIC), the tuatara (studied by Victoria University of Wellington and Department of Conservation (New Zealand)), the axolotl (subject to rehabilitation efforts involving National Autonomous University of Mexico and CONABIO), and the saola (discovered in surveys by WWF and Vietnamese and Lao researchers). Other focal taxa involve lineages represented in collections at Linnean Society of London, American Museum of Natural History, and field studies coordinated with Wildlife Conservation Society, Fauna & Flora International, and local NGOs across Madagascar, Borneo, and Sulawesi.
Partnerships and Funding
EDGE collaborates with philanthropic funders such as the Arcadia Fund, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and corporate partners that have included zoological institutions like the London Zoo and aquaria like the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Government partners include agencies like the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, the European Commission's biodiversity programmes, and national ministries across Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Academic partners span University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Harvard University, and regional universities in Kenya, India, and Vietnam; conservation delivery is often implemented with local NGOs and community institutions.
Impact, Criticism, and Controversies
Advocates cite EDGE's role in drawing attention and funding to neglected taxa, supporting field action documented in reports to bodies such as the IUCN and case studies used by Conservation International and the World Bank in biodiversity project design. Criticisms have come from scholars at institutions like University of Queensland and University of Melbourne arguing about trade-offs between phylogenetic metrics and ecosystem-level approaches promoted by organizations such as The Nature Conservancy and BirdLife International. Debates have involved methods published in PLoS ONE and Conservation Biology, and discussions at conferences hosted by Society for Conservation Biology and the IUCN Species Survival Commission.
Outreach, Education, and Citizen Science
EDGE engages the public through media collaborations with outlets like the BBC, National Geographic, and The Guardian, education partnerships with the Royal Society and museums including the Natural History Museum, London and Australian Museum, and citizen science initiatives linked to platforms run by Zooniverse and regional apps supported by BirdLife International and Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Training workshops involve taxonomists from Linnean Society of London and conservation practitioners trained via exchanges with Smithsonian Institution and university postgraduate programmes.
Category:Nature conservation