Terry Erwin
Encyclopedia
Terry L. Erwin is an entomologist with the Smithsonian Institution
.
Erwin is notable for his controversial estimate of 30 million as the total number of species
.
He found 1,200 species of beetles living in Luehea seemannii trees. Of those 1,200 species of beetles, he estimated that 163 are found only in the Luehea seemannii tree and not in other species of trees. There are about 50,000 species of trees in the tropics and beetles make up 40% of insects and related animals. Erwin estimated that there are about twice as many species of insects and related animals in tropical trees as there are on the ground of the forest.
Erwin served as secretary of the Society of Systematic Biologists from 1973 to 1975, and is currently the editor in chief of ZooKeys
.
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
.
Erwin is notable for his controversial estimate of 30 million as the total number of species
Global Biodiversity
The biodiversity of planet Earth is the total variability of life forms forms. Currently about 1.9 million species are known, but this is thought to be a significant underestimate of the total number of species....
.
He found 1,200 species of beetles living in Luehea seemannii trees. Of those 1,200 species of beetles, he estimated that 163 are found only in the Luehea seemannii tree and not in other species of trees. There are about 50,000 species of trees in the tropics and beetles make up 40% of insects and related animals. Erwin estimated that there are about twice as many species of insects and related animals in tropical trees as there are on the ground of the forest.
Erwin served as secretary of the Society of Systematic Biologists from 1973 to 1975, and is currently the editor in chief of ZooKeys
ZooKeys
ZooKeys is a peer-reviewed open access academic journal for the field of zoology. It was established in 2008, and the editor-in-chief is Terry Erwin from the Smithsonian Institution...
.