The Earth is on the brink of "major biodiversity crisis" fuelled by the steady destruction of ecosystems, a group of the world's most distinguished scientists and policy experts warn yesterday.

Nineteen leading specialists in the field of biodiversity, including Robert Watson, chief scientist at the World Bank, and Professor Georgina Mace, director of the Institute of Zoology, are calling for the urgent creation of a global body of scientists to offer advice and urge governments to halt what they call a potentially "catastrophic loss of species".

"All the scientific evidence points to the fact that whatever measure of vulnerability you take, whether it is local populations, species or ecosystem, we know that the rate at which we are altering them now is faster than it has been in the past," Georgina Mace said in an interview.

Mace, director of science at the Institute of Zoology in London, is one of the 19 scientists from 13 countries who signed a declaration published in the journal Nature explaining why an intergovernmental body is needed.

Destruction of natural habitats and the effects of climate change are causing species to die out at 100 to 1,000 times faster than the natural rate, leading some scientists to warn we are facing the next mass extinction.

Nearly one-quarter of the world's mammals, one-third of amphibians and more than one-tenth of bird species are threatened with extinction. Climate change alone is expected to force a further 15-37 per cent of species to the brink of extinction within the next 50 years.

Writing in the journal yesterday, the experts, from countries ranging from China, Chile and Canada to South Africa, Germany and the United States, urge for the new body, the international mechanism of scientific expertise on biodiversity (IMOSEB), to be set up to force better biodiversity policies around the world.

"We are on the verge of a major biodiversity crisis. Virtually all aspects of diversity are in steep decline and a large number of populations and species are likely to become extinct this century. Despite this evidence, biodiversity is still consistently undervalued and given inadequate weight in both private and public decisions," the authors say.

The new body will be modelled loosely on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a collection of the world's top climate scientists that is convened to assess the latest research on climate change and its potential implications.

Because the IPCC is funded by governments, it carries sufficient clout to influence international and regional policy.

Dr Watson, a former chairman of the IPCC, said the IMOSEB may face a tougher task than the IPCC because biodiversity is often more complex than climate change.

In May, the World Conservation Union said the number of known threatened species stood at 16,119.

Polar bears, desert gazelles and sharks were all added to the list of species facing extinction.

Melting ice caps, hunting and over-fishing were identified as the culprits.

"Whether it's forests, marine systems, grasslands, you name it, they are in disrepair," said Dr Watson. "For the sake of the planet, the biodiversity science community has to create a way to get organised, to coordinate its work across disciplines, and together with one clear voice advise governments on steps to halt the potentially catastrophic loss of species already occurring."

The scientists and experts suggested that the panel should be independent, transparent and include input from governments, non-government organizations and the private sector.

The scientists said French President Jacques Chirac had supported the idea at an international conference in January 2005.

"The French Government is currently funding a consultation process to assess the need, scope and possible models for an international mechanism of scientific expertise on biodiversity," they said in the statement.

The 18-month consultation is under way to agree how the body will accumulate scientific evidence, identify causes of damage and recommend ways to limit or reverse them.

(China Daily 07/21/2006)