Mammals, big mammals and statistics

Author: Eric Thomassen (Abstracts by Ben Verboom)

https://doi.org/10.63269/SJL5808

The title of this editorial may look oddly familiar. That’s because it riffs on the famous phrase “lies, damned lies and statistics,” a quote of slightly uncertain origin (Mark Twain is one of the options, as seems frequently the case). It’s often used to describe the persuasive power of statistics to bolster a weak argument. Weak arguments abound in today’s media landscape, and reports on the state of biodiversity are no exception. The debate on it is often fierce and polarized, and accusations of either uncalled-for alarmism or opportunistic dismissiveness fly back and forth in the public debate. Statistics get thrown around with reckless abandon and there is something for every taste to be found for whoever is willing to do some cherry-picking. Since this is Lutra, let’s take a look at the case for mammals.

Take the article on the Our World in Data website called “Wild mammals are making a comeback in Europe thanks to conservation efforts”, republished in updated form in September 2022. As the title suggests......