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Perspectives On Biodiversity
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Book Synopsis Perspectives on Biodiversity by : National Research Council
Download or read book Perspectives on Biodiversity written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1999-10-01 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Resource-management decisions, especially in the area of protecting and maintaining biodiversity, are usually incremental, limited in time by the ability to forecast conditions and human needs, and the result of tradeoffs between conservation and other management goals. The individual decisions may not have a major effect but can have a cumulative major effect. Perspectives on Biodiversity reviews current understanding of the value of biodiversity and the methods that are useful in assessing that value in particular circumstances. It recommends and details a list of components-including diversity of species, genetic variability within and among species, distribution of species across the ecosystem, the aesthetic satisfaction derived from diversity, and the duty to preserve and protect biodiversity. The book also recommends that more information about the role of biodiversity in sustaining natural resources be gathered and summarized in ways useful to managers. Acknowledging that decisions about biodiversity are necessarily qualitative and change over time because of the nonmarket nature of so many of the values, the committee recommends periodic reviews of management decisions.
Book Synopsis Functional Roles of Biodiversity by : Harold A. Mooney
Download or read book Functional Roles of Biodiversity written by Harold A. Mooney and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 530 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biodiversity refers to the three attributes of living environments: the variety of distinct ecosystems they contain; the number of species within them; and the range of genetic diversity within the populations of each of these species. This book presents a synthesis of ideas emerging from 15 biome-specific workshops exploring our current knowledge of the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem processes. The contributions offer an assessment of the consequences of human activities at the ecosystem level and provide an appropriate framework for making future policy decisions.
Book Synopsis Perspectives for Biodiversity and Ecosystems by : Carsten Hobohm
Download or read book Perspectives for Biodiversity and Ecosystems written by Carsten Hobohm and published by Springer. This book was released on 2022-02-06 with total page 483 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The novelty of the book is a strong focus on perception, perspectives and prediction by scientists with profound insight into the ecology of ecosystems or into human demands and activity. The challenge is to bridge from empirical data and the knowledge of the past to the possibilities of the performance in the future. We assume that there is scope for more cooperation between the fields of ecology and practical philosophy or other social sciences in organising ecosystems and shaping the cultural future of humankind, and that such collaboration should be accorded considerably more priority. This book deals with environmental processes seen within a framework of the nature of ecosystems and human cultures. The future of the environment, the development of ecosystems and effective nature conservation management are the essentials of this book. Human nature and culture, and in particular their interactions, are interpreted as a set of rules and as given. The aim is not only to assess the significance of human influence on species composition and biodiversity but also to weigh up the subsequent potentials for action. In this book we will analyze the problems independently of one another, even if they are interconnected. This book focuses on perspectives and prognoses for the impacts of anthropogenic activity on ecosystems and thus on species conservation. Its goal is to improve assessments of the impacts of human activity on the environment. We are aware that prognoses have very often proven to be false. It is difficult to impossible to be able to predict with precision how evolution and ecosystems will change in future under anthropogenic influence. This strengthens our resolve to attempt to retain the highest possible degree of scientific integrity and professionalism and not to shy away from expressing the uncertainty of our own ideas and prognoses. We venture prognoses in this book and we will fail. However, we hope that we will be wrong on the right side.
Book Synopsis Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning by : Michel Loreau
Download or read book Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning written by Michel Loreau and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2002 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Increasing domination of ecosystems by humans is steadily transforming them into depauperate systems. How will this loss of biodiversity affect the functioning and stability of natural and managed ecosystems? This work provides comprehensive coverage of empirical and theoretical research.
Book Synopsis Monocultures of the Mind by : Vandana Shiva
Download or read book Monocultures of the Mind written by Vandana Shiva and published by Palgrave Macmillan. This book was released on 1993-02 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vandana Shiva has established herself as a leading independent thinker and voice for the South in that critically important nexus where questions of development strategy, the environment and the posititon of women in society coincide. In this new volume, she brings together her thinking on the protection of biodiversity, the implications of biotechnology, and the consequences for agriculture of the global pre-eminence of Western-style scientific knowledge. In lucid and accessible fashion, she examines the current threats to the planet's biodiversity and the environmental and human consequences of its erosion and replacement by monocultural production. She shows how the new Biodiversity Convention has been gravely undermined by a mixture of diplomatic dilution during the process of negotiation and Northern hi-tech interests making money out of the new biotechnologies. She explains what these technologies involve and gives examples of their impact in practice. She questions their claims to improving natural species for the good of all and highlights the ethical and environmental problems posed. Underlying her arguments is the view that the North's particular approach to scientific understanding has led to a system of monoculture in agriculture - a model that is not being foisted on the South, displacing its societies' ecologically sounder, indigenous and age-old experiences of truly sustainable food cultivation, forest management and animal husbandry. This rapidly accelerating process of technology and system transfer is impoverishing huge numbers of people, disrupting the social systems that provide them with security and dignity, and will ultimately result in a sterile planet in both North and South, In a policy intervention of potentially great significance, she calls instead for a halt, at international as well as local level, to the aid and market incentives to both large-scale destruction of habitats where biodiversity thrives and the introduction of centralised, homogenous systems of cultivation.
Book Synopsis A Theory of Global Biodiversity (MPB-60) by : Boris Worm
Download or read book A Theory of Global Biodiversity (MPB-60) written by Boris Worm and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2018-06-12 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The number of species found at a given point on the planet varies by orders of magnitude, yet large-scale gradients in biodiversity appear to follow some very general patterns. Little mechanistic theory has been formulated to explain the emergence of observed gradients of biodiversity both on land and in the oceans. Based on a comprehensive empirical synthesis of global patterns of species diversity and their drivers, A Theory of Global Biodiversity develops and applies a new theory that can predict such patterns from few underlying processes. The authors show that global patterns of biodiversity fall into four consistent categories, according to where species live: on land or in coastal, pelagic, and deep ocean habitats. The fact that most species groups, from bacteria to whales, appear to follow similar biogeographic patterns of richness within these habitats points toward some underlying structuring principles. Based on empirical analyses of environmental correlates across these habitats, the authors combine aspects of neutral, metabolic, and niche theory into one unifying framework. Applying it to model terrestrial and marine realms, the authors demonstrate that a relatively simple theory that incorporates temperature and community size as driving variables is able to explain divergent patterns of species richness at a global scale. Integrating ecological and evolutionary perspectives, A Theory of Global Biodiversity yields surprising insights into the fundamental mechanisms that shape the distribution of life on our planet.
Download or read book Biodiversity written by Takuya Abe and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 291 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite acknowledgment that loss of living diversity is an international biological crisis, the ecological causes and consequences of extinction have not yet been widely addressed. In honor of Edward O. Wilson, winner of the 1993 International Prize for Biology, an international group of distinguished biologists bring ecological, evolutionary, and management perspectives to the issue of biodiversity. The roles of ecosystem processes, community structure and population dynamics are considered in this book. The goal, as Wilson writes in his introduction, is "to assemble concepts that unite the disciplines of systematics and ecology, and in so doing to create a sound scientific basis for the future management of biodiversity."
Book Synopsis What's So Good About Biodiversity? by : Donald S. Maier
Download or read book What's So Good About Biodiversity? written by Donald S. Maier and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-05-23 with total page 568 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There has been a deluge of material on biodiversity, starting from a trickle back in the mid-1980's. However, this book is entirely unique in its treatment of the topic. It is unique in its meticulously crafted, scientifically informed, philosophical examination of the norms and values that are at the heart of discussions about biodiversity. And it is unique in its point of view, which is the first to comprehensively challenge prevailing views about biodiversity and its value. According to those dominant views, biodiversity is an extremely good thing – so good that it has become the emblem of natural value. The book's broader purpose is to use biodiversity as a lens through which to view the nature of natural value. It first examines, on their own terms, the arguments for why biodiversity is supposed to be a good thing. This discussion cuts a very broad and detailed swath through the scientific, economic, and environmental literature. It finds all these arguments to be seriously wanting. Worse, these arguments appear to have consequences that should dismay and perplex most environmentalists. The book then turns to a deeper analysis of these failures and suggests that they result from posing value questions from within a framework that is inappropriate for nature's value. It concludes with a novel suggestion for framing natural value. This new proposal avoids the pitfalls of the ones that prevail in the promotion of biodiversity. And it exposes the goals of conservation biology, restoration biology, and the world's largest conservation organizations as badly ill-conceived.
Book Synopsis Conserving Biodiversity by : National Research Council
Download or read book Conserving Biodiversity written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1992-02-01 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The loss of the earth's biological diversity is widely recognized as a critical environmental problem. That loss is most severe in developing countries, where the conditions of human existence are most difficult. Conserving Biodiversity presents an agenda for research that can provide information to formulate policy and design conservation programs in the Third World. The book includes discussions of research needs in the biological sciences as well as economics and anthropology, areas of critical importance to conservation and sustainable development. Although specifically directed toward development agencies, non-governmental organizations, and decisionmakers in developing nations, this volume should be of interest to all who are involved in the conservation of biological diversity.
Book Synopsis Biodiversity Offsets by : Wolfgang Wende
Download or read book Biodiversity Offsets written by Wolfgang Wende and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-03-07 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book deals with the new concept of biodiversity offsets. The aim of offsetting schemes is to achieve no let loss or even net gain of biodiversity. Offsets obey a mitigation hierarchy and reflect the precautionary and polluter-pays principle in regard to project impacts. Readers gain insights into current debates on biodiversity policies, with top experts outlining theoretical principles and the latest research findings. At the same time the focus is on practical application and case studies. Today there is a lively international discussion among practitioners and scientists on the optimal legal framework, metrics and design of habitat banks to ensure the success of biodiversity offsets and to minimise the risks of failure or misuse. Contributing to the debate, this volume presents the activities and practices of biodiversity offsetting already implemented in Europe in selected EU member states, and the lessons that can be learnt from them. Readers may be surprised at how much experience already exists in these countries. A further aim of the book is to offer grounded insights on the road ahead, and foster a more intensive and fruitful discussion on how offsetting can be extended and improved upon, so that it becomes a key and effective component of Europe’s biodiversity conservation policy framework.
Download or read book Biodiversity written by Vandana Shiva and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Collection of five papers which discuss the importance of biodiversity. Heffa Schucking and Patrick Anderson analyse the dominant paradigm of conservation and reflect on its lacunae. Andrew Gray describes his experiences with indigenous people of Latin America. Larry Lohmann reflects the conservation strategies of the peasant and forest dwelling communities in the case of Thailand. David Cooper provides a critique of the global biodiversity convention and suggest vital components needed for a meaningful agreement. Vandana Shiva attempts to show that production based on principles of uniformity is the biggest threat to biodiversity
Download or read book Biodiversity written by Steve Morton and published by CSIRO PUBLISHING. This book was released on 2014-06-05 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Australians have stewardship of a beautiful, diverse and unique environment. We have long had a sense that the biodiversity of this country is special. Yet, despite our sense of its importance, in many parts of our country biodiversity is in trouble. Given the economic, ecological and social importance of biodiversity to our nation, CSIRO has been conducting research into Australia's biodiversity for nearly 90 years. This research has not simply focused on quantifying the challenge, but also on identifying practical solutions for its sustainable management. Biodiversity: Science and Solutions for Australia aims to provide access to the latest scientific knowledge on Australia’s biodiversity in an engaging and clear format. The book describes the ancient origins and unique features of Australia’s species, as well as the current status of our biodiversity. It outlines tools for management and planning, highlights Indigenous perspectives on biodiversity, and looks at how Australia’s biodiversity interacts with agriculture, the resources sector, cities, and with our changing global environment. Importantly, it also shows that biodiversity is in the eye of the beholder: for some it is our life support system, for others it is a resource to be used, for others it is a precious cultural symbol.
Book Synopsis Aquatic Functional Biodiversity by : Andrea Belgrano
Download or read book Aquatic Functional Biodiversity written by Andrea Belgrano and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2015-07-25 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Aquatic Functional Biodiversity: An Ecological and Evolutionary Perspective provides a general conceptual framework by some of the most prominent investigators in the field for how to link eco-evolutionary approaches with functional diversity to understand and conserve the provisioning of ecosystem services in aquatic systems. Rather than producing another methodological book, the editors and authors primarily concentrate on defining common grounds, connecting conceptual frameworks and providing examples by a more detailed discussion of a few empirical studies and projects, which illustrate key ideas and an outline of potential future directions and challenges that are expected in this interdisciplinary research field. Recent years have seen an explosion of interest in using network approaches to disentangle the relationship between biodiversity, community structure and functioning. Novel methods for model construction are being developed constantly, and modern methods allow for the inclusion of almost any type of explanatory variable that can be correlated either with biodiversity or ecosystem functioning. As a result these models have been widely used in ecology, conservation and eco-evolutionary biology. Nevertheless, there remains a considerable gap on how well these approaches are feasible to understand the mechanisms on how biodiversity constrains the provisioning of ecosystem services. Defines common theoretical grounds in terms of terminology and conceptual issues Connects theory and practice in ecology and eco-evolutionary sciences Provides examples for successful biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service management
Book Synopsis Biodiversity and Health in the Face of Climate Change by : Melissa R. Marselle
Download or read book Biodiversity and Health in the Face of Climate Change written by Melissa R. Marselle and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-06-11 with total page 494 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access book identifies and discusses biodiversity’s contribution to physical, mental and spiritual health and wellbeing. Furthermore, the book identifies the implications of this relationship for nature conservation, public health, landscape architecture and urban planning – and considers the opportunities of nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation. This transdisciplinary book will attract a wide audience interested in biodiversity, ecology, resource management, public health, psychology, urban planning, and landscape architecture. The emphasis is on multiple human health benefits from biodiversity - in particular with respect to the increasing challenge of climate change. This makes the book unique to other books that focus either on biodiversity and physical health or natural environments and mental wellbeing. The book is written as a definitive ‘go-to’ book for those who are new to the field of biodiversity and health.
Book Synopsis Agriculture, Biodiversity and Markets by : Stewart Lockie
Download or read book Agriculture, Biodiversity and Markets written by Stewart Lockie and published by Earthscan. This book was released on 2010 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Debate about how best to ensure the preservation of agricultural biodiversity is caught in a counter-productive polemic between proponents and critics of market-based instruments and agricultural modernization. However, it is argued in this book that neither position does justice to the range of strategies that farmers use to manage agrobiodiversity and other livelihood assets as they adapt to changing social, economic, and environmental circumstances.
Author :National Academy of Sciences/Smithsonian Institution Publisher :National Academies Press ISBN 13 :0309037395 Total Pages :535 pages Book Rating :4.3/5 (9 download)
Book Synopsis Biodiversity by : National Academy of Sciences/Smithsonian Institution
Download or read book Biodiversity written by National Academy of Sciences/Smithsonian Institution and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1988-01-01 with total page 535 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This important book for scientists and nonscientists alike calls attention to a most urgent global problem: the rapidly accelerating loss of plant and animal species to increasing human population pressure and the demands of economic development. Based on a major conference sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences and the Smithsonian Institution, Biodiversity creates a systematic framework for analyzing the problem and searching for possible solutions.
Book Synopsis Perspectives for Biodiversity and Ecosystems by : Carsten Hobohm
Download or read book Perspectives for Biodiversity and Ecosystems written by Carsten Hobohm and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-02-05 with total page 484 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The novelty of the book is a strong focus on perception, perspectives and prediction by scientists with profound insight into the ecology of ecosystems or into human demands and activity. The challenge is to bridge from empirical data and the knowledge of the past to the possibilities of the performance in the future. We assume that there is scope for more cooperation between the fields of ecology and practical philosophy or other social sciences in organising ecosystems and shaping the cultural future of humankind, and that such collaboration should be accorded considerably more priority. This book deals with environmental processes seen within a framework of the nature of ecosystems and human cultures. The future of the environment, the development of ecosystems and effective nature conservation management are the essentials of this book. Human nature and culture, and in particular their interactions, are interpreted as a set of rules and as given. The aim is not only to assess the significance of human influence on species composition and biodiversity but also to weigh up the subsequent potentials for action. In this book we will analyze the problems independently of one another, even if they are interconnected. This book focuses on perspectives and prognoses for the impacts of anthropogenic activity on ecosystems and thus on species conservation. Its goal is to improve assessments of the impacts of human activity on the environment. We are aware that prognoses have very often proven to be false. It is difficult to impossible to be able to predict with precision how evolution and ecosystems will change in future under anthropogenic influence. This strengthens our resolve to attempt to retain the highest possible degree of scientific integrity and professionalism and not to shy away from expressing the uncertainty of our own ideas and prognoses. We venture prognoses in this book and we will fail. However, we hope that we will be wrong on the right side.
