Biodiversity

by Miller, Debra A.

• ISBN13: 9780737739527
• ISBN10: 0737739525
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-05-09
• Publisher: Greenhaven Pr

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 13
Introduction	p. 16
Is Biodiversity Loss a Serious Problem?
Biodiversity: An Overview	p. 21
Yes: Biodiversity Loss Is a Serious Problem
The Earth Is on the Verge of a Global Biodiversity Catastrophe	p. 24
Biodiversity Is Essential to Every Aspect of Human Life	p. 28
Biodiversity Is Important to Medicine, Bioengineering, and Health Care	p. 31
Marine Biodiversity Just as Important as Land Diversity	p. 39
No: Biodiversity Loss Is Not a Serious Problem
Scientific Study of Biodiversity Decline Is Still in the Early Stages	p. 43
Dire Predictions of a Biodiversity Crisis May Be Overstated	p. 53
Biodiversity May Rise and Decline as Part of a Natural Earth Cycle	p. 63
What Plant and Animal Species Are Going Extinct?
Chapter Preface	p. 68
Without Action, Many Plant and Animal Species Will Likely Be Extinct in Fifty Years	p. 71
All Wild Fisheries May Be Extinct by 2050	p. 75
200-Year-Old Tropical Rainforests Are Disappearing at a Rate Never Seen Before	p. 80
Acid Oceans May Kill Off the World's Coral Reefs	p. 85
America's Wild Bird Populations Are Declining	p. 90
The Risk of Species Extinction Is Increasing Due to Global Warming	p. 95
Are Food Production Activities Harming the Earth's Biodiversity?
Chapter Preface	p. 100
Yes: Food Production Activities Are Harming the Earth's Biodiversity
Industrial Agriculture Is One of the Main Threats to Biodiversity	p. 103
Biotechnology Is a Threat to Biodiversity	p. 113
Overfishing Is the Biggest Threat to Marine Biodiversity	p. 118
No: Food Production Activities Are Not Harming the Earth's Biodiversity
High-Yield, Industrial Agriculture Protects Biodiversity	p. 121
Biotechnology Is Not a Threat to Biodiversity	p. 124
Commercial Fishing Is Not Significantly Affecting the Oceans' Biodiversity	p. 128
How Can the Earth's Biodiversity Be Preserved?
Chapter Preface	p. 132
Conservation Efforts Should Target Biodiversity "Hotspots"	p. 135
Green Development Offers a Way to Save Biodiversity	p. 138
The Convention on Biological Diversity Is Helping to Preserve Biodiversity	p. 145
The Rainforests Can Be Saved with Sustainable Logging and Agriculture	p. 155
Following Natural Design Principles Can Protect Biodiversity	p. 159
Smarter Management of the Oceans Would Allow Sea Life to Rebound	p. 164
Reducing the Human Population While Expanding Conservation Practices Provides the Best Chances for Reversing Biodiversity Loss	p. 167
Stabilizing the Human Population by Empowering Women Can Help Protect Biodiversity	p. 174
Organizations to Contact	p. 179
Bibliography	p. 184
Index	p. 190
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