Nature and Human Society: The Quest for a Sustainable World : Proceedings of the 1997 Forum on Biodiversity

by National Forum on BioDiversity (2nd : 1997 : Washington, D. C.); Raven, Peter H.; Williams, Tania; Raven, Peter H.

• ISBN13: 9780309065559
• ISBN10: 0309065550
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-03-01
• Publisher: Natl Academy Pr

Summary

From earliest times, human beings have noticed patterns in nature: night and day, tides and lunar cycles, the changing seasons, plant succession, and animal migration. While recognizing patterns conferred great survival advantage, we are now in danger from our own success in multiplying our numbers and altering those patterns for our own purposes. It is imperative that we engage again with the patterns of nature, but this time, with awareness of our impact as a species. How will burgeoning human populations affect the health of ecosystems? Is loss of species simply a regrettable byproduct of human expansion? Or is the planet passing into a new epoch in just a few human generations? Nature and Human Society presents a wide-ranging exploration of these and other fundamental questions about our relationship with the environment. This book features findings, insights, and informed speculations from key figures in the field: E O Wilson, Thomas Lovejoy, Peter H Raven, Gretchen Daily, David Suzuki, Norman Myers, Paul Erlich, Michael Bean, and many others. This volume explores the accelerated extinction of species and what we stand to lose -- medicines, energy sources, crop pollination and pest control, the ability of water and soil and renew itself through biological processes, aesthetic and recreational benefits -- and how these losses may be felt locally and acutely. What are the specific threats to biodiversity? The book explores human population growth, the homogenization of biota as a result in tourism and trade, and other factors, including the social influences of law, religious belief, and public education, Do we have the tools to protect biodiversity? The book looks at moleculargenetics, satellite data, tools borrowed from medicine, and other scientific techniques to firm up our grasp of important processes in biology and earth science, including the "new" science of conservation biology. Nature and Hum

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(11)
Peter H. Raven
PART 1 DEFINING BIODIVERSITY
Barriers to Perception: From a World of Interconnection to Fragmentation	11	(11)
David T. Suzuki
The Creation of Biodiversity	22	(8)
Edward O. Wilson
The Dimensions of Life on Earth	30	(16)
Robert M. May
The Sixth Extinction: How Large, How Soon, and Where?	46	(17)
Stuart L. Pimm
Thomas M. Brooks
The Meaning of Biodiversity Loss	63	(8)
Norman Myers
The Loss of Population Diversity and Why It Matters	71	(13)
Jennifer B. Hughes
Gretchen C. Daily
Paul R. Ehrlich
Keeping a Finger on the Pulse of Marine Biodiversity: How Healthy Is It?	84	(20)
Jerry R. Schubel
Cheryl Ann Butman
Countryside Biogeography and the Provision of Ecosystem Services	104	(13)
Gretchen C. Daily
PART 2 LESS WELL-KNOWN INDIVIDUAL FORMS OF LIFE
Microbial Diversity and the Biosphere	117	(13)
Norman R. Pace
Biodiversity, Classification, and Numbers of Species of Protists	130	(26)
John O. Corliss
Estimating the Extent of Fungal Diversity in the Tropics	156	(20)
K.D. Hyde
W. H. Ho
J.E. Taylor
D.L. Hawksworth
Nematodes: Pervading the Earth and Linking All Life	176	(16)
J.G. Baldwin
S.A. Nadler
D.H. Wall
Global Diversity of Mites	192	(12)
R.B. Halliday
B.M. OConnor
A.S. Baker
Biodiversity of Terrestrial Invertebrates in Tropical Africa: Assessing the Needs and Plan of Action	204	(9)
Scott Miller
Barbara Gemmill
Hans R. Herren
Lucie Rogo
Melody Allen
Global Diversity of Insects: The Problems of Estimating Numbers	213	(12)
Ebbe S. Nielsen
Laurence A. Mound
PART 3 THE ROLE OF THE GROUP IN BIODIVERSITY
The World Beneath Our Feet: Soil Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning	225	(17)
Diana H. Wall
Ross A. Virginia
Natural Investment in Diversity: The Role of Biological Communities in Soil	242	(13)
Frans A.A.M. de Leij
David B. Hay
James M. Lynch
PART 4 MEANS TO MEASURE BIODIVERSITY
Conservation Biology and the Preservation of Biodiversity: An Assessment	255	(9)
Gary K. Meffe
Conservation Genetics: Applying Molecular Methods to Maximize the Conservation of Taxonomic and Genetic Diversity	264	(12)
Don J. Melnick
Juan Carlos Morales
Rodney L. Honeycutt
Application of Geospatial Information for Identifying Priority Areas for Biodiversity Conservation	276	(5)
Ashbindu Singh
Hawaii Biological Survey: Museum Resources In Support of Conservation	281	(10)
Allen Allison
Scott E. Miller
Building the Next-Generation Biological-Information Infrastructure	291	(12)
John L. Schnase
Meredith A. Lane
Geoffrey C. Bowker
Susan Leigh Star
Abraham Silberschatz
PART 5 THREATS TO SUSTAINABILITY
Nature Displaced: Human Population Trends and Projections and Their Meanings	303	(12)
Richard P. Cincotta
Robert Engelman
Population Growth, Sustainable Development, and the Environment	315	(10)
Sergey Kapitza
Nonindigenous Species: A Global Threat to Biodiversity and Stability	325	(12)
Daniel Simberloff
PART 6 INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SUSTAINING BIODIVERSITY--SCIENCE
Science and the Public Trust in a Full World: Function and Dysfunction in Science and the Biosphere	337	(10)
George M. Woodwell
The Response of the International Scientific Community to the Challenge of Biodiversity	347	(11)
David L. Hawksworth
The Millenium Seed Bank at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew	358	(16)
Ghillean T. Prance
Roger D. Smith
Charting the Biosphere: Building Global Capacity for Systematics Science	374	(13)
Joel L. Cracraft
Science and Technology in the Convention on Biological Diversity	387	(11)
Calestous Juma
Gudrun Henne
Ecology and the Knowledge Revolution	398	(15)
Graciela Chichilnisky
PART 7 INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SUSTAINING BIODIVERSITY--SOCIETY
Biodiversity: A World Bank Perspective	413	(7)
Ismail Serageldin
Creating Cultural Diversity: Tropical Forests Transformed	420	(15)
Olga F. Linares
Endangered Plants, Vanishing Cultures: Ethnobotany and Conservation	435	(8)
Paul Alan Cox
Religion and Sustainability	443	(12)
James Parks Morton
Reaching the Public: The Challenge of Communicating Biodiversity	455	(7)
Jane Elder
John Russonello
Center for Environmental Research and Conservation (CERC): A New Multi-Institutional Partnership to Prepare the Next Generation of Environmental Leaders	462	(9)
Don J. Melnick
Mary C. Pearl
Natural Capitalism	471	(12)
Paul G. Hawken
PART 8 INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SUSTAINING BIODIVERSITY--POLICY
Linking Science and Policy: A Research Agenda for Colombian Biodiversity	483	(10)
Cristian Samper
Sustainability and the Law: An Assessment of the Endangered Species Act	493	(7)
Michael J. Bean
Government Policy and Sustainability of Biodiversity in Costa Rica	500	(6)
Rene Castro
National Security, National Interest, and Sustainability	506	(8)
Thomas E. Lovejoy
Biodiversity and Organizing for Sustainability in the United States Government	514	(7)
Timothy E. Wirth
PART 9 EXAMPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY
How to Grow a Wildland: The Gardenification of Nature	521	(9)
Daniel H. Janzen
Measures to Conserve Biodiversity in Sustainable Forestry: The Rio Condor Project	530	(13)
Mary T. Kalin Arroyo
Chemical Prospecting: The New Natural History	543	(8)
Thomas Eisner
Conservation Medicine: An Emerging Field	551	(6)
Mark Pokras
Gary Tabor
Mary Pearl
David Sherman
Paul Epstein
How Countries with Limited Resources Are Dealing with Biodiversity Problems	557	(16)
Jeffrey A. McNeely
Biodiversity and Sustainable Human Development: The Costa Rican Agenda	573	(13)
Rodrigo Gamez
Sandra Rodriguez
Ana Elena Valdes
The National Biodiversity Information System of Mexico	586	(10)
Jorge Soberon
Patricia Koleff
Community Involvement and Sustainability: The Malpai Borderlands Effort	596	(9)
William McDonald
Ronald J. Bemis
Index	605