Biodiversity: An Introduction, Second Edition

✍ Scribed by Kevin J. Gaston, John I. Spicer

• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 207
• Edition: 2
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ARTWORKThis concise introductory text provides a complete overview of biodiversity - what it is, how it arose, its distribution, why it is important, human impact upon it, and what should be done to maintain it.Timely overview of the serious attempts made to quantify and describe biodiversity in a scientific way Acts as an easy entry point into the primary literature Provides real-world examples of key issues, including illustrations of major temporal and spatial patterns in biodiversity Designed primarily with undergraduate students and course lecturers in mind, it will also be of interest to anyone who requires an overview of, and entry to, the vast literature on these topics. All the figures included in the book are downloadable from the Blackwell Publishing website

✦ Table of Contents

Cover Page......Page 1
Title Page......Page 3
ISBN 1405118571......Page 4
3 Mapping biodiversity......Page 5
6 Maintaining biodiversity......Page 6
Preface......Page 7
Acknowledgements......Page 9
1.1 Marion Island......Page 16
1.2 What is biodiversity?......Page 18
1.3 Elements of biodiversity......Page 20
1.4 Measuring biodiversity......Page 24
Further reading......Page 31
2.2 Sources of information......Page 34
2.3 A brief history of biodiversity......Page 36
2.4 How many extant species are there?......Page 53
Further reading......Page 63
3.1 Introduction......Page 65
3.2 Issues of scale......Page 66
3.3 Extremes of high and low diversity......Page 72
3.4 Gradients in biodiversity......Page 86
3.5 Congruence......Page 100
Further reading......Page 105
4.1 Introduction......Page 106
4.2 Direct-use value......Page 107
4.3 Indirect-use value......Page 113
4.4 Non-use value......Page 118
Further reading......Page 120
5.2 Species extinctions......Page 123
5.3 Populations, individuals and genetic diversity......Page 130
5.4 Threats to biodiversity......Page 131
5.5 The scale of the human enterprise......Page 145
Further reading......Page 150
6.1 Introduction......Page 153
6.2 Objectives of the Convention......Page 154
6.3 General measures for conservation and sustainable use......Page 156
6.4 Identification and monitoring......Page 158
6.5 In-situ conservation......Page 159
6.7 Sustainable use of components of biological diversity......Page 169
6.8 Incentive measures......Page 170
6.9 Responses to the Convention......Page 171
Further reading......Page 172
References......Page 175
Index......Page 198
Back Page......Page 207