Biodiversity

The rate at which the planet is losing its biodiversity, the implications of this loss, and possible remedies are the subject of much public and academic debate. This book shows how biodiversity can be protected through the involvement of local communities. The authors suggest that strict protection of threatened areas must be combined with involvement by local economies and societies. The book examines the experience of regions around the world where this approach has been tried, drawing upon the insights of political scientists, economists and social psychologists.

The author of "The Riddled Chain" maintains that mankind's explosive population growth has led to the mass extinction of countless species in the Earth's plant and animal communities. 23 figures.

For ages, farmers have domesticated plant varieties, while scientists have "made" nature through hybridization and other processes. This give and take - mediated through negotiations, persuasion, the marketplace, and even coercion - has resulted in what we call "nature" and has led to a homogenization of plant crops. Yet homogenization has led to new problems: genetic vulnerability, and the lack of systems to maintain plant germplasm of varieties no longer grown in the fields. This book addresses issues previously viewed as primarily technical concerning the germplasm debate: that is, how, what, and where to store the range of genetic materials necessary to reproduce plants. By examining Brazil, Chile, France, and the United States, the authors show how different cultures respond to the decline in genetic diversity. The findings show that the quest for uniformity in foods, agriculture, and environment eventually threatens everyone. The politicization of this debate is inevitable because the destruction of human cultural diversity goes hand in hand with the destruction of plant varietal diversity. The authors agree that responses to the controversies must involve food security, relinking of food with agriculture and the environment, revaluing traditional knowledge, and rethinking development. They stress that answers will be found not by experts acting unilaterally but through the democratization of scientific and technical exchange.

From the lush forests of Appalachia to the frozen tundra of Alaska, and from the tallgrass prairies of the Midwest to the subtropical rainforests of Hawaii, the United States harbors a remarkable array of ecosystems. These ecosystems in turn sustain an exceptional variety of plant and animal life. For species such as salamanders and freshwater turtles, the United States ranks as the global center of diversity. Among the nation's other unique biological features are California's coast redwoods, the world's tallest trees, and Nevada's Devils Hole pupfish, which survives in a single ten-by-seventy-foot desert pool, the smallest range of any vertebrate animal. Precious Heritage draws together for the first time a quarter century of information on U.S. biodiversity developed by natural heritage programs from across the country. This richly illustrated volume not only documents those aspects of U.S. biodiversity that are particularly noteworthy, but also considers how our species and ecosystems are faring, what is threatening them, and what is needed to protect the nation's remaining natural inheritance. Above all, Precious Heritage is a celebration of the extraordinary biological diversity of the United States.

Sustainable development has been approached from many viewpoints over the past 15 years without a concise or precise definition of what sustainable development really stands for. James has solicited contributions from an international group of experts who write about aspects of sustainable development from many different disciplines. Their consensus is that sustainability depends upon concerted development across the spectrum of socioeconomic factors that affect the environment, natural resources, health, education, and welfare of the populations in the emerging nations. The necessity of incorporating indigenous knowledge with technological and international expertise has become crucial.

This text examines the development and evolution of biotechnology in industrialised and developing countries. It explores efforts made by policy makers and the leaders in the field to reduce technology gaps.

Tropical forests have seen a tremendous growth in logging, mining, and oil and gas development over the past decades. These industries and their infrastructure, including roads and power lines, have a tremendous impact on the environment and often conflict with the growing concern for conservation, particularly the conservation of tropical biodiversity. However, development in the tropics is extremely important economically, both for developing and industrialized nations, and this volume looks at new approaches that attempt to minimize the impact of development. It collects numerous case studies by project managers, advocates, and researchers from major international companies, development agencies, universities, and non-governmental organizations. It looks closely at the environmental and social impact of resource development, proposes a rigorous "best practices" approach, and examines a number of challenging technical, environmental, social, and legal issues. It will be an invaluable reference in this important and highly politicized debate.

-- Bioscience

This publication considers the contributions of smallholder farmers throughout the world towards conserving biodiversity in their farmland and surrounding areas. It is based on the fieldwork of the United Nations University project on 'People, Land Management and Environmental Change' (PLEC) which focused on how farmers have used their resource management knowledge and skills to promote a rich diversity of plants and animals.