Biodiversity

Measurement and Estimation

Häftad, Engelska, 1995

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While biodiversity is a hot word, the conceptual scientific issues underlying its quantification have received scant attention. What is biodiversity? Is biodiversity just the number of species in an area? If biodiversity is more than this how can it be measured? Are all species of equal weight? Should biodiversity measures include intraspecific genetic variance? Do some species contribute more than others to the biodiversity of an area? Are there useful indicators of areas where biodiversity is high? And, can the extent of biodiversity be estimated by extrapolation? Leading experts in the field of biodiversity studies take up these questions in this Royal Society sponsored book. The contributors draw on examples from a wide range of groups of organisms including bacteria, beetles, birds, fungi, mammals, plants and spiders: palaeobotanical aspects are also considered. Approaches considered include the latest molecular and phylogenetic techniques through to a selection of indicator taxa and aspects of sampling.This text should be of interest to all those concerned with the practical tasks of biodiversity assessments and their interpretation, and also the development of the conceptual scientific base of this fledgling scientific discipline.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum1995-11-30
Mått216 x 279 x 9 mm
Vikt394 g
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor140
Upplaga1995
FörlagChapman and Hall
ISBN9780412752209

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Preface. Conceptual aspects of the quantification of the extent of biological diversity. Biodiversity at the molecular level: the domains, kingdoms and phyla of life. The quantification of plant dioversity through time. Phylogenetic pattern and the quantification of organismal biodiversity. Biodiversity at the molecular genetic level: experiences from disparate macroorganisms. Theoretical and practical aspects of the quantification of biodiversity among microorganisms. Selecting indicator taxa for the quantitative assessment of biodiversity. The quantification of biodiversity: an esoteric quest or a vital component of sustainable development. A comparison of the efficiency of higher taxa and species numbers in the assessment of the biodiversity in the neotropics. Estimating terrestrial biodiversity through extrapolation. Practical approaches to the estimation of the extent of biodiversity in speciose groups. Index.

This is important reading for anyone involved with teaching biology at A level or above. It is crammed with thoughts which cannot do anything but provoke worthwhile projects and ideas and enable more sensitive handling of them. Buy the book, borrow, beg or steal it - now! - Teaching Statistics; This is not a coordinated compendium of simple answers ... but it is an account of biologists groping urgently for new approaches to an increasingly pressing problem. - Biologist; This is a useful book and one that I shall refer to regularly in my work. I recommend it for those working on biodiversity assessment. - British Ecological Society; This is important reading for anyone involved with teaching biology at A level or above. It is crammed with thoughts which cannot do anything but provoke worthwhile projects and ideas and enable more sensitive handling of them. But the book, borrow, beg or steal it - now! - Teaching statistics 'This volume is the same as other similar joint efforts: cheap, accesible, completely up-to-date, and tightly edited.' Biodiversity Letters, 3 (1996)