Reproduced, with permission, from:
Groombridge, B., ed. 1992. Intellectual property rights for biotechnology. In Global biodiversity: Status of the Earth's living resources, 495-99. London: Chapman and Hall.
How to Use this Book viii
World Conservation Monitoring Centre ix
Acknowledgments x
Preface xii
Biodiversity - An Overview xiii
SYSTEMATICS AND DIVERSITY
1. GENETIC DIVERSITY 1
The nature and origin of genetic variation 1
Measuring genetic variation 1
The interpretation of variation 3
The environment and the distribution of genetic variation 3
Conclusion 6
2. SYSTEMATIC DIVERSITY 7
Biological classification 7
Phylogenetic relationships and their estimation 7
From hierarchy to classification 7
Taxonomic nomenclature and its regulation 9
Major features of the hierarchy of life 10
Systematics and the measurement of biodiversity 11
3. SPESIES CONCEPTS 13
What is a species? 13
Early species concepts 13
Evolutionary theory and polytypic species 13
The biological species concept 14
The phylogenetic species concept 15
Species in practice 15
Conclusion 16
4. SPECIES INVENTORY 17
Current status 17
Prediction from the existing partial inventory 20
Other approaches to predicting patterns 23
Uncharted realms of species richness 26
Sampling the hyper-diverse but poorly known 31
New data on tropical insects and what they convey 32
Prospects for improved species richness estimates 36
5. SPECES DIVERSITY: AN INTRODUCTION
A brief history of diversity 40
Measuring biological diversity 41
The global distribution of species richness 43
Species and energy 45
Explanations and hypotheses 46
6. MICROORGANISMS 47
Taxonomic scope 47
Assessment of diversity 47
Species concepts in microorganisms 47
Extent of genetic diversity 49
Regions and habitats of maximum diversity 49
Role of microorganisms in biodiversitv maintenance 50
Role of microorganisms in biosphere functions 51
Potential contribution of microorganisms to sustainable development 51
The need for diversity amongst microorganisms 52
Ex situ conservation of microorganisms 52
The taxonomic challenge 52
7. LOWER PLANT DIVERSITY 55
Bryophytes 55
Lichens 55
Algae 57
8. HIGHER PLAND DIVERSITY64
The groups of higher plants 64
The distribution of higher plants 65
9. NEMATODES 88
Nematode diversity 88
The ecological importance of nematodes 90
10. DEEP-SEA INVERTEBRATES 93
Deep-sea communities 93
Ocean trenches 95
Hydrothermal vents 98
Cold seeps 100
11. SOIL MACROFAUNA 103
Soil and soil fauna 103
Patterns of species richness 105
General patterns of diversity 113
12. FISHES 116
The diversity of fishes 116
Freshwater fishes: species richness and endemism 116
Subterranean fishes 121
Coral reef fisbes 122
13. HIGHER VERTEBRATES 136
The groups of higher vertebrates 136
The distribution of higher vertebrates 137
14. ISLAND SPECIES 147
Plants on oceanic islands 148
Land snails 149
15. CENTRES OF SPECIES DIVERSITY 154
Introduction 154
Methods of determining areas of conservation priority 154
Centres of plant diversity 157
Centres of avian endemism 161
16. SPECIES EXTINCTION 192
How species become vulnerable to extinction 192
A brief history of extinctions 196
Extinctions in recent history 198
Current and future extinction rates 202
17. THREATENED SPECIES 234
What is a threatened species? 234
Globally threatened animals 236
Aquatic habitats 242
Threatened species on islands: plants 244
Threatened species on islands: birds 245
18. GLOBAL HABITAT CLASSIFICATION 248
Ecosystem mapping 248
Estimating rates of chang of ecosystems 250
19. BIODIVERSITY AND LGOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE 254
Modelling global climate change 254
Effects of climate change on vegetation zones and biodiversity 254
20. TROPICAL MOIST GORESTS 256
What are tropical moist forests? 256
The global area of tropical moist forest 257
Factors involved in changes in forest cover 264
Management practices in tropical forests 267
Management practices in tropical forests 267
Case studies 269
21. GRASSLANDS 280
The world area of grassland 280
Origins and floral diversity of grasslands 280
The 20th century impact on grasslands 284
The 20th century impact on grasslands 284
Case studies 288
22. WETLANDS 293
Global extent and distribution of wetlands 293
Regional extent and distribution of wetlands 295
Values and threats 297
Loss of wetlands 298
Conservation of wetlands 302
23. CORAL REEFS 307
Occurence of reefs 307
Values and threats 307
24. MANGROVES 324
The mangrove habitat 324
Value of mangroves 324
Threats to mangrove habitats 324
USES OF BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES
25. PLANT USE 331
Food plants 331
Timber 342
Rattans 350
Medicinal plants 350
Ornamental plants 353
26. ANIMAL USE 359
Introduction 359
Food: terrestrial animals 359
Food: fisheries 365
Non-food uses 374
Domestic livestock 389
27. BIODIVERSITY AND ECONOMICS 407
Valuing the environment 407
Loss of biodiversity as an economic process 409
Current uses of diverse resources 411
Community use of wildlife resources 411
Ecotourism 413
Existence values 415
The valuation of diverse ecosystems 417
The value of tropical forests 417
The value of wetlands 421
Preserving future options 425
The value of diversity in providing insurance: crop yields 426
Sources of yield variability 429
Crop insurance: the response to increased agricultural risk 430
The value of agricultural genetic diversity 432
The value of blodiversity in the production of pharmaceuticals 434
NATIONAL POLICIES AND INSTRUMENTS
28. NATIONAL LEGISLATION 441
The protection of wild flora 441
The protection of wild fauna 442
Limitations of species legislation 444
The protection of natural habitats 444
29. PROTECTED AREAS 447
National protected area systems 447
International protected area systems 459
30. MULTILATERAL TREATIES 479
Multilateral treaties 479
31. INTERNATIONAL POLICY AND LEGAL ASSISTANCE 490
Funding 490
International obligations: protected areas 494
Intellectual property rights for biotechnology 495
Regulated trading in wildlife products 499
Regional seas programme 501
32. INTERNATIONAL AID 506
International development assistance 506
Bilateral development assistance 507
Multilateral development assistance 509
International assistance in forest management 514
The tropical forestry action plan (TFAP) 514
The international tropical timber agreement (ITTA) 518
33. MANAGEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES 528
International fisheries management commissions 528
Antarctica: the evolution of an international resource management regime 534
34. CURRENT PRACTICES IN CONSERVATION 543
In situ conservation of threatened plant species 545
In situ conservation of crops and wild relatives of crops 546
Institutions involved in ex situ conservation of plants 549
Techniques for ex situ plant conservation 557
In situ conservation of animals 561
Ex situ conservation of animals 563
Ex situ conservation of animal genetic resources 571
Ex situ conservation of microbial diversity 571
35. THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY 576
Background 576
The biodiversity convention 576
The biodiversity country studies and unmet financial needs 579
Future data needs: networking and global monitoring 581
GLOSSARY 585