The Diversity of Life

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Humans, the Harvard University entomologist Edward O. Wilson has observed, have an innate--or at least extremely ancient--connection to the natural world, and our continued divorce from it has led to the loss of not only "a vast intellectual legacy born of intimacy" with nature, but also our very sanity. In The Diversity of Life, Wilson takes a sweeping view of our planet's natural richness, remarking on what on the surface seems a paradox: "almost all the species that ever lived are extinct, and yet more are alive today than at any time in the past." (Wilson's elegant explanation is a scientific education in itself.) This great variety of species is, of course, threatened by habitat destruction, global climate change, and a host of other forces, and Wilson revisits his oft-stated call for the protection of wilderness and undeveloped land, noting that "wilderness has virtue unto itself and needs no extraneous justification." We should, he continues, regard every species, "every scrap of biodiversity," as precious and irreplaceable, without attempting to quantify that regard with utilitarian measures such as "bio-economics." In short, Wilson offers with this book a simple, workable environmental ethic that extends the work of Aldo Leopold and other conservationists. A remarkably productive and influential scientist, Wilson is also a fine writer, and his survey of biodiversity makes for welcome and instructive reading. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

Harvard Professor and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Edward Wilson takes readers through time--tracing the processes that create new species, the five cataclysmic events that have disrupted evolution over the past 600 million years, and how humans are destroying diversity at a projected rate of 20 percent over the next 30 years. "In the Amazon Basin the greatest violence sometimes begins as a flicker of light beyond the horizon. There in the perfect bowl of the night sky, untouched by light from any human source, a thunderstorm sends its premonitory signal and begins a slow journey to the observer, who thinks: the world is about to change." Watching from the edge of the Brazilian rain forest, witness to the sort of violence nature visits upon its creatures, Edward O. Wilson reflects on the crucible of evolution, and so begins his remarkable account of how the living world became diverse and how humans are destroying that diversity. Wilson, internationally regarded as the dean of biodiversity studies, conducts us on a tour through time, traces the processes that create new species in bursts of adaptive radiation, and points out the cataclysmic events that have disrupted evolution and diminished global diversity over the past 600 million years. The five enormous natural blows to the planet (such as meteorite strikes and climatic changes) required 10 to 100 million years of evolutionary repair. The sixth great spasm of extinction on earth--caused this time entirely by humans--may be the one that breaks the crucible of life. Wilson identifies this crisis in countless ecosystems around the globe: coral reefs, grasslands, rain forests, and other natural habitats. Drawing on a variety of examples such as the decline of bird populations in the United States, the extinction of many species of freshwater fish in Africa and Asia, and the rapid disappearance of flora and fauna as the rain forests are cut down, he poignantly describes the death throes of the living worlds diversity--projected to decline as much as 20 percent by the year 2020. All evidence marshaled here resonates through Wilson's tightly reasoned call for a spirit of stewardship over the worlds biological wealth. He makes a plea for specific actions that will enhance rather than diminish not just diversity but the quality of life on earth. Cutting through the tangle of environmental issues that often obscure the real concern, Wilson maintains that the era of confrontation between forces for the preservation of nature and those for economic development is over; he convincingly drives home the point that both aims can, and must, be integrated. Unparalleled in its range and depth, Wilson's masterwork is essential reading for those who care about preserving the worlds biological variety and ensuring our planets health.

Customer Reviews:

The Diversity of Life.......2007-01-10

This is an outstanding book. If you read this before you read Darwin's Origin of Species you'll get soooo much more from reading the latter. Anyway, the book encapsulates in easy to read prose much information that your mind can easily wrap itself around.

Second time round.......2007-01-04

When I received the book, it appeared that I had already an earlier edition in my bookcase. I did not regret my purchase, because the new version is updated/upgraded and E.O. Wilson is an excellent author and scientist on the subject of evolution.

The Diversity of Life.......2007-01-04

To begin with, I would like to say that this book was fairly good. The book started talking about early life on this planet, the various pioneering species of early Earth, etc. The book then goes into detail about the eolutionary paths of some of these pioneer species and of evolution in general, and of how the biodiversity on Earth has grown both in size and complexity. Towards the end, the book goes into the human influence on the environment; mostly the negative effects of human activity on theenvironment. I read this book for an AP Environmental Science class, and although this book is not the best, it had many colorful graphics and was fairly interesting and not dull like many of the books you are forced to read in school.

A Good Introduction to the Tapestry Of Life.......2006-08-27

This is a very eye-opening book which shows how important the diversity of life forms is to all of us. It demonstrates how even when we think we are conserving nature by setting aside
small areas to remain undeveloped, we are still dooming many species of life to extinction. With the loss of some species, others are threated and in the end, all of us are threatened.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a large view picture of nature in this world and how it is all interelated.

Welcome to the Jungle. Gets worse here every day........2006-07-02

There are some books where the superlative is simply insufficient. Edward Wilson writes with panache and vigor. He knows how to describe and keep the reader entertained. It was like I was reading fiction.

Wilson also writes with detail and accuracy. He knows his science. He knows the intricacy of ecology, and knows enough to know he can't know everything. This allows him to keep the mystery alive for the reader. I was continually astonished to see how he pulled in various aspects of Biology when telling a life story, and various sciences, to show how it All was inter-related. He would pull in constant relationships between different forms of life, and just when I thought he was done, he would go down a microscopic level. And then down another five levels. If is possible to be a savant within ecology, then this is it.

Wilson doesn't stop with good writing and excellent research. He tells us there's a problem. This is another The Jungle- only this time, there isn't much of a jungle left. Through out the book he makes clear that the planet is dying, and dying fast, and the causes of this death. Through the use of the ecological relationships, we see how an attack on one species can be an attack on thousands. Better authors are brave enough to tell us that not everything is okay.

The best authors tell us that there's a way to solve these problems. There are gloom and doom authors out there, teaching the world that everything will be destroyed, and the only thing to do now is get saved yourself. That's too little, and too easy, for Wilson. He doesn't make the situation worse than it is- his facts, studies, and research make it clear the situation is pretty bad. But it's not hopeless. He lays out how we can be changing things, and there's still time to change things. Not that it will be easy. But like an economic austerity program, sacrifices must be made, that we all might survive. To make it clear, this is a survivalist book. If you are hoping to see our species survive, then this book will assist in that. If you're okay with losing out on our currect ecological richness, with the disappearance of all the ecosystems you are familiar with, and the end of a species that can create a world wide web- but the survival of constant insect lifeforms- then there's no need to read any further.

(This review refers to the 1992 edition.)

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Insect Diversity Conservation
Michael J. Samways
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521789478

Book Description

Reviewing the background and ethics of insect conservation as well as current threats to insect diversity, this book explains the reasoning behind, and the techniques used, to maintain and protect insect diversity. Insect conservation has recently become a significant component of conservation biology because insects make up such a large proportion of total species numbers and biomass.

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This groundbreaking book is a contemporary global synthesis of the rapidly developing and important field of insect conservation biology. Insects play important roles in terrestrial ecological processes and in maintaining the world as we know it. They present particular conservation challenges, especially as a quarter face extinction within the next few decades. This textbook addresses the ethical foundation of insect conservation, and asks why should we concern ourselves with conservation of a butterfly, beetle or bug? The success of insects and their diversity, which have survived glaciers, is now facing a more formidable obstacle: the meteoric impact of humans. After addressing threats, from invasive alien plants to climate change, the book explores ways insects and their habitats are prioritised, mapped, monitored and conserved. Landscape and species approaches are considered. This book is for undergraduates, postgraduates, researchers and managers in conservation biology or entomology, and the wider biological and environmental sciences.

Designing Field Studies for Biodiversity Conservation

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good read

Designing Field Studies for Biodiversity Conservation
Peter Feinsinger
Manufacturer: Island Press
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ASIN: 1559638788

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good read.......2007-07-12

plenty of good information, presented in an easy-to-read and even entertaining manner - good choice for anyone considering conservation research!

Biodiversity and Environmental Philosophy: An Introduction (Cambridge Studies in Philosophy and Biology)

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MA thesis

Biodiversity and Environmental Philosophy: An Introduction (Cambridge Studies in Philosophy and Biology)
Sahotra Sarkar
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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Binding: Hardcover

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Requiem for Nature

ASIN: 0521851327

Book Description

This book explores the epistemological and ethical issues at the foundations of environmental philosophy, emphasizing the conservation of biodiversity. Sahota Sarkar criticizes previous attempts to attribute intrinsic value to nature and defends an anthropocentric position on biodiversity conservation based on an untraditional concept of transformative value. Unlike other studies in the field of environmental philosophy, this book is as much concerned with epistemological issues as with environmental ethics. It covers a broad range of topics, including problems of explanation and prediction in traditional ecology and how individual-based models and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology is transforming ecology. Introducing a brief history of conservation biology, Sarkar analyzes the new consensus framework for conservation planning through adaptive management. He concludes with a discussion of the future directions for theoretical research in conservation biology and environmental philosophy.

Customer Reviews:

MA thesis.......2006-11-05

I am doing MA -thesis over biodiversity at Joensuu university in Finland

That book is very important to me, thank you!

Yours
Esko Kiovistö

Evolution's Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People

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a biological reason for tolerance
A celebration of diversity
A great start
Evolution's Rainbow... required reading for students I feel
Clouded by Strong Biases

Evolution's Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People
Joan Roughgarden
Manufacturer: University of California Press
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0520240731

Book Description

In this innovative celebration of diversity and affirmation of individuality in animals and humans, Joan Roughgarden challenges accepted wisdom about gender identity and sexual orientation. A distinguished evolutionary biologist, Roughgarden takes on the medical establishment, the Bible, social science--and even Darwin himself. She leads the reader through a fascinating discussion of diversity in gender and sexuality among fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals, including primates. Evolution's Rainbow explains how this diversity develops from the action of genes and hormones and how people come to differ from each other in all aspects of body and behavior. Roughgarden reconstructs primary science in light of feminist, gay, and transgender criticism and redefines our understanding of sex, gender, and sexuality. Witty, playful, and daring, this book will revolutionize our understanding of sexuality.
Roughgarden argues that principal elements of Darwinian sexual selection theory are false and suggests a new theory that emphasizes social inclusion and control of access to resources and mating opportunity. She disputes a range of scientific and medical concepts, including Wilson's genetic determinism of behavior, evolutionary psychology, the existence of a gay gene, the role of parenting in determining gender identity, and Dawkins's "selfish gene" as the driver of natural selection. She dares social science to respect the agency and rationality of diverse people; shows that many cultures across the world and throughout history accommodate people we label today as lesbian, gay, and transgendered; and calls on the Christian religion to acknowledge the Bible's many passages endorsing diversity in gender and sexuality. Evolution's Rainbow concludes with bold recommendations for improving education in biology, psychology, and medicine; for democratizing genetic engineering and medical practice; and for building a public monument to affirm diversity as one of our nation's defining principles.

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In this innovative celebration of diversity and affirmation of individuality in animals and humans, Joan Roughgarden challenges accepted wisdom about gender identity and sexual orientation. A distinguished evolutionary biologist, Roughgarden takes on the medical establishment, the Bible, social science--and even Darwin himself. She leads the reader through a fascinating discussion of diversity in gender and sexuality among fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals, including primates. Evolution's Rainbow explains how this diversity develops from the action of genes and hormones and how people come to differ from each other in all aspects of body and behavior. Roughgarden reconstructs primary science in light of feminist, gay, and transgender criticism and redefines our understanding of sex, gender, and sexuality. Witty, playful, and daring, this book will revolutionize our understanding of sexuality. Roughgarden argues that principal elements of Darwinian sexual selection theory are false and suggests a new theory that emphasizes social inclusion and control of access to resources and mating opportunity. She disputes a range of scientific and medical concepts and dares social science to respect the agency and rationality of diverse people. Evolution's Rainbow concludes with bold recommendations for improving education in biology, psychology, and medicine; for democratizing genetic engineering and medical practice; and for building a public monument to affirm diversity as one of our nation's defining principles.

Customer Reviews:

a biological reason for tolerance.......2007-06-27

a very interesting and mindful book. interesting in that it shows how the gender dichotomy of western societies is ever so rigid and needs to loosen up. mindful in that it exudes tolerance and simply makes you appreciate diversity. i enjoyed reading it.

A celebration of diversity.......2007-03-08

Roughgarden's work in Evolution's Rainbow should be required reading for all college and high school students in the country. Starting with relatively simple animals and working into increasingly complex organisms (finally culminating with humans), Roughgarden convincingly and irrefutably demonstrates how sexual diversity is widespread in nature, not simply "weird statistical anomalies" as many believe. In fact, an over-abundance of examples from nature in the first section of the book is often somewhat exhausting to follow, but serves to establish the widespread nature of homosexuality, transsexuality, and even intersexuality in nature. And finally, the ending sections of the book, demonstrating how various societies have accepted/incorporpated sexually diverse elements, should serve as a motivation for LGBTI peoples around the world. Overall an excellent and politically timely book that can be appreciated by biologists and non-scientists alike.

A great start.......2006-10-20

Finally, someone is putting together all of the real, scientific information regarding sexuality and gender variance in the animal world.
Roughgarden may well have taken on too much for one book - there is something of a rushed pace and she often drops dissertation-worthy bits of information into one page - but she has gathered some wonderful examples of the true nature of diversity in the animal kingdom.
Her reasons for writing the book may be political and personal in nature, but I think her reasoning and biology are sound.

Evolution's Rainbow... required reading for students I feel.......2006-10-13

No matter what one may think about Roughgarden's hypotheses (though these are to my mind often inspired) Evolution's Rainbow was a great read if only for the sheer quantity of information it encapsulates. One comes away from this book with a profoundly altered idea of what constitutes "natural" in reference to sexuality and gender.

The only criticism I have is of the rather strained effort at the end of the book to reconcile the Bible with homosexuality. While I agree the Sodom story is primarily aimed at a lack of hospitality other scriptures e.g. Romans 1:31-32 are more explicit. It is unfortunate that an exemplary scientist still feels the need to pander to moral constructs based upon faith i.e. the belief in things that cannot be seen or demonstrated. By this criteria the 9/11 terrorists were very moral people.

Clouded by Strong Biases.......2006-09-21

This book provides some good descriptions of sexual and gender diversity in nature and in a variety of human cultures, and makes a number of valid criticisms of biases against diversity in the scientific community and in society at large.
Many of her attempts to criticize sexual selection theory are plausible criticisms of beliefs that don't have much connection to sexual selection theory (e.g. the belief that all sexually reproducing organisms fall into one of two gender stereotypes).
Her more direct attacks on the theory amount to claiming that "almost all diversity is good" and ignoring the arguments of sexual selection theorists who describe traits that appear to indicate reduced evolutionary fitness (see Geoffrey Miller's book The Mating Mind). She practically defines genetic defects out of existence. She tries to imply that biologists agree on her criteria for a "genetic defect", but her criteria require that a "trait be deleterious under all conditions" (I suspect most biologists would say "average" instead of "all"), and that it reduce fitness by at least 5 percent.
Her "alternative" theory, social selection, may have some value as a supplement to sexual selection theory, but I see no sign that it explains enough to replace sexual selection theory.
She sometimes talks as if she were trying to explain the evolution of homosexuality, but when doing so she is referring to bisexuality, and doesn't attempt to explain why an animal would be exclusively homosexual.
Her obsession with discrediting sexual selection comes from an exaggerated fear that the theory implies that most diversity is bad. This misrepresents sexual selection theory (which only says that some diversity represents a mix of traits with different fitnesses). It's also a symptom of her desire to treat natural as almost a synonym for good (she seems willing to hate diversity if it's created via genetic engineering).
She tries to imply that a number of traits (e.g. transsexualism) are more common than would be the case if they significantly reduced reproductive fitness, but her reasoning seems to depend on the assumption that those traits can only be caused by one possible mutation. But if there are multiple places in the genome where a mutation could produce the same trait, there's no obvious limit to how common a low-fitness trait could be.
Her policy recommendations are of very mixed quality. She wants the FDA to regulate surgical and behavioral therapies the way it regulates drugs, and claims that would stop doctors from "curing" nondiseases such as gender dysphoria. But she doesn't explain why she expects the FDA to be more tolerant of diversity than doctors. Instead, why not let the patient decide as much as possible whether to consider something a disease?

A Tropical Rainforest: The Nature of Biodiversity in Borneo at Belalong, Brunei

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A Tropical Rainforest: The Nature of Biodiversity in Borneo at Belalong, Brunei
David S. Edwards , and Earl of Cranbrook
Manufacturer: Sun Tree Publishing
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 9810055315

Maintaining Biodiversity in Forest Ecosystems

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A marvelous synthesis

Maintaining Biodiversity in Forest Ecosystems

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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ASIN: 0521637686

Book Description

The maintenance of the earth's biological diversity is widely seen as both necessary for ecosystem health and aesthetically desirable. This book focuses on how biodiversity can be maintained in forested ecosystems, particularly in those forests that are subject to timber harvesting. At the core of the book lies the concept that diversity should be conserved in all its forms--from the smallest microbes to the largest trees, and at all levels of organization--from genes to whole ecosystems. Introductory chapters on biodiversity and ecological forestry lead on to sections dealing with management at the macro (landscape) and micro (stand) levels. A concluding section addresses socioeconomic considerations that round out an overall synthesis and framework for the implementation of successful management practices. Thirty-three experts from ten countries contribute to this thorough and comprehensive account, providing a broad-based perspective that will be of interest internationally to researchers and professsionals in conservation, forestry, and ecology.

Customer Reviews:

A marvelous synthesis.......2001-03-16

Malcolm Hunter provided the first accessible, operational synthesis of landscape ecology, wildlife biology, and forestry in his "Wildlife, Forests, and Forestry." That book has proven indispensable for me during my career as a forest wildlife biologist. "Maintaining Biodiversity in Forest Ecosystems" is even better.

In the Foreword, Jack Ward Thomas says that he wishes that he had written this book. I wish I could write like these authors! The editing is first-class and a joy to read. Given the list of contributors, how could you lose? The organization is also quite logical, with papers organized into landscape- and stand-level topics.

For those of you who like to know what you're buying, here are the authors and their contributions (all of the chapters are excellent): Hunter: Biological diversity // Hunter and Seymour: Principles of ecological forestry // Palik and Engstrom: Species composition // Spies and Turner: Dynamic forest mosaics // Hansen and Rotella: Abiotic factors // Matlack and Litvaitis: Forest edges // Haila: Islands and fragments // Brinson and Verhoeven: Riparian forests // Calhoun: Wetlands // McComb and Lindenmayer: Dying, dead, and down trees // Brokaw and Lent: Vertical structure // Moore and Allen: Plantation forestry // Thompson and Angelstam: Special species // Millar: Genetic diversity // Frelich and Puettman: Restoration ecology // Norton: Forest reserves // Oliver, Boydak, Segura, and Bare: Forest organization, management, and policy // Lippke and Bishop: The economic perspective // Maguire: Social perspectives //

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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 Footprints in the Jungle is an invaluable reference in this important and highly politicized debate. This volume looks at new approaches that lessen 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 also examines the environmental and social impact of resource development, proposes a rigorous "best practices" approach, and analyzes a number of challenging technical, environmental, social, and legal issues.

Customer Reviews:

Engaging Private Sector in Environmental Protection.......2001-10-30

Business which is based on profit maximization is usually considered to be in conflict with the goals of environmental protection. This contradiction can be even more severe when the business owned by private sectors in developed countries extend their activities in far-away underdeveloped areas. The book looks at the environmental protection from business perspectives, especially extractive industries' involvement in biodiversity conservation. It explores numerous cases ("best practices") showing how business interests reconcile with environmental protection goals. The dynamics of various stakeholders was investigated to illustrate how the business strategic calculation of benefit and cost has been shaped by other stakeholders. According to the authors, there are two major reasons of why business starts to voluntarily involve in environmental protection: corporate reputation (intangible value) and eco-efficiency (tangible value). The book is a big contribution to the empirical studies of how business operation has been shaped by environmental protection and vice versa. I recommend the book to environmental experts, project managers and corporate environmentalists.

Engaging Private Sector in Environmental Protection.......2001-10-30

Philosophy and Biodiversity (Cambridge Studies in Philosophy and Biology)

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Philosophy and Biodiversity (Cambridge Studies in Philosophy and Biology)

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521804302

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This important collection focuses on the nature and importance of biodiversity. Many controversies currently surround biodiversity and a few of them are examined here: What is worthy of protection or restoration, and what is the acceptable level of costs? Is it permissible to kill sentient animals to promote native populations? Can species be reintroduced if they have disappeared a long time ago? How should the responsibilities for biodiversity be shared?

Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: A Conservation Assessment (World Wildlife Fund Ecoregion Assessments)

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Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: A Conservation Assessment (World Wildlife Fund Ecoregion Assessments)
Eric Wikramanayake , Eric Dinerstein , Colby J. Loucks , and Stuart Pimm
Manufacturer: Island Press
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1559639237

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"This book, along with its companions in this series, takes an ecoregional approach, dividing large regions into small, distinct units, each with its characteristic species, ecosystems, natural history, and threats. As such, it has no peers. It is the sourcebook for anyone who must look for where and how to act to save the variety of life on Earth." - from the foreword by Stuart L. Pim.

A number of conservation groups, including World Wildlife Fund, have in recent years adopted an approach to conservation that uses ecoregions to identify biological and conservation priority areas. Ecoregions define distinct ecosystems that share broadly similar environmental conditions and natural communities; as such, they make more sense for priority-setting efforts than do political units such as countries or provinces.

Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific offers a comprehensive examination of the state of the Indo-Pacific's biodiversity and habitats, moving beyond endangered or charismatic species to quantify for the first time the number of mammal and bird species, including endemics, in each ecoregion.

The book begins with a discussion of the background and basis for ecoregion delineation and definition of the objectives and approach used. Following that, chapters describe the biological distinctiveness and conservation status of ecoregions, quantifying the amount of habitat remaining, how it is distributed, and how much is protected. The analysis concludes with a set of ecoregions that deserve immediate attention and also highlights ecoregions that are still in relatively pristine condition. Substantial appendixes offer detailed descriptions of each ecoregion, including information on:

unique features of the ecoregion that set it apart from others
its biological distinctiveness, threats to habitats and wildlife, and important sites for conservation
an agenda and recommendations for where conservation efforts should be concentrated

Short essays by regional experts - including Derek Holmes, Tony Whitten, Indraneil Das, Walter Erdelen, John Seidensticker, Joyotee Smith, Kathy MacKinnon, and others - address special topics relating to finer-scale conservation issues or ecological processes that are typically overlooked in a regional-scale analysis.

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