Biodiversity [[electronic resource]]

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910455786203321
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: Washington, : National Academies Press, 1988
• ISBN: 1-280-22151-8; 9786610221516; 0-309-56736-X; 0-585-04722-7
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (535 p.)
• Altri autori (Persone): WilsonEdward O
• Disciplina: 333.7/2
• Soggetti: Biodiversity conservation; Biodiversity; Earth & Environmental Sciences; Ecology; Electronic books.
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Note generali: Description based upon print version of record.
• Nota di contenuto: ""Biodiversity""; ""Copyright""; ""EDITOR'S FOREWORD""; ""Contents""; ""Chapter 1 The Current State of Biological Diversity ""; ""THE AMOUNT OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY""; ""THE NATURAL LONGEVITY OF SPECIES""; ""RAIN FORESTS AS CENTERS OF DIVERSITY""; ""HOW MUCH DIVERSITY IS BEING LOST?""; ""HOW FAST IS DIVERSITY DECLINING?""; ""WHAT CAN BE DONE?""; ""References""; ""PART 1 CHALLENGES TO THE PRESERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY ""; ""Chapter 2 The Loss of Diversity Causes and Consequences ""; ""References""; ""Chapter 3 Tropical Forests and Their Species Going, Going â€? ? ""; ""TROPICAL FORESTS""; ""EXTINCTION RATES: FUTURE""""TROPICAL FOREST AND CLIMATIC CHANGE""; ""REPERCUSSIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF EVOLUTION""; ""References""; ""Chapter 4 Ecological Diversity in Coastal Zones and Oceans ""; ""COASTS AND OCEANSâ€?A WORLD VIEW""; ""LIFE ACCORDING TO THE BOOK OF TAXONOMY""; ""ECOLOGICAL DIVERSITY""; ""CONCLUSIONS IN PROSPECT""; ""References""; ""Chapter 5 Diversity Crises in the Geological Past ""; ""THE PHANEROZOIC RECORD OF EXTINCTION""; ""EXTINCTION RATES IN DEEP TIME""; ; ""EVOLUTIONARY CONSEQUENCES OF PAST EXTINCTIONS""; ""EXTINCTION IN SHALLOW TIME: THE PLEISTOCENE EXPERIENCE""; ""RESEARCH FOR THE FUTURE""""References""; ""Chapter 6 Estimating Reductions in the Diversity of Tropical Forest Species ""; ""THE ACCEPTED VIEW""; ""NUMBER OF SPECIES IN THE TROPICS""; ""RATE OF CHANGE IN TROPICAL FOREST AREAS""; ""DIVERSITY OF FOREST TYPES IN THE TROPICS""; ""RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DEFORESTATION RATE AND LOSS OF SPECIES""; ""SEEKING A BETTER ESTIMATE""; ""CALLING ATTENTION TO THE POSITIVE TERMS IN THE SPECIES EXTINCTION ISSUE""; ""NEED FOR BETTER LAND AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT""; ""ACKNOWLEDGMENTS""; ""References""; ""Chapter 7 Challenges to Biological Diversity in Urban Areas """"References""; ""PART 2 HUMAN DEPENDANCE ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ""; ""Chapter 8 Deep Ecology Meets the Developing World ""; ""References""; ""Chapter 9 Screening Plants for New Medicines ""; ""THE GLOBAL IMPORTANCE OF PLANT-DERIVED DRUGS""; ""THE IMPORTANCE OF HERBAL DRUGS""; ""In Hong Kong""; ""In Japan""; ""In the People's Republic of China""; ""THE SEARCH FOR NEW PLANT DRUGS""; ""Use of the NAPRALERT Data Base""; ""PHARMACOLOGICAL INTEREST IN NATURAL PRODUCTS""; ""APPROACHES TO DRUG DISCOVERY FROM PLANTS""; ""LACK OF INTEREST IN NEW DRUG DISCOVERY PROGRAMS FROM PLANTS""""SUMMARY""; ""References""; ""Chapter 10 Serendipity in the Exploration of Biodiversity What Good are Weedy Tomatoes? ""; ""THE DISCOVERY OF A NEW TOMATO""; ""HOW MUCH IS A WILD TOMATO WORTH?""; ""A NEW SPECIES OF WILD MAIZE""; ""THE CONTINUING IMPORTANCE OF BOTANICAL EXPLORATION""; ""References""; ""Chapter 11 The Outlook for new Agricultural and Industrial Products from the Tropics ""; ""AGRICULTURE""; ""NEW CROPS""; ""IMPROVEMENT OF CROP SPECIES THROUGH CROSS-BREEDING""; ""NATURAL PESTICIDES""; ""INDUSTRY""; ""FATS AND OILS""; ""FIBERS""