Biodiversity: A Beginner's Guide

by John Spicer

Overview

Biologist John Spicer shows how closely our future is linked with that of biodiversity while navigating readers through some key problems facing our planet, including mass extinctions, population explosions, habitat destruction, and pollution. Along the way, he provides valuable insight into the impact humans have had upon the earth and its inhabitants, whether efforts such as ecotourism really help, and how scientists and economists calculate the 'value' of biodiversity. Passionately argued, this book is a must for anyone who has an appreciation for nature and wants to understand the real issues at stake in preserving it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781780741321
Publisher:	Oneworld Publications
Publication date:	12/01/2012
Series:	Beginner's Guides
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

John Spicer is Professor in Marine Biology, University of Plymouth. He is co-author of the best-selling textbook Biodiversity: An Introduction, Blackwell Science, 2003

Table of Contents

Preface     viii
The wood among which the trees are found     1
All creatures that on earth do dwell     10
Where on earth is biodiversity?     38
Diversity, extinction and deep time     59
Crisis? What crisis?     86
No such thing as a free lunch     113
Leaving the world as you would like to find it     139
The ring of living beauty     158
Further reading and website references     163
Appendix     170
Index     174

Editorial Reviews

"This is science for the general reader at its very best - clear, committed, fascinating and laser-focused on the crisis we face."

H Randal Keynes - great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin and author of 'Annie's Box: Charles Dar

"Biodiversity is a well-written and very readable book that engages the reader with the issues from the very start."

John Bryant

If you have any doubts about the meaning of the term biodiversity or its importance to the world here is a book that explains it in an interesting and accessible way and challenges us to protect it better."

Professor Sir Ghillean Prance FRS

"Will appeal to intelligent non-specialists and may provide the incentive to study the subject in greater depth"

Journal of Biological Education

"A stimulating, authoritative and deeply rewarding read that makes you think about the natural world in a novel way."

Ahmed Djoghlaf - Assistant Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme and Executive Secretar

"Prof Spicer spells out the chilling message in a new book — Biodiversity: A Beginner's Guide — the findings of which have been backed by respected scientists from the United Nations, Yale University and the Eden Project."

the Herald

"This is science for the general reader at its very best - clear, committed, fascinating and laser-focused on the crisis we face."

H Randal Keynes - great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin and author of 'Annie's Box: Charles Darwin