Environment and biodiversity

The concept of biodiversity should be an expression of life which includes variability of all life forms and their organisation and inter relationships from the molecular to the biosphere level, which includes cultural diversity. Biodiversity includes all forms of life and all areas that are home to natural and domesticated life forms. The threats to biodiversity are threats to all components of it; hence fragmented treatment of biodiversity must be rejected. Biodiversity is a concept which occurs at the balance between the spiritual understanding that, life is one and the scientific understanding that the diversity of life is interconnected.

Biodiversity and its decline; Understanding biodiversity; Taxonomic diversity; Ecological restoration; Phylogeny and historical reconstruction; Information management for biodiversity; Tropical sustainable development; Taxonomic preparedness; Butterfly diversity; Biodiversity in Neotropical primates; Evolution of bowerbirds; Human-caused extinction of birds; Multiple environmental stresses; Rapid gene discovery technology; Assessment of character sets from gene sequences; Tropical forest beetles; Resources in living collection; Establishing research; Museums and research collections; Convention on biodiversity etc. are the themes under which authoritative information is gathered. This book will prove a dependable reference tool to academics, policy planners, administrators and various NGO's working in the field.