Synopses & Reviews
In the life sciences, there is wide-ranging debate about biodiversity. While nearly everyone is in favor of biodiversity and its conservation, methods for its assessment vary enormously. So what exactly is biodiversity? Most theoretical work on the subject assumes it has something to do with species richnessand#8212;with the number of species in a particular regionand#8212;but in reality, it is much more than that. Arguing that we cannot make rational decisions about what it is to be protected without knowing what biodiversity is, James Maclaurin and Kim Sterelny offer in
What Is Biodiversity? a theoretical and conceptual exploration of the biological world and how diversity is valued.
Here, Maclaurin and Sterelny explore not only the origins of the concept of biodiversity, but also how that concept has been shaped by ecology and more recently by conservation biology. They explain the different types of biodiversity important in evolutionary theory, developmental biology, ecology, morphology and taxonomy and conclude that biological heritage is rich in not just one biodiversity but many. Maclaurin and Sterelny also explore the case for the conservation of these biodiversities using option value theory, a tool borrowed from economics.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; An erudite, provocative, timely, and creative attempt to answer a fundamental question, What Is Biodiversity? will become a foundational text in the life sciences and studies thereof.
Review
and#8220;Maclaurin and Sterelnyand#8217;s
What Is Biodiversity? is a truly impressive achievement. The concept of and#8216;biodiversityand#8217; is much used though equally abused. Their proposed pluralistic, multidimensional account of biodiversity centered around species richness leads the way forward through studies of diversity in ecology and conservation biology, and also in important areas like paleontology and developmental biology. Anyone interested in debates over biological diversity and its values simply must read this book.and#8221;and#8212;Jay Odenbaugh, Lewis and Clark College
Review
Choice Outstanding Academic Title, 2008
Review
and#8220;
What Is Biodiversity? is essential reading for philosophers of biology, environmental philosophers, conservation biologists, and, indeed, anyone interested in one of the most pressing issues of our time: the conservation of biodiversity. Maclaurin and Sterelny have written an important book, but itand#8217;s also a terrific read. The writing is clear and economical, the argumentation isand#160;tight,and#160;and the result is a very engaging book. It is sure to have a significant impact on both the philosophical and the biological work on biodiversity.and#8221;and#8212;Mark Colyvan, University of Sydney
Review
"This monograph would make an excellent supplemental reading for undergraduate courses in ecology, conservation biology, and philosophy of biology or a primary resource for a class on biodiversity."
Review
"Overall, [the authors] have produced an interesting review and a coherent argument. Their work will be of interest to those involved in conservation planning and management, environmental policy, ecological and evolutionary theory, and the philosophy of biological science. . . . Their work underlines that extension of conservation biology by integration of ecological and evolutionary theory is an exciting, advancing field."
Review
"A valuable theoretical contribution to debates surrounding the conservation of biological diversity. By explaining the diversity of diversities and its relevance for conservation purposes, [the authors] correct the widespread illusion that the conservation of species is an easily tractable and objective aim of conservation."
Review
"This book often clears a path through much of the related theoretical undergrowth, fearlessly criticising the theories of all-comers, Dawkins, Gould and Lewontin among them."
About the Author
James Maclaurin is senior lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Otago in New Zealand. Kim Sterelny divides his time betweenVictoria University of Wellington, where he is professor of philosophy, and the Research School of Social Sciences at Australian National University. He is the coauthor, with Paul Griffiths, of Sex and Death: An Introduction to Philosophy of Biology.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgmentsand#160;
1and#160;and#160; Taxonomy Red in Tooth and Clawand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
1.1and#160; Biodiversity and and#8220;Biodiversityand#8221;
1.2and#160; Biodiversity and Biodiversities
1.3and#160; History and Taxonomy
1.4and#160; Diversity as Cause; Diversity as Effect
1.5and#160; Prospectus: The Road Ahead
and#160;
2and#160;and#160; Species: A Modest Proposaland#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
2.1and#160; Introduction
2.2and#160; Species, Species Concepts, and Speciation
2. 3and#160; The Effect of Speciation
2.4and#160; Species and Biodiversity
and#160;
3and#160;and#160; Disparity and Diversityand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
3.1and#160; The Cone of Increasing Controversy
3.2 and#160;How Disparate Was the Cambrian Fauna?
3.3and#160; Fossils in a Molecular World
and#160;
4and#160;and#160; Morphology and Morphological Diversityand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
4.1and#160; Introduction
4.2and#160; Morphological Diversity
4.3and#160; Biological Possibility Spaces
4.4and#160; The Power of Morphospaces
4.5and#160; Here There Be No Dragons: The Limits of Theoretical Morphology
4.6and#160; Morphological Biodiversity
and#160;
5and#160;and#160; Development and Diversityand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
5.1and#160; Diversity, Disparity, Plasticity
5.2and#160; The Variety of Developmental Resources
5.3and#160; From Gene Regulation to Modularity
5.4and#160; Modularity in Development and Evolution
5.5and#160; Developmental Biodiversity
and#160;
6and#160;and#160; Explorations in Ecospaceand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
6.1 and#160;Ecological Systems
6.2and#160; Communities, Ecosystems, and Ecosystem Functions
6.3and#160; Individualism and Community Regulation
6.4and#160; The Emergent Property Hypothesis
6.5and#160; Boundaries
6.6and#160; The Space of Population Assemblages
and#160;
7and#160;and#160; Conservation Biology: The Measurement Problemand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
7.1and#160; Introduction
7.2and#160; Counting Taxa
7.3and#160; Measuring Phylogenetic Diversity
7.4and#160; Measuring Genetic Diversity
7.5and#160; Biodiversity Surrogates
and#160;
8and#160;and#160; Conservation Biology: The Evaluation Problemand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
8.1and#160; Value
8.2and#160; Is Biodiversity Intrinsically Valuable?
8.3and#160; Demand Value
8.4and#160; The Option Value Option
8.5and#160; Applying Option Value: Case 1, Phylogeny
8.6and#160; Applying Option Value: Case 2, Bioprospecting
8.7and#160; Applying Option Value: Case 3, Ecological Option Value
8.8and#160; The Conservation Consequences of Option Value Models
and#160;
9and#160;and#160; Concluding Remarksand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
9.1and#160; Introduction: The Temptations of a Unified Measure
9.2and#160; The Variety of Diversities
9.3and#160; Should We Conserve Species?
and#160;
Notesand#160;and#160;
Referencesand#160;and#160;
Index