Biodiversity (free access)
Vol. 405, No. 6783 (11 May 2000)
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Cover illustration (Image courtesy of Conservation International.)

Biodiversity may be a buzzword, but as a concept it sits at the heart of ecological research. Some ecological communities, such as pristine coral reef systems, are astonishingly rich in the number and types of species that they support, whereas others are relatively species poor. Natural communities also differ greatly in the proportion of species performing different ecological functions. What determines such differences and how these differences are related to ecosystem functioning are questions that have occupied the minds of ecologists for decades.

But these questions are so much more pressing now. We live at a time of rapid environmental change, resulting largely from our own activities, and a concomitant, accelerating rate of habitat loss and species extinctions. Like children playing with fire, we do not fully understand, and therefore cannot predict, the ultimate consequences of tampering with global biodiversity. This collection of reviews — the second in our new section called 'Nature Insight' — focuses on the science of biodiversity.

We are pleased to acknowledge the financial support of the Center for Applied Biodiversity Science (CABS), a division of Conservation International, in producing this Insight. The content is in accord with the philosophy that biodiversity conservation is a human-centred pursuit that must be underpinned by solid science. Of course, Nature carries sole responsibility for all editorial content and rigorous peer-review.

This Insight is deliberately broad in scope, covering underlying concepts, pure and applied research, and biodiversity loss from the human perspective. We hope that scientists, policy-makers and general readers alike will find the reviews both informative and thought provoking.

Rory Howlett Deputy Biological Sciences Editor

Causes, consequences and ethics of biodiversity DAVID TILMAN |First paragraph|Full text|PDF(565K)|	208
Getting the measure of biodiversity ANDY PURVIS AND ANDY HECTOR |Summary|Full text|PDF(538K)|	212
Global patterns in biodiversity KEVIN J. GASTON |Summary|Full text|PDF(351K)|	220
The diversity–stability debate KEVIN SHEAR MCCANN |Summary|Full text|PDF(309K)|	228
Consequences of changing biodiversity F. STUART CHAPIN III, ERIKA S. ZAVALETA, VALERIE T. EVINER, ROSAMOND L. NAYLOR, PETER M. VITOUSEK, HEATHER L. REYNOLDS, DAVID U. HOOPER, SANDRA LAVOREL, OSVALDO E. SALA, SARAH E. HOBBIE, MICHELLE C. MACK & SANDRA DÍAZ |Summary|Full text|PDF(505K)|	234
Systematic conservation planning C. R. MARGULES AND R. L. PRESSEY |Summary|Full text|PDF(749K)|	243
Investing in Conservation Solutions CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/CABS |Full text|PDF(610K)|	254
Integrating Science and Conservation CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/CABS |Full text|PDF(610K)|	254
Conservation International and Biodiversity Conservation CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL/CABS |Full text|PDF(610K)|	254