Biodiversitatsforschung: ihre Bedeutung fur Wissenschaft, Anwendung und Ausbildung: Fakten, Argumente und Perspektiven

The volume presents an interdisciplinary study of the current state of research into biodiversity in the light of the resolutions made at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Rio in 1992. The authors deal with the concept of biodiversity as a basis of life, as an economic factor and as a scientific problem. This includes taxonomy and systematics, research into species diversity and gaps in this research, population biology, food chains and small ecological systems, biodiversity at supra-organism and ecosytem level and the dynamics of biodiversity. Threats to biodiversity are noted and international activities in biodiversity research are outlined. Biodiversity research in Germany is highlighted with reference to research potential and the current state of the research infrastructure: collections; databanks, sorting centres, an ('overdue') national recording centre and collecting expeditions. The book includes a bibliography.