Sparing Nature: The Conflict between Human Population Growth and Earth's Biodiversity

Index

A 1 9 9 Index Note: Page numbers in italics indicate figures. adaptation: to environmental changes, 57, 83–84; to habitat fragmentation, 115– 116; intertwined among species, 23–24; rate of, 36, 130–131 aesthetics: of biodiversity, 13; cost of, 157 Africa: biodiversity differences in, 34; deserti fication in, 145–146; Homo erectus spread across, 45; mammalian extinctions in, 42–44, 46–47; predators in, 41; species surviving in, 51–52. See also Kenya; primates; Rwanda; South Africa; Tanzania; Zimbabwe African white rhinos, 59–60 agricultural crops: competition for, 112; genetically modified (“GM”), 78–79, 154; modes of energy capture in, 73– 74; origins of, 154; pollination of, 124– 125; productivity of, 26, 75–76; as reason to preserve biodiversity, 14; renewing genetic diversity in, 78. See also monocultural crops agricultural land: bogs subsumed by, 32– 33; expansion of, 84–85, 114–115; forests cleared for, 74–75, 83, 176; losses of, 3–4, 128; space available for, 97–100. See also soils agriculture and agricultural development: ecological effect of, 72–74; ecological transition due to, 76, 77–78; evidence of, 64, 65–66; global environmental impact of, 84–85; habitat destruction by, 63; intensification of, 144–147; population growth and, 70–72; population pressure’s role in collapse of, 80–83; resources used by, 114–117, 133–134, 147–148; swidden type of, 75; theories of, 67–70; timing of, 72; water pollution due to, 85, 139; weeds and, 79–80. See also livestock air pollution, 111 Alroy, John, 60–61, 188n. 20 animals: evolution of domesticated, 66, 68–69, 77, 126; habitat fragmentation and, 114–117; learning from, 167; modes of energy capture via, 73–74, 75. See also livestock; mammals antibiotics, 121 aquatic ecosystems: aquaculture’s disruption of, 143–144; global value of, 156– 157; homogenization of, 127; overharvesting of, 142–144. See also fish and amphibians; oceans; rivers and lakes; water Arctic: global warming as threat to, 129– 130; human occupation of, 187–188n. 15 Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Alaska), 110 Armstrong, Neil, 76 Asia: Homo erectus in, 45, 49, 50–51; hot spots in, 108; human occupation of northeastern, 187–188n. 15. See also China; Japan aspirin, 14, 166, 196n. 43 Australia: foragers in, 69; humans’ entry into, 54–55, 56; livestock production in, 131; mammalian extinctions in, 61– 62 11-R2435-IX 11/5/02 1:54 PM Page 199 Australopithecus: description of, 38–39; extinction of, 19–20, 48; fossil record of, 39–40; skull of (africanus), 39 baboons: attitudes toward, 25, 112; habitat fragmentation and, 115; predators of, 113–114; protective tactics of, 41; as susceptible to human disease, 121; threats to (gelada), 130, 193n. 32 bacteria, 18 Bailey, Ronald, 171 bear root, 167, 196n. 44 bears, 116, 129 beavers, 160–162 bees, 124–125 beggar’s-tick (a k a khakibos or black jacks), 112–113, 117, 191n. 1 Behrensmeyer, Anna Kay, 42–43 Beijing (China), population growth of, 86–87 Bender, Darrel, 116–117 Bennett, John W., 76, 77 Beringia Land Bridge, 53–54, 56 Berry, Wendell, 31 Bews, John W., 13–14, 80 biodiversity: agriculture’s impact on, 77; approach to, 16–17; coining of term, 195n. 31; disease and, 121–122, 168– 169, 192n. 17; estimations of, 24–28; explosion of, 19; extinction’s and evolution ’s roles in, 21–24, 36–37; fallow land’s role in, 98–100; global warming as threat to, 129–130; humans’ impact on, 80–83; of major vs. minor areas, 157; in natural vs. residential areas, 4– 10; productivity linked to, 163–166; reasons for preserving, 12–16, 151; within species, 31–32, 33. See also bird biodiversity; genetic biodiversity; insect biodiversity; hot spots; plant biodiversity ; species biodiversity biodiversity crisis: debate on, 4, 84–85; proportions of, 102; questions raised in, 150–151; survival and, 32 biodiversity losses: causes of, 3–4; human population growth linked to, 10–12, 35–36, 61–63, 102–107, 109. See also extinctions; habitat destruction; habitat 0 2 0 0 A I n d e x fragmentation; population growth rates bioinformatics, 186n. 10 biological organisms, examples of, 1–2 biophilia concept, 175–176 biophobia concept, 176 bioprospecting, 14–15 bird biodiversity: grasslands’ role in, 154; impact of single species on, 44; in natural vs. residential areas, 5, 6, 9 birds: absent in Beijing, 86–87; extinctions of, 100; habitat fragmentation and, 116; interbreeding of, 125; number threatened, 102, 106 birth control. See population control bison, 82–83 blind cave fish, 113 bogs, 32...