Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Biodiversity: Connecting With The Tapestry Of Life, Elise F. Granek, Francisco Dallmeier, Alfonso Alonso, Peter H. Raven

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Biodiversity is the extraordinary variety of life on Earth – from genes and species to ecosystems and the valuable functions they perform. E.O. Wilson, the noted biologist and author who coined the term “biodiversity,” explains it as “the very stuff of life.” Species and the ecosystems in which they live are indelibly linked. Conversion or loss of ecosystems inevitably impairs the species that depend on them. As well, changes in the life cycle of one species could impact the life cycles of many other species (including humans), alter ecosystems and ecosystem functions, and contribute to local, regional and, ultimately, global …