Biodiversity - Variety for the future (May 2008)

The May issue of Research Special offers, on the occasion of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity held from 19 – 30 May, 2008 in Bonn, current literature and research references on the topic of biodiversity. Species diversity is in the world public eye, as the number of entire species of animals and plants threatened with extinction continues to rise. Biological diversity is viewed as a cornerstone of the stability of an ecosystem.

The main topic of discussion at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity comprises not only the degree of biodiversity within an area, but also the genetic diversity within a population. All diversity is thus frequently endangered by environmental pollution, genetic engineering and other influences.

The consequences of the human influence on biodiversity certainly have reciprocal effects on human living conditions. There is not only the ecological damage caused by increasingly barren ecosystems, but as a consequence our own existence will sooner or later be endangered.

This issue of Research Special deals with such societal and political consequences. Current literature and research references illuminate the social science aspects of biodiversity and its endangerment. The project and literature references stern from the GESIS-databases SOLIS and SOFIS and the international CSA-databases.

Go to the PDF (free of charge)