Preface well as sometimes obscure pieces of knowledge. It has, as always, been a : is biodi " pleasure to work with Simon Rallison and Susan Sternberg of Blackwell 1: What is biodiversity? Selenee. ‘ KEVIN J. GASTON Kevin J. Gaston 4.1 Introduction ypu pandwnon, buzorrd, gromth Indus, goal roure, sue and « phenomenon, Responses to, and perceptions of, biodiversity (a comtraction of fy Mjalopal diversity’ or iode diversity’) ate anything but uniform. At the ow a je * heart of why this is so lies the isue of what biodiversity actualy is. More e wD authors express bewilderment ot proffer weak descriptions than seek to L oo frovide robust and closely reasoned definitions. No doubt this is, at leas wo ‘ = in par, a response to two things. Fist, the fact that ‘biodiversity’ is a jal w Fame inuive definition (Willams, 1993). Second. the variety of viewpoints Gea w ‘about biodiversity which have developed. These viewpoints broadly can be frouped under three headings: those which regard biodiversity asa concept those which regard it as a measurable entity: and those which regard it as predominantly a socal or poliieal construct 4.2 Biodiversity as a concept ‘The most prevalent usage of the term ‘biodiversity’ is as a synonym for the + —-Peareny aL Hel (or discussions ofthe origins of the term see Wilson & Peter, 1988; Shetler, 1991; Harper & Hawksworth, 1994; Norse, 1994). Indeed, rHiany published definitions are simply expressions of, embellishments to, ‘or expansions on this basic theme. They often emphasize the multiple dimensions and levels at which this\faPetyAEiversto] of TETETORERETG] can be observed (Table 1.1; Mcallister, 1991; Gaston, 1994). The definition given by the US Congress Oifice of Technology Assessment (OTA, 1987) is perhaps the rmost widely cited, and opens thus: ‘Biological diversity refers to the variety and variability among living organisms, and the ecological complexes in Which they occur...’ (See Table 1.1 for a fuller statement) As such biodiversity is essentially an abstract concept, albeit one of which most of us ‘would say we had some intuitive understanding, However, expressed as the “variety of life’, the breadth of the concept of biodiversity isnot simply wide, but is so wide asin fact to be exceedingly difficult o comprehend. It amounts to the irreductble complexity of the Yotaity Of Ute (Williams et a, 1994). One 1 lle kee‘CHAPTER What is biodiversity? ‘loiogicl diversity celers tothe variety and vasablty among ving organisms and the ceniodeal complexes in which they occur. Diversity can be deBined asthe number of Sirterenticeme and their relative frequency. For biological diversity, these tems are rpeneed st many levels ranging from complete ecosystems to te chemical structures {hat are the moleelar basis of heredity. Thus, the term encompasses diferent (eosyatems, species. genes, and their relative abundance’ (OTA, 1987) Biodiversity i the varety ofthe world’s organisms induding thei genetic diversity and the assemblages they forn. I isthe blanket term fr the natural biological wealth that Uinderprds human life and well-being. The breadth ofthe concept reflects the linerrlaedness of genes species and ecosystems’ (Reid & Miller, 1989), Biological diversity” encompases al species of plants, animals, and microorganisms nd the ceosypues ad ecological proceeser of which they are parts tis an umbrella team for the degiee of nature's variety, including both the number and frequency of ‘covysterns. spectes, or genes ina given assemblage” (McNeely tl, 1990) ‘Biodiversity is the genet, wxonomic and ecorystem variety In ving organisms of sven aren. environment, ecorystern oF the whole planet.” (McAllister, 1991) “Biowivecty isthe total variety of fe on earth. I includes al genes, species and (eonysenns ad the ecological processes of which they are part’ (ICBP, 1992) iological diversity (~Biodiversity) Full range of variety and vaviabity within and mong living organisms, their associations, and hablatontented ecological complexes ‘Ten encompasses ecosystem. species, and landscape as well as intraspecific (genetic) Jevels of diversity’ (Feder & Jain, 1992) {biodiversity} The variety of organisms considered at al levels, from genetic variants telonging to the same species through arrays of species to arays of gener, famles, and Br nights taxonomic levels includes the variety of ecosytems, which compris bot the comeniies of organisins within particular habitats and the physical conditions under ‘which they lve” (Wilson. 1992) biological divesity” means the variably among lving organisms from all sources including, inter aia, terrestnal, marine and ather aquatic ecorystems and the ecological oinplenes of which they are part this Includes diversity within sped, between species sd of eceaystems” (Tbe Convention on Bilogical Diversity: Johnson, 1993) bodiversey~the structural and functional varety of ile forms at genetic, population, Species community, and ecosystem levels...” (Sandlund et a, 1993) suspects that one consequence of this breadth has been the expression of dissatisfaction with the concept of biodiversity on the grounds that itis both imprecise, and that it runs the danger of being defined so broadly that it ‘equates to the whole of biology. “A number of schemes have been suggested by which the major features of biodiversity can be distinguished and some sense made of what constitutes the ‘variety of life”. Three, increasingly conventional, divisions are between genetic diversity, species or taxonomic diversity and ecosystem diversity (e-. ‘McAllister, 1991; Solbrig, 1991; Stuart & Adams, 1991; Groombridge, 1992; Heywood, 1994; Norse, 1994), for which Harper and Hawksworth (1994) 2 fof conservation strategies, Soulé (1991) distinguishes Ave populations: sects: assemblages (associations and communities), and whole _Fytems at the landscape or ecosystem level, Another clasifiation dis- dnguishes three interdependent ets of atibutes, compositional levels (the identity and variety of elements), structural levels (the phystcal organization ge pattem of elements) and functional levels (ecological and evolutionary processes) (Noss, 1990). ‘Whatever the scheme, emphasis is usually given to a hierarchical perspec tive of biological phenomena, either by basing the classification on diferent jevels of a proposed hierarchy (e.g. enes, species, ecosystems), oF by e gyaieme PE. Gaon K4J. 6 Humphries CJ. (1994) Do conservaionists and molecule 5S Noosiss value diferences berween organisms in the same way? Biot Ler. 2, 67-7 0.21 4) ‘son £.0. (1992) The Divers of if. Allen Lane/The Penguin Press, London. (0.2) ‘Yulsou BO. 6 PeterF-M. (eds) (1988) Biadhessiy. Natonal Academy Press, Washington DC. re