A male Klug’s clearwing butterfly (Dircenna klugii klugii) foraging on a coffee flower (Coffea arabica) in the Soconusco region of Chiapas, Mexico. Shade-grown coffee certification programs distinguish shade management practices that contain significantly higher levels of bird and butterfly diversity. This enhanced biodiversity may provide important ecosystem services, such as pollination, show...
Biotechnology is viewed by many scientists and the public as a solution to a potential food supply crisis in the coming decades; however, debates about the use, ethics, and the effectiveness of genetically engineered crops are now growing in intensity. This Figure Set guides students through the interpretation of some of the data collected so far to inform discussion about genetically engineered...
This Issue focuses on a research article by Barange (2003) that was published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. The article discusses long-term (inter-decadal and longer) patterns of change in marine species in the context of over-exploitation of marine fisheries. Barange’s emphasis is use of ecosystem-based management practice to move us towards sustainable fisheries. However, h...
This report defines ecosystem services as a strategy for the conservation of biodiversity. The production of ecosystem goods as it relates to the generation and maintenance of biodiversity is described. Ecosystem services such as flood and drought mitigation, services supplied by soil, pollination, pest control, and seed dispersal are described. Threats to ecosystem services are discussed, as...
In this report forests are presented as very dynamic ecosystems, and processes such as nutrient cycling, nitrogen saturation, sedimentation, erosion, and forest fragmentation are described. Ecological processes, such as disturbance and succession, are described in relation to forest management. Ecological and economic values and their societal implications are compared. Alternatives to...
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