Overview

How much do we really know about the species that make up the natural world? All over the world, biodiversity is gravely threatened – by overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution and climate change. Yet life on Earth has previously experienced five episodes of mass extinction, and nature has repeatedly proved itself to be a resilient, regenerative force. In this fascinating book, ecologist Dr. Ken Thompson surveys the Earth’s biodiversity, its origins and some of the threats it currently faces. Thought-provoking and deeply engaging, Do We Need Pandas? offers a non-technical overview of our ecosystems and expands on the causes and consequences of biodiversity loss. Importantly, it also examines what we should be doing to secure the survival not only of the species with which we share the planet, but of ourselves – and whether we need to be more concerned about ecosystems as a whole than about iconic species such as the orangutan and giant Panda.

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9781900322867

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Reviews

I'm not a scientific expert [...] but I could see the well-reasoned logic of Thompson's argument. And, if all those delegates in Nagoya could read this an note that just $5 billion (US) could solve the most urgent conservation problem, they might be won over, too. Resource Magazine - November 2010 Closing wiht reasons to be cheerful, it offers a fresh and fascinating look at a subject of increasing importance. Positive News - Autumn 2010 By putting the focus only on what nature can do for us, Thompson leaves open to possibilities that ecosystems that do not deliver sufficient services might be thrown out with all the biodiversity that they contain. Nature - December 2010 This readable book persuasively explains the calamity of the modern biodiversity crisis and presents a thoughtful analysis of how best to conserve the worlds' species. Plant Life - April 2011

I'm not a scientific expert [...] but I could see the well-reasoned logic of Thompson's argument. And, if all those delegates in Nagoya could read this an note that just $5 billion (US) could solve the most urgent conservation problem, they might be won over, too. Resource Magazine - November 2010 Closing wiht reasons to be cheerful, it offers a fresh and fascinating look at a subject of increasing importance. Positive News - Autumn 2010

I'm not a scientific expert [...] but I could see the well-reasoned logic of Thompson's argument. And, if all those delegates in Nagoya could read this an note that just $5 billion (US) could solve the most urgent conservation problem, they might be won over, too. Resource Magazine - November 2010 Closing wiht reasons to be cheerful, it offers a fresh and fascinating look at a subject of increasing importance. Positive News - Autumn 2010 By putting the focus only on what nature can do for us, Thompson leaves open to possibilities that ecosystems that do not deliver sufficient services might be thrown out with all the biodiversity that they contain. Nature - December 2010

Author Information

Dr. Ken Thompson recently retired as Senior Research Fellow and Honorary Senior Lecturer of the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield. He is author of several books, including The Books of Weeds, An Ear to the Ground: Understanding Your Garden and No Nettles Required: The reassuring truth about wildlife gardening, and co-author of The Ecology of Seeds.

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