title: Causes, consequences and ethics of biodiversity.
abstract: The existence of so great a diversity of species on Earth remains a mystery, the solution to which may also explain why and how biodiversity influences the functioning of ecosystems. The answer may lie in quantifying the trade-offs that organisms face in dealing with the constraints of their environment. Societal responses to the loss of biodiversity also involve trade-offs, and the elaboration of these will be essential in developing wiser environmental ethics and policy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul 55108, USA. tilman@lter.umn.edu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tilman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001675:Bioethics; D017753:Ecosystem; D006801:Humans; D012961:Sociology