[Concepts of taxonomy and concepts of biodiversity: the problem of interaction].
There is, or there should be, an interaction between concepts of taxonomy and biodiversity. On the one hand, taxonomy develops some general and particular classificatory paradigms, which own diversity is to be taken into account to understand the nature of variety of natural kinds. On the other hand, analysis of the properties of biodiversity may put forward nontrivial problems for taxonomy that cannot be deduced directly from its own statements. From the point view of taxonomy, it is argued that the current concept of biodiversity based entirely on the species concept is deeply rooted in reductionistic view of nature. It is outdated epistemologically and should be replaced by the modern taxonomic concept of the hierarchical phylogenetic pattern. Operationally, the latter presumes a possibility for each species to be assigned a certain "phylogenetic weight", according to its phylogenetic uniqueness. From the point view of biodiversity, it is argued that the global biodiversity is a three component entity, as it includes, in addition to phylogenetic and ecological hierarchies, a biomorphic hierarchy, as well. This calls for taxonomy to elaborate the general principles of classification of biomorphs.
Pavlinov
I Ia
IIa
Zoological Museum of Moscow, M.V. Lomonosov State University, Bol. Nikitskaya ul. 6, Moscow 103009, Russia. pvl@zoomus.bio.msu.ru
D002965:Classification; D017753:Ecosystem; D010802:Phylogeny