Der Schwund an biologischer Vielfalt (Biodiversität) durch die Zerstörung von Ökosystemen und die Ausrottung von Tier- und Pflanzenarten hat bedrohliche und zum Teil noch unübersehbare Folgen. Wissenschaftler aus den Bereichen Ökologie und Populationsbiologie untersuchen die verschiedensten Aspekte dieses Themas.

Section A: Ecosystem Function

1 Biological Diversity and Terrestrial Ecosystem Biogeochemistry
2 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in Agricultural Systems
3 Biodiversity and Interactions Within Pelagic Nutrient Cycling and Productivity
Section B: Functional Groups
4 Functional Groups of Microorganisms
5 Plant Traits and Adaptive Strategies: Their Role in Ecosystem Function
6 Scaling from Species to Vegetation: The Usefulness of Functional Groups
Section C: Species Interaction
7 Evolution of Functional Groups in Basidiomycetes (Fungi)
8 The Role of Parasites in Plant Populations and Communities
9 Plant-Microbe Mutualisms and Community Structure
10 The Evolution of Interactions and Diversity in Plant- Insect Systems: The Urophora-Eurytoma Food Web in Galls on Palearctic Cardueae
Section D: Community Interactions
11 Keystone Species
12 Redundancy in Ecosystems
13 How Many Species Are Required for a Functional Ecosystem?
14 Rare and Common Plants in Ecosystems, with Special Reference to the South-west Australian Flora
15 Community Diversity and Succession: The Roles of Competition, Dispersal, and Habitat Modification
Section E: Ecosystem Integrity
16 Biodiversity and the Balance of Nature
17 Biodiversity and Function of Grazing Ecosystems
18 Resource Supply and Disturbance as Controls over Present and Future Plant Diversity
19 Ecosystem Stability, Competition, and Nutrient Cycling
20 Modelling Biodiversity: Latitudinal Gradient of Forest Species Diversity
21 Functional Aspects of Landscape Diversity: A Bavarian Example
Section F: Industrial Analogy and Policy
22 Biodiversity Issues in Computing: A Study of Networked Computer Viruses
23 Biodiversity and Policy Decisions
24 Ecosystem Function of Biodiversity: A Summary
Species Index.