An examination of nature's extraordinary biological diversity and the human activities that threaten it.


* 200+ A-Z detailed entries on Earth's ecosystems, major groups of organisms, threats to biodiversity, and academic disciplines related to the study of biodiversity

* Contributions from 50 recognized authorities from the fields of anthropology, biology, botany, earth science, ecology, evolution, and more

* 150 photographs of key people, animals, and organisms; line drawings; tables, charts, and graphs including the major families of birds, the effects of agricultural intensity on biodiversity, and the number of years needed to add each billion to the world's population

* Four major overview essays explaining what biodiversity is, why it is important, how it is threatened, and the Sixth Global Extinction