SYSTEMATICS, BIOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

被引：70

作者：

COTTERILL, FPD

机构：

[1] Secretariat, Biodiversity Foundation for Africa, Bulawayo, Famona

[2] Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe, Bulawayo

来源：

BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION | 1995年 / 4卷 / 02期

关键词：

BIOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS; CONSERVATION; BIODIVERSITY INFORMATION; PHYLOGENETIC SYSTEMATICS; TAXONOMY;

D O I：

10.1007/BF00137784

中图分类号：

X176 [生物多样性保护];

学科分类号：

090705 ;

摘要：

Systematics and taxonomy are essential: they respectively elucidate life's history, and organize and verify biological knowledge. This knowledge is built of interrelated concepts which are ultimately accounted for by biological specimens. Such knowledge is essential to decide how much and what biodiversity survives human onslaughts. The preservation of specimens in natural history collections is the essential part of the process which builds and maintains biological knowledge. These collections and the human expertise essential to interpret specimens are the taxonomic resources which maintain accurate and verifiable concepts of biological entities. Present and future knowledge of the complexities and diversity of the biosphere depends on the integrity of taxonomic resources, yet widespread ignorance and disregard for their fundamental value has created a global crisis. Preservation of specimens in natural history collections is chronically neglected and support to study and manage collections is very insufficient. The knowledge held by experienced taxonomists is not being passed on to younger recruits. Neglect of collections has destroyed countless specimens and threatens millions more. These threats to taxonomic resources not only impinge on systematics but all biology: this tragedy jeopardizes the integrity of biological knowledge. The consequences for environmental conservation and therefore humanity are also of dire severity and the biodiversity crisis adds unprecedented weight to the barely recognized crisis in taxonomy and systematics.

引用

页码：183 / 205

页数：23

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