Showing papers by "Edward O. Wilson published in 1988"
01 Jan 1988
TL;DR: Biological diversity must be treated more seriously as a global resource, to be indexed, used, and above all, preserved as mentioned in this paper, and three circumstances conspire to give this matter an unprecedented urgency.
Abstract: Biological diversity must be treated more seriously as a global resource, to be indexed, used, and above all, preserved. Three circumstances conspire to give this matter an unprecedented urgency. First, exploding human populations are degrading the environment at an accelerating rate, especially in tropical countries. Second, science is discovering new uses for biological diversity in ways that can relieve both human suffering and environmental destruction. Third, much of the diversity is being irreversibly lost through extinction caused by the destruction of natural habitats, again especially in the tropics. Overall, we are locked into a race. We must hurry to acquire the knowledge on which a wise policy of conservation and development can be based for centuries to come. To summarize the problem, I review some current information on the magnitude of global diversity and the rate at which we are losing it. I concentrate on the tropical moist forests, because of all the major habitats, they are richest in species and because they are in greatest danger.
650 citations
01 Jan 1988
187 citations
TL;DR: Ant colonies are organized in dense heterarchies: communication occurs among most or all members and includes feedback loops from lower to higher units of organization, which produce patterns that emerge at the level of the colony and are difficult to predict from a knowledge of individual behavior alone.
Abstract: A nt colonies are organized in dense heterarchies: communication occurs among most or all members and includes feedback loops from lower to higher units of organization M uch of the regulation is based on mass communication, in which information is transmitted from group to group or group to individual rather than from individual to individual F eedback loops involving mass communication are more precise than individual responses, which often consist of simple ‘rules of thumb' based on few stimuli T he loops also produce patterns that emerge at the level of the colony and are difficult to predict from a knowledge of individual behavior alone E xamples reviewed here are the control of foraging activity, oviposition by the queen, and emergency care of immature forms by the major worker caste
148 citations
01 Jan 1988