Showing papers by "International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources published in 1985"
TL;DR: It is with the chapter on 'man and bats' that the authors have suggested possible links with human health which are often, at best, misleading.
Abstract: It is with the chapter on 'man and bats' that I have particular complaint. This includes a section entitled 'Bats and public health', which discusses the bacterial, viral, fungal and invertebrate associations with bats and has very little to do with humans—it is a fascinating aspect of bat biology often omitted from bat books, but one which belongs outside the scope of this chapter. In attempting to justify its place here the authors have suggested possible links with human health which are often, at best, misleading. This is not good for a book that purports to give a more realistic image than the one bats have suffered for so long.
159 citations
TL;DR: There are perhaps 7000-10,000 formers in South Africa who derive some income from game farming as discussed by the authors, and they sell the meat, sell live animals to other formers, allow hunters to shoot animals for trophies, or allow tourists onto their land for game viewing.
Abstract: There are perhaps 7000–10,000 formers in South Africa who derive some income from game farming. They sell the meat, sell live animals to other formers, allow hunters to shoot animals for trophies, or allow tourists onto their land for game viewing. The system has benefits for both wildlife and the formers, and it is tempting to assume that similar results could be obtained in other African countries. But is its that simple?
24 citations
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TL;DR: In the tropics, the extinction rate of plants is estimated to be at least two species per day over the next half century, with a lower rate in the immediate future and a much higher one in a decade or two as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: 'No-one understands better than we botanists our absolute human dependence on green plants. No-one appreciates more than us the beauty and fascination of their life processes. Nor has anyone more reason to anticipate new, often completely unexpected ways in which plants may be used to improve the lot of h u m a n beings. This knowledge should lead to action, and yet we botanists often seem curiously unconcerned with, or are at the best apathetic about , the fate of the very organisms we study the plants of the world. The worldwide deterioration of natural habitats, a deterioration that is taking place as a direct consequence of human activities, is likely to cause the extinction of what conservatively has been est imated a sixth of the species of plants, animals and microorganisms in the world. Most of this extinction will, of course, take place in the tropics. For plants, the loss could amoun t to some 40 000 species well before the middle of the next century the greatest loss of plants species that has ever occurred during a short period of time. Certainly, it would be much more significant for plants than the loss that occurred at the end of the Cretaceous period, 65 million years ago, the last major biological extinction event. What ought to frighten us now is that a major portion of this extinction is likely to occur during the lives, and even during the active professional careers, of those who are reading these words. The estimate just presented suggests the loss of at least two plant species per day over the next half century, with a lower rate in the immediate future and a much higher one in a decade or two. Only a redoubled effort to study, name, and understand the plants of the world will provide a sound basis for improving the situation, and for saving as many as possible of these plants while this is still possible.'
2 citations