The scientific community has voiced two general concerns about the future of the earth. Firstly, climatologists and oceanographers have focused on the changes in our physical environment, ie climate, oceans, and air. And secondly, environmental biologists have addressed issues of conservation and the extinction of species. There is increasing evidence that these two broad concerns are intertwined and mutually dependent. Past changes in biodiversity have both responded to and caused changes in the earth environment. In its discussions of ten key terrestrial biomes and freshwater ecosystems, this volume uses our broad understanding of global environmental change to present the first comprehensive scenarios of biodiversity for the twenty-first century. Combining physical earth science with conservation biology, the book provides a starting-point for regional assessments on all scales. The book will be of interest to those concerned with guiding research on the changing environment of the earth and with planning future policy, especially in accordance with the Global Biodiversity Convention.

Contents

• The Future of Biodiversity in a Changing World.
• Modeling the Response of Vegetation Distribution and Biodiversity to Climate Change.
• The Use of Global Change Scenarios to Determine Changes in Species and Habitats.
• Soil Biodiversity.
• Arctic and Alpine Tundra.
• Tropical Savanna.
• Mediterranean Climate Ecosystems.
• Deserts.
• Temperate Forests of North And South America.
• Tropical Forests.
• Lakes.
• Fish Diversity in Streams and Rivers.
• Conclusions and Synthesis.