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| Introduction | |
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| Brief history of a concept: why be concerned by biological diversity? | |
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| What does 'biodiversity' refer to? | |
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| The origins of the convention on biological diversity and what is at stake | |
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| The 'conservationsists' | |
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| 'Useful nature' | |
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| Nature has its price | |
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| What is changing? | |
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| Biological diversity: what do we know? | |
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| The classification of living organisms--underlying principles | |
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| Levels of organization in the living world | |
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| Taxonomic hierarchies: the search for an evolutionary and functional order in the diversity of species | |
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| The concept of species | |
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| Ecosystems | |
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| The inventory of species | |
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| Systematics, computer technology and the internet | |
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| Measuring biological diversity | |
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| The geographic distribution of biological diversity | |
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| The taxonomic diversity of marine environments is greater than that of terrestrial environments | |
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| Gradients of spatial distribution | |
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| The relationship between surface area and species richness | |
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| Biomes as ecological units | |
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| Biogeographic regions as taxonomic units | |
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| 'Hotspots': areas of high diversity | |
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| The mechanisms at work in the diversification of life | |
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| What is life? | |
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| The chemistry of the origins of life | |
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| How did life appear upon Earth? | |
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| Origins and dynamics of intra- and interspecific genetic diversity | |
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| Genetic diversity and the universality of life | |
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| Mutation | |
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| Variation and stability | |
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| Hidden genetic diversity and phenotypic identity | |
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| Spatial organization and dynamics of intraspecific genetic diversity | |
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| How are species born? | |
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| Mechanisms of speciation | |
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| Modes of speciation | |
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| Gradualism and/or punctuated equilibriums | |
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| Extinctions | |
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| Adaptation: a fundamental property of living organisms | |
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| Genetic diversity and adaptation of eukaryotes to environmental changes | |
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| The adaptive capacity of prokaryotes | |
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| Major stages in the diversification of the living world | |
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| The main lines of evolution and how they are related | |
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| From unicellular to multicellular organisms | |
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| The explosion of biological diversity in the Cambrian period | |
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| From the sea to the land: a successful transition | |
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| The long history of vertebrates | |
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| Is the evolution of life predetermined? | |
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| The species richness of natural communities as a result of equilibrium/non-equilibrium processes | |
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| Theories of equilibrium based on interspecific relationships | |
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| Theories of equilibrium as a result of interspecific competition | |
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| The role of predation | |
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| Mutualism or co-operative relationships between species | |
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| Saturation of communities and biotic interactions | |
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| The Macarthur-Wilson model and the theory of dynamic equilibrium | |
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| Theories of succession | |
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| Succession | |
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| The concept of climax | |
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| The Holling model | |
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| The dynamic equilibrium of ecosystems and the role of disturbances | |
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| What is a disturbance? | |
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| The intermediate disturbance hypothesis | |
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| Buffering and recuperative capacities of ecosystems | |
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| Spatial heterogeneity and temporal variability | |
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| Fragmented communities | |
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| The dynamics of non-equilibrium | |
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| Patch dynamics | |
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| From the continental to the local level: a conceptual model to explain the richness of ichthyic communities | |
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| Are ecological communities governed by nicheassembly or dispersal-assembly rules? | |
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| Biological diversity and the functioning of ecological systems | |
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| Biological diversity: a dynamic system | |
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| The ecosystem approach | |
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| Functions of species within ecosystems | |
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| Keystone species | |
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| Engineer organisms | |
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| Functional groups: complementarity and redundancy | |
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| Hypotheses on the role of species in ecosystem functioning | |
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| Neighbourhood relationships between species | |
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| Competition | |
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| Co-operative relationships: commensalism and symbiosis | |
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| Parasitism | |
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| Food webs and trophic chains | |
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| Producers-consumers-decomposers: the flow of matter and energy | |
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| 'Top-down' and 'bottom-up' theories | |
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| Theory of trophic cascades | |
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| The diversity of species and biological production | |
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| Biological diversity and the 'stability' of ecosystems | |
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| The role of biological diversity in biochemical cycles | |
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| The biological fixation of nitrogen | |
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| The mineralization of organic matter | |
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| Long-term storage of mineral elements | |
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| Recycling and transport of nutrients by consumers | |
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| The role of biological communities | |
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| The importance of micro-organisms for the structure and functioning of pelagic trophic networks in aquatic environments | |
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| Riparian vegetation and the functioning of rivers | |
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| The role of soil communities | |
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| Biological diversity and the dynamics of the biosphere | |
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| Composition of the atmosphere | |
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| Control of evapotranspiration in the soil-plant-atmosphere system | |
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| The cybernetic cohesion of ecosystems: the role of communication networks | |
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| Communication by chemical substances in aquatic systems | |
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| The dynamics of biological diversity and the consequences of human activities | |
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| Paleoenvironments and biological diversity | |
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| Northern European terrestrial systems | |
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| Tropical rainforests | |
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| Continental aquatic systems | |
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| Humankind and the erosion of biological diversity | |
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| The myth of the noble savage | |
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| The extinction of large mammals at the end of the Pleistocene: were humans the cause? | |
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| The current erosion of biological diversity | |
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| Human activities and the dynamics of biological diversity | |
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| Demographic pressures | |
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| Land use and the transformation of the countryside | |
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| Biological invasions and the introduction of species | |
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| Overexploitation | |
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| Some examples illustrating the combined effect of human activities on the dynamics of biological diversity | |
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| The dynamics of biological diversity and implications for human health | |
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| The complexity of host-parasite relationships | |
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| Human onchocerciasis | |
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| Malaria | |
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| Emerging pathologies | |
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| Environmental change, biological diversity and human health | |
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| Intercontinental exchanges | |
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| New technologies related to lifestyle | |
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| The eutrophication of water and the proliferation of toxic algae | |
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| Allergies | |
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| The growing virulence of viral diseases | |
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| Morbilliviruses | |
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| Haemorrhagic fever viruses | |
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| Adaptive strategies of pathogenic agents and their vectors | |
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| Resistance to antibiotics | |
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| Resistance to pesticides | |
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| Substances of medical interest and biological diversity | |
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| Traditional pharmacology | |
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| Biological diversity and the pharmaceutical industry | |
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| Genetic resources and biotechnology | |
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| The domestication of nature: an old story | |
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| Genetic diversity and domestication: creating and selecting 'useful' species | |
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| The management and diversity of genetic resources | |
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| The biotechnological revolution and genetically modified organisms | |
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| Transgenesis | |
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| Applications in agriculture | |
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| Anticipating the risks of genetically modified organisms | |
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| Property rights and the commercialization of living things | |
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| The international involvement of the FAO | |
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| The Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Certificate | |
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| The Convention on Biological Diversity | |
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| Patents on life: an open debate | |
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| 'Useful' nature: the value and use of biological diversity | |
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| Benefits and services provided by ecosystems | |
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| Theoretical bases for assessing the economic value of biological diversity | |
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| Use value and non-use value | |
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| Economic goods versus free goods | |
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| Appropriation and/or free access to biological diversity | |
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| Putting a price on biological diversity | |
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| What is the overall value of ecosystems? | |
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| 'Natural infrastructures' | |
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| Uses for biological diversity | |
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| Use of living resources for food | |
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| Extractive products | |
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| Timber | |
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| Biotechnology and industrial applications | |
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| Ornamental plants and animals | |
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| Ecotourism | |
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| The conservation of biodiversity | |
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| Why protect biological diversity? | |
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| Approaches to conservation | |
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| In situ and ex situ conservation | |
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| Species versus ecosystem conservation | |
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| What are the priorities for conservation? | |
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| What about the cost? | |
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| Protected areas | |
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| National parks: nature versus humans | |
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| Integrating Nature and humans | |
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| Europe and biodiversity: Natura 2000 | |
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| Sustainable use of biological diversity | |
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| Sustainable development | |
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| Traditional knowledge | |
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| Regional planning and development | |
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| Marine environments: how can the perpetuation of fisheries be reconciled with the conservation of marine resources? | |
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| Ex situ conservation | |
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| Botanic gardens | |
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| Zoological parks | |
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| Conservation biology | |
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| The fragmentation of habitats | |
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| Reintroduction of species | |
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| Restoration ecology | |
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| The preventive approach: ecosystem health checks | |
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| Ecosystem health and/or integrity | |
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| Bio-indicators | |
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| Disturbances: allies of conservation? | |
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| Fire | |
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| Cyclones and storms | |
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| International Conventions | |
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| From theory to practice: some examples for the implementation of the principles of conservation and sustainable development, and the difficulties encountered | |
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| Implementing international conventions | |
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| Local and human stakes in biodiversity: transcending the contradictions? | |
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| A conclusion of sorts | |
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| On the Web ... | |
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| Information network | |
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| Inventories and data bases | |
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| Global | |
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| By group | |
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| Reports & maps | |
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| Conventions | |
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| Human health (emerging diseases) | |
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| Conservation | |
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| References and further reading | |
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| Index | |