Cover of <I>American Journal of Botany</I>'s Biodiversity Special Issue (IMAGE)
Caption
The study of biodiversity is fundamental to our understanding of life on Earth and to confronting some of the problems caused by our own species. Further, we increasingly count on biodiversity for a wide variety of ecosystem functions and services amidst a gauntlet of anthropogenic changes. In fact, biodiversity is disappearing at a rate even faster than the last mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous Period, 65 million years ago, with possibly two thirds of existing terrestrial species likely to become extinct by the end of this century. This Biodiversity Special Issue looks at taxonomy and systematics, evolutionary biology and biogeography, ecology, and conservation/restoration, and the images on the cover represent these areas of focus.
Credit
Various contributors to the Special Issue
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License
Licensed content