Biology 11th Edition by Gerald Audesirk,Teresa Audesirk,Bruce Byers

Exercise 17

The pressures created by human population growth and economic expansion place storehouses of biological diversity such as the Tropics in peril. The seriousness of the situation is clear when we consider that probably only 1 out of every 20 tropical species is known to science at present. What arguments can you make for preserving biological diversity in poor and developing countries, such as those in many areas of the Tropics? Does such preservation require that these countries sacrifice economic development? Suggest some solutions to the conflict between the growing demand for resources and the importance of conserving biodiversity.