内容简介：
Biodiversity, says Wood (forest resources management, U. of British Columbia) is not a biological resource that can be replaced, but an essential environmental condition that is being irreversibly depleted. He traces the alarming rate of extinction of species, genes, and ecosystems to democratic policies that cater to short-term public preferences with little or no concern for the long term. He argues that biodiversity should be conserved even if it is not in the public's current best interests.