ABSTRACT

By and large, the primary objective of biodiversity research is the improved understanding of what are often threatened ecological and knowledge systems, in order to provide the valuable insights and management tools that are critical for conservation and sustainable development. In some high biodiversity regions, biodiversity research, often tied in with conservation, has become a significant economic activity (Janzen et al, 1993), although in general biodiversity research budgets are small relative to other areas of science. However, the practice of biodiversity research frequently brings to light the economic inequalities between nations and between scientists in different nations (Table 1.1).