ABSTRACT
Concern about loss of “biodiversity” is reaching almost a fever pitch, if we can judge by the volume of papers and articles that are appearing not only in professional journals but in the popular press as well. Congress has even enacted legislation that gives at least token support for the preservation of biodiversity. In addition, our staid National Academy of Sciences convened one of those “quickie” conferences to assess the situation that resulted in a book (edited by E.O. Wilson, 1988) in which 38 different “experts” had their say.
