Table of Contents
Acknowledgments x
FOREWORD • A NEW VIEW OF OUR HOME xii
Mark Tercek, The Nature Conservancy
FOREWORD • CONSERVATION CONNECTIONS xiv
Paul R. Ehrlich, Stanford University, Stanford University
1. Introduction 1
WHY ECOREGIONS? 6
Taylor Ricketts, World Wildlife Fund
Terrestrial Ecoregions, Realms, and Biomes 8
Freshwater Ecoregions and Basins 10
Marine Ecoregions, Provinces, and Realms 12
THE STORIES THAT MAPS TELL 14
Jon Christensen, Stanford University
2. Habitats 19
Forests and Woodlands: Giving Trees 22
Grasslands: Where the Buffalo Roamed 24
Deserts and Aridlands: Hardy Life under Harsh Conditions 26
Rivers and Wetlands: The Planet’s Lifeblood 28
Lakes: Fragile Pools of Life 30
Caves and Karst: Troves of Subterranean Species 32
HOPE IN HABITATS 34
Steven J. McCormick, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
Coasts and Shelves: The Sea’s Sunlit Margins 36
Coral Reefs: Crown Jewels of the Ocean 38
Mangrove Forests: Bridging Land and Sea 40
Seagrass Beds: Marine Meadows 42
Salt Marshes: Living Filters along Our Coasts 44
High Seas and Deep Oceans: Earth’s Uncharted "Inner Space" 46
3. Species 49
Plants: A Vital Variety 52
Freshwater Fish: A Diverse Cast 54
Amphibians: Fragile Markers of the Planet’s Health 56
Reptiles: Prehistoric Survivors 58
MIGRATIONS 60
Martin Wikelski, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology and Konstaz University, and David S. Wilcove, Princeton University
Birds: Everyday, Everywhere Wildlife 64
Mammals: Shared Destiny with Our Closest Kin 66
Endemic Species: In the Narrowest Niches 68
Evolutionary Distinction: Branches on the Tree of Life 70
PROMOTING LIVELIHOODS, SAVING NATURE 72
Greg Mock, former editor, World Resources Report
4. A World of Change 75
Human Population: Outnumbering Nature 78
Consuming Nature: Running Out of Planet? 80
Climate Change: The Planetary Emergency 82
ULTIMATE AGENTS OF GLOBAL CHANGE 84
Joel E. Cohen, Rockefeller and Columbia Universities
Habitat Loss on Land: Going, Going,… 88
Coastal Development: Reshaping the Seashore 90
Bottom Trawling and Dredging: Scouring the Seafloor 92
Landscape Fragmentation: Going to Pieces 94
Thwarted Fish Runs: Up against a Wall 96
GLOBAL CONTAMINATION OF THE BIOSPHERE 98
John Peterson Myers, Environmental Health Sciences
Freshwater Pollution: Clear but Hazardous 102
Nitrogen Pollution: Too Much of a Good Thing 104
Ruin of the Reefs: Fading Jewels, Lost Wealth 106
Into the Wild: The Cost of Expanding Human Access 108
POVERTY AND NATURE'S SERVICES 110
M. Sanjayan, The Nature Conservancy
Forest Clearing: Uprooting Nature 112
Water Stress: Overused and Undermanaged 114
Overfishing: Emptying the Oceans 116
Wildlife Trade: Sold into Extinction 118
FUTURE OF FISHERIES 120
Jackie Alder, United Nations Environment Programme, and Daniel Pauly, University of British Columbia
Fire: Healthy Doses of Destruction 122
Dams and Reservoirs: Clogging Earth’s Arteries 124
Sediment Flow: Starving Some Habitats, Smothering Others 126
Melting Ice and Rising Seas: Squeezing the Coasts 128
Disappearing Glaciers: Ice Storage on a Slippery Slope 130
NATURE CONSERVATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE 132
Jonathan M. Hoekstra, The Nature Conservancy
Terrestrial Invaders: Unwelcome Guests 134
Freshwater Invaders: Good Intentions with Costly Consequences 136
Marine Invaders: Stowaways Attacking Our Coasts 138
Terrestrial Animals at Risk: More in Jeopardy Each Year 140
Freshwater Animals at Risk: Are Their Futures Drying Up? 142
Marine Animals at Risk: Sea Life Unraveling 144
5. Taking Action 147
Protected Areas on Land: Triumph for Nature 150
Protecting Rivers, Lakes, and Wetlands: Thinking beyond Park Boundaries 152
Marine Protected Areas: Oases for Fish and People 154
Protecting Nature’s Services: Dividends from the Wealth of Nature 156
CONVERGENT CONSERVATION 158
Scott A. Morrison, The Nature Conservancy
International Cooperation: Saving the Whales—and More 160
Greening the Marketplace: Certifiably Profitable 162
Collaborative Solutions: Problem-Solving Partnerships 164
CONSERVATION ON OUR WATCH 166
Gretchen C. Daily, Marilyn Cornelius, and Charles J. Katz, Jr., Stanford University, and Brian Shillinglaw, New Forests, Inc.
Rule of Law: Protecting the Commons 168
Individual Action: Parting the Waters 170
Restoring Nature: Mending the Web of Life 172
6. Conclusion Our Future, Our Choices 175
Appendix A: Ecoregions Index Maps 180
Appendix B: Technical Notes and References 200
Index 229
About the authors 234
