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SUMMARY:Do We Really Need Pandas? The impact of human intervention on natu
 ral selection - Dr Ken Thompson\, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences\
 , University of Sheffield
DTSTART:20131202T193000Z
DTEND:20131202T210000Z
UID:TALK48242@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Nigel Bennee
DESCRIPTION:What has biodiversity ever done for us?\n\nHow much do we real
 ly know about the species that make up the natural world and how they inte
 rrelate? In particular\, how many species are there\, and what (if anythin
 g) are they worth in purely economic terms? \n\nThere is a lot more biodiv
 ersity than most of us realise\, most of it unknown and undescribed. We ar
 e losing species at an alarming rate\, so how worried should we be?\n\nI w
 ould argue that biodiversity loss should primarily be seen not as a proble
 m in itself\, but as a symptom of a deeper crisis\; and\, as any doctor wi
 ll tell you\, treating the symptoms rather than the underlying disease rar
 ely leads to a lasting cure. We need to look at ecosystems rather than bio
 diversity per se. \n\nIf we lose iconic species – such as the giant pand
 a\, the Yangtze dolphin or the mountain gorilla – we are all the poorer\
 , but not in any measurable material sense – for their loss would not le
 ad to irreparable damage to ecosystems. \n\nOur modern\, highly fertile la
 ndscape created by intensive farming delivers cheap food\, but unfortunate
 ly that's all it delivers. If we can devise multifunctional landscapes tha
 t also deliver better water quality\, less soil erosion and more carbon st
 orage\, then plants\, moths\, butterflies\, bumblebees and birds will all 
 gain too\, but these biodiversity benefits will only be welcome side-effec
 ts of fixing the fundamental controls on ecosystem functioning. \n\nAssumi
 ng that if only we can fix the biodiversity crisis\, all will be well with
  the world\, is (literally\, in many cases) to fail to see the wood for th
 e trees.
LOCATION:Wolfson Lecture Theatre\, Churchill College\, Storey's Way\, Camb
 ridge
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