Biodiversity and its conservation are among the main global topics in science and politics and perhaps the major challenge for the present and coming generations. This book written by international experts from different disciplines comprises general chapters on diversity and its measurement, human impacts on biodiversity hotspots on a global scale, human diversity itself and various geographic regions exhibiting high levels of diversity. The areas covered range from genetics and taxonomy to evolutionary biology, biogeography and the social sciences. In addition to the classic hotspots in the tropics, the book also highlights various other ecosystems harbouring unique species communities including coral reefs and the Southern Ocean. The approach taken considers, but is not limited to, the original hotspot definition sensu stricto and presents a chapter introducing the 35th hotspot, the forests of East Australia. While, due to a bias in data availability, the majority of contributions on particular taxa deal with vertebrates and plants, some also deal with the less-studied invertebrates. This book will be essential reading for anyone involved with biodiversity, particularly researchers and practitioners in the fields of conservation biology, ecology and evolution.

Biodiversity can provide a series of important ecosystem functions and ecosystem services, which meet the needs of human beings. Plants are the biological group with the highest carbon content on earth, their diversity has attracted increased attention. The interpretation of plant diversity patterns and drivers is crucial for the conservation and utilization of plant resources and is also one of the hot topics in plant science and ecology. There are already many studies on the patterns and drivers of plant diversity, including different diversity dimensions (e.g., taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity) and spatial scales (different plots/sites, watershed, country, continent, and globe). The mechanisms underlying plant diversity patterns are also quite complex. For example, many hypotheses are related to contemporary climate and soil conditions, with temperature, precipitation, and soil nutrient being the most discussed drivers. In addition, paleoclimate and geological events may also have a strong legacy on current plant diversity patterns. Except for these natural factors, many anthropogenic activities, including agriculture, deforestation, grazing, urbanization, and coal mining, are also important drivers of plant diversity. These anthropogenic activities can affect plant diversity patterns not only directly, but also indirectly through their effects on habitat loss and habitat fragmentation. Therefore, the current plant diversity patterns are the result of many interacting factors and need to be interpreted from a more comprehensive perspective. This Research Topic will therefore provide a platform for sufficient communication, aiming to integrate the research from different fields and deepen the understanding of the patterns and drivers of plant diversity. We encourage the submission of theoretical and experimental studies on different plant groups, such as seed plants, ferns, mosses, and algae. Studies based on new methods and technology (such as genomics and drones) are also welcomed. We welcome the following specific topics: • Effects of historical factors (such as paleoclimate, geological events) on plant diversity; • Plant diversity that driven by contemporary climate and anthropogenic activities; • The effect of habitat loss and fragmentation on plant diversity; • New methods of research on the patterns and drivers of plant diversity.

This volume offers extensive information on insect life in dying and dead wood. Written and reviewed by leading experts from around the world, the twenty-five chapters included here provide the most global coverage possible and specifically address less-studied taxa and topics. An overarching goal of this work is to unite literature that has become fragmented along taxonomic and geographic lines. A particular effort was made to recognize the dominant roles that social insects (e.g., termites, ants and passalid beetles) play in saproxylic assemblages in many parts of the world without overlooking the non-social members of these communities. The book is divided into four parts: · Part I “Diversity” includes chapters addressing the major orders of saproxylic insects (Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera and Blattodea), broadly organized in decreasing order of estimated global saproxylic diversity. In addition to order-level treatments, some chapters in this part discuss groups of particular interest, including pollinators, hymenopteran parasitoids, ants, stag and passalid beetles, and wood-feeding termites. · Part II “Ecology” discusses insect-fungal and insect-insect interactions, nutritional ecology, dispersal, seasonality, and vertical stratification. · Part III “Conservation” focuses on the importance of primary forests for saproxylic insects, offers recommendations for conserving these organisms in managed forests, discusses the relationships between saproxylic insects and fire, and addresses the value of tree hollows and highly-decomposed wood for saproxylic insects. Utilization of non-native wood by saproxylic insects and the suitability of urban environments for these organisms are also covered. · Lastly, Part IV “Methodological Advancements” highlights molecular tools for assessing saproxylic diversity. The book offers an accessible and insightful resource for natural historians of all kinds and will especially appeal to entomologists, ecologists, conservationists and foresters.

This book presents a wide range of contributions addressing diverse aspects of biodiversity exploitation and conservation. These collectively provide a snapshot of ongoing action and state-of-the-art research, rather than a series of necessarily more superficial overviews. Examples presented here derive from studies in 17 countries including Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America. These reports will stimulate future work toward attaining a sustainable balance between the conservation and exploitation of biodiversity.

Legume-based intercropping systems have the potential for a more efficient use of water resources. This depends on various factors such as environmental conditions and genotypic characteristics. Therefore, several genotypes of legumes and non-legumes of arable, grassland and woody crops were tested comparing intercropping and pure stands under both greenhouse and field conditions. Greenhouse experiments with winter faba bean and winter wheat under water deficit revealed genotypic differences in the suitability for intercropping as well as effects on the microbial community. Field experiments with direct and remote measurements showed that including legumes in arable and grassland low-input systems improves water use efficiency and productivity in comparison to pure non-legumes. The grassland mixing partners perennial ryegrass and chicory had additional effects. Furthermore, arable intercropping reduced nitrous oxide emissions compared to fertilized wheat stands. From the consolidated results, some winter faba bean and white clover genotypes could be identified for further breeding for intercropping systems. In summary, intercropping with legumes improves the water use efficiency and the general performance and sustainability of the agro-ecosystem.

Biological homogenization is the dominant process shaping the future global biosphere. As global transportation becomes faster and more frequent, it is inevitable that biotic intermixing will increase. Unique local biotas will become extinct only to be replaced by already widespread biotas that can tolerate human activities. This process is affecting all aspects of our world: language, economies, and ecosystems alike. The ultimate outcome is the loss of uniqueness and the growth of uniformity. In this way, fast food restaurants exist in Moscow and Java Sparrows breed on Hawaii. Biological homogenization qualifies as a global environmental catastrophe. The Earth has never witnessed such a broad and complete reorganization of species distributions.