The Functions of Biological Diversity in an Age of Extinction

Abstract

Environmental Determinism? Earth's millions of species influence a wide range of environmental processes, including elemental cycling, the stability of ecosystems, and the goods and services they provide. Naeem et al. (p. 1401 ) review recent advances in the young and evolving field of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, explore the extent to which the field is becoming a predictive science, and indicate how the field needs to develop in order to aid worldwide efforts to achieve environmental sustainability in the face of rising rates of extinction.