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Could more than a million species disappear in the 21st century?
Written by a leading scientist in the field, Driven to Extinction draws upon fascinating case studies from around the world, providing balanced and well-reasoned insight into the potential impacts of climate change on the diversity of life. Richard Pearson focuses on the science of the issue, revealing what has happened––as well as what is likely to happen––to some of the world's weirdest and most wonderful species as global temperatures continue to rise.
RICHARD PEARSON is a scientist at the American Museum of Natural History with a Ph.D. from Oxford University. His research has been funded by grants from NASA and the National Science Foundation, and his findings have been published in several scientific journals, including Nature.
The American Museum of Natural History is one of the largest and most respected museums in the world, with millions of visitors each year.
Preface 6
Chapter 1 A Climate for Life 9
Chapter 2 Herps on Hills 23
Chapter 3 To the Ends of the Earth 43
Chapter 4 Out of Sync 61
Chapter 5 A Global Fingerprint 79
Chapter 6 Extinction Risk 97
Chapter 7 Running to Keep Still 149
Chapter 8 Complex Communities 171
Chapter 9 Crying Wolf? 191
Chapter 10 Twenty-First-Century Conservation 207
Notes 226
References 240
Further Reading 254
Conversions 255
Acknowledgments 255
Photo Credits 257
Index 258
Overview
Could more than a million species disappear in the 21st century?
Written by a leading scientist in the field, Driven to Extinction draws upon fascinating case studies from around the world, providing balanced and well-reasoned insight into the potential impacts of climate change on the diversity of life. Richard Pearson focuses on the science of the issue, revealing what has happened––as well as what is likely to happen––to some of the world's weirdest and most wonderful species...