In the Atlantic Ocean the highest levels of biodiversity are in the Caribbean.
Compared with ecosystems having top carnivore populations intact, ecosystems experiencing mesopredator release have lower levels of biodiversity.
The Spratly Islands have similar potential, says McManus. "These are some of the most beautiful reefs I've ever seen with some of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world," he says.
Humans are becoming ever more urban in their habits, yet it's only recently that scientists have attempted to quantify the impact of urbanisation on levels of biodiversity around the world.
PAGE A15 The Urban Natural Mosaic Ecologists are finding that cities are interesting environments, with surprisingly high levels of biodiversity, and that understanding them may be crucial to our environmental future.
Now, though, ecologists are finding that cities are interesting, legitimate environments, with surprisingly high levels of biodiversity, and what's more, that understanding and protecting them may be crucial to our environmental future.
"Cost-effective Conservation: Calculating Biodiversity and Logging Trade-offs in Southeast Asia," by Brendan Fisher et al, claims to "show that selectively logged forests represent a surprisingly low-cost option for conserving high levels of biodiversity".
The study was carried out to monitor levels of biodiversity.
Spatially heterogeneous agricultural landscapes can support high levels of biodiversity.
Accordingly, levels of biodiversity on that land are very low (Fig. 1; [33]).
Mountainous regions harbor high levels of biodiversity, while often experiencing substantial pressure from agricultural production.
