Foreword / Edward O. Wilson
1: What Is Biodiversity? / Stuart L. Pimm, Maria Alice S Alves, Eric Chivian, Aaron Bernstein
Determining rates of species extinction
Loss of populations and genes
2: How Is Biodiversity Threatened By Human Activity? / Eric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein
Habitat loss : in the oceans
Habitat loss : fresh water
3: Ecosystem Services / Jerry Melillo and Osvaldo Sala
Character of ecosystem services
Economic value of ecosystem services
Threats to ecosystem services
4: Medicines From Nature / David J Newman, John Kilama, Aaron Bernstein and Eric Chivian
History of natural products as medicines
Role of traditional medicine in drug discovery
South American indigenous medicines
Review of some medicines derived from nature
Herbal medicines in industrialized countries
Potential medicines in food
Natural products as insecticides and fungicides
5: Biodiversity And Biomedical Research / Eric Chivian, Aaron Bernstein, and Joshua P. Rosenthal
Brief history of biomedical research
Role of animals and microbes in biomedical research
6: Threatened Groups Of Organisms Valuable To Medicine / Eric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein
7: Ecosystem Disturbance, Biodiversity Loss, And Human Infectious Disease / David H. Molyneux, Richard S. Ostfeld, Aaron Bernstein and Eric Chivian
Ecosystem disturbances and their effects on infectious diseases
Vector, pathogen, and host diversity and human infectious disease
Species exploitation and the consumption of bushmeat
Climate change and its effects on infectious diseases
8: Biodiversity And Food Production / Daniel Hillel and Cynthia Rosenzweig
Food from aquatic systems
9: Genetically Modified Foods And Organic Farming / Eric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein
Genetically modified foods
10: What Individuals Can Do To Help Conserve Biodiversity / Jeffrey A McNeely, Eleanor Sterling and Kalemani Jo Mulongoy
What are we doing to our planet?
Why do we consume so much?
How can we conserve biodiversity?
Some collective actions that have made a difference
Individuals who have made a difference
Ten things we all can do that can help conserve biodiversity
Appendix A: Co-sponsors of sustaining life : how human health depends on biodiversity
Appendix B: Treaties, conventions, and intergovernmental organizations for the conservation of biodiversity
Appendix C: Nongovernmental organizations working to conserve biodiversity.
