A Dozen Biodiversity Puzzles
143 Pages Posted: 18 Dec 2009
Date Written: December 15, 2004
Abstract
American statutes often contain language supporting the protection of biodiversity. The issue of biodiversity is truly one of the most important issues of our time, but lawmakers need to understand that biodiversity is a much more complex issue than most people realize. Defining it as a mandatory statutory objective would open a Pandora’s box of litigation unless the word is more precisely defined. This article reviews the scientific literature to describe a dozen puzzling questions that can arise when the term biodiversity is used without further definition.
Keywords: biodiversity, environmental law, conservation
JEL Classification: K32
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation