<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Biodiversity research has been criticized for displaying the "founder effect" and not deviating in terms of study topic from the course set by its founding terrestrial ecologists more than three decades ago. I tested this hypothesis by examining over four thousand papers published between 1987 and 2008 in three international journals, <italic>Conservation Biology, Biological Conservation</italic>, and <italic>Biodiversity and Conservation</italic>. Analysis of temporal trends in types of organisms studied, types of ecosystems studied, types of methodologies used, and types of stresses investigated, revealed that there has been little movement away from the origins of the profession as being primarily concerned with the effects of forest habitat loss on charismatic terrestrial megafauna.</p></abstract>

Biodiversity research has been criticized for displaying the "founder effect" and not deviating in terms of study topic from the course set by its founding terrestrial ecologists more than three decades ago. I tested this hypothesis by examining over four thousand papers published between 1987 and 2008 in three international journals, Conservation Biology, Biological Conservation, and Biodiversity and Conservation. Analysis of temporal trends in types of organisms studied, types of ecosystems studied, types of methodologies used, and types of stresses investigated, revealed that there has been little movement away from the origins of the profession as being primarily concerned with the effects of forest habitat loss on charismatic terrestrial megafauna.

Trends in biodiversity research over two decades: paradigmatic finders keepers?

Department of Engineering, Integrated Environmental Management Program, NSAC, PO Box 550, Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada B2N 5E3

Biodiversity Research and Conservation

{"article-title":"Trends in biodiversity research over two decades: paradigmatic finders keepers?"}

Biodiversity research has been criticized for displaying the "founder effect" and not deviating in terms of study topic from the course set by its founding...

Trends in biodiversity research over two decades: paradigmatic finders keepers?

Publié en ligne: 20 oct. 2011

Pages: 3 - 6

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10119-011-0001-2

Mots clés
biodiversity/conservation biology research, literature review, temporal trends

This content is open access.

Trends in biodiversity research over two decades: paradigmatic finders keepers?

Publié en ligne: 20 oct. 2011

Pages: 3 - 6

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10119-011-0001-2

Mots clésbiodiversity/conservation biology research, literature review, temporal trends

This content is open access.

Mots clés
biodiversity/conservation biology research, literature review, temporal trends