RANKER, TOM A. University of Colorado, University Museum and EPO Biology, Boulder, CO, 80309. - Conservation Biology of Pteridophytes.
Conservation biology is a broad field that combines information from
studies of ecology, demography, biogeography, genetics, systematics,
floristics, evolution, and physiology (to name just a few...).
Ideally, conservation management programs endeavor to combine
information from such biological disciplines with the economic and
cultural needs of human societies in attempting to minimize the impact
of our activities on the natural world. Studies of pteridophytes that
represent a microcosm of the entire field of conservation biology are
being conducted around the world. The presentations in this symposium
run the gamut from studies of particular rare species of pteridophytes
to studies of entire floras, both temperate and tropical. Studies of
individual taxa will discuss the application of data from a variety of
sources to questions of conservation, including molecular genetics,
demographic modeling, biogeography, and ecology. Studies of entire
pteridophyte floras will 1) relate patterns of distribution of
rare/endemic taxa to the pteridophyte life cycle, 2) describe efforts
of propagating and reintroducing endangered species, 3) explain the
construction and use of pteridophyte biodiversity databases, and 4)
document efforts to incorporate local communities in regional
conservation efforts.
Key words: conservation biology, pteridophytes