Scientists Who Focus on Biological Diversity May Be Taking Too Narrow a View

To the Editor:

As other commentators in The Chronicle's online Colloquy have pointed out, the functional role of biodiversity should not be reduced to a single measure -- i.e., productivity ("Have Ecologists Oversold Biodiversity?," October 13).

Nor should assertions that biodiversity is functionally important be interpreted to mean that maximal biodiversity is always (or ever) better than lesser degrees of diversity. ...

Removal of exotic species, for instance, can

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