Carsten Hobohm – författare

The novelty of the book is a strong focus on perception, perspectives and prediction by scientists with profound insight into the ecology of ecosystems or into human demands and activity. The challenge is to bridge from empirical data and the knowledge of the past to the possibilities of the performance in the future. We assume that there is scope for more cooperation between the fields of ecology and practical philosophy or other social sciences in organising ecosystems and shaping the cultural future of humankind, and that such collaboration should be accorded considerably more priority. 

This book focuses on perspectives and prognoses for the impacts of anthropogenic activity on ecosystems and thus on species conservation. Its goal is to improve assessments of the impacts of human activity on the environment. We are aware that prognoses have very often proven to be false. It is difficult to impossible to be able to predict with precision how evolution and ecosystems will change in future under anthropogenic influence. This strengthens our resolve to attempt to retain the highest possible degree of scientific integrity and professionalism and not to shy away from expressing the uncertainty of our own ideas and prognoses. We venture prognoses in this book and we will fail. However, we hope that we will be wrong on the right side.

Angesichts einer zunehmend bedrohlichen Kulisse stellt sich die Frage, wie der Klimawandel, die Intensivierung der Nutzung von Ökosystemen und die Bedrohung der Artenvielfalt das soziale und kulturelle Leben beeinflussen. In den Medien haben Katastrophenmeldungen zweifellos zugenommen. Doch in welcher Weise das gesellschaftliche Leben oder die Menschheit insgesamt durch Umweltkatastrophen konkret bedroht ist, wird bislang nur selten in ausreichender Detailschärfe dargestellt.

Mit dieser Analyse wird versucht, den Knoten der gelegentlich einseitigen Betrachtung zu lösen und den Blickwinkel um einige Möglichkeiten der Ausgestaltung von Zukunft zu erweitern. Eine ganze Palette von Möglichkeiten zielt darauf ab, den Fokus der global dunklen, gleichzeitig unscharfen oder sogar verschwommenen Perspektiven um positive Ansätze in der lokalen und regionalen Dimension zu erweitern. Möglichkeiten sind reichlich vorhanden, aber sie sind nicht zum Nulltarif zu realisieren.

The book is the first comprehensive analysis of the macroecology and geobotany of endemic vascular plants with case-studies and analyses from different regions in the world. Endemism is a pre-extinction phenomenon. Endemics are threatened with extinction. Due to international nature conservation policies and due to the perception of the public the concept’s importance is increasing. Endemism can result from different biological and environmental processes. Depending on the process conservation measures should be adapted. Endemic vascular plant taxa, in the setting of their species composition and vegetation types are important features of landscapes and indicators of the quality of relating habitats. The book is an important basis for biologists, ecologists, geographers, planners and managers of nature reserves and national parks, and people generally interested in nature conservation and biogeography of vascular plants.