Limestone Karsts of Southeast Asia: Imperiled Arks of Biodiversity
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Publication Date
September 2006
Abstract
The overexploitation of the world's biomes for natural products calls for the prioritization of biologically important ecosystems for conservation. Here we show that limestone karsts are “arks” of biodiversity and often contain high levels of endemism. Humans have exploited karsts for a variety of products and services, but unsustainable practices have caused population declines and extinctions among site-endemic taxa. Limestone quarrying is the primary threat to karst biodiversity in Southeast Asia, where quarrying rates exceed those in other tropical regions. Several socioeconomic, political, and scientific issues undermine the stewardship of these karsts. Mitigation of these problems will involve (a) better land-use planning to prevent karst resources from being exhausted in developing regions, (b) comprehensive assessments of a karst's economic and biological value before development, (c) improved legislation and enforcement to protect karst biodiversity, and (d) increased research and activities to promote public awareness of the importance of karsts and the threats facing them.
Keywords
Limestone Karsts, Biodiversity, Arks
Document Type
Article
Language
English
Notes
BioScience, Vol. 56, no. 9 (2006-09-01).
Identifier
SFS0046414_00001
Recommended Citation
Clements, Reuben; Sodhi, Navjot S.; and Schilthuizen, Menno, "Limestone Karsts of Southeast Asia: Imperiled Arks of Biodiversity" (2006). KIP Articles. 3158.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/3158