Abstract
The symposium from which the papers in this issue derive was organized to foster an awareness among forest managers of the issues surrounding biological diversity. Forest geneticists have been calling for conservation of diversity for many years (Anonymous, 1975). Since they were geneticists, they naturally called this gene conservation. Forest geneticists often sold gene conservation from a practical viewpoint. Genes were needed in breeding, as raw material for selection, and to maintain viable populations of commercial species. That argument is as valid as ever, but over time we have come to publicly acknowledge that the problem is broader than the need to bank genes for future use in breeding. Research and experience have made us aware of many more aspects of diversity and its uses. Diversity has assumed a value in its own right as people turn to nature for recreation and solace. The existence of wildness keeps our everyday world from becoming one large cage.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
