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What are the origins of chance? Although its existence has long been accepted as a fact, the theory of probability only allows us to examine the random events produced by chance without enabling us to determine what creates it – and this despite knowing that living systems (from the cell to organisms, populations, communities and ecosystems) need chance to survive. In this book on living systems, we identify two origins: one external, coming from the environment, and the other, internal, produced by biological mechanisms that are molecular as well as cellular, demographic and ecological. These internal mechanisms – veritable “biological roulettes” - are similar to the mechanical devices that bring about “physical chance”. They are at once the products and the engines of evolution and they also generate biodiversity, often in response to the vagaries of the environment. By creating biodiversity, these biological roulettes act as a kind of a life insurance that, on an evolutionary scale, ensure that life will continue after great upheaval: within the wide variety of organisms, there are some that are potentially adapted to new environmental conditions. From among those that survive, a new living world will grow and diversify. By examining biodiversity at all scales and all levels, this book seeks to evaluate the breadth of our knowledge on this topical subject; to propose an integrated look at living things; and to assess the role of chance in the dynamics of biodiversity, from populations to ecosystems and the biosphere, and more generally in evolutionary processes. Finally, it suggests that by simultaneously examining the mechanisms of diversification, maintenance and extinction, we can model the dynamics of biodiversity to better understand it and predict its variations and, thus, to foresee the practical aspects for managing living systems.

Biodiversity conservation. --- Biodiversity. --- Ecosystem services. --- Environmental impact analysis. --- Biodiversity --- Chance --- Evolution (Biology) --- Natural selection --- Biological control systems --- Earth & Environmental Sciences --- Ecology --- Philosophy --- Chance. --- Biological diversification --- Biological diversity --- Biotic diversity --- Diversification, Biological --- Diversity, Biological --- Life sciences. --- Biology --- Ecology. --- Life Sciences. --- Philosophy of Biology. --- Theoretical Ecology/Statistics. --- Philosophy. --- Biocomplexity --- Ecological heterogeneity --- Numbers of species --- Fortune --- Necessity (Philosophy) --- Probabilities --- Biology-Philosophy. --- Balance of nature --- Bionomics --- Ecological processes --- Ecological science --- Ecological sciences --- Environment --- Environmental biology --- Oecology --- Environmental sciences --- Population biology --- Biology—Philosophy. --- Ecology . --- Theoretical and Statistical Ecology. --- Vitalism

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La quatrième de couverture indique : "Comprendre la biodiversité La biodiversité est aujourd'hui l'un des maîtres-mots de tout discours environnemental. Après une trentaine d'années de diffusion du terme, un examen attentif fait pourtant apparaître que son succès médiatique s'est accompagné d'un affaiblissement de sa validité scientifique. Ont surgi nombre d'arguments qui s'éloignent des faits avérés ou des analyses sérieuses, conduisant ainsi à un catastrophisme ambiant mal fondé. Alain Pavé, dont la compétence scientifique dans le domaine est incontestée, propose une analyse critique novatrice et bienvenue, riche d'exemples concrets souvent surprenants, de l'escargot de Quimper à l'ours pas toujours blanc. Loin de prendre le simple contre-pied des idées reçues et d'ouvrir la voie à un quelconque écoscepticisme, l'auteur montre que la prise en compte des réelles menaces qui pèsent sur le vivant demande une compréhension beaucoup plus fine de sa diversité et des mécanismes, évolutifs en particulier, qui la gouvernent et où l'aléatoire joue un rôle déterminant. Il s'agit ici rien moins que de proposer une refondation du concept de biodiversité, à la mesure de son importance et de l'intérêt qu'on doit y porter. La pensée écologique ne pourra que profiter de ce changement de perspective."

Biodiversity --- Biodiversité

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What are the origins of chance? Although its existence has long been accepted as a fact, the theory of probability only allows us to examine the random events produced by chance without enabling us to determine what creates it – and this despite knowing that living systems (from the cell to organisms, populations, communities and ecosystems) need chance to survive. In this book on living systems, we identify two origins: one external, coming from the environment, and the other, internal, produced by biological mechanisms that are molecular as well as cellular, demographic and ecological. These internal mechanisms – veritable “biological roulettes” - are similar to the mechanical devices that bring about “physical chance”. They are at once the products and the engines of evolution and they also generate biodiversity, often in response to the vagaries of the environment. By creating biodiversity, these biological roulettes act as a kind of a life insurance that, on an evolutionary scale, ensure that life will continue after great upheaval: within the wide variety of organisms, there are some that are potentially adapted to new environmental conditions. From among those that survive, a new living world will grow and diversify. By examining biodiversity at all scales and all levels, this book seeks to evaluate the breadth of our knowledge on this topical subject; to propose an integrated look at living things; and to assess the role of chance in the dynamics of biodiversity, from populations to ecosystems and the biosphere, and more generally in evolutionary processes. Finally, it suggests that by simultaneously examining the mechanisms of diversification, maintenance and extinction, we can model the dynamics of biodiversity to better understand it and predict its variations and, thus, to foresee the practical aspects for managing living systems.

Philosophy --- Biomathematics. Biometry. Biostatistics --- General ecology and biosociology --- Biology --- Biological anthropology. Palaeoanthropology --- biodiversiteit --- biologie --- filosofie --- statistiek --- ecologie

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Carroll, Lewis --- Concordances