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Resumo

Contrary to neo-Malthusian assumptions population increase may not necessarily mean less biodiversity. More people may mean more care of the environment. Much depends on the circumstances through which local populations develop an awareness of, and practical involvement in, biodiversity management. This article considers two instances. In the first, an apparently pristine rain forest turns out on closer inspection to be heavy with the marks of past human occupance. This may have been quite good for some classes of biodiversity—the birds, for instance. In a second case, attention is paid to crop genetic resources in a densely populated agrarian landscape. Here genetic biodiversity may have been conserved through the activities of farmers selecting planting materials adapted to harsh physical conditions. Case-study material of this kind provides a basis for conservationists and community groups to develop mutual understanding.

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