Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods)

Quips and Quotes

“Human activities . . . entail significant . . . consequences for one or more biodiversity components, primarily by redirecting matter and energy flows. This cumulative redirection is enormous at the planetary scale (Vitousek et al. 1997), as the following three examples illustrate: (1) Vitousek et al. (1986) calculated that 40% of the Earth’s terrestrial primary productivity was being appropriated by humans; (2) Roberts (1997) estimates that 25-35% of the primary productivity of continental shelf marine ecoystems is consumed by humans; and (3) Postel et al. (1996) report that humans now appropriate 26% of total evapo-transpiration and use 54% of all runoff in rivers, lakes, and other accessible sources of water.”
(Excerpt from K.H. Redford and B.D. Richter. 1999. Conservation Biology 13: 1246-1256)

It is the way of the world that some people put errors into circulation while others try then to eradicate these same errors. This keeps everyone busy . . . (Arni Magnusson)

Critical Quips
He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I ever met (Abraham Lincoln)
After all is said and done, more is said than done (Anon.)
His absence is good company (Scottish saying)
The covers of this book are too far apart (Ambrose Bierce)

We had seen the light at the end of the tunnel, and it was out (John C. Clancy)