TY - BOOK TI - PY - UR - PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Genetically Modified Pest-Protected Plants: Science and Regulation SN - DO - 10.17226/9795 PY - 2000 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9795/genetically-modified-pest-protected-plants-science-and-regulation PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Agriculture KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - This book explores the risks and benefits of crops that are genetically modified for pest resistance, the urgency of establishing an appropriate regulatory framework for these products, and the importance of public understanding of the issues. The committee critically reviews federal policies toward transgenic products, the 1986 coordinated framework among the key federal agencies in the field, and rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency for regulation of plant pesticides. This book provides detailed analyses of: Mechanisms and results of genetic engineering compared to conventional breeding for pest resistance. Review of scientific issues associated with transgenic pest-protected plants, such as allergenicity, impact on nontarget plants, evolution of the pest species, and other concerns. Overview of regulatory framework and its use of scientific information with suggestions for improvements. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - Paula Tarnapol Whitacre TI - Genetically Engineered Organisms, Wildlife, and Habitat: A Workshop Summary SN - DO - 10.17226/12218 PY - 2008 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12218/genetically-engineered-organisms-wildlife-and-habitat-a-workshop-summary PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Agriculture KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Since the first commercial introduction of transgenic corn plants in 1995, biotechnology has provided enormous benefits to agricultural crop production. Research is underway to develop a much broader range of genetically engineered organisms (GEOs), including fish, trees, microbes, and insects, that could have the potential to transform fields such as aquaculture, biofuels production, bioremediation, biocontrol, and even the production of pharmaceuticals . However, biotechnology is not without risk and continues to be an extremely controversial topic. Chief among the concerns is the potential ecological effects of GEOs that interact with wildlife and habitats. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is charged with providing scientific advice to inform federal agencies that manage wildlife and their habitats. USGS has identified biotechnology as one of its major challenges for future research. Seeing an opportunity to initiate a dialogue between ecologists and developers of GEOs about this challenge, the USGS and the National Research Council (NRC) held a two-day workshop in November of 2007, to identify research activities with the greatest potential to provide the information needed to assess the ecological effects of GEOs on wildlife and habitats. The workshop, designed to approach the research questions from a habitat, rather than transgenic organism, perspective, is summarized in this book. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - The Impact of Genetically Engineered Crops on Farm Sustainability in the United States SN - DO - 10.17226/12804 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12804/the-impact-of-genetically-engineered-crops-on-farm-sustainability-in-the-united-states PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Agriculture AB - Since genetically engineered (GE) crops were introduced in 1996, their use in the United States has grown rapidly, accounting for 80-90 percent of soybean, corn, and cotton acreage in 2009. To date, crops with traits that provide resistance to some herbicides and to specific insect pests have benefited adopting farmers by reducing crop losses to insect damage, by increasing flexibility in time management, and by facilitating the use of more environmentally friendly pesticides and tillage practices. However, excessive reliance on a single technology combined with a lack of diverse farming practices could undermine the economic and environmental gains from these GE crops. Other challenges could hinder the application of the technology to a broader spectrum of crops and uses. Several reports from the National Research Council have addressed the effects of GE crops on the environment and on human health. However, The Impact of Genetically Engineered Crops on Farm Sustainability in the United States is the first comprehensive assessment of the environmental, economic, and social impacts of the GE-crop revolution on U.S. farms. It addresses how GE crops have affected U.S. farmers, both adopters and nonadopters of the technology, their incomes, agronomic practices, production decisions, environmental resources, and personal well-being. The book offers several new findings and four recommendations that could be useful to farmers, industry, science organizations, policy makers, and others in government agencies. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - Robert Pool A2 - Joan Esnayra TI - Ecological Monitoring of Genetically Modified Crops: A Workshop Summary SN - DO - 10.17226/10068 PY - 2001 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10068/ecological-monitoring-of-genetically-modified-crops-a-workshop-summary PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Agriculture KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Proponents of agricultural biotechnology believe that genetically modified (GM) crops have the potential to provide great ecological benefits, such as reduced pesticide and land use, as well as agricultural benefits. However, given the rapid emergence of commercial GM crops and the likely increase in their use, many groups have raised concerns about the potential unintended, adverse ecological effects of these crops. Some ecological concerns are enhanced development of pest resistance, crosspollination with wild relatives, and reductions in beneficial insects or birds. Ecological Monitoring of Genetically Modified Crops considers the latest in monitoring methods and technologies and to asks--What are the challenges associated with monitoring for ecological effects of GM crops? Is ongoing ecological monitoring of GM crops a useful and informative activity? If so, how should scientifically rigorous monitoring be carried out in the variety of ecological settings in which GM crops are grown? ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - A Decision Framework for Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs SN - DO - 10.17226/25424 PY - 2019 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25424/a-decision-framework-for-interventions-to-increase-the-persistence-and-resilience-of-coral-reefs PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - Coral reefs are critical to ocean and human life because they provide food, living area, storm protection, tourism income, and more. However, human-induced stressors, such as overfishing, sediment, pollution, and habitat destruction have threatened ocean ecosystems globally for decades. In the face of climate change, these ecosystems now face an array of unfamiliar challenges due to destructive rises in ocean temperature, acidity and sea level. These factors lead to an increased frequency of bleaching events, hindered growth, and a decreasing rate of calcification. Research on interventions to combat these relatively new stressors and a reevaluation of longstanding interventions is necessary to understand and protect coral reefs in this changing climate. Previous research on these methods prompts further questions regarding the decision making process for site-specific interventions. A Decision Framework for Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs builds upon a previous report that reviews the state of research on methods that have been used, tested, or proposed to increase the resilience of coral reefs. This new report aims to help coral managers evaluate the specific needs of their site and navigate the 23 different interventions described in the previous report. A case study of the Caribbean, a region with low coral population plagued by disease, serves as an example for coral intervention decision making. This report provides complex coral management decision making tools, identifies gaps in coral biology and conservation research, and provides examples to help individuals and communities tailor a decision strategy to a local area. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academy of Sciences A2 - John C. Avise A2 - Francisco J. Ayala TI - In the Light of Evolution: Volume X: Comparative Phylogeography SN - DO - 10.17226/23542 PY - 2017 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23542/in-the-light-of-evolution-volume-x-comparative-phylogeography PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Biodiversity--the genetic variety of life--is an exuberant product of the evolutionary past, a vast human-supportive resource (aesthetic, intellectual, and material) of the present, and a rich legacy to cherish and preserve for the future. Two urgent challenges, and opportunities, for 21st-century science are to gain deeper insights into the evolutionary processes that foster biotic diversity, and to translate that understanding into workable solutions for the regional and global crises that biodiversity currently faces. A grasp of evolutionary principles and processes is important in other societal arenas as well, such as education, medicine, sociology, and other applied fields including agriculture, pharmacology, and biotechnology. The ramifications of evolutionary thought also extend into learned realms traditionally reserved for philosophy and religion. The central goal of the In the Light of Evolution (ILE) series is to promote the evolutionary sciences through state-of-the-art colloquia--in the series of Arthur M. Sackler colloquia sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences--and their published proceedings. Each installment explores evolutionary perspectives on a particular biological topic that is scientifically intriguing but also has special relevance to contemporary societal issues or challenges. This tenth and final edition of the In the Light of Evolution series focuses on recent developments in phylogeographic research and their relevance to past accomplishments and future research directions. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Biological Confinement of Genetically Engineered Organisms SN - DO - 10.17226/10880 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10880/biological-confinement-of-genetically-engineered-organisms PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences KW - Agriculture KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - Genetically engineered organisms (GEOs) have been under development for more than 20 years while GE crops have been grown commercially during the last decade. During this time, a number of questions have cropped up concerning the potential consequences that certain GEOs might have on natural or managed ecosystems and human health. Interest in developing methods to confine some GEOs and their transgenes to specifically designated release settings has increased and the success of these efforts could facilitate the continued growth and development of this technology. Biological Confinement of Genetically Engineered Organisms examines biological methods that may be used with genetically engineered plants, animals, microbes, and fungi. Bioconfinement methods have been applied successfully to a few non-engineered organisms, but many promising techniques remain in the conceptual and experimental stages of development. This book reviews and evaluates these methods, discusses when and why to consider their use, and assesses how effectively they offer a significant reduction of the risks engineered organisms can present to the environment. Interdisciplinary research to develop new confinement methods could find ways to minimize the potential for unintended effects on human health and the environment. Need for this type of research is clear and successful methods could prove helpful in promoting regulatory approval for commercialization of future genetically engineered organisms. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Evaluating the Taxonomic Status of the Mexican Gray Wolf and the Red Wolf SN - DO - 10.17226/25351 PY - 2019 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25351/evaluating-the-taxonomic-status-of-the-mexican-gray-wolf-and-the-red-wolf PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Scientists strive to develop clear rules for naming and grouping living organisms. But taxonomy, the scientific study of biological classification and evolution, is often highly debated. Members of a species, the fundamental unit of taxonomy and evolution, share a common evolutionary history and a common evolutionary path to the future. Yet, it can be difficult to determine whether the evolutionary history or future of a population is sufficiently distinct to designate it as a unique species. A species is not a fixed entity – the relationship among the members of the same species is only a snapshot of a moment in time. Different populations of the same species can be in different stages in the process of species formation or dissolution. In some cases hybridization and introgression can create enormous challenges in interpreting data on genetic distinctions between groups. Hybridization is far more common in the evolutionary history of many species than previously recognized. As a result, the precise taxonomic status of an organism may be highly debated. This is the current case with the Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) and the red wolf (Canis rufus), and this report assesses the taxonomic status for each. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - A Research Strategy to Examine the Taxonomy of the Red Wolf SN - DO - 10.17226/25891 PY - 2020 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25891/a-research-strategy-to-examine-the-taxonomy-of-the-red-wolf PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - A Research Strategy to Examine the Taxonomy of the Red Wolf provides independent guidance about taxonomic research on the red wolf, Canis rufus. Building from the 2019 report Evaluating the Taxonomic Status of the Mexican Gray Wolf and the Red Wolf, this report reviews and ranks research applications to determine the taxonomy of wild canid populations in southern Louisiana and other relevant locations. The report then develops a research strategy to examine the evolutionary relationships between ancient red wolves, the extant managed red wolf populations, and the unidentified canid populations. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Forest Trees SN - DO - 10.17226/1582 PY - 1991 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/1582/forest-trees PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences KW - Earth Sciences AB - News reports concerning decline of the world's forests are becoming sadly familiar. Most losses are measured in square kilometers, but a more profound loss cannot be measured. As forests disappear, so do their genetic resources. The genes they possess can no longer aid in their adaptation to a changing environment, nor can they be used to develop improved varieties or products. This book assesses the status of the world's tree genetic resources and management efforts. Strategies for meeting future needs and alternatives to harvesting natural forests are presented. The book also outlines methods and technologies for management, evaluates activities now under way, and makes specific recommendations for a global strategy for forest management. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Forest Health and Biotechnology: Possibilities and Considerations SN - DO - 10.17226/25221 PY - 2019 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25221/forest-health-and-biotechnology-possibilities-and-considerations PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - The American chestnut, whitebark pine, and several species of ash in the eastern United States are just a few of the North American tree species that have been functionally lost or are in jeopardy of being lost due to outbreaks of pathogens and insect pests. New pressures in this century are putting even more trees at risk. Expanded human mobility and global trade are providing pathways for the introduction of nonnative pests for which native tree species may lack resistance. At the same time, climate change is extending the geographic range of both native and nonnative pest species. Biotechnology has the potential to help mitigate threats to North American forests from insects and pathogens through the introduction of pest-resistant traits to forest trees. However, challenges remain: the genetic mechanisms that underlie trees' resistance to pests are poorly understood; the complexity of tree genomes makes incorporating genetic changes a slow and difficult task; and there is a lack of information on the effects of releasing new genotypes into the environment. Forest Health and Biotechnology examines the potential use of biotechnology for mitigating threats to forest tree health and identifies the ecological, economic, and social implications of deploying biotechnology in forests. This report also develops a research agenda to address knowledge gaps about the application of the technology. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academy of Sciences A2 - John C. Avise A2 - Francisco J. Ayala TI - In the Light of Evolution: Volume III: Two Centuries of Darwin SN - DO - 10.17226/12692 PY - 2009 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12692/in-the-light-of-evolution-volume-iii-two-centuries-of PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences KW - Explore Science AB - Two Centuries of Darwin is the outgrowth of an Arthur M. Sackler Colloquium, sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences on January 16-17, 2009. In the chapters of this book, leading evolutionary biologists and science historians reflect on and commemorate the Darwinian Revolution. They canvass modern research approaches and current scientific thought on each of the three main categories of selection (natural, artificial, and sexual) that Darwin addressed during his career. Although Darwin's legacy is associated primarily with the illumination of natural selection in The Origin, he also contemplated and wrote extensively about what we now term artificial selection and sexual selection. In a concluding section of this book, several science historians comment on Darwin's seminal contributions. Two Centuries of Darwin is the third book of the In the Light of Evolution series. Each installment in the series explores evolutionary perspectives on a particular biological topic that is scientifically intriguing but also has special relevance to contemporary societal issues or challenges. The ILE series aims to interpret phenomena in various areas of biology through the lens of evolution and address some of the most intellectually engaging, as well as pragmatically important societal issues of our times. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academy of Sciences A2 - Jody Hey A2 - Walter M. Fitch A2 - Francisco J. Ayala TI - Systematics and the Origin of Species: On Ernst Mayr's 100th Anniversary SN - DO - 10.17226/11310 PY - 2005 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11310/systematics-and-the-origin-of-species-on-ernst-mayrs-100th PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - In December 2004, the National Academy of Sciences sponsored a colloquium on “Systematics and the Origin of Species” to celebrate Ernst Mayr’s 100th anniversary and to explore current knowledge concerning the origin of species. In 1942, Ernst Mayr, one of the twentieth century’s greatest scientists, published Systematics and the Origin of Species, a seminal book of the modern theory of evolution, where he advanced the significance of population variation in the understanding of evolutionary process and the origin of new species. Mayr formulated the transition from Linnaeus’s static species concept to the dynamic species concept of the modern theory of evolution and emphasized the species as a community of populations, the role of reproductive isolation, and the ecological interactions between species. In addition to a preceding essay by Edward O. Wilson, this book includes the 16 papers presented by distinguished evolutionists at the colloquium. The papers are organized into sections covering the origins of species barriers, the processes of species divergence, the nature of species, the meaning of “species,” and genomic approaches for understanding diversity and speciation. ER - TY - BOOK TI - (NAS Colloquium) The Future of Evolution DO - 10.17226/10499 PY - 2002 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10499/nas-colloquium-the-future-of-evolution PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Gene Drives on the Horizon: Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research with Public Values SN - DO - 10.17226/23405 PY - 2016 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23405/gene-drives-on-the-horizon-advancing-science-navigating-uncertainty-and PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Research on gene drive systems is rapidly advancing. Many proposed applications of gene drive research aim to solve environmental and public health challenges, including the reduction of poverty and the burden of vector-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue, which disproportionately impact low and middle income countries. However, due to their intrinsic qualities of rapid spread and irreversibility, gene drive systems raise many questions with respect to their safety relative to public and environmental health. Because gene drive systems are designed to alter the environments we share in ways that will be hard to anticipate and impossible to completely roll back, questions about the ethics surrounding use of this research are complex and will require very careful exploration. Gene Drives on the Horizon outlines the state of knowledge relative to the science, ethics, public engagement, and risk assessment as they pertain to research directions of gene drive systems and governance of the research process. This report offers principles for responsible practices of gene drive research and related applications for use by investigators, their institutions, the research funders, and regulators. ER - TY - BOOK TI - Transgenic Plants and World Agriculture DO - 10.17226/9889 PY - 2000 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9889/transgenic-plants-and-world-agriculture PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Agriculture KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - This report concludes that steps must be taken to meet the urgent need for sustainable practices in world agriculture if the demands of an expanding world population are to be met without destroying the environment or natural resource base. In particular, GM technology, coupled with important developments in other areas, should be used to increase the production of main food staples, improve the efficiency of production, reduce the environmental impact of agriculture, and provide access to food for small-scale farmers. However, concerted, organized efforts must be undertaken to investigate the potential health and environmental effects—both positive and negative—of GM technologies in their specific applications. These must be assessed against the background of effects from conventional agricultural technologies that are currently in use. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - A Research Review of Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs SN - DO - 10.17226/25279 PY - 2019 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25279/a-research-review-of-interventions-to-increase-the-persistence-and-resilience-of-coral-reefs PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - Coral reef declines have been recorded for all major tropical ocean basins since the 1980s, averaging approximately 30-50% reductions in reef cover globally. These losses are a result of numerous problems, including habitat destruction, pollution, overfishing, disease, and climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions and the associated increases in ocean temperature and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations have been implicated in increased reports of coral bleaching, disease outbreaks, and ocean acidification (OA). For the hundreds of millions of people who depend on reefs for food or livelihoods, the thousands of communities that depend on reefs for wave protection, the people whose cultural practices are tied to reef resources, and the many economies that depend on reefs for fisheries or tourism, the health and maintenance of this major global ecosystem is crucial. A growing body of research on coral physiology, ecology, molecular biology, and responses to stress has revealed potential tools to increase coral resilience. Some of this knowledge is poised to provide practical interventions in the short-term, whereas other discoveries are poised to facilitate research that may later open the doors to additional interventions. A Research Review of Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs reviews the state of science on genetic, ecological, and environmental interventions meant to enhance the persistence and resilience of coral reefs. The complex nature of corals and their associated microbiome lends itself to a wide range of possible approaches. This first report provides a summary of currently available information on the range of interventions present in the scientific literature and provides a basis for the forthcoming final report. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Evaluating Human Genetic Diversity SN - DO - 10.17226/5955 PY - 1997 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/5955/evaluating-human-genetic-diversity PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences KW - Behavioral and Social Sciences AB - This book assesses the scientific value and merit of research on human genetic differences—including a collection of DNA samples that represents the whole of human genetic diversity—and the ethical, organizational, and policy issues surrounding such research. Evaluating Human Genetic Diversity discusses the potential uses of such collection, such as providing insight into human evolution and origins and serving as a springboard for important medical research. It also addresses issues of confidentiality and individual privacy for participants in genetic diversity research studies. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Environmental Effects of Transgenic Plants: The Scope and Adequacy of Regulation SN - DO - 10.17226/10258 PY - 2002 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10258/environmental-effects-of-transgenic-plants-the-scope-and-adequacy-of PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Agriculture KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - Transgenic crops offer the promise of increased agricultural productivity and better quality foods. But they also raise the specter of harmful environmental effects. In this new book, a panel of experts examines: • Similarities and differences between crops developed by conventional and transgenic methods • Potential for commercialized transgenic crops to change both agricultural and nonagricultural landscapes • How well the U.S. government is regulating transgenic crops to avoid any negative effects. Environmental Effects of Transgenic Plants provides a wealth of information about transgenic processes, previous experience with the introduction of novel crops, principles of risk assessment and management, the science behind current regulatory schemes, issues in monitoring transgenic products already on the market, and more. The book discusses public involvement—and public confidence—in biotechnology regulation. And it looks to the future, exploring the potential of genetic engineering and the prospects for environmental effects. ER -