Foreword / Edward O. Wilson
What Is Biodiversity? / Stuart L. Pimm, Maria Alice S. Alves, Eric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein
How Is Biodiversity Threatened by Human Activity? / Eric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein
Ecosystem Services / Jerry Melillo and Osvaldo Sala
Medicines from Nature / David J. Newman, John Kilama, Aaron Bernstein and Eric Chivian
Biodiversity and Biomedical Research / Eric Chivian, Aaron Bernstein and Joshua P. Rosenthal
Threatened Groups of Organisms Valuable to Medicine / Eric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein
Ecosystem Disturbance, Biodiversity Loss, and Human Infectious Disease / David H. Molyneux, Richard S. Ostfeld, Aaron Bernstein and Eric Chivian
Biodiversity and Food Production / Daniel Hillel and Cynthia Rosenzweig
Genetically Modified Foods and Organic Farming / Eric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein
What Individuals Can Do to Help Conserve Biodiversity / Jeffrey A. McNeely, Eleanor Sterling and Kalemani Jo Mulongoy
Appendix A. Co-sponsors of Sustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity
Appendix B. Treaties, Conventions, and Intergovernmental Organizations for the Conservation of Biodiversity
Appendix C. Nongovernmental Organizations Working to Conserve Biodiversity