Review: There's enough evidence on this site to attest to this reviewers firm belief in taxonomy at the centre of ecology. To re-phrase the obvious - if you don't know what it is how can you argue for its conservation? Whilst most of us might feel that the case is won it's clear from this book that the case for taxonomy still needs to be put. Consider the subtitle: 'the cornerstone of the conservation and sustainable use of plants'. Here the argument moves beyond the value of taxonomy per se to the value of taxonomy in the wider scene. What we have in this text is a collection of contributions that put a very good case for raising the status of taxonomists, making them central to our conservation work.

The text is divided into four parts. The first part acts as an introduction, showing us initially the brief development of taxonomy and then moving on to its role in the Convention on Biological diversity (CBD). From these two chapters it's very clear that the current focus on applied taxonomy is in its use in identifying species and using this to aid conservation efforts. That this is seen in the context of the CBD is doubly useful because of the leverage this convention has. Part two, 'the practice of taxonomy', examines a series of key points regarding the development of the subject. We start with an overview of the basics of taxonomy in chapter three which should bring non-specialists up to speed with the key ideas. Chapter four turns on the question of classification and the need for a given number of families. The point to be made is that since species could be seen as artificial boundaries, where do we draw the line and how fine does our scale need to be? Chapter five tackles the question of levels of knowledge and at what stage we can make conservation decisions. As this too brief study of the Flora iberica shows, the situation is far from clear cut and we need to act before we lose species even if we don't know all of their names! Chapter six looks at the often hidden and somewhat arcane field of naming plants. Nomenclature is vital but often we don't get to see behind the scenes to see how a name is given - here is a fascinating insight into the process. Chapter seven looks at taxonomy from a different perspective. Here the emphasis is not on other people appreciating taxonomy but on the taxonomists going out and selling their subject. It's all too rare to see this approach - it should be encouraged. Part three looks at the ways in which taxonomy can help set conservation priorities. Thus chapter 8 looks at the question of biodiversity and how it can be measured. Chapters 9 and 10 examine the issue from a geographical perspective; in this case Europe and the Mediterranean respectively. A final chapter looks at the issues of finer-than-species analysis and the techniques that can be used. Part four is the business end of taxonomy - the use it has in conservation. Chapter 12 opens with a look at the concept of species arguing that we need to do something before species become academic. This call to action is followed by two cases each focussing on one area - key species and reintroduction. Chapter 15 looks at development issues and how taxonomy can help (or not because this is the area of ethnobotany). Chapter 16 looks at ways of refining the taxonomic system through molecular analysis. Chapter 17 notes that the need is for legislation and that minutiae about species is not necessarily the best way forward. The final three chapters look at ways of conserving plants through gardens, seed banks etc.

This is a fascinating insight into a world that is often seen as closed to all but a few specialists. It argues for a greater understanding from both sides to the contribution of the other. As such it's aimed at those with some background knowledge of the topic. There's a wealth of detail here that could be used in a range of situations. Those regularly involved in conservation education would do well to read this text.