For the present the rise of knowledge-intensive global industries favours centres rich in infrastructure and specialised skills.

ECONOMIST: Time to rebalance | The

Philip Pullman, author of the His Dark Materials trilogy, said he feared the loss of "special community centres, dedicated to knowledge".

BBC: Oxfordshire authors join fight against library cuts

They include major centres of biodiversity, often coinciding with centres of cultural diversity where traditional ecological knowledge is maintained.

UNESCO: Ecological Sciences and Research