This book provides an understanding of the many biological and sociopolitical considerations involved in the conservation of biological resources. It is intended to provide practical advice on procedures that can be used by professional resource managers who work at local and regional levels.

Biodiversity Conservation - Challenges for the Future is a multidisciplinary book, linking topics on biodiversity, conservation, food and nutrition, organic farming, food security and sustainable management. The book summarizes the key ideas for meeting the challenges of biodiversity conservation. It presents suggestions and recommendations and reiterates the need for raising awareness among a range of stakeholders about conservation and sustainable management of biological resources and associated traditional knowledge resources along with ensuring appropriate capacity building at individual and institutional levels. The book also brings a wealth of knowledge about the local marine ecosystem and Western Ghats biodiversity. Readers will find an a overview of several aspects of biodiversity ranging from: a) The diversity of flora and fauna which will be of immense benefit to the local community. b) Laws and regulations related to access and benefits of sharing Bio-resources. c) Sustainable management models for marine and wetland environmental conservation. d) Case studies of human participation in biodiversity conservation programmes. e) Key ideas for meeting the challenges of biodiversity conservation and for planning conservation programmes. Biodiversity Conservation - Challenges for the Future is a handy resource for the local conservationist community consisting of policy makers, academicians, scientists, environmentalists, students and grass root level conservationists.

The loss of the earth's biological diversity is widely recognized as a critical environmental problem. That loss is most severe in developing countries, where the conditions of human existence are most difficult. Conserving Biodiversity presents an agenda for research that can provide information to formulate policy and design conservation programs in the Third World. The book includes discussions of research needs in the biological sciences as well as economics and anthropology, areas of critical importance to conservation and sustainable development. Although specifically directed toward development agencies, non-governmental organizations, and decisionmakers in developing nations, this volume should be of interest to all who are involved in the conservation of biological diversity.

"The book before you...carries the urgent warning that we are rapidly altering and destroying the environments that have fostered the diversity of life forms for more than a billion years." With those words, Edward O. Wilson opened the landmark volume Biodiversity (National Academy Press, 1988). Despite this and other such alarms, species continue to vanish at a rapid rate, taking with them their genetic legacy and potential benefits. Many disappear before they can even be identified. Biodiversity II is a renewed call for urgency. This volume updates readers on how much we already know and how much remains to be identified scientifically. It explores new strategies for quantifying, understanding, and protecting biodiversity, including: New approaches to the integration of electronic data, including a proposal for a U.S. National Biodiversity Information Center. Application of techniques developed in the human genome project to species identification and classification. The Gap Analysis Program of the National Biological Survey, which uses layered satellite, climatic, and biological data to assess distribution and better manage biodiversity. The significant contribution of museum collections to identifying and categorizing species, which is essential for understanding ecological function and for targeting organisms and regions at risk. The book describes our growing understanding of how megacenters of diversity (e.g., rainforest insects, coral reefs) are formed, maintained, and lost; what can be learned from mounting bird extinctions; and how conservation efforts for neotropical primates have fared. It also explores ecosystem restoration, sustainable development, and agricultural impact. Biodiversity II reinforces the idea that the conservation of our biological resources is within reach as long as we pool resources; better coordinate the efforts of existing institutionsâ€"museums, universities, and government agenciesâ€"already dedicated to this goal; and enhance support for research, collections, and training. This volume will be important to environmentalists, biologists, ecologists, educators, students, and concerned individuals.

Conservation Biology in Sub-Saharan Africa comprehensively explores the challenges and potential solutions to key conservation issues in Sub-Saharan Africa. Easy to read, this lucid and accessible textbook includes fifteen chapters that cover a full range of conservation topics, including threats to biodiversity, environmental laws, and protected areas management, as well as related topics such as sustainability, poverty, and human-wildlife conflict. This rich resource also includes a background discussion of what conservation biology is, a wide range of theoretical approaches to the subject, and concrete examples of conservation practice in specific African contexts. Strategies are outlined to protect biodiversity whilst promoting economic development in the region. Boxes covering specific themes written by scientists who live and work throughout the region are included in each chapter, together with recommended readings and suggested discussion topics. Each chapter also includes an extensive bibliography. Conservation Biology in Sub-Saharan Africa provides the most up-to-date study in the field. It is an essential resource, available on-line without charge, for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as a handy guide for professionals working to stop the rapid loss of biodiversity in Sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere.

This book presents the issues surrounding the conservation of wildspecies and ecosystems used by people. It is aimed at final yearundergraduate and master's students taking courses in conservation,environmental management, ecological economics and relatedsubjects, as well as conservation professionals, includingmanagers, policy-makers and researchers. The structure of the bookis ideal for a course in conservation, comprising a theoreticalsection written by the authors, and a set of ten contributed casestudies intentionally diverse in discipline, geographical regionand system of study. The theoretical section provides the knowledgethat is needed to understand the issues, while the case studies canform the basis of seminars. Readers will emerge with a clearrecognition of the difficulties of limiting the harvesting ofbiological resources to sustainable levels, and of the boundariesof sustainable use as a conservation tool. The authors, an ecologist and an anthropologist, have bothworked on the conservation and sustainable use of wildlife forseveral years, including the ivory and rhino horn trades. The first book to examine the issues underlying thesustainable use debate in a fully interdisciplinary manner. Boththe theoretical section and the case studies approach the issuesusing methods from economics, ecology, anthropology and otherfields Designed as a course textbook, combining a theoretical sectionwith invited case studies written by expert practitioners in thefield Outlines the new direction that conservation biology (and thusconservation biologists) must take if it is to be successful

Southeast Asia is highly diversified in terms of socio-ecosystems and biodiversity, but is undergoing dramatic environmental and social changes. These changes characterize the recent period and can be illustrated by the effects of the Green Revolution in the late 1960s and 1970s, to the globalization of trade and increasing agronomic intensification over the past decade. Biodiversity Conservation in Southeast Asia provides theoretical overviews and challenges for applied research in living resource management, conservation ecology, health ecology and conservation planning in Southeast Asia. Five key themes are addressed: origin and evolution of Southeast Asian biodiversity; challenges in conservation biology; ecosystem services and biodiversity; managing biodiversity and living resources; policy, economics and governance of biodiversity. Detailed case studies are included from Thailand and the Lower Mekong Basin, while other chapters address cross-cutting themes applicable to the whole Southeast Asia region. This is a valuable resource for academics and students in the areas of ecology, conservation, environmental policy and management, Southeast Asian studies and sustainable development.