Of the status of bear species by distribution / Christopher Servheen -- An overview of bear conservation planning and implementation / Bernard Peyton, Christopher Servheen, and Stephen Herrero -- Genetics of the bears of the world / Lisette Waits, David Paetkau, and Curtis Strobeck -- The trade in bears and bear parts / Christopher Servheen -- Brown bear conservation action plan for North America (Ursus arctos). Alaska / Sterling D. Miller and John Schoen. Canada / Bruce McLellan and Vivian Banci. United States: grizzly bear in the Lower 48 / Christopher Servheen -- Brown bear conservation action plan for Europe (Ursus arctos). Austria / Georg Rauer. Bulgaria / Nikolai Spassov and G. Spiridonov. Finland / Erik S. Nyholm and Kai-Eerik Nyholm. France / Jean Jacques Camarra. Greece / George Mertzanis. Italy (Abruzzo) / Giorgio Boscagli. Italy (Trentino) / Fabio Osti. Norway / Ole Jakob Sørensen, Jon E. Swenson, and Tor Kvam. Poland / Witold Frackowiak, Roman Gula, and Kajetan Perzanowski. Romania / Ovidiu Ionescu. Slovakia / Pavel Hell and Slavomir Find'o. Spain: eastern and western Cantabria. Eastern Cantabrian subpopulation / Anthony P. Clevenger and Francisco J. Purroy. Western Cantabrian subpopulation / Javier Naves Cienfuegos and Carlos Nores Quesada. Sweden / Jon E. Swenson, Finn Sandegren, Anders Bjärvall, Robert Franzén, Arne Söderberg, and Petter Wabakken. Former Yugoslavia / Djuro Huber and Miha Adamic -- Brown bear conservation action plan for Asia (Ursus arctos). China: Heilonjiang black and brown bears / Cheng Jizhen. India / S. Sathyakumar. Japan: Hokkaido / Tsutomu Mano and Joseph Moll. Mongolia: Gobi bear / Thomas McCarthy. Russia / Igor Chestin -- American black bear conservation action plan (Ursus americanus) / Michael R. Pelton, Alex B. Coley, Thomas H. Eason, Diana L. Doan Martinez, Joel A. Pederson, Frank T. van Manem and Keith M. Weaver -- Spectacled bear conservation action plan (Tremarctos ornatus) / Bernard Peyton. Bolivia / Damián I. Rumiz and Jorge Salazar. Colombia / Jorge Orejuela and Jeffrey P. Jorgenson. Ecuador / Luis Suárez. Perú / Bernard Peyton, coordinator. Venezuela / Edgard Yerena, coordinator -- Asiatic black bear conservation action plan (Ursus thibetanus). China / Ma Yiqing and Li Xiaomin. India / S. Sathyakumar. Japan / Toshihiro Hazumi. Russia / Igor Chestin and Victor Yudin. Taiwan: Formosan black bear / Ying Wang. Vietnam: black bear and sun bear / Do Dinh Sam -- Sun bear conservation action plan (Helarctos malayanus) / Christopher Servheen. Lao PDR / Richard E. Salter -- Sloth bear conservation action plan (Melursus ursinus) / David L. Garshelis, Anup R. Joshi, James L.D. Smith, and Clifford G. Rice -- Giant panda conservation action plan (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) / Donald G. Read and Jien Gong -- Global status and management of the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) / IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group.

Bears have fascinated people since ancient times. The relationship between bears and humans dates back thousands of years, during which time we have also competed with bears for shelter and food. In modern times, bears have come under pressure through encroachment on their habitats, climate change, and illegal trade in their body parts, including the Asian bile bear market. The IUCN lists six bears as vulnerable or endangered, and even the least concern species, such as the brown bear, are at risk of extirpation in certain countries. The poaching and international trade of these most threatened populations are prohibited, but still ongoing. Covering all bears species worldwide, this beautifully illustrated volume brings together the contributions of 200 international bear experts on the ecology, conservation status, and management of the Ursidae family. It reveals the fascinating long history of interactions between humans and bears and the threats affecting these charismatic species.

On September 3-5, 2003, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) sponsored a workshop in Anchorage, Alaska. The goal of this meeting was to identify components for the development of a comprehensive, long-term polar bear monitoring program in association with the oil and gas industry in Alaska. This workshop was the initial effort to design an effective monitoring strategy that will provide information to help reduce bear/human interactions and help protect polar bear habitat for the Southern Beaufort Sea polar bear population. Potential oil and gas industry impacts on polar bears which were discussed during the workshop included: habitat alteration, chemical contamination, attraction and preclusion of areas, oil spills, industrial noise, and polar bear interactions with humans. Ideally, an improved management plan which identifies information necessary to monitor polar bears of the Southern Beaufort Sea stock will result from the recommendations of this workshop.