The World Atlas of Biodiversity is the first map-based view of the world's living resources and so addresses the remarkable growth in concern at all levels for living things and the environment. It provides a wealth of facts and figures on the importance of forests, wetlands, marine and coastal environments and other key ecosystems.
Resource Type: BooksThe Conservation Atlas of Tropical Forest series was produced under the Tropical Forest Conservation Programme of IUCN, with much of the research, editing and map preparation done at WCMC. The Atlases provide an overview of the status of tropical forests, with discussions on their history, agricultural colonization policies and deforestation, conservation polices for plants and wildlife, protected areas and a country-by-country analysis of status and trends. Although these Atlases were produced in the early 1990s, they still provide a valuable reference source for forest conservationists and researchers.
Resource Type: BooksThe Conservation Atlas of Tropical Forest series was produced under the Tropical Forest Conservation Programme of IUCN, with much of the research, editing and map preparation done at WCMC. The Atlases provide an overview of the status of tropical forests, with discussions on their history, agricultural colonization policies and deforestation, conservation polices for plants and wildlife, protected areas and a country-by-country analysis of status and trends. Although these Atlases were produced in the early 1990s, they still provide a valuable reference source for forest conservationists and researchers.
Resource Type: BooksThe Conservation Atlas of Tropical Forest series was produced under the Tropical Forest Conservation Programme of IUCN, with much of the research, editing and map preparation done at WCMC. The Atlases provide an overview of the status of tropical forests, with discussions on their history, agricultural colonization policies and deforestation, conservation polices for plants and wildlife, protected areas and a country-by-country analysis of status and trends. Although these Atlases were produced in the early 1990s, they still provide a valuable reference source for forest conservationists and researchers.
Resource Type: BooksThe Protected Planet Report 2012 reviews progress towards the achievement of international protected area targets.
Resource Type: ReportsGovernments are often accused of responding only to short-term and parochial considerations. It is therefore remarkable that representatives of 190 countries recently committed themselves at the Convention on Biological Diversity to reducing biodiversity loss. This presents conservation biologists with perhaps their greatest challenge of the decade. The authors of this Policy Forum describe approaches to identifying more of the earth's biological diversity; understanding how biological, geophysical, and geochemical processes interact; and presenting scientific knowledge in time to contribute to and achieve the 2010 target.
Resource Type: Journal PapersIn order to build on the momentum created by the 2010 target of the Convention on Biological Diversity, we propose a shift away from a large set of static targets towards a smaller number of specific targets. Specifically, we present three categories of targets (red, green and blue) with examples of each. These relate respectively to (1) those biodiversity outcomes that must be avoided to avert situations that are deleterious for people, (2) the highly valued biodiversity conservation priorities, and (3) an improved scientific understanding necessary for adaptive management now and into the future.
Resource Type: Journal PapersThe CBD-mandated Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (BIP) is a global initiative that has operated since 2007, promoting and coordinating development and delivery of biodiversity indicators in support of the CBD and related Conventions, national and regional governments and a range of other sectors. UNEP-WCMC is the official Secretariat of the BIP.
Resource Type: ReportsIn response to global declines in biodiversity, some 190 countries have pledged, under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. Moreover, this target has recently been incorporated into the Millennium Development Goals in recognition of the impact of biodiversity loss on human well-being. Timely information on where and in what ways the target has or has not been met, as well as the likely direction of future trends, depends on a rigorous, relevant, and comprehensive suite of biodiversity indicators with which to track changes over time, to assess the impacts of policy and management responses, and to identify priorities for action. How far have we come in meeting these needs, and is it sufficient?
Resource Type: Journal PapersThis paper presents a trial of a species population trend indicator for evaluating progress towards the 2010 biodiversity target in Europe, using existing data. The indicator integrates trends on different species (groups), and can be aggregated across habitats and countries. Thus, the indicator can deliver both headline messages for high-level decision-making and detailed information for in-depth analysis, using data from different sources, collected with different methods.
Resource Type: Journal Papers©2013 UNEP All rights reserved