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  UNEP-WCMC Annual Reports »

  “If we are to make our future on this planet sustainable, a strong science-policy interface is critical. It is here that UNEP-WCMC is vital.”

  
  Achim Steiner,
  UNEP Executive Director and UN Under-Secretary-General

  Resource Type: Reports
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  The HERMES Story »

  Hotspot Ecosystem Research on the Margins of European Seas (HERMES) was one of the 40 most successful projects under the EU's 6th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. Following completion of the project in March 2009, The HERMES Story is published jointly by HERMES and UNEP to inform policy and decision makers from around the world about the lessons learned and the amazing new insights into deep-sea biodiversity, structure, function and dynamics discovered under HERMES. The HERMES Story highlights the need for concerted action to protect the deep sea against the increasing pressures, threats and impacts from human activities and climate change, and provides inspiration for the development of similar deep-sea research projects in other regions.

  Resource Type: Reports
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  CITES Species Checklist 2011 »

  The Checklist of CITES species is produced by UNEP-WCMC following each meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES, taking into account all changes agreed by the Parties.

  The 2011 Checklist of CITES species, containing updates from CoP15, is the latest edition of this document.

  This edition has been restructured, and now comprises:

  Part 1: CITES Species Index (previously called the Checklist of CITES Species):

  • lists all currently CITES-listed species
  • includes scientific and common names, synonyms, and current Appendix listing

  Part 2: History of CITES Listings (previously called the Annotated Appendices and Reservations):

  • provides a historical record of all taxa currently, or previously listed in the Appendices to CITES
  • includes full footnotes clarifying the populations, specimen parts, or specimen origins that are controlled under CITES
  • lists all reservations imposed by parties to CITES.

   

  The 2011 Checklist can be accessed here.

  Resource Type: Reports
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  CITES and the conservation of tree species: the case of Aquilaria in Indonesia »

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  Our Precious Coasts - Marine Pollution, Climate Change and the Resilience of Coastal Ecosystems »

  The ability of coral reefs to survive in a globally-warming world may crucially depend on the levels of pollution to which they are exposed, new findings indicate.

  Scientists studying reefs that were bleached in the late 1990s by high surface sea temperatures have found a link between recovery rates and the levels of contamination entering coastal waters from developments on the land.

  Resource Type: Reports
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  Deep-sea biodiversity and ecosystems - a scoping report on their socio-economy, management and governance »

  The deep sea is the oldest and largest biome on Earth, yet we have little knowledge of the ecosystems and processes in these dark, hidden depths. Only in the last two decades have new technologies enabled scientists to start exploring this last frontier – and their discoveries are fascinating but alarming: the deep sea is teeming with life but is already showing clear signs of anthropogenic impacts despite its remoteness. Many vulnerable deep-sea habitats and communities are being destroyed by fishing and are under threat from increasing exploitation of their mineral and living resources.

  Resource Type: Reports
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  Elevational distribution of restricted range forest tree taxa in eastern Tanzania »

  The forests of eastern Tanzania are a globally important biodiversity hotspot. In this study 361 eastern Tanzanian restricted range forest tree taxa were assessed. Of these taxa, 223 occurred in the Eastern Arc, 150 in Coastal forests, 17 in Northern forests and 21 in the Lake Nyasa forests. The majority of the taxa had restricted elevational ranges with 76.3 occurring in no more than two 200 m elevational bands out of a total potential elevation range of 3000 m. The majority of the taxa occupied a small area in the eastern Tanzanian forests, with 201 taxa being only found at a few sites. In determining priority areas for conservation, selection of taxon definitions can have important effects. For example, tree size varies with elevation, so if only large trees are used then site selection will be biased towards particular areas.

  Resource Type: Journal Papers
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  Adaptation of monkey puzzle to arid environments reflected by regional differences in stable carbon isotope ratio and allocation to root biomass »

  This study demonstrates the utility of carbon isotope discrimination in describing genetic adaptation to arid environments, although it is probably most useful in detecting differentiation when the strategy of the species under investigation is to increase water use efficiency, rather than drought-avoidance. The results suggest that populations on the eastern and western sides of the Andes should be treated as separate management units for the purposes of conserving the genetic resource of this species.

  Resource Type: Journal Papers
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  Conservation and sustainable use of tropical trees in the genus Aquilaria I. Status and distribution in Indonesia »

  Tropical trees in the genus Aquilaria Lam. are the principal source of gaharu, one of the most valuable forest products traded internationally. Although these species are the focus of increasing conservation concern, information on their status and distribution is lacking. Information from herbarium accessions, a national forest inventory (NFI), field surveys and gaharu traders was used to assess the distribution of Aquilaria species in Indonesia, indicating population concentrations in Sumatra and eastern Kalimantan.

  Given current deforestation rates, these data suggest that all Aquilaria species in Indonesia classify as Vulnerable according to the IUCN Red List criteria.

  Resource Type: Journal Papers
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  Genetic variation in wild Chilean and cultivated British populations of Podocarpus salignus D. Don (Podocarpaceae) »

  The threatened Chilean conifer Podocarpus salignus D. Don is currently the focus of ex situ conservation eorts being undertaken by the Conifer Conservation Programme of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. To assess variation within in and ex situ populations of the species, leaf material collected from four wild populations was analysed by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD).

  RAPD was found to be an effective tool for assessing the genetic structure of P. salignus, for providing a guide to future germplasm-sampling strategies, and for hybrid identification. Implications for genetic conservation of the species and the role of ex situ approaches are discussed.

  Resource Type: Journal Papers