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  World Atlas of Coral Reefs (2001) »

  The World Atlas of Coral Reefs is an invaluable resource to be enjoyed and used by a broad audience ranging from global travellers to scientists, including all those with an interest in the natural history of coral reefs, resource managers, travel organisations and university students. The book also caters to the needs of amateur divers and boat owners as a key information resource.

  Resource Type: Books
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  Future scenarios for tropical montane and south temperate forest biodiversity in Latin America »

  Chapter from Biodiversity Loss & Conservation in Fragmented Forest Landscapes. The Forests of Montane Mexico and South America.

  Resource Type: Reports
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  Carbon in Drylands: Desertification, Climate Change and Carbon Finance »

  This paper reviews the potential for carbon sequestration in dryland ecosystems, which includes forests, but also covers other habitats, such as grasslands, and, importantly, soils. It also considers ways in which carbon storage in drylands affects land degradation issues.

  Resource Type: Reports
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  Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative - Working Towards High Seas Conservation »

  In 2008, the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted scientific criteria for identifying ecologically or biologically significant marine areas in need of protection on the open oceans and deep seas.

  While much scientific discovery lies ahead, available information and current and emerging methodologies already allow us to begin identifying oceanic features that are likely of particular ecological or biological importance.
   

  Resource Type: Reports
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  Global Wilderness (1998) »

  General Data License (excluding WDPA)

  Datasets Available from UNEP-WCMC: Excluding WDPA
  Access to UNEP-WCMC datasets is provided on the understanding that you read and consent to be bound by the Terms and Conditions attached. For the purposes of this Agreement the “Data” comprise any of the spatial data and associated attribute data downloadable from the UNEP-WCMC website, excluding the World Database on Protected Areas.

  Read the data policy here

  Based on the Wilderness Index developed by the Australian Heritage Commission (R. Lesslie, in litt., 30 May 1998). The wilderness value of any given point is essentially a measure of remoteness from human influence and is assessed on the basis of: remoteness from settlement (settled land or points of permanent occupation), from access (constructed vehicle access routes), and apparent naturalness (remoteness from permanent manmade structures) (Lesslie and Maslen, 1995). The analysis is carried out on a grid, using data from the Digital Chart of the World (DCW), and remoteness is measured as a distance from each grid point to the nearest feature of each class within a given radius (generally 30 km). Wilderness value is the sum of standardised values for each indicator class.

  Resource Type: Spatial Data / Maps
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  Water, A Shared Responsibility »

  Coastal and freshwater ecosystems are deteriorating in many areas and at a faster rate than any other ecosystem. Such changes are caused by intertwined factors, making it difficult to identify the problems early on. While progress in integrating these various factors in managing water and ecosystems has been made in some places, the majority of the world and its inhabitants increasingly suffers from a lack of priority given to environmental protection.

  Resource Type: Reports
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  Centres of Plant Diversity (2013) »

  General Data License (excluding WDPA)

  Datasets Available from UNEP-WCMC: Excluding WDPA
  Access to UNEP-WCMC datasets is provided on the understanding that you read and consent to be bound by the Terms and Conditions attached. For the purposes of this Agreement the “Data” comprise any of the spatial data and associated attribute data downloadable from the UNEP-WCMC website, excluding the World Database on Protected Areas.

  Read the data policy here

  This dataset provides spatial representation for the 234 “Data Sheet Sites” in the Centres of Plant Diversity (Davis et al. 1994-1997). In addition to the 234 priority sites selected for Data Sheet Site treatment, the Centres of Plant Diversity volumes recognize a number of additional sites in the Regional Summaries, but these are not included here. Theoretically, based on spatial information provided for some non-Data Sheet Sites in the CPD volumes (or even just the name of the sites in many cases), it would be possible to map many non-Data Sheet Sites. However, it would be difficult to do so consistently, and, furthermore, only the Data Sheet Sites are based on actual criteria. Specifically, to qualify for “Data Sheet” treatment in the volumes, mainland sites must have >1000 vascular plants, of which at least 100 are endemic to the site or to the phytogeographical region in which the site occurs; island floras must contain at least 50 endemic species or at least 10% of the flora must be endemic.

   

  Resource Type: Spatial Data / Maps
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  Arctic Flora and Fauna: Status and Conservation »

  Arctic Flora and Fauna: Status and Conservation is the first truly circumpolar overview of Arctic biodiversity written for the nonspecialist. It provides the reader with a clear understanding of the importance of the Earth's largest ecoregion and its status in the face of a rapidly changing world.

  Resource Type: Reports
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  Global Coral Reef Distribution (2010) »

  General Data License (excluding WDPA)

  Datasets Available from UNEP-WCMC: Excluding WDPA
  Access to UNEP-WCMC datasets is provided on the understanding that you read and consent to be bound by the Terms and Conditions attached. For the purposes of this Agreement the “Data” comprise any of the spatial data and associated attribute data downloadable from the UNEP-WCMC website, excluding the World Database on Protected Areas.

  Read the data policy here

  The dataset contained in this map represents the global distribution of warm water coral reefs. It has been created from multiple sources and supercedes the dataset used in the World Atlas of Coral Reefs (2001), although some aspects of this product still originate from that datasource. This global coral reef dataset should be seen an 'interim' global product. It has been compiled from a number of data sources which have been merged together by UNEP-WCMC. The Approximate % coverage of data sources are as follows - Millennium Coral Reefs (Unvalidated) 50% - Millennium Coral Reefs (Validated) 30 % - Other sources 20%.

  Resource Type: Spatial Data / Maps
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  Working Toward High Seas Marine Protected Areas: An Assessment of Progress Made and Recommendations for Collaboration (2008) »

  The areas of the ocean that lie beyond national jurisdiction limits, also called the high seas, are vulnerable to human activities and currently underrepresented when compared to terrestrial and nearshore1 marine environments under protection. Thus, there is a growing movement among the conservation community to increase measures, such as marine protected areas, that can ensure protection of the largely undiscovered but important biodiversity of the high seas.

  Resource Type: Reports