Subject: Recent Biodiversity-Related Publications AGRICULTURAL BIODIVERSITY AND FOOD SECURITY (1998) By Lori Ann Thrupp. This report discusses the need to combine biodiversity planning and agricultural development, and evaluates impacts of unsustainable agriculture. It also identifies methods, based on developing country experience, to integrate farmers' knowledge and protect agrobiodiversity on large-scale farms. Contact: World Resources Institute, 1709 New York Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA; Tel.: +1-202-638-6300; Fax: +1-202-638-0036; Web: http://www.wri.org ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD: BALANCING CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN VENEZUELA'S FRONTIER FORESTS (1998) By Marta Miranda, Alberto Blanco-Uribe., Lionel Hernandez, Jose Ochoa, Edgard Yerena. This report describes threats posed by extractive industries to Venezuela's Guyana region, an area of frontier forest containing 75 percent of the country's plant species. The paper, part of World Resources Institute's Forest Frontiers Initiative, attempts to reconcile Venezuela's develoment needs with conservation by giving pointed policy recommendations. Contact: World Resources Institute, 1709 New York Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA; Tel.: +1-202-638-6300; Fax: +1-202-638-0036; Web: http://www.wri.org BIODIVERSITY IN THE SEAS: IMPLEMENTING THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IN MARINE AND COASTAL HABITATS (Georgetown International Environmental Law Review, Volume X, Issue 3, 1998) By A. Charlotte de Fontaubert, David R. Downes, and Tundi S. Agardy. In 1995 Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity agreed on a program of action, known as the Jakarta Mandate, to apply the CBD to marine and coastal resources. This article identifies eight areas in which action is needed and describes specific ways in which the Parties can implement the CBD towards marine and coastal conservation. Contact: Office of Journal Administration, Georgetown International Environmental Law Review, 600 New Jersey Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20001, USA; Tel.: +1-202-662-9468; e-mail gielr@law.georgetown.edu ; Web: http://www.law.georgetown.edu/journals/gielr/gielr.htm CARBON COUNTS: ESTIMATING CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION IN FORESTRY PROJECTS (1998) By Paige Brown, Bruce Cabarle, and Robert Livernash. This report considers the use of forests for carbon sequestration as a climate change mitigation strategy. It discusses ways to ensure the accuracy of carbon sequestration estimates by avoiding leakage and other unanticpated carbon losses. Contact: World Resources Institute, 1709 New York Ave. NW, Washington DC 20006, USA; Tel.: +1-800-822-0504 or +1-202-638-6300; Fax: +1-202-638-0036; Web: http://www.wri.orgrgetown.edu/journals/gielr/gielr.htm CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK: INTERNATIONAL NGO DIRECTORY (1998) This directory includes information about Climate Action Network's 263 member organizations. Contact: United States Climate Action Network, 1200 New York Ave. Suite 400, Washington, DC 2000, USA; Tel.: +1-202-289-4201; Fax: +1-202-289-1060; e-mail uscan@igc.apc.org or Climate Network Europe, 44 rue du Taciturne, 1000 Brussels, BELGIUM; Tel.: +(32)-2-231-01-80; Fax:+ (32) 2-230-57-13; e-mail: canron@gn.apc.org CONSUMPTION IN A SUSTAINABLE WORLD: WORKSHOP SUMMARY REPORT (1998) IISD's summary of a recent workshop hosted by the Norwegian Ministry of Environment. The workshop covered experiences with sustainable consumption, outlined priorities for the future, and made proposals for action. Contact: IISD; Web: http://www.iisd.ca/linkages/sd/norway.htmllr/gielr.htm DEFORESTATION: TROPICAL FORESTS IN DECLINE (1998) By CIDA Forestry Advisers Network. This draft papers examines the extent of deforestation in developing countries, its causes and results, and the prospect for more sustainable land use alternatives. Contact: CIDA Forestry Advisers Network; Web: http://www.rcfa-cfan.org/English/issues.12.htmlelr.htm THE DISPOSESSED: VICTIMS OF DEVELOPMENT IN ASIA (1998) Vinod Raina, Aditi Chowdhury, and Sumit Chowdhury, editors. This book looks at the adverse social and environmental impacts of development in Asia and presents data on the extent of displacement, marginalization, and impoverishement. In addition, it presents more than 80 case studies of development projects in areas such as India, Malaysia, Pakistan, China, Sri Lanka, and many others. Contact: Asian Regional Exchange for New Alternatives (ARENA), Flat B1 2/F Great George Building, 27 Patterson St. Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, CHINA; Tel.: +852-2805-6193-2805-6270; Fax: +852-2504-2986; e-mail: arena@hk.net ECONOMICS OF BIODIVERSITY LOSS (1996) This recently-published web-accessible compilation of reports is a product of a 1996 IUCN-sponsored international meeting of ecologists and economists. The topic of the conference, which took the CBD as its mandate, was how to use economics to design biodiversity impact assessment procedures. Papers dealing with economic perspectives of biodiversity loss, coral reefs, forests, and agriculture and savannah biodiversity were presented and can be accessed. Contact: Web: http://economics.icun.org/96-01-00.htms.12.htmlelr.htm FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS FOR THE NATURA 2000 NETWORK AND NATURE CONSERVATION (1998) Published by the TERRA environmental policy center. This is a guid to European Union financial mechanisms that promote conservation, including the LIFE instrument, Structural Funds, the Cohesion Fund and CAP accompanying measures. It also gives examples of field implementation. The guide is available in Spanish and English. Contact: TERRA environmental policy center; e-mail: terra@quercus.es FISHERIES CONSRVATION AND TRADE RULES: Ensuring that Trade Law Promotes Sustainable Fisheries (1998) By David R. Downes and Brennan Van Dyke. This report, published jointly by Greenpeace and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), discusses international trade law and trade measures that could impact fisheries conservation strategies. Contact: CIEL, 1367 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036-1860, USA; Tel.: +1-202-785-8700; Fax: +1-202-785-8701; Web: http://www.econet.apc.org/ciel/-00.htms.12.htmlelr.htm FOREST PHARMACY: MEDICINAL PLANTS IN AMERICAN FORESTS By Steven Foster. This book traces the history of North American medicinal plants, examining native, colonial, and current use. Contact: Steven Anderson, Forest History Society, 701 Vickers Ave., Durham, NC 27701 USA; Tel.: +1-919-682-9319; Fax: +1-919-682-2349; e-mail: stevena@acpub.duke.edu ; Web: http://www.lib.duke.edu/forest/-00.htms.12.htmlelr.htm FORESTS AND THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: OPPORTUNITY IN A TIME OF CRISIS (1998) By Deanna M. Wolfire, Jake Brunner, and Nigel Sizer. The Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire, is home to half of Africa's remaining dense moist forest. The report describes both threats to and promising opportunities for DRC's forests in light of recent political upheavals. This report is part of World Resources Institute's Forest Frontiers Initiative. Contact: World Resources Institute, 1709 New York Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA; Tel.: +1-202-638-6300; Fax: +1-202-638-0036; Web: http://www.wri.orge.edu/forest/-00.htms.12.htmlelr.htm FORESTS OF HOPE: STORIES OF REGENERATION (1998) By Christian Kuchli. This book discusses the relationships between forests and the people connected with them, chronicling success stories from Amazonia, China, India, and Kenya among others. Contact: New Society Publishers; Tel.: +1-800-567-6772; Web: http://www.newsociety.comorest/-00.htms.12.htmlelr.htm GUIDE BIBLIOGRAPHIQUE POUR LA GESTION DES ZONES HUMIDES EN FRANCE (1998) Compiled by Nathalie Hecker. This guide, published in French but with references in French and English, gathers key recent bibliographic references relevant to wetland management, especially those useful in the preparation of management plans. It is divided into the following sections: general, habitats, vegetation, fauna, physiscal environment, management, and legal aspects. Contact: Ministere de l'Amenagement du Territoire et de l'Environment, Atelier Technique des Espaces Naturels, 2 place Pierre Viala, 34060 Montpellier, FRANCE; e-mail: aten@ensam.inra.fr IHDP WORKING PAPERS (1998) Published by the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change. IHDP has just created a new series of publications dealing with the human element of global environmental change. Already-released papers include Scaling Issues in the Social Sciences and The Problem of Fit Between Ecosystems and Institutions. Contact: IHDP, Nussalle 15a, D-53111 Bonn, GERMANY; Tel.: +49-0-228-739050; Fax: +49-0-228-739054; e-mail: ihdp@uni-bonn.de ; Web: http://www.uni-bonn.de/IHDPest/-00.htms.12.htmlelr.htm IHDP/IGBH SCIENCE REPORT ON LAND USE AND COVER CHANGE (LUCC): LUCC Report No. 2, Electronic Conference on Land Use and Land Cover Change in Europe (1998) This report was compiled from an e-mail conference on land use and land cover change in Europe. The conference took place from late November to mid-December, 1997. Contact: LUCC International Project Office, Institit Cartografic de Catalunya, Parc de Montjuoc, Barcelona, SPAIN; e-mail: lucc@icc.es 1997 IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED PLANTS (1998) This publication is the first-ever comprehensive, global list of threatened plants. Botanists and conservationists from around the world collaborated on the report. Contact: IUCN Publications Services Unit, 219c Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UNITED KINGDOM; Tel.: +44-1223-277894; Fax: +44-1223-277175; e-mail iucn-psu@wcmc.org.uk THE LAST FRONTIER FORESTS: ECOSYSTEMS AND ECONOMIES ON THE EDGE (1997) By Dirk Bryant, Daniel Nielsen, and Laura Tangley. This report marks the opening of World Resources Institute's Forest Frontiers Initiative, and is the first-ever description of the location and condition of the world's frontier (large, ecologically intact, and relatively undisturbed) forests. In addition, it explains the importance of and stewardship strategies for frontier forests. Contact: World Resources Institute, 1709 New York Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA; Tel.: +1-202-638-6300; Fax: +1-202-638-0036; Web: http://www.wri.orgn.de/IHDPest/-00.htms.12.htmlelr.htm LOSING STRANDS IN THE WEB OF LIFE: VERTEBRATE DECLINES AND THE CONSERVATION OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (1998) By John Tuxill. This report discusses the status of and threats to the Earth's vertebrate species, and relates it to that of the human race. It also discusses solutions to the biodiversity crisis, both on the national and global level. Contact: Worldwatch Institute, 1776 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington DC 20036, USA; Tel.: +1-202-452-1999; Fax: +1-202-296-7365; e-mail: wwpub@worldwatch.org ; Web: http://www.worldwatch.orgDPest/-00.htms.12.htmlelr.htm MALAYSIA'S NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY POLICY (1998) Created by Malaysia's National Biodiversity Committee. This policy, approved by Malaysia's Cabinet, was created as part of Malaysia's committment as one of the Convention on Biological Diversity's Parties. The policy includes strategies to protect biodiversity, and emphasizes the importance of conservation to ensure long-term economic benefits, food security, and environmental sustainability. Contact: ASIAN Review of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation (ARBEC); Web (download document): http://www.cyberct.com.my/arbec-00.htms.12.htmlelr.htm ; e-mail: limster@pop.jaring.my MEASURES OF SUCCESS: DESIGNING, MONITORING, AND MANAGING CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS (1998) By Richard Margoluis and Nick Salafsky. Published by Biodiversity Support Program (BSP), a USAID-funded group of World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, and World Resources Institute, this is a handbook for designing, managing, and measuring the impacts of community-based conservation and development projects. It gives advice on designing realistic projects based on local conditions, developing clear goals and objectives, creating an effective monitoring plan, integrating social and biological techniques to collect relevant data, and using the information obtained through the monitoring plan to learn from the results. The book is intended for field workers, NGO staff, and the academic and government communities. Contact: Island Press, Box 7 Dept. 2AU, Covelo, CA 95428, USA; Tel.: 800-828-1302 (within US/Canada) or +1-707-983-6432 (outside US/Canada); Fax: +1-707-983-6414; e-mail: ipwest@igc.apc.org ; Web: http://www.islandpress.orgarbec-00.htms.12.htmlelr.htm MEDICINAL PLANTS FOR FOREST CONSERVATION AND HEALTH CARE (1997) G. Bodeker, K.K.S. Bhat, J. Burley, and P. Vantomme, Editors. A joint publication of the Global Initiative for Traditional Systems (GIFTS) of Health and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), this report contains articles covering both general issues dealing with medicinal plants, and specific, regional aspects of ethnobotany and medicinal plant use in places such as the Amazon, India, Sri Lanka, and Africa. Contact: FAO Sales and Marketing Group, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, ITALY; e-mail: publications-sales@fao.org MEGADIVERSITY: EARTH'S BIOLOGICALLY WEALTHIEST NATIONS (1997) By Russell A. Mittermeier, Patricio Robles Gil, and Cristina Goettsch Mittermeier. In this 500-page volume, illustrated with color photographs, Conservation International describes the plant and animal life, ecosystems, indigenous cultures, and conservation efforts in what it dubs the "Biological-17," the nations that are home to more than two-thirds of Earth's biological resources: Australia, Brazil, China, Columbia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Papua New Guinea, United States, and Venezuela. The book's introduction is by Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson. Contact: Conservation International, 2501 M St. NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20037, USA; Tel.: +1-202-429-5660; Fax: +1-202-887-0192; Web: http://www.conservation.orgrbec-00.htms.12.htmlelr.htm REEFS AT RISK: A MAP-BASED INDICATOR OF THREATS TO THE WORLD'S CORAL REEFS (1998) By Dirk Bryant, Lauretta Burke, John McManus, and Mark Spalding. This report is the first-ever map-based, global overview of threats facing coral reefs. Rather than discussing the actual and little-researched state of reefs, the report correlates mapped locations of harmful activities--coastal development, overexploitation, inland pollution, and marine-based pollution--with reef location, giving areas a low to high level of risk. In addition, twelve imperiled reefs are profiled, along with seven "signs of promise." Contact: World Resources Institute, 1709 New York Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA; Tel.: +1-202-662-3484 (Dexter Brown) or +1-202-662-2542 (Mary Houser); Web: http://www.wri.orgation.orgrbec-00.htms.12.htmlelr.htm RIVERS OF LIFE: CRITICAL WATERSHEDS FOR PROTECTING FRESHWATER BIODIVERSITY (1998) Edited by Lawrence L. Master, Stephanie R. Flack, and Bruce A. Stein. This report discusses the crisis facing freshwater aquatic life in the US, especially mussells, crayfish, and fish and amphibians. It presents a conservation strategy which targets specific small watersheds, areas where conservation activities will protect the largest number of vulnerable species. Contact: The Nature Conservancy, 1815 N. Lynn St., Arlington, VA 22209, USA; Tel.: +1-703-841-5300; Web: http://www.tnc.org/science/rbec-00.htms.12.htmlelr.htm ROCKING THE BOAT: CONSERVING FISHERIES AND PROTECTING JOBS (1998). By Anne Platt McGinn. This paper describes the crisis currently facing world fisheries, marked paradoxically by 1997's all-time high of world fish production and the simultaneous decline of most fishing areas and overexploitation of many fish species. McGinn descibes the taking of low-quality fish, the growth of aquaculture, and the scale of South-North fish exports, and explains how these factors mask the crisis they also create. The report concludes with several recommendations, including better management of fisheries and promotion of consumer awareness. Contact: WorldWatch Institute, 1776 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036-1904, USA; Tel.: +1-202-452-1999; Fax: +1-202-296-7365; e-mail: wwpub@worldwatch.org; Web: http://www.worldwatch.orge/rbec-00.htms.12.htmlelr.htm SETTING PRIORITIES FOR CONSERVING BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IN TROPICAL TIMBER FORESTS (1998) By Peter C. Frumhoff and Elizabeth C. Losos. This policy paper presents a conceptual model for identifying the conservation strategies best suited for specific production forests, based on factors such as value for conserving biodiversity and pressures for converting forest to agricultural land. It urges reclassification of production forests that have high biodiversity value, promotion of natural forest management in forests under threat of agricultural conversion, and encouragement of loggers to adopt reduced-impact practices. Contact: Union of Concerned Scientists, Two Brattle Square, Cambridge, MA 02238-9105, USA; Tel.: +1-617-547-5552; Fax: +1-617-864-9405; Web: http://www.ucsusa.org/resources/index.html.htmlelr.htm TEAMING WITH LIFE: INVESTING IN SCIENCE TO UNDERSTAND AND USE AMERICA'S LIVING CAPITAL (1998) By the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technological Change (PCAST) Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystems. This report, prepared upon President Clinton's request for recommendations to strengthen US biodiversity-related policy, calls for increased investment in and emphasis on science with the goal of reconciling economic and environmental needs. It urges the creation of an objective base of knowledge, more emphasis on biological discovery, ecosystem research and monitoring, and most importantly interdisciplinary research into the relationship between the market economy and the biosphere. It also urges increased environmental education and the enhancement of the National Biological Information Infrastructure. Contact, preferably by fax: White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20502, USA; Tel.: +1-202-395-7347; Fax: +1-202-456-6022; e-mail: information@ostp.eop.gov USEFULNESS AND ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF THE RARE PLANTS OF THE UNITED STATES: A STATISTICAL SURVEY (1998) By Oliver L. Phillips and Brien A. Meilleur. This article surveys the economic usefulness and potential of rare plants in the United States and uses the estimate to assess the impact extinction would have on the world's economy. Contact: Dr. Oliver Phillips, NERC Research Fellow, School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UNITED KINGDOM; Tel.: +44-0-1132-336832; Fax: +44-0-1132-333308; e-mail: oliverp@geog.leeds.ac.uk VALUING THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT: ACTIONS AND INVESTMENTS FOR A 21st CENTURY (1998) By Robert Livernash, William Faries, Walter Lusigi, Raffaello Cervigni, Alan Miller, Alfred M. Duda, Maria C.J. Cruz, and Frank Rittner. This book, published by the Global Environmental Facility, discusses the importance of interdependence/North-South partnerships in the move towards sustainable development, describes economic strategies that can aid in that move, and gives in-depth discussions of four issues: biodiversity loss, climate change, managing international waters, and ozone depletion. Contact: Global Environmental Facility, 1818 H. St. NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; Tel.: +1-202-473-0508; Fax: +1-202-522-3240; Web: http://www.gefweb.org/resources/index.html.htmlelr.htm WATERSHEDS OF THE WORLD: ECOLOGICAL VALUE AND VULNERABILITY (1998) By Carmen Revenga, Siobhan Murray, Janet Abramovitz and Allen Hammond. This report discusses watersheds as ecological units, using these units to present a wide range of global data. It analyzes 145 watersheds around the world, from large transboundary watersheds to small sub-basins, and characterizes them according to their vulnerability and condition. Contact: World Resources Institute, 1709 New York Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA; Tel.: +1-800-822-0504 or +1-202-638-6300; Fax: +1-202-638-0036; Web: http://www.wri.orgorg/resources/index.html.htmlelr.htm WILD SPECIES AS COMMODITIES: MANAGING MARKETS AND ECOSYSTEMS FOR SUSTAINABILITY (1998) By Curtis H. Freese. This book is based on a World Wildlife Fund task force on commercial consumptive use of wild species (CCU). It provides information on the link between CCU and biodiversity, and analyzes related economic, social, and ecological factors, suggesting ways to incorporate conservation into commercial wildlife harvesting. Contact: Robbie Kaplan, Island Press, 1718 Connecticut Ave. NW Suite 300, Washington, DC 20009-1148, USA; Tel.: +1-202-232-7933; Fax: +1-202-234-1328; Web: http://www.islandpress.orgurces/index.html.htmlelr.htm WORLD RESOURCES 1998-99 (1998) Published jointly by World Resources Institute, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme, and the World Bank. This is the eighth edition of World Resources, a report on the global environment. The 1998-99 issue focuses on environmental change and human health, describing in particular health threats to children, environmental health in developed and developing nations, and the disproportionate number of health threats facing the world's poor. The report emphasizes the importance of environmentally-based preventative strategies rather than reactive treatments. In addition to the health section, there are overviews of related topics such as climate and environmental justice. Contact: Frank Dexter Brown, World Resources Institute, 1709 New York Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA; Tel.: +1-202-662-3484; Fax: +1-202-638-0036; e-mail: frankb@wri.org ; Web: http://www.wri.orgress.orgurces/index.html.htmlelr.htm RECENTLY-PUBLISHED PERIODICALS CENTER FOR BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION: NEWSLETTER (Spring/Summer1998). Meg Domroese and Lori Rapaport, Editors. The first of the CBC's three annual newsletters describes the American Museum of Natural History's recently-opened Hall of Biodiversity, covers the CBC's third international symposium which focused on biodiversity and human health, and describes CBC conservation programs in Vietnam and a remote sensing workshop in Bolivia. Contact: Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St., New York, NY 10024-5192, USA; Tel.: +1-212-769-5742; Fax: +1-212-769-5292; e-mail: biodiversity@amnh.org; Web: http://research.amnh.org/biodiversity/html.htmlelr.htm DIVERSITY: A News Journal for the International Genetic Resources Community (1998). Deborah G. Strauss, Managing Editor. Volume 13, Number 4 of this international quarterly journal contains US and international news and covers recent biodiversity-related innovations. Contact: Diversity, 4905 Del Ray Ave., Suite 401, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. Tel.: +1-301-907-9350; Fax: +1-301-907-9328; e-mail: diversitymag@igc.apc.org ; Web: http://www.amseed.com/divbiodiversity/html.htmlelr.htm MANGROVE ACTION PROJECT: QUARTERLY NEWS (1998) Isabel de la Torre, Editor. Volume 6, Issue 1 of this quarterly newsletter contains feature articles and regional news as well as information about the recently-formed NGO network Industrial Shrimp Action Network (ISA-NET). Contact: The Mangrove Action Project, 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N. #321, Seattle, WA 98103, USA; Tel.: +1-206-545-1137; Fax: +1-206-545-4498; e-mail: mangroveap@aol.com ************************************