Mountains are special places. For many they are sacred; to most they bring an uplifting of the spirit and refreshment; to all they bring water, and rich biodiversity. Many of them have received legislative recognition by designation as parks or reserves of various kinds, and it is for the planners and managers of this estate that this book has been written.
Australia's rich and distinct biodiversity is under multiple threats including loss of habitat to human settlement, agriculture and grazing, introduction and spread of alien invasives, pollution, altered fire regimes and landclearing. The landclearing rate of c. 500,000 hectares p.a. is comparable to the worst African, South American and Asian de-forestation rates, much occurring on private lands.
The aims of the workshop were to enhance individual and institutional capacity to : address the environmental aspects of trade issues that will arise as a result of Chinas WTO membership; participate in WTO negotiations and develop proactive positions in the WTO; implement the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, and improve the implementation of CITES; and increase local and national support for the integration of trade, biodiversity conservation and s
