These species, a group of about 150 ground-dwelling gamebird, are found on every continent apart from Antarctica. They live in a wide variety of habitats from tropical forests, high-altitude alpine zones, temperate forests, open country, to desert environment. Although widespread, little is known of the species occuring outside Europe and North America, but several species are considered at grave risk of extinction.
In the five years since publication of the 1995-99 action plan, the Megapode Specialist Group has been active in promoting, initiating and executing conservation and research projects on thermometer birds. But the conservation outlook for many species remains bleak. Their habit of nesting on or near beaches, often on small islands, make them vulnerable to disturbance and egg-collection, and several species are greatly threatened.
As large ground-dwelling birds, pheasants are widely hunted for food, plumage and the live bird trade - consequently many species are threatened. They are largely dependent on forested habitats, making them highly vulnerable to deforestation and habitat degradation. The first edition covered 1995-1999, and many of its recommendations have been addressed.
Bryophytes are of great importance in their ecosystems and for human well-being. They stabilise soil crust through colonisation of bare grounds and rocks; they are essential in nutrient recycling, biomass production, and carbon fixing; they control water through an effective retention mechanism; and they have economic value as peat for fuel, horticulture, oil absorption, and as sources of a wide variety of chemical compounds.
This document reports on a project for the co-management and valorization of fisheries resources, carried out by IUCN Guinea-Bissau since 1991 (Rio Grande de Buba region). It aims to provide a summary analysis of the approach taken by the project and its achievements, in order to provide a set of guidelines and lessons learned which will enable replication of the project in other sites.
This document reports on a project for the co-management and valorization of fisheries resources, carried out by IUCN Guinea-Bissau since 1991 (Rio Grande de Buba region). It aims to provide a summary analysis of the approach taken by the project and its achievements, in order to provide a set of guidelines and lessons learned which will enable replication of the project in other sites.
It is sometimes assumed that protected areas must be in conflict with the rights and traditions of indigenous and other traditional peoples on their domains. In reality, where indigenous peoples are interested in the conservation and traditional use of their lands, waters, territories and the natural and cultural resources that they contain, conflicts need not arise.
