Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

This comprehensive review of forest biological diversity is an important contribution to the international debate on conservation and sustainable use of forest biodiversity. The review summarizes important scientific assessments and monitoring programmes of forest biological diversity, including broad-scale information about forest loss and studies on the effects of this loss to ecosystem functioning and consequently to ecosystem services.

This text covers both theoretical and applied aspects of sustainable management, with a particular emphasis on reviewing concepts and addressing implementation issues in the form of case studies from around the world. Personal experiences from diverse backgrounds are considered and the best practices to facilitate further implementation are discussed.

As a contribution to clarifying the contested claims, IIED, UNEP-WCMC and the African Wildlife Foundation organised a symposium in April 2010. The purpose of the symposium was to explore the current state of knowledge and the evidence base for claims and counter-claims, in order to better understand what is assumption rather than fact.

Today, it is generally accepted that socioeconomic issues play a pivotal role in determining the success of efforts aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. Yet there is still a great deal of incertitude as to how and to what extent these issues should be taken into account.

This publication reports on the measures taken for the implementation of the provisions of the Convention and on Belarus's efficiency for attaining the Convention's objectives. This publication is based on the materials of the National Strategy and Action Plan for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity in the Republic of Belarus and the analytical review called "The Status and Use of Biological Diversity in the Republic of Belarus."

Deforestation and forest degradation are two of the main causes of the progressing loss of terrestrial biodiversity and are continuing at an alarming rate worldwide, especially in tropical countries. The underlying drivers of forest destruction vary from region to region, but can be linked mainly to human activities such as land use pressure and related policies.

The term agrobiodiversity refers to genetic variability in plants, animals and micro-organisms of economic value. In the past, several thousand plants were used for purposes of food, feed, fibre, fuelwood, fertilizer and medicine. As agriculture advanced, the human food secruity systems began to depend not only on fewer and fewer plant species, but also on a small number of varieties. Such genetic vulnerability to pests and diseases as well as to soil and climatic stresses.