The CITES handbook has been compiled to provide for the Parties to CITES and others who are interested the most essential texts fo the implementation of the Convention in one single reference book. It comprises the text of the Convention, Appendices I and II, Appendix III, the standard CITES export/import permit - re-export certificate, the Resolutions and the Decisions of the Conference of the Parties to CITES in effect after the 12th meeting (Santiago, 2002)
The rationale for this three-volume work covering nearly 250 major sites for conservation of plant diversity worldwide is concern about rapid global loss and degradation of natural ecosystems. By highlighting areas of prime botanical importance, it is hoped that their conservation will be ensured by an adequate commitment of resources. Selection of the sites is based both on floristic statistics and on detailed first-hand knowledge of numerous botanists.
The rationale for this three-volume work covering nearly 250 major sites for conservation of plant diversity worldwide is concern about rapid global loss and degradation of natural ecosystems. By highlighting areas of prime botanical importance, it is hoped that their conservation will be ensured by an adequate commitment of resources. Selection of the sites is based both on floristic statistics and on detailed first-hand knowledge of numerous botanists.
The 2003 version of the CITES Checklist not only provides an alphabetical list of the fauna and flora included in Appendices I, II and III of CITES as adopted by the Conference of the Parties, but includes as well a CD-ROM containing the Annotated Appendices which have an index to family names and common names.
Cycads were a dominant part of the earths flora during the age of the dinosaurs and many species were common even in more recent times. However, many of the 297 species and sub-species dealt with in this Action Plan are threatened by habitat destruction and plant collecting, and more than half the known species are now classified as threatened.
