Ecosystems - forests

A major analysis of the protection status of the world's forests. This has produced an unprecedented amount of data on forest location, by type, and the amount of each forest type protected in each region of the world. Contains all the GIS spatial data files on forests, protected areas and ecological zones that went into the analysis. It also contains a copy of the statistical analysis with tables, figures, maps and discussions (also available on the WCMC web site : http://www.wcmc.org.uk/forest).

The objective of this bibliography is to provide an overview of available literature (up to January 1997) concerning non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in the tropical forests of Africa. With this publication, the Netherlands Committee for IUCN hopes to facilitate and encourage the work of government institutions, NGOs and others who wish to engage in studies or activities on NTFPs in tropical Africa. Included in the bibliography are the tropical lowland forests, swamp forests, montane forests and mangroves of West, Central and East Africa and Madagascar.

First edited in English, this is the first fully comprehensive study of the current state of the tropical moist forests of Africa. African moist forests, containing well over half the continent's biological diversity, are disappearing at a rate of about 2 per year, the fastest in the world. This work attempt to describe some of the political, social, cultural and economic reasons behind this alarming decline, proposes some solutions, and serves as a guide to all those whose interest in development is in harmony with the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources

This paper focuses on the historical context for the ways that both temperate and tropical forests have been exploited over time, suggesting that forestry is a dynamic enterprise for all concerned.