Balkan Biodiversity


Book Description

This is the first attempt to synthesize current understanding of biodiversity in the great European hot spot. A diverse group of international researchers offers perspective on biodiversity at the level of the gene, species and ecosystem, including contributions on temporal change. Biological groups include plants, mammals, spiders and humans, cave-dwelling organisms, fish, aquatic invertebrates and algae.




Advanced Introduction to Community-based Conservation


Book Description

Professor Fikret Berkes provides a unique introduction to the social and interdisciplinary dimensions of biodiversity conservation. Examining a range of approaches, new ideas, controversies and debates, he demonstrates that biodiversity loss is not primarily a technical issue, but a social problem that operates in an economic, political and cultural context. Berkes concludes that conservation must be democratized in order to broaden its support base and build more inclusive constituencies for conservation.




Conserving Europe's Wildlife


Book Description

The Natura 2000 network of protected areas is the centrepiece of European Union nature policy, currently covering almost one-fifth of the EU’s entire land territory plus large marine areas. This vast EU-wide network, which aims to conserve Europe’s most valuable and threatened species and habitats, has major impacts on land use throughout all Member States of the EU. This book critically assesses the origins and implementation of the Natura 2000 network, established under the Birds Directive of 1979 and the Habitats Directive of 1992. Based on original archival research and interviews with key participants, the book records a detailed history of the origins and negotiation of Natura 2000 policy and law, with the history of EU environmental policy provided as a framework. An historical institutionalist approach is adopted, which emphasises the importance of understanding legal and policy development as processes that unfold over time. Three phases in the history of EU environmental policy are identified and described, and the history of EU nature policy is placed within the context of these three phases. Informed by this history, the author presents a comprehensive summary and assessment of the law and policy that protects Natura 2000 sites at EU level, and reviews the nature conservation outcomes for the targeted species and habitats. The book reveals how a knowledge of the history of Natura 2000 enriches our understanding of key issues such as conflicts in establishing and conserving the Natura 2000 network, EU integration in the field of nature conservation, and the future of EU nature policy.




Natura 2000


Book Description




Phylogeography of Southern European Refugia


Book Description

This book provides the first synthesis of the remarkable diversity, evolutionary complexity, and conservation importance of the flora and fauna in the Mediterranean region, with emphasis on the three major peninsular refugia. The book highlights biodiversity importance in Southern Europe for European biota conservation, and includes chapters from authorities in phylogeography: John Avise, Remy Petit, Ettore Randi.




Biodiversity and Conservation in Europe


Book Description

This book brings together a selection of original studies that address biodiversity and conservation in Europe. The contributions are drawn from a wide range of countries and discuss diverse organism and habitat types. They collectively provide a snap-shot of the sorts of studies and actions being taken in Europe to address issues in biodiversity and conservation – topical examples that make the volume especially valuable for use in conservation biology courses.




Biodiversity Conservation and Phylogenetic Systematics


Book Description

This book is about phylogenetic diversity as an approach to reduce biodiversity losses in this period of mass extinction. Chapters in the first section deal with questions such as the way we value phylogenetic diversity among other criteria for biodiversity conservation; the choice of measures; the loss of phylogenetic diversity with extinction; the importance of organisms that are deeply branched in the tree of life, and the role of relict species. The second section is composed by contributions exploring methodological aspects, such as how to deal with abundance, sampling effort, or conflicting trees in analysis of phylogenetic diversity. The last section is devoted to applications, showing how phylogenetic diversity can be integrated in systematic conservation planning, in EDGE and HEDGE evaluations. This wide coverage makes the book a reference for academics, policy makers and stakeholders dealing with biodiversity conservation.




Biodiversity Conservation in Transboundary Protected Areas


Book Description

Recognizing the increasing rate of species loss on a global scale and that neither pollution nor ecosystems respects political boundaries, cooperation on many different levels is required to conserve biodiversity. This volume uses four protected areas that Poland shares with its neighbors as case studies to explore opportunities to integrate science and management in transboundary protected areas in Central Europe for the conservation of biodiversity. Specific topics include biodiversity conservation theories and strategies, problems of wildlife management, and impacts of tourism and recreational use on protected areas.




Agrobiodiversity Conservation Securing the Diversity of Crop Wild Relatives and Landraces


Book Description

Based on the 2010 conference 'Towards the establishment of genetic reserves for crop wild relatives and landraces in Europe', this book is the cutting-edge discussion of agrobiodiversity conservation. By considering the benefits of understanding and preserving crop wild relatives and landraces, it encompasses issues as wide-ranging and topical as habitat protection, ecosystem health and food security. "Agrobiodiversity Conservation" focuses on Europe, but is globally relevant. It is suitable for postgraduate students of conservation and environmental studies, conservation professiona.




Biodiversity and Nature Protection Law


Book Description

The Elgar Encyclopedia of Environmental Law is a landmark reference work, providing definitive and comprehensive coverage of this dynamic field. Each volume probes the key elements of law, the essential concepts, and the latest research through concise, structured entries written by international experts. Each entry includes an extensive bibliography as a starting point for further reading. The mix of authoritative commentary and insightful discussion will make this an essential tool for research and teaching, as well as a valuable resource for professionals and policymakers. The unprecedented degradation of the planet's vital ecosystems and species, and the consequent damage to the variability of life on Earth, are one of the most pressing issues confronting the international community. The purpose of this volume of the Elgar Encyclopedia of Environmental Law is to provide a critical assessment of international biodiversity law in the face of the failed attempts to reduce the global trend in irreversible biodiversity loss and the need to increase efforts, including through indirect drivers of change such as institutions, governance and legal frameworks. The volume assesses comprehensively how and to what extent international law has addressed the key concerns presently facing biodiversity conservation, made recourse to conventional and market-based approaches to biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, tackled cross-cutting issues, and considered direct as well as indirect changes in socio-economic conditions. In doing so, the volume examines the historical development, principles, themes and cross cutting issues of international biodiversity law. Each article, written by an invited expert in that field, contains an overview of the topic, provides a concise review of current knowledge, identifies new directions for cutting-edge research and offers an extensive bibliography. This major research-focused resource and its in-depth exploration of the field of biodiversity law is an essential reference for university students, teachers, researchers, practitioners and policy makers. Contributors include: N. Affolder, S. Aguilar, S. Alam, R.A. Barnes, V. Barral, S.W. Burgiel, A. Cardesa-Salzmann, C. Chiarolla, A. Cliquet, N. Craik, N. de Sadeleer, L. de Silva, D. Diz, B. Ferreira de Souza Dias, A. Fodella, K. Garforth, A. Gupta, V. Jenkins, H.C. Jonas, A. Kotsakis, A. Langlais, S. Maljean-Dubois, E. Morgera, R. Moynihan, M. Ntona, A. Orsini, R. Pavoni, N. Peralta, F. Perron-Welch, D. Piselli, J. Razzaque, S. Romppanen, A. Savaresi, N. Schabus, H. Schoukens, P. Schwartz, E.J. Techera, E. Tsioumani, H. van Asselt, M. Wemaëre, C. Willmore,