Fragile Ecosystems

Fragile lives in fragile ecosystems: Feeding the world's poor from neglected rice ecosystems was the theme of the 1995 International Rice Research Conference. During the February meeting, participants assessed progress in rice research and identified new research approaches for reducing constraints and improving productivity and sustainability of less favored and fragile rice producing areas - these are the upland, rainfed lowland, and flood-prone ecosystems.

The Institute of Ecology (TIE) was organized to provide a mech anism for addressing ecological and environmental issues that were beyond the special interests of ecology as a profession. One method of evaluating such issues is the workshop, and this report describes the results of the third TIE workshop on a major environmental subject. The ecology of tropical regions is of interest to all the inhabitants of the biosphere. The tropics provide mankind with both the opportunity for and the challenge of essential resources, land for settlement and development, and waters for numerous uses. Moreover, they provide examples of misuse of the landscape, fragility of ecological systems, and serious environmental problems. Unfortunately, the study of the ecology of the tropics has not kept pace with the ecology of other regions. The purpose of this report, therefore, is to determine the research approaches that will lead to advances in our theoretical un derstanding of tropical systems and, more importantly, in the applica tion of that knowledge to human problems. Although the principal focus of the report is on the neotropics, it will be useful to the full spectrum of persons concerned with the tropics around the world government officials, sCientists, students of ecology, and others. TIE is especially pleased to thank the numerous scientists and ad ministrators who participated in the workshop and who contributed to this report. Arthur D.

This book presents an in-depth analysis of the environmental issues raised in the South China Sea Arbitration Awards, which have not attracted as much attention in the Philippines as the “nine-dash line”. Specifically it focuses on the conservation of endangered species and the conservation of fragile ecosystems in the South China Sea. The aims of the book are two-fold. First, it seeks to explain the Philippine perspective on the environmental aspects of its dispute with China. The book reconstructs the Philippine perspective in part by consulting several dozens of the hundreds of documents that the Philippines submitted to the Tribunal. Some of these documents were classified as secret and would thus have never been made available to the public had it not been for the arbitration. Second, it attempts to explain the decisions of the Tribunal on jurisdiction and admissibility as well as the decisions on the merits of the dispute. The book does this by consulting not only the two Awards but also the hundreds of pages of transcripts, expert reports, supplemental submissions and written responses by the Philippines to questions posed by the Tribunal.

A dance teacher explains ballet techniques to her young pupils and includes in the lessons the history of ballet, stories of the great dancers and discussions of famous ballets.

Earth's astonishing diversity of life - in coral reefs, Arctic tundra, tropical rainforests, deep-sea hot springs, and many others - is amazing for its beauty and for the ecosystem services it provides. This book discusses how ecosystems must be set aside, habitats restored, and global warming thwarted.

Mountains, deserts, savannahs and the polar regions are fragile both in their ecologies and the cultures of their inhabitants. These fragile environments are characterised by a marked seasonality, and many human activities are limited to clearly defined times of the year. Environmental impacts arise not only from traditional economic activities, but also from tourism which has recently grown rapidly in many of these environments around the world. This trend is welcomed by the tourism industry but viewed with apprehension by many organisations concerned with protecting the human and natural systems of fragile environments. While tourism can provide new sources of revenue and help stem depopulation, it can also destabilise communities, making them dependent on external sources of money and endangering long-established traditions and ways of life. People and Tourism in Fragile Environments discusses many of these delicate interactions by presenting detailed case studies from five continents. The contributors write from a wide and well-balanced range of perspectives, including anthropology, geography, recreation, national park management, environmental consulting and the tourism industry. The common theme is clear: that tourism must always be seen in the long-term context of the communities with which it interacts. This book is an essential contribution to the literature of tourism and sustainable development and will be widely read by students of tourism, travel and tourism professionals, and anyone involved in related fields of sustainable development and fragile environments.

Sustainability as a starting point for a new development paradigm; Challenges faced by the region; CATIE: meeting its obligations and mandate; Strategic framework; CATIE'S programs; Institucional implementation and strategies.