Pilot Analysis Of Global Ecosystems

The Pilot Analysis of Global Ecosystems (PAGE) compares information on a global scale about the condition of five major classes of ecosystem. This study analyzes qualitative and quantitative information and develops selected indicators of the condition of the world's forest ecosystems.

Pilot Analysis of Global Ecosystems (PAGE): Coastal Ecosystems analyzes quantitative and qualitative information and develops selected indicators of the condition of the world's coastal ecosystems and marine fisheries. Specifically the study looks at measures that show the degree of human modification of coastal zone and what we know concerning five important goods and services provided by coastal ecosystems: filtering water, food, biodiversity, shoreline stabilization, and tourism. Results from the PAGE analysis show that human activities have extensively altered coastal ecosystems worldwide. Nearly 30 percent of the land area in the world's coastal ecosystems had already been extensively altered or destroyed by growing demand for housing, industry, and recreation. Globally, the number of people living within 100 km of the coast increased from roughly 2 billion in 1990 to 2.2 billion in 1995 four out of every ten people in the world. As coastal and inland populations continue to grow, their impacts in terms of pollutant loads and the development and conversion of coastal habitats can be expected to grow as well. Nutrient pollution has increased dramatically this century due to greater use of fertilizers, growth in quantities of domestic and industrial sewage, and increased aquaculture, which releases considerable amounts of waste directly into the water. Increasing fishing pressure have left many major fish stocks depleted or in decline. Global climate change may compound other pressures on coastal ecosystems through the additional effects of warmer ocean temperatures, altered ocean circulation patterns, changing storm frequency, and rising sea levels.

Agricultural extent and agricultural land use changes; Food, feed, and fiber; Soil resource condition; Water services; Biodiversity; Carbon services.

Also available via the Internet from the World Resources Institute web site.

The Pilot Analysis of Global Ecosystems (PAGE) compares information on a global scale about the condition of five major classes of ecosystem. This study analyzes qualitative and quantitative information and develops selected indicators of the condition of the world's forest ecosystems.

World Resources 2000-2001, People and Ecosystems: The Fraying Web of Life focuses on the critical link between ecosystems and people and provides an overview of current global environmental and economic trends using hundreds of indicators in more than 150 countries. Until now there has not been a comprehensive, formalised process to assess human damage to our ecosystems, to establish a baseline for future actions, or to disseminate information that would aid the formulation of better policies world-wide. This book is the first reliable, comprehensive base of evidence for taking stock and taking care of the world's diverse ecosystems. • deals with the critical issues that focus on the link between ecosystems and people • highlights the goods and services that ecosystems provide and illustrates the benefits of a better understanding and better management of the planet's natural wealth • reports on pilot studies by leading scientists and international institutions assessing the state of the world's ecosystems - forests, croplands, grasslands, freshwater systems and coastal areas • increases the understanding of human dependence on nature • raises awareness of environmental threats • provides examples of wise stewardship from all corners of the globe • focuses on four main issues: population and human well-being, food and water security, consumption, energy and wastes, trace emissions since the Kyoto protocol • gives data tables for more than 150 countries It demonstrates the power of information and new digital technologies to transform the way we interact with our environment and is particularly important for environmentalists, scientists, professionals, journalists, policy-makers and students. This special Millennium Edition of the World Resources Institute's biennial report published by Elsevier Science in September 2000 in partnership with the World Resources Institute, the UN Environment Program, the UN Development Programme and the World Bank. NEW FROM APRIL 2001 - http://www.enviromod.subnet.dk/Ecological and Environmental Modeling - An Interactive Internet Course

The global use of wild animals for meat is now the primary illegal activity in many protected areas, and growing human populations and a lack of livelihood options suggest that demand for wild meat is likely to continue to rise. This Occasional Paper contains the background information presented to participants at a workshop jointly organized by IUCN, FAO and TRAFFIC in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The workshop aimed to forge functional links among the various stakeholders concerned with the unsustainable use of wild fauna for food, and it contains the communiqué and a summary of the discussions related to problems and solutions.