Restoring Diversity

In April, 1993, a conference of academic biologists, agency staff members, activists. and other experts critically explored the value of ecological restoration as a conservation strategy. Restoring Diversity examines and expands on the issues set forth at that gathering, including strategy, case studies, the biology of restoration and the use of mitigation in rare plant conservation.

Embark on an enriching odyssey through the pages of "Exploring Life's Diversity" by Lucien Sina. This captivating book is not just a scientific exploration; it's an invitation to witness the intricate dance of life on our planet. Unravel the secrets encoded in DNA, confront the perils threatening biodiversity, and be inspired by the relentless efforts to conserve and restore Earth's ecological marvels. Whether you're a seasoned enthusiast or new to the subject, this narrative, rich with captivating stories and a clarion call for action, will deepen your connection with the intricate and awe-inspiring web of life. Join us in celebrating and safeguarding Earth's biological diversity.

The discussion of ideas, methods, scientific results, empirical practices and perspectives on the restoration of high diversity tropical and subtropical forest formations is the objective of this book; however, principles here proposed may be used in other less complex forest formations. Special attention is given to the role of the ecological processes on the restoration of functional forest communities, once the composition and structure of these natural or even restored communities change in space and time.

The reintroduction of rare and endangered species to their natural habitat is one of emerging tools of ecosystem management. Yet despite hundreds of ongoing projects, the biological underpinnings of such activity are poorly understood, and important questions remain. Restoring Diversity provides biological, policy, and regulatory foundations for successful restoration of rare plants. Topics considered include the strategic and legal context for rare plant restoration, the biology of restoration, use (and misuse) of mitigation in rare plant conservation, and case studies from across the United States. Restoring Diversity presents model guidelines for the reintroduction of endangered plants - guidelines that incorporate ideas contained in the book's chapters with the wide-ranging experience of experts in the field. It is a pathbreaking work that not only unifies concepts in the field of restoration, but also fills significant technical and policy gaps and provides operational tools for successful restorations.

This work presents a thorough analysis of the biodiversity concept in international law and commentary on the 1992 United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity which was opened for signature following the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development. This Convention is the first international treaty explicitly to address all aspects of biodiversity ranging from the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources, to access to biotechnology and the safety of activities related to modified living organisms. The work extends beyond the ambit of the Convention itself to examine the conservation of biodiversity in international law generally, including measures for the protection of the terrestrial, marine and Antarctic environment and particular features relating to sustainable use of biological resources, ex-situ conservation and plant genetic resources. It further analyses the controversial issue of intellectual property rights, the problems of implementation in the European Union and the United States, differences between developing and developed states and the role of indigenous peoples. This major new work has been written by members of the Committee on Environmental Law of the British Branch of the International Law Association following an earlier study on the subject of International Law and Global Climate Change (Graham & Trotman, 1991). It is the first major study of the Convention of the context in which it was negotiated, and of the prospects for its implementation, following the entry into force of the Convention on 29 December 1993.

Conservation in protected areas has focused on preserving biodiversity of ecosystems and species, whereas conserving the genetic diversity contained within species has historically often been ignored. However, maintaining genetic diversity is fundamental to food security and the provision of raw materials and it is best preserved within plants' natural habitats. This is particularly true for wild plants that are directly related to crop species and can play a key role in providing beneficial traits, such as pest or disease resistance and yield improvement. These wild relatives are presently threatened due to processes of habitat destruction and change and methodologies have been adapted to provide in-situ conservation through the establishment of genetic reserves within the existing network of protected areas.Providing a long-awaited synthesis of these new methodologies, this book presents a practical set of management guidelines that can be used for the conservation of plant genetic diversity of crop wild relatives in protected areas.

The new research described in this book demonstrates that the interplay of a host of founding conditions can frequently produce profound differences in population expansion rates and maintenance of genetic diversity in contrasting populations that differ, often only to slight degrees, in initial founding conditions. The goals of this book are twofo