At the meeting of the International Tropical Timber Organization held in Bali in 1990, ITTO adopted the target of ensuring that all tropical timber marketed internationally should, by the year 2000, come from forests that are managed sustainably. This study is an attempt to determine whether the member countries of the ITTO have a legal and administrative basis for managing their production forests in ways which will allow these forests to contribute to biological diversity conservation. It also attempts to assess the extent to which such management is already applied on the ground through member country studies. A set of guidelines on ways in which management of production forests could be improved is included.

Tropical forests affect climate, and the removal of the forests will change climate. Or not? This book discusses basic questions on how far, if at all, tropical deforestation leads to climatic change. The question of this uncertainty is particularly addressed. One important consequence of the uncertainties of whether deforestation affects climate is how scientific findings best illuminate the policy-making process.

Experts from different disciplines discuss the nature, origin and possible solutions to the problem of landscape degradation and diminishing global biodiversity.

Recognizing that sound information is vital to the progress of conservation, IUCN have gathered together a visual portfolio of maps of rain forests in Africa. The accompanying text analyzes the extent and causes of deforestation and points a way towards sustainable forest development.

Drawing on research from biodiversity experts around the world, this book reflects the diversity of forest types and forest issues that concern forest scientists. Coverage ranges from savannah and tropical rainforests to the ancient oak forests of Poland; issues explored include the effects of logging, management practices, forest dynamics and climate change on forest structure and biodiversity. Here is a useful overview of current science, for researchers and educators alike.