Biodiversity is the key indicator of a healthy planet and healthy society. Losses of biodiversity have now become widespread and current rates are potentially catastrophic for species and habitat integrity. Biodiversity, Sustainability and Human Communities advocates both the preservation of the best remaining habitats and the enhancement of new biodiverse habitats to ensure that they cope with human impact, climate change and alien species invasion. The authors argue that these aims can be achieved by a mix of strict protection, inclusive involvement of people inside and adjacent to reserves, and by combining livelihoods and social well-being in all future biodiversity management. Case studies from regions around the world, including Europe, the United States, Latin America and Africa are examined and discussed, and the contributors include political scientists, economists and ecologists.
Part I. Setting the Scene: 1. Protecting beyond the protected Tim O'Riordan; Part II. Policy and Management: 2. Biodiversity: threats and challenges Tom Lovejoy; 3. Biodiversity and biodepletion: the need for a paradigm shift Norman Myers; 4. People, livelihoods and collective action in biodiversity management Jules Pretty; 5. Deliberative democracy and participatory biodiversity Tim O'Riordan; Part III. Case Studies: 6. The politics of biodiversity in Europe Tim O'Riordan, Jenny Fairbrass, Martin Welp and Susanne Stoll-Kleemann; 7. Community-based involvement in biodiversity protection in the United States Toddi Steelman; 8. An ecoregional approach to biodiversity conservation in the Cape Floral Kingdom, South Africa Amanda Younge; 9. Wildlife management in Namibia: the conservancy approach Markus Nuding; 10. Brazil: selling biodiversity with local livelihoods Ione Egler; 11. The mixed experience of private sector involvement in biodiversity management in Costa Rica Michael Sturm; 12. The uncertain role of biodiversity management in emerging democracies Martin Welp, Dami Buchori, David Ardhain and Daniela Hamidovic; Part IV. Perspective: 13. Enhancing biodiversity and humanity Susanne Stoll-Kleemann and Tim O'Riordan; Epilogue Walter Reid.
