Product Description
This pack contains a 24-page magazine and easy-to-follow instructions for theatre assembly, three playscripts to enact, and information about rainforests. The "Gaia Rainforest Theatre" conveys the importance of the forests and what people can do to save them. Rick Miller is a Design Council Award winner and Jim Eldridge won the Royal Writer's Guild Award for Best Light Entertainment Show for "Lines From My Grandfather's Forehead". ... Read more

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These essays and documents analyse and prescribe solutions to the recent troubles in BCs forest industry. Over the past fifteen years the industry has become the centre of a storm of controversy. Environmental protests, aboriginal land claims, reduced quota of allowable cuts, sweeping technological changes, multinational involvement and changing global markets have all shaken the once entrenched faith in BC's "green gold".In Part One, the authors look at the forest as a specific physical environment, the site of disputes involving environmentalists, First Nations Peoples, and the government. Empirical assessment of BC's forest resource base is followed by discussions on therole of government in setting the agenda for the various resource and land use conflicts dogging the industry.Part Two deals with changes within the industry and in the global context. The conflicting demands of new market trends and sustainable development are discussed from several points of view. Important issues such as the effects of free trade and increased multinational investment, the role of research and development and technological change, are addressed.Part Three melds ideas of sustainable growth and local economic development in single industry communities in BC.This timely, provocative collection will help us understand the forces of shaping the troubled landscape of British Columbia's forests. ... Read more

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Simple text and stunning photography that introduce the main features of rain forests, including transport, resources and environmental threats. Opening world map shows their location. Rainforest activity sections in each book encourage children to become directly involved in the subject. ... Read more

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Fully revised, this landmark volume takes readers deep inside the "living cathedral" of the forest interior and examines the forces that threaten the biome's survival.

Tropical Rainforest presents an action plan for the concerned individual and the whole of humanity to implement before the potentially bleak consequences of tropical deforestation become unavoidable. Combining comprehensive fact-filled text and an extensively revised bibliography and tables with 300 stunning full-color photographs, this book is destined to remain the leading reference on this vital issue.

Among the topics covered are:
* What is a Tropical Rainforest?: Examines the vast array of species and life forms that comprise the rainforest
* This Web of Life: Explains the dynamics of the rainforest, including pollination and seed dispersal and the food chain
* Threats to the Forest: Details the contributing factors to rainforest destruction, including timber extraction, mining and pollution, and cattle raising
* What Do We Lose?: Focuses of the effects of deforestation, including dwindling land, natural, and human resources
* A Blueprint for Survival: Offers concrete plans for conservation, such as habitat preservation, and funding for rainforest projects
* Reason for Hope: Assesses the future of the tropical rainforest.

Reviews:
Praise for the previous edition:
"...big, beautifully designed and illustrated with extraordinary photographs." -Friends of the Earth ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Rainforest Book
Mr. Newman has written one of the great and comprehensive rainforest books on the market.The book is loaded with great pictures from Mr. Newmans travels around the world.His book is research based but he explains it in a manner that everyone can understand.It is well organized. Each chapter has a differernt topic that breaks down the complexities into a much simplier discussion.He also outlines his beliefs in how society can save the rainforests.It is an outstanding book, one of the few everyone should own on the topic. ... Read more

Product Description
This book traces the history of southern forests and associated wildlife, details the biology and habitat requirements of species and communities and offers practical guidelines for habitat management on a broad scale. Information in this book should help land managers assess land suitability for various species and communities, determine how different land and forestry management practices affect wildlife, and actively manage for target species and communities. The chapters of Wildlife of Southern Forests are written by leading wildlife experts from universities, federal agencies, and conservation organisations of the South. The book is illustrated by renowned wildlife artist, John Sidelinger. ... Read more

Product Description
How destructive or beneficial are forest fires to wildlife? Should we be trying to reduce or increase the amount of fire in forests? How are forest fires controlled, and why does this sometimes fail? What effect will climate change have? These and many other questions are answered in this richly illustrated book, written in non-technical language. The journey starts in the long geological history of fire leading up to our present love-hate relationship with it. Exploring the physics of how a single flame burns, the journey continues through how whole forests burn and the anatomy of firestorms. The positive and negative ecological effects of fires are explored, from plants and wildlife to whole landscapes. The journey ends with how fires are controlled, and a look to the future. This book will be of interest to ecologists, biogeographers and anyone with an interest in forest fires and the role they play. ... Read more

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Established in 1905, The Forest Service is steeped in history, conflict, strong personalities (including Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot), and the challenges of managing 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands. This unique federal agency is one that combines forest management with wildlife, fish, recreation, mining, grazing, and hundreds of other uses. It operates in the midst of controversy and change. The original intent was to protect the public forests, protect the water supplies, and, when appropriate, provide timber. Much has changed over the last 100 years including many new laws, but the fact that these lands are still fought over today shows the foresight of politicians, foresters, scientists, and communities. This work brings to light the many and varied activities of the agency that many people know little about in a world that is constantly changing.

Written by a former Forest Service national historian, topics discussed in the work include wilderness and the Wilderness Act of 1964, recreation battles and interagency rivalry with the National Park Service, timber management including clearcutting, ecosystem management, roadless area and controversies over RARE and RARE II studies, fish and wildlife management including endangered species before and after the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and mining and the General Mining Act of 1872. It also discusses the future challenges: forest fires, water protection and restoration, recreation, involving the public, and fish and wildlife.

Product Description
A collection of stories about thirteen communities in the United States in their efforts to protect and restore community forests. It explores the struggles and opportunities faced by people as they work to invest in natural capital, reverse decades of poor forest practices, tackle policy gridlock, and address community as well as ecological health. ... Read more

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The world's montane forests are vitally important for conservation and water catchment.Because logging regimes have significant impacts on biodiversity as well as water quality and water quantity, the management of these forests has often been a major source of conflict amongst rural communities, government agencies, and conservationists.Although much information on ecologically sustainable managment practices is now available, further organizational change and policy tranformation is needed to see a transition to sustainable practices inplemented on the ground.

Towards Forest Sustainability contains practical essays by some of the world's leading forests ecologists and managers from the United States, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Australia, and New Zealand.The authors describe the changes that have taken place in forest management- highlighting what worked, what didn't, and the lessons that have been learned.

This unique collection of essays documents the drivers of the change in the logging industry and the resulting outcomes, both the good and the bad.The book provides real-world insights from an international perspective into government policy, industrial concerns, and conservation and biodiversity issues. ... Read more

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Today, rainforests are home to about 150 million people who live in settlements ranging from traditional villages to huge cities. This book explores these people and their lives, finding out what effects the rainforest people have on the delicate balance of nature in the rainforests. Special 'links' boxes highlight the relationships of rainforests and people to people around the world. 'Rainforest secrets' panels give you amazing facts and stories about the forest. ... Read more

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Tropical rainforests disappear at an alarming rate causing unprecedented losses in biodiversity and ecosystem services. The stability of rainforest margins has an ecological and socio-economic dimension, and understanding the multidisciplinary nature of land-use changes in tropical rainforest margins is the key to identifying development objectives such as mitigation of biodiversity loss and poverty reduction. The chapters in this book cover a broad range of topical research areas, from impacts of different forest-use intensities, sustainable management of agroforestry to integrated land-use concepts.

Product Description
* Placing an economic value on biodiversity is seen by many as the best and perhaps only successful way of preserving it while also protecting livelihoods
* This is the most comprehensive examination of valuation ever conducted, focusing on one of the world’s top eight biodiversity "hotspots", with principles widely applicable across the world
* Original comparisons of the different "values" of biodiversity, trade-offs, incentives for conservation, case studies of coffee growing and wildlife conservation and practical policy options

Economic valuation of biodiversity and ecosystem services is possibly the most powerful tool for halting the loss of biodiversity while maintaining incomes and livelihoods. Yet rarely have such approaches been applied to tropical forest "hotspots", which house the vast majority of the planet's plant and animal species. This groundbreaking work is the most comprehensive and detailed examination of the economics of environmental valuation and biodiversity conservation to date. Focusing on the Western Ghats of India, one of the top biodiversity hotspots in the world, this volume looks at a cross-section of local communities living within or near sanctuaries and reserve forests such as coffee growers, indigenous people and farmers-pastoralists to assess the use and non-use values that people derive from tropical forests. It also looks at the extent of their dependence on forests for various goods and services, and examines their perceptions and attitudes towards biodiversity conservation and wildlife protection. The book concludes with an assessment of the institutional alternatives and policies for promoting biodiversity conservation through economic valuation methods. ... Read more

Product Description
The Maya Tropical Forest, which occupies the lowlands of southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, is the closest rainforest to the United States and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Western Hemisphere. It has been home to the Maya peoples for nearly four millennia, starting around 1800 BC. Ancient cities in the rainforest such as Palenque, Yaxchilan, Tikal, and Caracol draw thousands of tourists and scholars seeking to learn more about the prehistoric Maya. Their contemporary descendants, the modern Maya, utilize the forest's natural resources in village life and international trade, while striving to protect their homeland from deforestation and environmental degradation. Writing for both visitors and conservationists, James Nations tells the fascinating story of how ancient and modern Maya peoples have used and guarded the rich natural resources of the Maya Tropical Forest. He opens with a natural history that profiles the forest's significant animals and plants. Nations then describes the Maya peoples, biological preserves, and major archaeological sites in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. Drawing on more than twenty-five years of conservation work in the Maya Tropical Forest, Nations tells first-hand stories of the creation of national parks and other protected areas to safeguard the region's natural resources and archaeological heritage. He concludes with an expert assessment of the forest's future in which he calls for expanded archaeological tourism to create an ecologically sustainable economic base for the region. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The book on the Mayans you'll want
If you are to visit the Land of the Maya, and the short sections on "History and Culture" in even the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guides aren't enough for you, then this is the book you'll want. The author is an expert in three keys to the Maya: (1) a thorough knowledge of the ecology of the tropical forests of Mexico, Guatemala and Belize, and of present day Mayans living there; (2) a command of the literature of modern Mayan studies, including the great synthesis of ecological-archeological research and the deciphering of classis Mayan writing which has overturned almost every old National Geographic cliche about "the mysterious Maya"; and (3) decades of professional experience in the creation and defense of ecological and cultural parks and reserves in the heart of the largest lowland tropical forest closest to the US.

The result is an insightful, informed window into a people and their forests, which can both benefit by your visit if you do it right. The major limitation of the book is it doesn't cover enough of the Mayan world, as it is limited to the lower elevation forests and Mayans where the Mayan Mexican states intersect the Peten of Guatemala and Belize.Many wonderful Mayans live in "cold country" in the mountain uplands of Guatemala and the Mexican state of Chiapas, but they and their pine-oak forests are not represented here, nor any of the speakers of the Huastecan branch of Mayan languages in the tropical deciduous forests of the hills of Veracruz state further north and west in Mexico.But if you are bound for the lowland forests where the ramon trees grow, this book will help you appreciate how and why the ramons have saved the Maya from famine and disaster for millenia in the past, and why the trees and their people should be protected and defended today. ... Read more

Product Description
24 practical tasks, such as planting a mini jungle or making a hammock, and over 250 photos and explanatory artworks enable kids to learn more about the life in a rainforest in an informative but entertaining way. ... Read more

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A superb extended case study of the development of the Forest Stewardship Council's British Columbia forestry certification standard. This book's multi-level, interdisciplinary comparative analysis yields a rich set of insights that challenge many conventional regulatory paradigms.- Michael Trebilcock, Chair in Law and Economics, University of Toronto and co-author of The Regulation of International Trade, Third Edition ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Calling all researchers & academics: a political science must
This book is an in-depth analysis of the early development of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards for forest management in the province of British Columbia, Canada.

This may seem like a dry topic, but for those of us who have been watching the development of democracy outside the traditional confines of the nation-state for the past two decades, the FSC provides a fascinating insight into how to 'do' democracy when governments are not in charge.

The FSC was founded in 1993, and is historically commensurate with, but separate from, the unsuccessful Rio Earth Summit negotiations in 1992 to develop a forest convention to tackle deforestation. NGOs had been trying unsuccessfully to work through a number of intergovernmental processes to halt the logging of tropical forests throughout the 1980s, including the International Tropical Timber Organisation, or ITTO. Conservationists tried unsuccessfuly to lobby the ITTO to support their idea for attaching an eco-label to sustainably managed timber, and thus give 'good wood' some advantage in the market. When the ITTO rejected the idea out of hand, NGOs got together with some sympathetic forest industry partners, and developed the FSC. The FSC is an international organisation consisting of social, environmental and economic interests, who co-operate to develop standards for the certification of forest management and timber trading world wide.

Tollesfon, Gale and Haley trace the history of the development of FSC forest management standards in British Columbia, a region reviled by environmentalists through the 'eightites for its unsustainable logging of forests, particularly the coastal temperate rainforests of Vancouver Island. After a series of worldwide consumer campaigns to stop the timber trade, some companies commenced negotiations with NGOs to develop standards, which would make their forest management acceptable under the scheme.

It is the process of negotiation that the authors look at in some detail, as for them, the way standards are negotiated in the FSC constitute a form of what they refer to as "global democratic corporatism". Given that FSC is not a government process, the traditional democratic safeguards for decision making, that would normally render decisions acceptable to citizens like parliaments, and free and fair elections, have had to be replaced by other mechanisms. Consequently, the FSC functions at a global level through a "General Assembly" (like the UN), and domestically through "national initiatives". The way the system is governed is by means of three chambers (environmental, economic and social), who internally debate whole-of-sector positions, and then negotiate these with the other chambers. This results in a very 'deep' form of democracy, largely built around dialogue, and characterised by high levels of consensus.

In British Columbia, the negotiation of standards was a long process, commencing in 1996 and not finishing until 2005, but by the end, the forests one of Canada's largest forest companies, Tembec, were certified as "well managed". Bringing environmentalists, loggers, First Nations and other 'stakeholders' together was at times a very fraught process, but considering that FSC succeeded in developing a level of agreement amongst previously conflicting parties, where governments had failed to do so, is a testament to the governance of the FSC.

Tollefson Gale and Haley forensic analysis should help other businesses, environmental groups, social interests, and governments, learn the lesson of how to do democracy in this era of sustainable development.

Tim Cadman BA (Hons) MA (Cantab) PhD (UTas) is a graduate of Girton College Cambridge and a post-doctoral fellow in the Centre for Sustainable Business Development in the Faculty of Business at the University of Southern Queensland.
... Read more