Why doesn’t biodiversity monitoring support conservation priorities in the tropics?

摘要: Biodiversity monitoring activities can hinder rather than promote conservation in tropical countries. The national institutions responsible for developing countries have very limited resources, which gives donors and richer agencies scope considerable influence. However, those nominally concerned with supporting often overlook the practicalities. As a result, many initiatives divert scarce resources away from fundamental management priorities. Good demands clear achievable goals. From local perspective, there is generally little difficulty identifying threats to biodiversity ‐ predominantly habitat loss (particularly of natural forest cover), encroachment, unregulated exploitation various forms environmental degradation. Most plans provide priorities, such as maintaining vegetation cover, preventing conversion protected areas other land uses protecting high-profile taxa. These are priority goals that need be supported both locally nationally. This article addresses importance types monitoring, suggests practical priorities indicates how external deflect addressing these. an elaboration opinions published recently (Sheil, 2001), based mainly on author’s personal experiences Africa Southeast Asia. One vital step problem frank discussion should supported.