Publisher's Synopsis
Small island developing states (SIDS) are renowned for the rich biodiversity of their marine and terrestrial ecosystems. However, it is also well known that because of their isolation, fragility, and extreme vulnerability to environmental deterioration, their biodiversity is among the most threatened in the world. Identifying and monitoring all the components of biological diversity is a formidable task. This publication therefore proposes to identify those components of biodiversity that are a resource for humanity, primarily focusing upon the biological resources used by people, whether they are floral and faunal species and their genetic variations, or whole ecosystems. It outlines systems for rapid assessment to monitor the status of crucial resources that are in current use or have potential for future use so that those under threat of depletion can be quickly identified. This will in turn facilitate taking informed policy decisions for biodiversity conservation strategies, generate public awareness of important biodiversity issues and build regional and local scientific capacity in this field.
