Monitoring Forest Biodiversity Improving Conservation through Ecologically-Responsible Management

Foreword.  Introduction.  Part 1: The Context of Monitoring Forest Biodiversity.  1. Biodiversity Conservation in Human-Modified and Managed Forests.  2. The Origins and Development of Ecologically Responsible Forest Management.  3. The Need for Forest Biodiversity Monitoring.  4. A Typology of Approaches And Indicators for Monitoring Forest Biodiversity.  Part 2: Challenges Facing Forest Biodiversity Monitoring.  5. Challenges to Monitoring: Problems of Purpose.  6. Challenges to Monitoring: Problems of Design.  7. Challenges to Monitoring: Problems of Reality.  Part 3: An Operational Framework for Monitoring Forest Biodiversity.  8. Clarifying Purpose: An Operational Framework for Monitoring Forest Biodiversity.  9. Setting Conservation Goals for Biodiveristy Monitoring.  10. Setting Objectives for Biodiversity Monitoring.  11. Selecting Indicators of Forest Structure to Assess Management Performance.  12. Selecting Biological Indicators and Target Species to Evaluate Progress Towards Conservation Goals.  13. Making Assumptions Explicit: The Value of Conceptual Modelling in Biodiversity Monitoring.  14. Sampling Design and Data Collection in Biodiversity Monitoring.  15. Analysis and Interpretation of Biodiversity Data.  16. Putting Forest Biodiversity Monitoring to Work.  Index.

Biography

Toby Gardner is a NERC Research Fellow in the Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge. For the past 10 years his research has focused on how to better understand and manage the impact of human activities on biodiversity in tropical ecosystems, including East Africa, the Caribbean and the Brazilian Amazon.

"The book provides a comprehensive synthesis of an extensive and diffuse literature, and is highly suitable and readable text for graduate courses and seminars. Gardner’s book sets a new and high standard for monitoring forest biodiversity. Putting this vision into practice presents many challenges, but will be well worth the effort." - Robin L. Chazdon, University of Connecticut, in International Forestry Review

"Many of the recommendations in the book are not limited to assessing biodiversity just in forest ecosystems. Indeed, many of these concepts can and should be applied to a diversity of ecosystems and regions facing similar perils in a changing world, making this book a 'must-have' for any manager, graduate student, or scientist interested in monitoring." - Benjamin Zuckerberg, Cornell University for Ecology 

"This book provides a highly original review of one of the greatest challenges facing today's conservation and forestry professionals." - Jeffrey Sayer, Senior Scientific Adviser, Forest Conservation Programme, IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature. 

"Toby Gardner's excellent book contains many valuable lessons and recommendations on ways to improve forest monitoring, how to promote far better and more ecologically sustainable forest management, and approaches to significantly improve biodiversity conservation programs... Researchers, policy-makers, and forest managers need to read this book." - David Lindenmayer, Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University 

"Toby Gardner's timely, accessible and much needed book provides a constructive and common sense review of key problems and remedies regarding the future of forest biodiversity. His clear-headed proposals about monitoring and good practice offer a practical guide to improved forest management and conservation. I urge all those concerned with the fate of the world's forests to read and consider what this book has to say." - Douglas Sheil, Director, Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation, Uganda, and Senior Research Associate, Center for International Forestry Research, Indonesia 

"Monitoring Forest Biodiversity is a must-read for any forest carbon practitioner who wishes to further develop our demanding field. It clearly explains how to affect large-scale, statistically significant impacts that positively influence biodiversity and the surrounding forest community based on real, repeatable, equitable, and verifiable forest carbon project management." - Ecosystem Marketplace