STATE OF THE WORLD's FORESTs 2003 How sustainable use of forests can contribute to conserving bi iological oa diversity T he term"biological diversity"entered the part of the broader set of criteria and indicators for public vocabulary only about 15 years ago, sustainable forest management but its arrival signalled a new and more Conserving biological diversity is an ethical comprehensive approach to conservation, bringing imperative because all life has a right to exist, and er information, knowledge, awareness, humans should not knowingly cause any loss of ethics, forestry, protected areas, agricultural this diversity. From a more practical angle, practices, economics, intellectual property rights biological diversity provides many benefits to (IPRs), land tenure, trade and other elements for humans, supporting the systems that store and the holistic management of ecosystems. The cycle nutrients essential for life, absorbing and oncept has encouraged land-use planners to breaking down pollutants, recharging revise outdated approaches, such as excluding groundwater, producing soil and protecting it people from their traditional lands in the name of from excessive erosion, providing the basis for all conservation or focusing on one forest benefit to improvements to domesticated plants and the exclusion of others. It also led to the adoption animals, and providing numerous raw materials of the Convention on Biological Diversity( CBD), for industry and medicine. In more general terms, which has now been ratified by more than 180 the variation in life provides the basis for adapting countries to changing conditions. approach to the management of living resources. SOME KEY CONCEPTS IN BIOLOGICAL Its three objectives, all contained within the same DIVERSITY CONSERVATION IN sentence(thereby showing their fundamental RELATION TO FORESTS unity)are"the conservation of biological diversity, CBd defines biological diversity as the the sustainable use of its components, and the fair variability among living organisms, including and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of diversity within species, between species and of the utilization of genetic resources"(Article 1). The ecosystems. It is thus an attribute of life and a convention thus recognizes that sustainable use operty of assemblages of organisms. Strictly an essential part of conservation, and vice versa, speaking, what is used, misused, conserved or and that an equitable distribution of benefits is destroyed is not biological diversity itself but essential to achieving both. It follows that the biological resources, which CBD defines as conservation of biological diversity is an integral "genetic resources, organisms or parts thereof, component of sustainable forest management. populations or any other biotic component of The present chapter explores some of the issues ecosystems with actual or potential use or value involved in conservation of biological diversity for humanity" and sustainable forest management, showing how For the first time in a binding international they are related and suggesting how criteria and instrument, the intrinsic value of biological indicators for conservation can be developed as diversity has been recognized, along with its2003 FORESTS S’WORLD THE OF STATE 86 use sustainable How contribute can forests of biological conserving to diversity the entered” diversity biological “term The ,ago years 15 about only vocabulary public more and new a signalled arrival its but bringing, conservation to approach comprehensive ,awareness, knowledge, information together agricultural, areas protected, forestry, ethics rights property intellectual, economics, practices for elements other and trade, tenure land), IPRs( The. ecosystems of management holistic the to planners use-land encouraged has concept excluding as such, approaches outdated revise of name the in lands traditional their from people to benefit forest one on focusing or conservation adoption the to led also It. others of exclusion the ,(CBD (Diversity Biological on Convention the of 180 than more by ratified been now has which .countries modern the of essence the captures CBD .resources living of management the to approach same the within contained all, objectives three Its fundamental their showing thereby (sentence ,diversity biological of conservation the “are) unity fair the and, components its of use sustainable the of out arising benefits the of sharing equitable and The). 1 Article” (resources genetic of utilization the is use sustainable that recognizes thus convention ,versa vice and, conservation of part essential an is benefits of distribution equitable an that and the that follows It. both achieving to essential integral an is diversity biological of conservation .management forest sustainable of component issues the of some explores chapter present The diversity biological of conservation in involved how showing, management forest sustainable and and criteria how suggesting and related are they as developed be can conservation for indicators for indicators and criteria of set broader the of part .management forest sustainable ethical an is diversity biological Conserving and, exist to right a has life all because imperative of loss any cause knowingly not should humans ,angle practical more a From. diversity this to benefits many provides diversity biological and store that systems the supporting, humans and absorbing, life for essential nutrients cycle recharging, pollutants down breaking it protecting and soil producing, groundwater all for basis the providing, erosion excessive from and plants domesticated to improvements materials raw numerous providing and, animals ,terms general more In. medicine and industry for adapting for basis the provides life in variation the .conditions changing to BIOLOGICAL IN CONCEPTS KEY SOME IN CONSERVATION DIVERSITY FORESTS TO RELATION the as diversity biological defines CBD including, organisms living among variability of and species between, species within diversity a and life of attribute an thus is It. ecosystems Strictly. organisms of assemblages of property or conserved, misused, used is what, speaking but itself diversity biological not is destroyed as defines CBD which, resources biological ,thereof parts or organisms, resources genetic“ of component biotic other any or populations value or use potential or actual with ecosystems .“humanity for international binding a in time first the For biological of value intrinsic the, instrument its with along, recognized been has diversity