Book description
Historically, the conservation of forests and wildlife has focused on
the creation of national parks and reserves. However, only 9% of
protected areas are larger than 14,000 hectares, likely making them too
small to conserve ecosystem services and prevent loss of wide-ranging
keystone species such as elephant and leopard. New approaches are needed
that extend conservation beyond protected area boundaries into areas
where economic considerations prevail. The book describes one such
emerging model of conservation: the integration of the private sector
into partnerships to protect biodiversity and improve forest management.
While such partnerships are being created in nearly every sector of
resource extraction, detailed analyses of how such partnerships work and
whether they benefit biodiversity conservation are rare. Using a case
study from the Congo Basin, the book examines principles of conservation
and partnership, and provides technical and methodological details to
replicate an innovative conservation model. It presents concrete
solutions for expanding conservation across multi-use landscapes, a
necessary action as industry expands to all the corners of the globe.
Connie Clark
is a Research Associate of the Gabon National Parks Agency, Research
Scientist at Duke University, and former Research Coordinator for the
Wildlife Conservation Society in Congo. As a tropical ecologist and
conservationist, she has over 15 years of experience in research,
conservation, and training in Central Africa, including Cameroon, Gabon,
and Republic of Congo.
John Poulsen
is an Assistant Professor of Tropical Ecology at Duke University. He
worked as the Director of two conservation projects for the Wildlife
Conservation Society. A forest ecologist and conservationist with over
15 years of research and management experience in the African tropics,
he has published scientific articles and policy papers on forest and
biodiversity conservation, private-sector partnerships, and bushmeat.
