Policy and Practices for Biodiversity in Managed Forests: The Living Dance

Patrick Colgan is the former executive director of the Canadian Museum
of Nature.

The natural history and conservation of British Columbia has been the
subject of several recent books. This book is based on a 1994 workshop
of academics at the UBC Centre for Applied Conservation Biology. The
focus is on understanding and protecting the biodiversity of dynamic
(i.e., living and dancing) and multipurpose forests, especially in the
face of the challenges raised by the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro
for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners.

Fred Bunnell and Ann Chan-Macleod usefully review the biological
richness of forests, along with aspects related to forestry and public
concern. They frame the discussion by posing 17 questions involving
targets, tactics, and success. Jagmohan Maini provides a good overview
of global and policy issues, particularly the mismatch of time scales
between forests and politicians. The examination of genetics by Gene
[sic] Namkoong reinforces the dynamism of forests and correctly
emphasizes the linkage between value of species and method of
management. This dynamism is also seen in the geological and ecological
complexity of forests and their landscapes, carefully treated by Gray
Merriam and Stan Rowe. Daniel Simberloff perceptively considers the
difficulties in measuring diversity and discovering indicator and
keystone species in communities. The exhortation from Reed Noss to
“think big” in managing biodiversity meshes agreeably with Maini’s
and Rowe’s emphases. Bunnell effectively concludes the volume by
examining the 17 questions in the light of these contributions, and by
highlighting conceptual differences.

Recurring themes include the measurement of biodiversity, the
distinction between scientific facts and social values, and the frequent
tensions between scientists and policymakers. Specific issues, such as
the effectiveness of corridors linking forest patches and the conflict
between scientific understanding and managerial prediction, are well
presented. This book has much to offer both conservation scientists and
managers of forests.