Through a combination of theoretical and empirical approaches, this book explores the role of international environmental law in protecting and conserving plants.
Underpinning every ecosystem on the planet, plants provide the most basic requirements: food, shelter and clear air. Yet the world’s plants are in trouble; a fifth of all plant species are at risk of extinction, with thousands more in perpetual decline. In a unique study of international environmental law, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges and restrictions associated with protecting and conserving plants. Through analysing the relationship between conservation law and conservation practice, the book debates whether the two work symbiotically, or if the law poses more of a hindrance than a help. Further discussion of the law’s response to some of the major threats facing plants, notably climate change, international trade and invasive species, grounds the book in conservation literature. Using case studies on key plant biomes to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the law in practice, the book also includes previously unpublished results of an original empirical study into the correlations between the IUCN Red List and lists of endangered/protected species in international instruments. To conclude, the book looks to the future, considering broader reforms to the law to support the work of conservation practitioners and reshape humanity’s relationships with nature.
The book will be of interest to scholars and students working in the field of international environmental law and those interested more broadly in conservation and ecological governance frameworks.
By:
Rob Amos
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
Weight: 453g
ISBN: 9780367256968
ISBN 10: 0367256967
Pages: 280
Publication Date: 14 May 2020
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword Preface and Acknowledgements Table of International Agreements PART 1: PRELIMINARY ISSUES Introduction: The Legal and Ecological Context of Plant Conservation Why a Book About Plants? A Brief Introduction to Plant Ecology Core Themes and Structure Chapter I: The Value of Plants Nature in International Environmental Law Why Is Understanding Value Important? Interpretations of Value Anthropocentricity in International Environmental Law Conclusions PART 2: THE INTERNATIONAL LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE PROTECTION OF PLANTS Chapter II: Global Approaches to the Protection of Plants Tensions in International Conservation Law The 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity Forest Biodiversity Conclusions Chapter III: Regional Approaches to the Protection of Plants Regional Conservation Instruments and ‘Effectiveness’ The Geographic Scope of Regional Conservation Agreements The Construction of Regional Conservation Agreements The Relationship between Regional Conservation Agreements and Conservation Practice – Designating Protected Areas The Relationship between Regional Conservation Agreements and Conservation Practice – Listing Species Conclusions Appendix 1: Ratification Status of the Regional Conservation Agreements Appendix 2: Methodological Notes for the Empirical Study on the Conservation and Population Status of European Flora Chapter IV: Polar Plants Plants at the Poles Plants in the Antarctic Treaty System The Conservation of Arctic Flora Conclusions Chapter V: The Protection of Marine and Freshwater Plants Plants in Aquatic Ecosystems Global Approaches to Marine Conservation Regional Approaches to Marine Conservation The Conservation of Flora in Wetlands Freshwater Flora Conclusions PART 3: LEGAL RESPONSES TO THE DRIVERS OF PLANT DIVERSITY LOSS Chapter VI: Climate Change Plants and Climate Change Conservation and Climate Change The Conservation of Mountain Plants The REDD+ Programme The Clean Development Mechanism Conclusions Chapter VII: International Trade Plants in International Trade The Environment and Trade Protecting Plants through the Environmental Exceptions in the GATT The 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Conclusions Chapter VIII: Invasive/Alien Species, Disease and Ecosystem Restoration The Threat of Invasive/Alien Species and Disease International Regulation of Invasive/Alien Species Controlling the Spread of Disease Rewilding and Ecosystem Restoration Conclusions PART 4: WAYS FORWARD FOR THE PROTECTION OF PLANTS Chapter IX: Conservation Practice and International Law Resilience Thinking in Conservation Non-State Actors in Conservation Key Components of Successful Conservation Making International Law Work for Conservation – The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing Conclusions Chapter X: Ecological and Ecocentric Models for Reform The False Promise of Neoliberalism and Sustainable Development Defining Ecological Sustainability Templates for an Ecocentric Society Recognising the Legal Rights of Plants in International Law Conclusions Conclusion: Humanity’s Failure to Protect Plants Bibliography
Rob Amos is the Academic Lead on the environmental strand of UCL’s Global Citizenship Programme.
