This edited book deals with plant genetic resources and their status, availability, and ecological niche in natural habitat. Usage and conservation practices followed by various tribal communities and their rationale are also discussed in the book. The book explores application of biological tools to conserve plant species and optimization protocols for conservation and elicitation of secondary metabolites and other value addition products. The book is organized into sub-themes covering: (i) Ecological status of plant genetic resources (ii) Traditional ethnobotanical knowledge and conservation practices (iii) Ex-situ conservation practices and bioprospecting Globally, plant genetic resources are deeply rooted in culture and economy. Since the early 1990s, the changing socio-economic situation has increasingly put pressure on plant genetic resources, in some cases leading to a severe loss of their diversity. For this reason, most vulnerable areas at risk of genetic erosion have been demarcated and protected by forest laws and regulations. Therefore, this book brings to light the opinions of leading experts in the area of ecology, conservation biodiversity, ethanobotany, and bioprospecting of plant genetic resources. The book is for use by graduate and advanced undergraduate students and researchers in plant physiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and agriculture. Additionally, it is extremely useful as a general reference on conservation of flora and large-scale cultivation.

Recognizing the benefits of global trade, many of the world's developing countries and countries with economies in transition, have sought to actively participate in the global trading regime. Recently, however, the undesirable effect of environmental degradation has emerged as a result of rapid increase in trade. This case study on the Philippines' Forestry sector is one of a series of United Nations Environment Programme publications that discusses the country's experience with the environmental impacts of trade liberalization on their natural and environmental resources. It also presents innovative strategies to address negative impacts and strengthen positive ones. The other country studies available are: on Bangladesh's Shrimp farming industry; Chile's mining sector; India's automotive sector; Romania's water sector and Uganda's fisheries sector.

The global phenomenon of school decentralization is a highly political process. It involves substantial shifts in power, affecting the influence and livelihood of groups such as teachers and their unions. School systems are also vehicles for enhancing political influence and carrying out the programs and objectives of those in power. This report identifies the political dimensions of school decentralization and discusses the methods and problems of building a broad public consensus to support it. Country case studies and examples of best practices are provided.