The Asia Pacific chapter of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) issued a declaration highlighting the importance of the region's tropical forest ecosystem, which is potentially at risk due to proposed changes to its spatial plan. Biologists and conservation scientists meeting from March 18-22 in Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia, warned that potential changes to Aceh's spatial plan could undermine some of the ecological services that underpin the Indonesian province's economy and well-being of its citizens.

• The Banda Aceh declaration - The Crucial Importance of Aceh’s Forests (released 22 March 2013).(english version).
• DEKLARASI BANDA ACEH - Pentingnya Hutan Aceh (released 22 March 2013).(indonesian version).
• Conservation scientists: Aceh's spatial plan a risk to forests, wildlife, and people - by Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com. March 22, 2013
• Aceh claims deal to open 1.2M ha of protected forest to logging, mining is near - mongabay.com. March 14, 2013

Urgent Need for Continued Improvement in Environmental Conservation and Sustainable Development in Brazil

At the same time as it hosts the United Nations Earth Summit, Rio+20, Brazil is also hosting the largest ever gathering of tropical biologists. Brazil's success in advancing science and conservation, while achieving impressive economic growth and significant improvements in human welfare are being watched by the world as a potential model for environmentally sustainable development.

• Scientists warn Brazil’s environmental leadership at risk
• Brazil's environmental leadership at risk, warn scientists, by mongabay.com - June 26, 2012

Unequivocal Support for Recent Forest-Conservation Initiatives in Indonesia

Whereas, the Republic of Indonesia sustains some of the richest biological and cultural diversity of any nation on Earth, distributed across an archipelago of over 17,000 islands that span both the Asian and Australasian biogeographic regions; and

The Urgent Need to Maximize Biodiversity Conservation in Forest Carbon-Trading

A joint communiqué of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) and the Society for Tropical Ecology (GTÖ) during their joint annual meeting in Marburg, Germany, 26-29 July 2009

WHEREAS, tropical forests are among the biologically-richest ecosystems on earth, sustaining at least half of all plant, animal, and fungal species in an area spanning just 7% of the planet's land surface; and

Declaration to Establish Permanent Protected Status and Preservation Guidelines for Brownsberg, Nassau and Lely Mountains in Suriname

To His Excellency: Drs Ronald Venetiaan, President of the Republic of Suriname

WHEREAS Suriname along with Guyana, French Guiana, eastern Venezuela, and northern Brazil lies in a unique region referred to as the Guiana Shield, is one of the world’s least disturbed regions, has the lowest population density of any country in the world, and may represent one of the very few areas where extensive tracts of natural forests and other ecosystems can be conserved for future generations.

Protection of Threatened Tropical Dry-Forests in Jalisco, Mexico

WHEREAS the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve of coastal Jalisco, Mexico is one of the most important protected areas and best-studied tropical dry forests in the Neotropics, and provides habitat for more than 1200 species of plants, of which 314 are endemic to Mexico; 427 species of vertebrates, of which about 79 are endemic to Mexico; and more than 2000 species of insects; and...