12 October 2010: The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) has published a special issue of its newsletter, Tropical Forest Update, focused on biodiversity, as part of ITTO’s contribution to the International Year of Biodiversity.

The issue, jointly produced with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), includes an article reviewing the priorities and activities of the CBD Forest Programme, focusing on forest biodiversity and climate change and sustainable use of bushmeat. The issue also reviews the economics of biodiversity and ecosystem services in tropical forests, and outlines tools and measures for ensuring REDD+ provides biodiversity benefits. Also included are articles on applying the ITTO IUCN Guidelines for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Tropical Production Forests, and the management and use of wildlife within production forests. Finally, the issue reviews the linkages between biodiversity and forest resilience, and invasive species.

The issue closes with a commentary from Ahmed Djoghlaf (Executive Director, CBD) and Emmanuel Ze Meka (Executive Director, ITTO), highlighting the CBD and ITTO’s commitment to collaborating to conserve and sustainably manage tropical forests. [Tropical Forest Update Issue]