1st Edition

International Conservation Law The Protection of Plants in Theory and Practice

By Rob Amos Copyright 2020
    302 Pages
    by Routledge

    302 Pages
    by Routledge

    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on key plant biomes to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the law in practice, the book also includes previously unpublished results of an original empirical study into the correlations between the IUCN Red List and lists of endangered/protected species in international instruments.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.

    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

     

    Biography

    Rob Amos is the Academic Lead on the environmental strand of UCL’s Global Citizenship       Programme.