Launch of Invertebrates, China Species Redlist Vol. III

The book is 16K, 960pages, 80g coperpaper. Price is 180. In both English and Chinese. To buy the book, please contact "Conservation Bookstore“ under http://www.chinabiodiversity.com/indexe.shtm.

China Species Redlist

Few publications can claim to have captured such a vast compilation of detailed technical information as the newly completed China Red Listings, published as a series of 6 volumes. The First Volume is the Redlist, Second is the Vertebrates (to be published in Nov. 2005), Third is the Invertebrates, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth are Plants.

A team of 108 scientists and conservation experts have worked for three and half years to review the conservation status of over 10 200 living species, across the face of one of the world's largest and geographically most diverse countries - China.

The listings present the findings and conclusions of all species of mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, fishes, as well as selected groups of insects, molluscs and vascular plants, etc. All have been assigned status according to the newly defined red listing categories developed by IUCN. Detailed description maps of species are included showing all point records held in the rather comprehensive CSIS database managed by the Biodiversity Working Group of China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development based in the Institute of Zoology of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Let us hope that the volumes will serve as a stimulus for new inventory and conservation effort and not just a documentation of biodiversity loss. Some species not recorded for many years may yet be found overlooked or living outside of their formerly known ranges. Other species facing extinction can still be saved by well-planned and appropriate interventions. These volumes can help plan and prioritise efforts for many years to come.