Meg Lowman

Margaret Lowman

Worku Mulat

Big thanks to TREE Foundation, including President Gerri Aaron and her board, and all the myriad donors who have made small (or large) donations on behalf of the conservation of forests in Ethiopia. www.treefoundation.org Thanks also to the Brethren Foundation, for funding the publishing of this book, and especially to Sonia Ewald for her amazing editing and cheer-leading throughout this publishing process. We are grateful to the local communities of Ethiopians living around Zhara church forest outside Bahar Dar who have helped with conservation, photography and biodiversity sampling to serve as inspiration for this story. Thanks to the Spurlino Foundation for believing in this conservation project and giving a grant to fund the conservation of the first church forest; to Dan Bennett for his business acumen to create a match for church forest conservation via TREE Foundation; the Peppertree Press Publishers for their enthusiasm and efforts; to Dr.Alemayehu Wassie Eshete who is single-handedly monitoring the biodiversity of many Ethiopian church forests; to National Geographic for their initial funding of the first-ever biodiversity survey in Ethiopian church forests; to David Martin of Brighter Technologies for graphic assistance; to Justin Gargulia, and Matthew Gelling for donation of several images; and to the many school children and citizens who have provided small donations to conserve these forests. BEZA is the story of an Ethiopian girl who is helping to conserve the last forests and biodiversity of northern Ethiopia. BEZA not only inspires girls to pursue science, but she also illustrates the power of kids to seek global solutions.

A Conservation Story

Beza, who Saved the Forests of Ethiopia, One Church at a Time

Soubadra Devy

T. Ganesh

Forest canopies not only support high terrestrial biodiversity but also represent a critical interface between the atmosphere and the earth. They provide goods and services to support diverse human communities and offer opportunities to explore sustainable use of these resources for many generations of local livelihoods. Forest canopies are important carbon sequestration units, and in this sense, serve as climate control for the planet. Canopies are important energy production centers for the planet, and serve as the basis for many food chains. The canopy can also act as a hook for education outreach and conservation, inspiring ecotourism through recreation and other sustainable uses such as treetop walks, zip lines, and birding. Despite these critical services provided by forest canopies, almost no dedicated research in the treetops was initiated until as recently as the late 1970s when single rope techniques were developed by mountaineering professionals and adapted for use in the canopy. Subsequently, an array of canopy access tools was designed in the 1980s and early 1990s that have opened up this “eighth continent” for global exploration and discovery. This volume uses the major findings of the 5th international canopy conference as a platform for organization, but it does not mimic the sessions and presentations of the conference itself. Instead, it builds on the important themes that emerged from the conference and solicits articles that represent future priorities and advancements for canopy science in the next decade. Despite the global efforts of hundreds of forest scientists over the past 3 decades, forests are degrading at an accelerated rate and biodiversity is increasingly threatened by human activities. Given these trends - despite the very best efforts of the world’s best scientists - other approaches must be taken. This volume summarizes the issue of “treetops at risk” and assembles a global authorship to examine past accomplishments and future initiatives critical in forest conservation.

Challenges of Global Canopy Ecology and Conservation

Treetops at Risk

H. Bruce Rinker

The treetops of the world's forests are where discovery and opportunity abound, however they have been relatively inaccessible until recently. This book represents an authoritative synthesis of data, anecdotes, case studies, observations, and recommendations from researchers and educators who have risked life and limb in their advocacy of the High Frontier. With innovative rope techniques, cranes, walkways, dirigibles, and towers, they finally gained access to the rich biodiversity that lives far above the forest floor and the emerging science of canopy ecology. In this new edition of Forest Canopies, nearly 60 scientists and educators from around the world look at the biodiversity, ecology, evolution, and conservation of forest canopy ecosystems. -Comprehensive literature list -State-of-the-art results and data sets from current field work -Foremost scientists in the field of canopy ecology -Expanded collaboration of researchers and international projects -User-friendly format with sidebars and case studies -Keywords and outlines for each chapter

Margaret Lowman

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