Discoveries of new species and new records of species are the order of the day in Vietnam, a country with a high level of biodiversity and many areas still largely unexplored. In recent years many conifers have been discovered for the first time in the country, and this paper focuses on three of these. The Vulnerable Pinus krempfii is an endemic of exceptional scientific interest. The globally Vulnerable Taiwania cryptomerioides, a conifer of ancient lineage in the Cupressaceae previously only known to occur with certainty in Taiwan and the border region between Myanmar and China, is a new discovery for Vietnam, where it is Critically Endangered. The Critically Endangered Xanthocyparis vietnamensis, a new genus and species in the Cupressaceae, was described in 2001 and is restricted to limestone outcrops on the border with China. All three species are of high conservation concern due to their rarity and because of threats to their survival from expanding cultivation, felling and fires. We discuss the suitability of these three conifers as flagship species to promote forest conservation in Vietnam. We also discuss the problems involved in the protection of these species, and the efforts that are currently being undertaken to conserve them.

East African blackwood is the common name for Dalbergia melanoxylon, the most valuable timber growing in the miombo woodlands of southern Tanzania, and a potential flagship species to justify conservation of this habitat. The population density, structure and exploitation of this economically and socially important species were studied in an area of southern Tanzania. Harvestable timber was found at a density of 1.03 m3 ha−1. Multi-stemmed trees, which have a lower marketable value, were more frequent in burned areas. Local people have a number of uses for the species but have replacements for all but its medicinal application. Felling licence and export figures are inconsistent but suggest that illegal harvesting is occurring. The implications of these results for the species' flagship status and options for community-based management are discussed.

The conservation status of 23 Hawaiian endemic palms, Pritchardia spp., is reviewed. Field survey reports, recovery plans, herbaria holdings and observations have been utilized to assess each taxon's current range and status. Eleven species are categorized as Critically Endangered, nine Endangered, two Vulnerable and one as Data Deficient when subject to the IUCN Red List criteria. Conservation management options are discussed. A large proportion of this genus is on the verge of extinction and will continue to decline in the wild without active conservation management. Recommendations involving long-term management include maintaining and protecting the existing wild populations, establishment of effective ex situ populations, reintroduction into the wild, and the establishment of procedures to deal with invasive plants and animals.

During October–December 2002 a team from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation and the Nigerian National Parks visited the montane forests of Taraba State, eastern Nigeria. Their aim was to identify changes in the forests that had occurred since they were last described in detail during the 1970s. Then the forests were rich in Afromontane endemics, were home to at least 24 threatened plant species, and harboured abundant wildlife. In 2002 all but one of the forest fragments visited were intact, although some of the smaller fragments had further reduced in size. The most obvious differences between 2002 and the 1970s were the dramatic reduction in wildlife, and the depletion of montane grassland and associated species. For these forests and their associated fauna to survive, more local, national and global support is urgently required for management to prevent species loss.

The Mauritius olive white-eye Zosterops chloronothos is the least known of the eight threatened terrestrial bird species remaining on the island of Mauritius. The olive white-eye has declined drastically in numbers and distribution since 1975. Surveys carried out between 1998 and 2001 estimated that 93–148 pairs remained within an area of less than 25 km2. Most areas that held olive white-eye territories in 1975 supported considerably fewer territories in 2001. This decline is thought to have primarily been the result of deforestation and degradation of native habitat and intense nest predation by introduced mammals. Declines have been more severe in areas dominated by native vegetation than they have been in areas that contained substantial amounts of exotic Cryptomeria and Pinus. The continued decline of the Mauritius olive white-eye is of critical concern and immediate species-specific conservation management is required for its survival.

We studied the distribution and habitat-use of two endemic ground birds, the Bornean ground-cuckoo Carpococcyx radiatus and the Bornean peacock-pheasant Polyplectron schleiermacheri in the Sungai Wain Protection Forest, East Kalimantan. Both species are highly elusive and neither has been subject to any in-depth study. Consequently, few data are available on their population numbers, habitat preferences and conservation status. We mapped the species' presence in five topographical habitat types, assessed their spatial distribution, and provide an estimate of population sizes in the reserve. Over a period of 44 months (1997–2003) we had 32 encounters with Bornean ground-cuckoo, and 19 encounters with Bornean peacock-pheasant. Number of encounters increased over time, but no seasonal or monthly difference was apparent in encounter rate. Both species were only observed inside the central core of the reserve. Bornean ground-cuckoo showed a clear preference for alluvial and swamp forest over high-flat, slope and ridge forest. Bornean peacock-pheasant showed no clear preference for any of these five habitat types. Considering the rapid destruction of forest occurring in Kalimantan due to illegal logging, fires, lack of law enforcement and proper management of protected areas, the conservation of these two species is discussed in relation to conservation management of the Sungai Wain Protection Forest. Teams are patrolling year-round in the reserve to halt hunting. Illegal logging has been eradicated by these patrols, in combination with tree-spiking. Fire breaks are maintained each dry season to avoid further fire damage, and extensive education and awareness work is carried out in the district.

From 1998 to 2000 we used radio telemetry to study habitat use by greater rheas Rhea americana in rural areas. Captive-born greater rheas preferred pastures to grasslands and did not use crops. No differences in habitat use were found between wild and captive-born greater rheas. Wild individuals preferred pastures, showed less preference for grasslands, and did not use crops. Rheas used pastures and grasslands for nesting but they did not use crops. No differences in nesting success was detected between these habitats. Our results show that agroecosystems that include grasslands and pasture production would strongly contribute to the conservation of this species. However, poaching must be controlled to ensure long-term persistence of wild populations of greater rheas.

Thirty-three islands in the Lesser Antilles range in area from 0.06 to 1,510 km2 and harbour 25 species of snakes representing five families and 10 genera. The islands have suffered at least six, and possibly as many as 11, historical extirpations and at least one historical extinction. The number of snake species per island is 1–5, and species richness is correlated with island size and habitat diversity. Islands that harbour three or more species exhibit greater habitat diversity, are larger, have a higher maximum elevation, and are situated closer to the South American mainland, the source area for most genera. North of the Guadeloupe Archipelago, islands support one or two species (an Alsophis or an Alsophis and a Typhlops). From the Guadeloupe Archipelago southwards, snake faunas have species belonging to genera that are widespread on the Neotropical mainland: Boa, Corallus, Chironius, Clelia, Liophis, Mastigodryas and Bothrops. Between 50 and 75% of the Lesser Antillean snake fauna preys on Anolis lizards. Snake faunas in the Lesser Antilles are not saturated, and many islands could support additional species; fossil evidence and written records indicate that they did. The islands have a 5,000-year history of habitat alteration, but introduced predators probably have had the greatest negative impact on snakes. The potential establishment of an alien snake (e.g. Elaphe guttata) into the Lesser Antilles is a valid concern. Preventing additional introductions of alien predators and protecting satellite island populations of threatened species are the two most important mechanisms for snake conservation in the region.

We assessed the distribution and relative abundance of mammals in two rainforest areas, Brahmagiri-Makut and Sirsi-Honnavara, of the Western Ghats, southern India, from November 2001 to April 2002. Both direct (daytime and night-time wildlife sightings through ‘recky’ walks) and indirect (wildlife signs and local information) methods were employed. A total of 34–35 species, of which we recorded 31–32, are known from the two areas; 14 are in one of the IUCN Red List threatened categories and six are endemic to India. Ecological factors account for the distribution and relative abundance of only three species (Nilgiri langur Semnopithecus johnii, lion-tailed macaque Macaca silenus and Asiatic elephant Elephas maximus). Ten other large species of mammals were more common in Sirsi-Honnavara than in Brahmagiri-Makut, whereas most of nine smaller species were generally more common in Brahmagiri-Makut. These differences can be attributed to different hunting practices rather than to ecological or biogeographical factors. In Brahmagiri-Makut the mainly daytime hunting using guns has the greatest impact on large diurnal mammals, whereas in Sirsi-Honnavara the mostly night-time hunting with traps, and avoidance of primates, has a greater effect on small nocturnal mammals. Brahmagiri-Makut is one of the few areas in the Western Ghats where all of the primate species of southern India can still be found, but the area does not receive any official protection. In Sirsi-Honnavara encroachment of agriculture is a regular practice, and the remaining forests exist only as a network of narrow strips.

Introduced mammals are a major driver of extinction and ecosystem change, particularly on islands. Feral goats Capra hircus have been introduced to numerous islands worldwide and have had wholesale impacts on ecosystems. Techniques are now available, however, to eradicate goat populations from islands, providing a powerful conservation tool. Goats were removed from Pinta Island, Galápagos, Ecuador after a 30-year eradication campaign, the largest removal of an insular goat population using ground-based methods. Over 41,000 goats were removed during the initial hunting effort (1971–82). In the following decade the island was twice wrongly declared free of goats. During this period, the island was visited irregularly but no monitoring programme was implemented. A revised campaign over 1999–2003, which included improved hunting techniques and monitoring, removed the final goats from the island. The use of Judas goats was critical in locating the remaining goats and as a tool to confirm eradication. A systematic monitoring programme is critical for confirming eradication and preventing future reintroductions. An earlier monitoring programme would probably have resulted in earlier eradication and significant financial savings. Given limited resources, island conservation programmes elsewhere should strive to increase eradication efficiency and learn from past campaigns.

Sustained and effective biodiversity conservation in a developing country such as Nepal is faced with the increasing pressure that the growing population exerts on the country's natural resources. Nepal has adopted a community-based approach to conservation management, including sharing of revenues from protected areas with local people living in the buffer zones around protected areas. The aim is to mitigate conflicts. This paper discusses the evolution of conservation policy for buffer zones in Nepal. The strengths and weaknesses of buffer zone policy are analysed, and the efforts to put policy into practice are examined and discussed. The analysis of buffer zone initiatives reveals that there are inconsistencies between the vision of the programme and its policies and practices. For better integration of conservation and development objectives, empowerment and equity in benefit sharing and gender issues need to be adequately incorporated in buffer zone policy and programme implementation.

The conservation significance of the Caribbean island of Anegada in the British Virgin Islands is highlighted in this study of the distribution of plant species in two major habitats, sand dunes and limestone pavement. In 104 plots along 27 transects located around the western salt ponds of the Anegada Ramsar site, 133 plant species were recorded, including five regional endemics. The limestone pavement supported large populations of Acacia anegadensis, endemic to Anegada, and Cordia rupicola, known only from Anegada and Puerto Rico (although the Puerto Rican population is thought to be extirpated). The sand dunes supported a large population of Metastelma anegadense, also endemic to Anegada. Two other regional endemics were recorded within the limestone cays, Leptocereus quadricostatus, previously known from only one locality in Puerto Rico and Malpighia woodburyana, restricted to a few small populations on islands on the Puerto Rican Bank. For both of these species Anegada supports the largest known individual population.

The Angel de la Guarda deer mouse Peromyscus guardia on Estanque Island, in the Angel de la Guarda archipelago of the Gulf of California, was probably driven to extinction by a single introduced domestic cat. P. guardia was trapped on the island in October 1995, at which time the species was still relatively abundant. In 1998 a domestic cat was spotted on the island; no deer mice were found at that time nor during subsequent field work in 1999 and 2001. In 1998, c. 100 cat scats were collected, 2% of which contained P. guardia bone remains and 90% P. guardia hair. The cat, which was eradicated in 1999, was the only introduced predator on the island. Our results confirm the extreme vulnerability of island rodent populations to the introduction of alien mammalian predators. To our knowledge, apart from the extermination of Stephens Island wren Xenicus lyalli in New Zealand in 1894 by the lighthouse keeper's cat, this is the first report of the destruction of the total population of an insular species by a single cat. With two of the three subspecies of P. guardia now extinct the only potentially extant population is on the larger Angel de la Guarda Island, where the species was last seen in 1991. A comprehensive survey of the island is required, with subsequent action for the species recovery and conservation if it is found to be extant.