So little is known about about what goes on above our heads in rain forests
and what lives there that the rain forest 'canopy' has been called the 'la
st biological frontier'. Until very recently, researchers had very limited
access to the canopy, even in temperate forests and, not surprisingly, we a
re only just beginning to discover this part of the world. A new breed of s
cientists, canopy biologists, has evolved and have accelerated the rate of
discovery. The implications for management of forests of this new voyage of
discovery are enormous. At present conservationists, forest managers, envi
ronmental policy makers, and other research users have not even started to
consider how to integrate the resulting new information for future planning
and sustainable management and use of forests.
The Earth Summit in 1992 drew attention to several of the principal biologi
cal dilemmas of the 20th century: biodiversity and forest loss, land conver
sion, climate change and ozone depletion. Understanding the importance of f
orest canopies for these issues is essential and researchers need to consid
er how better to coordinate their activities and deliver their results if t
hey are to influence decision making at all levels. One new initiative show
s some promise in this regard. Recently the United Nations Environment Prog
ram has supported the International Canopy Crane Network. This network of c
rane sites around the world will focus on providing an improved scientific
basis for the importance of the forest canopy with respect to the Conventio
ns on Biological Diversity, Climate Change and Ozone Depletion.