Conservation atlas reveals 'most valuable' forest

• 18:25 05 December 2008 by Catherine Brahic
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A new atlas shows how conservation efforts can most efficiently make use of limited resources by laying out which forests store large amounts of carbon and are also home to a great diversity of animals and plants.

The UN Environment Programme, which released the maps (pdf format) at the ongoing UN climate summit in Poznan, Poland, believes they could guide investments in forest conservation.

"At a time of scarce financial resources and economic concerns, every dollar, euro or rupee needs to deliver double, even triple dividends," says Achim Steiner, executive director of UNEP. "By pinpointing where high densities of carbon overlap with high levels of biodiversity, the atlas spotlights where governments and investors can deal with two crises for the price of one."