Mike Alexander has been at the forefront of developing systems and methods in the field of management planning for conservation, with experience ranging from Uganda to Estonia, and from Costa Rica to Wales. He was responsible for developing the current management planning guidelines for the international Ramsar (Convention on Wetlands) sites located around the world.

Foreword.- Acknowledgements.- Introduction.- 1. Why Plan?.- 2. Structure, Preparation and Precautionary Principle.- 3. Language and Audience.- 4. Local Communities and Stakeholders.- 5. Survey, Surveillance, Monitoring and Recording.- 6. Adaptable Management, Review and Audit.- 7. Ethics and Conservation Management or Why Conserve Wildlife?.- 8. What Do We Value?.- 9. Approaches to Conservation Management.- 10. Legislation and Policy.- 11. Description .- 12. Features and Evaluation.- 13. Factors.- 14. Objectives for Biological Features.- 15. Rationale for Biological and Other Features.- 16. Action Plan.- 17. Access, Tourism and Recreation.- Case study 1: Complete management plan.- Case study 2: Access Management Plan for Cors Caron NNR.- Case study 3: The Relationship between Species and Habitat Features (Topla Landscape Park).- Case study 4: Adaptable Planning Rhos Llawr Cwrt NNR.- Case study 5: Computers (CMS) and Management Planning.- Glossary.- References.- Index.

This is the first planning guide to meet the requirements of Natura 2000 sites and it brings a new dimension to the modern literature on conservation management. Combining key theories with real practice it fills a critical gap which has often hindered understanding of the planning process. The book provides historical and rational background which helps to explain what makes a really effective management plan, and it presents a practical guide to developing such a plan. It concludes with a series of case studies which illustrate the underlying principles drawn out in the text, while highlighting the different approaches demanded by very different sites.