Our Liviiii; Resources 



The nation's biological resources are the 

 basis of much of our current prosperity and 

 an essential part of the wealth that we will pass 

 on to future generations. Like other forms of 

 wealth, biological diversity constitutes a 

 resource that must be conserved and managed 

 carefully. Proper management of any resource 

 requires ( I ) inventorying and monitoring the 

 resource. (2) understanding the factors deter- 

 mining its supply and demand, and (3) analyz- 

 ing options for cunent and future uses of the 

 resource. Inventory and monitoring is the essen- 

 tial first step in taking stock of the wealth rep- 

 resented in our living resources and planning 

 for their conservation and use. 



This report. Our Liviiii; Resoiirces. is the 

 first product of the Status and Trends Program 

 in the National Biological Service. The report 

 compiles, tor scientists, managers, and the lay 

 public, information on many species and the 

 ecosystems on which they depend. As a first 

 step toward a consistent, large-scale under- 

 standing of the status and trends of these 

 resources, this report brings together for the first 

 time a host of information about our nation's 

 biological wealth, highlighting causes for both 

 comfort and concern. 



The report provides valuable information 

 about causes for the decline of some species and 

 habitats. It also gives insight into successful 

 management strategies that have resulted in 

 recovery of others. The report will also serve as 

 a useful guide for identifying research needs by 

 revealing information gaps that must be filled if 

 we are to achieve a more comprehensive under- 

 standing of both cunent conditions and the 

 anticipated impact of change. 



The mission of the National Biological 

 Service is to work with others to provide the 

 information and technologies needed to manage 

 and conserve the nation's biological resources. 

 As the biological science arm of the Department 

 of the Interior — with neither regulatory nor 

 resource-management responsibilities — NBS 

 has as its primary responsibility serving the bio- 

 logical science needs of other Department of the 

 Interior bureaus. 



NBS also has a broader role of working with 

 other federal agencies, states, universities, 

 museums, private organizations, and landown- 

 ers in a "National Partnership" to ensure that a 

 more comprehensive and consistent approach is 

 taken to providing information about the 

 nation's biological resources. All of the players 

 in this new partnership have long and rich his- 

 tories of collecting and interpreting biological 

 information. The National Biological Service 

 will work with its partners to supplement and 

 integrate this scientific information and make it 

 more accessible. 



Our Living Resources is a prime example of 

 NBS's partnership approach. Authors are drawn 

 from more than 15 federal agencies, 15 state 

 agencies, 25 universities, and 13 private organi- 

 zations. In some cases, individual papers are 

 themselves products of interagency or intergov- 

 ernmental partnerships. 



Statistically reliable information on the sta- 

 tus and trends of biological resources is an 

 essential step towards better stewardship of our 

 nation's biological wealth. Equally important is 

 an intensive research program aimed at under- 

 standing what factors are responsible for bio- 

 logical changes and the incorporation of that 

 understanding into resource management and 

 policy decisions. NBS works closely with 

 resource managers and other decision makers to 

 analyze how natural forces and human activities 

 affect biological resources and to predict how 

 alternative management and policy decisions 

 might improve or degrade those resources. 



NBS is committed to providing better infor- 

 mation and making that information easily 

 accessible not only to those who manage and 

 regulate how we use natural resources but also 

 to every American who makes economic use or 

 seeks recreation or simply cherishes the beauty 

 of our living resources. More reliable informa- 

 tion and better access to that information will 

 result in better and fairer decisions and a more 

 prosperous future for all Americans. 



Foreword 



H. Ronald Pulliam 

 Director, National Biological Service 



