Global and general perspectives on the Convention on Biological Diversity -- Global Conservation of Biodiversity from an Economic Point of View -- Financial support for biodiversity protection in developing countries - does the CBD mechanism lead to an appropriate level of biodiversity protection? -- The Cartagena Protocol: trade related measures as a means to protect biological diversity from risks deriving from genetically modified organisms -- Policy-Windows for the Declaration of Protected Areas - A Comparative Case Study of East Germany and Guatemala -- Will companies engage in the conservation of biodiversity? A prototypical model of aggregated pro-biodiverse actions of industrial companies -- Local, regional and nationwide perspectives on the Convention on Biological Diversity: Examples from Germany -- Problems and Prospects of the Conservation of Biodiversity in Germany -- The Designation of National Parks in German Nature Conservation Law -- Conservation management of target species or conservation of processes - Winners and losers of two different conservation strategies -- Valuation of ecosystem services provided by biodiversity conservation: an integrated hydrological and economic model to value the enhanced nitrogen retention in renaturated streams -- Towards sustainable land use: Public demand for plant diversity in agricultural landscapes of central Germany -- Narrating diversity: Plants, personal knowledge and life stories in German home gardens -- Aspects of bird valuation in Brandenburg-Prussia: Towards the significance of socio-economic conditions for biodiversity perception between the 16th and 20th century -- Local, regional and nationwide perspectives on the Convention on Biological Diversity: Examples from Guatemala -- Prospects and Challenges for Biodiversity Conservation in Guatemala -- Calculating Incentives for Watershed Protection. A Case Study In Guatemala -- The cultural context of biodiversity conservation -- Direct payments for conservation - the importance of environmental measures in farming systems for bird populations in a fragmented landscape. A case study in Guatemala -- Land use changes and abiotic aspects as basic conditions for conservation of biodiversity in a tropical montane cloud forest (Guatemala) -- Human impact on bird diversity and community structure in a tropical montane cloud forest in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, with special reference to the Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) -- What drives biodiversity loss in the land of trees? A review of the economic and historical parameters causing deforestation in Guatemala -- Epilogue: A general perspective on the evaluation of interdisciplinary research -- Permanent Evaluation: An important tool for a quality assurance in interdisciplinary research. The continued loss of global diversity brings into question the approaches used to conserve it. This volume brings together stimulating research and ?ndings from Germany and Guatemala asking fundamental questions. For example, one paper questions the economic rationality of current biodiversity conservation methods, while another one attempts to answer this by pointing out that companies are - creasingly investing in conservation because they expect this to become a social norm-and thereforerespectingand followingasocial normisa rational strategy. It is more evident now than ever that biodiversity conservation is successful only in societies where basic socio-economic needs have been met. This means that poor societies will conserve the ?ora and fauna around them if given the - portunity to be effective practitioners by including their indigenous knowledge, having effective access and bene?t sharing regimes, making national parks more equitable, and tackling poverty and particularly land hunger which is devastating in itseffects through deforestation. Economicinstrumentsareincreasinglyrecognisedashavinganimportant role to play in the protection of biological diversity. Well-de?ned property and use rights can promote the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Tradable catchandexport permitscanencouragetheprotection ofendangeredspecies,and incentives such as charges and taxes can help to maintain critical habitats, incl- ingwetlands.Theuseofeconomicinstrumentshasexpandedsigni?cantlyoverthe lastfewdecades.Thisre?ectsagrowingunderstandingthateconomicinstruments canincreasetheef?ciencyandeffectivenessofenvironmentalmanagement,gen- ate ?nancial resourcesand incentivesfor investment,and expand the involvement of private agents in environmental protection.