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IUCN/SSC Cycad Specialist Group

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Welcome to the Cycad Specialist Group website!

The IUCN/SSC Cycad Specialist Group (CSG) is one of around 120 specialist groups and task forces within the IUCN’s Species Survival Commission (SSC). As the largest of the six commissions of IUCN - The World Conservation Union (see IUCN Structure ), the SSC is comprised of a network of 8,000+ volunteers from nearly every country around the world, all working together to stop the loss of plants, animals, and their habitats.

The major role of the SSC is to provide information to IUCN on the conservation of species and on the inherent value of species and their role in:

• ecosystem health and functioning,

• the provision of ecosystem services, and

• the provision of support to human livelihoods.

The tangible products produced by the SSC are the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species ^TM, the Species Information Service (SIS), conservation action plans, technical guidelines, and contributions to IUCN policy statements. The SSC delivers and promotes this technical knowledge, advice, and policy guidance to those who can influence the implementation of conservation action across the globe.

Each specialist group is led by a volunteer chair, who is appointed by the SSC Chair with recommendations from the SSC Steering Committee. Membership in the specialist groups is by invitation and is largely determined by the appointed chairperson of each respective group.

Specialist groups are typically taxon based and focus on a specific group of organisms. The CSG functions primarily in an advisory capacity by gathering, analyzing, and disseminating information related to cycad conservation and by recommending policies in cycad management, trade, legislation, and enforcement. The CSG has established several broad objectives and responsibilities, which are summarized in the following document:

• CSG Objectives & Responsibilities

Below is a link to the 2004 report submitted by the CSG to the IUCN, which details the work conducted by the CSG during 2000-2004:

• CSG 2004 Report to IUCN

Finally, without a doubt the most important product of the CSG to date is the Cycad Action Plan (published in 2003), which summarizes the conservation status of cycads and recommends specific Action Proposals designed to promote conservation on a global scale. The Cycad Action Plan is available for download from the Publications section of this website.

To learn more about the CSG and to navigate through this website, click on the links in the button bar on the left. Also, please feel free to contact the CSG Chair,Dr. John Donaldson , or the CSG Secretary/Webmaster,Jody Haynes , for comments pertaining to the function of the CSG or the information presented on this site.

Note: To read or print PDF documents, you will need Adobe Acrobat or the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software installed on your computer. If you do not have Acrobat Reader, you may download a free copy from the Adobe website by clicking on the following button: 
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This website is proudly sponsored by The Cycad Society, Inc. <www.cycad.org>