In their paper on environmental carrying capacity, Brown et al. (1997) describe some of the negative impacts of tourism development and propose the carrying capacity framework for addressing these impacts. Though we agree that these impacts should be addressed, we feel that the carrying capacity approach is inadequate for the task in most situations. An examination of the steps that are necessary for establishing a carrying capacity illustrates why this is the case (further discussion is provided in Lindberg et al. 1997).

The Comment by Lindberg and McCool (1998) makes a useful contribution to the debate on carrying capacity and reaffirms the observations and conclusions of our original paper, which include the fact that carrying capacity may be conceptually controversial, is problematic in its application and is of limited use in devising policy guidelines (Brown et al. 1997).

There is debate world-wide over urbanization, structured planning, deforestation and land management; these issues are no less important in Saudi Arabia.

State tenure of traditionally protected lands in Saudi Arabia has created gaps in the protection of the ecosystem and control of urbanization that indigenous peoples can fill. The present situation has emerged since 1932 when local control of resources was lost in the drive to unify the Kingdom politically. An alternative to the practised system of land management and planning is proposed. The alternative is that which recognizes indigenous people as potential stewards of the vernacular landscape and it may play a leading role in the conservation and management of the highlands of the south-western region of Saudi Arabia.

To strengthen the 1993 Law of Regions which aimed at improving the standard of administrative work and development in the Kingdom will require the establishment of a new relationship between indigenous people, scientists and national governmental organizations. In this, indigenous peoples should have juridical recognition and control over large areas of forests around their settlements in exchange for a commitment to conserve the ecosystem and protect biodiversity. In essence, such an outcome may offer the integration of two knowledge systems into an innovative resource-management strategy and land-conservation plans.

'Sustainable use' of wildlife resources and 'community based conservation' are two themes recurrent in contemporary statements of wildlife conservation policy, and their use is in response to a perceived 'deep conservation crisis' which has in part arisen from exclusionary and restrictive conservation practices. The extent to which the legal harvest of marine turtle eggs in Ostional, Costa Rica, is an example of sustainable use and community based conservation is evaluated in this paper. Field research using in-depth interviewing and a household questionnaire was undertaken in Ostional during 1994 and 1995, to investigate local perceptions of the egg harvesting project, both positive and negative. Socio-economic benefits from, and legal and administrative structures supporting, the project were found to be fundamental to community support for a limited egg harvest and allowed for community participation in, and control of, resource use. Participation and control were key to local support for conservation of nesting marine turtles and their eggs. Attempts to use wildlife sustainably must be considered on a case by case basis, to account for the biological nature of the wildlife resource and environment in question and for local socio-economic, political and historical conditions. Nevertheless, some of the lessons learned from the attempt to implement sustainable use and community based conservation in Ostional may be more widely generalized, and may help inform other efforts to reconcile wildlife conservation objectives with local development needs.

Community-based conservation (CBC) has been projected as the most practical approach to stem biodiversity loss in developing countries. Since CBC is 'people-centred' and experience with it is relatively new, it is important to know the views of local communities regarding implemented policies and programmes. This paper examines the attitudes of local communities toward policy and programmes implemented by a project under the CBC approach in the Makalu-Barun National Park and Conservation Area of Nepal, based on a 1996 survey of 400 people living in it.

Overall, respondents did not have a particularly favourable perception of the community development programmes implemented. Strong support existed for ecotourism development in the Conservation Area. Respondents overwhelmingly endorsed community forestry. Wildlife protection remained a low priority amongst a significant majority of respondents. Some demographic and socio-economic factors exerted important influences on the attitudes of respondents. This study suggests that the project should continue addressing local development needs, encourage women's participation in community forestry, work toward dispute settlement of community forest-user groups, and allow hunting of pest wild animals, if it wants to win the support of local communities for long-term biodiversity conservation goals.

Taxus baccata L. subsp. wallichiana (Zucc.) Pilger has come into prominence in recent times due to its uncontrolled harvesting from the Himalayan wilds for the extraction of the anti-cancer drug Taxol. It is a very slow growing tree with poor regeneration, and the extent of canopy damage is likely to have serious consequences on biomass yield, plant survival and natural regeneration by affecting 'seed' output. The present study in the Jageshwar area of the Central Himalaya aimed to determine the stand and canopy structure, microsite characteristics, extent of canopy removal, and regeneration in human-disturbed and undisturbed sites. The number of trees, saplings and seedlings varied amongst plots. Leaf area index and canopy volume increased with increasing circumference at breast height. Of the total canopy volume, 57.4% was found to have been removed from the study area (9.54 ha; representing about 8% of the total T. baccata habitat). Regeneration of the species was found to be better in moist and shady microsites at undisturbed locations than in disturbed sites. Efforts made thus far for its conservation, and future strategies are discussed.

Common lands, being a significant form of natural resource endowment in many developing countries, play a vital role in maintaining the ecological balance, and more particularly in supporting the people, especially the rural poor, in eking out their livelihood. However, the contributions of common lands to the rural economy and ecology have remained unappreciated which has led to the depletion and degradation of these lands. In an attempt to examine the nature and extent of contribution of common lands to household economies, 432 sample households from eight sample villages across four ecological regions in Haryana, northwest India, were surveyed using a structured questionnaire during 1995. We found that common lands still hold an important place in the household economy of rural people of this state. A significant proportion of the sample households obtained substantial biomass resources, income and employment from common lands. The contributions of these lands in terms of variety and extent were many times higher in the households belonging to less developed than developed regions, and those households belonging to poor than wealthy classes. Hence, there is an immediate need to develop effective strategies for the regeneration and sustainable use and management of common lands.

The Rif mountains of northern Morocco represent a region of international significance from the standpoint of plant biodiversity with Abies maroccana amongst the endemic species; forest clearance, soil erosion, high rural population density and population growth are serious threats. Legal and illegal exploitation of the remaining natural forest for fuel, timber, forage and cork, produces some loss of forest but land clearance for extensions of the cultivated area, and other changes in the agricultural system such as the use of herbicides and fertilizers, and increased mechanization, are also resulting in loss of natural vegetation cover. Since 1989 cultivation of cannabis has increased in area from 25 000 ha to approximately 75 000 ha and this has greatly exacerbated the threat of degradation. A number of studies and initiatives are currently under way to address the challenges to the region and in particular the cannabis problem. It is suggested that an integrated approach using GIS methodology and carried out within the management framework of the Man and Biosphere Programme could provide a solution to the environmental threats facing the Rif mountains today.