Biological diversity is more threatened now than at any time in the past. Tropica deforestation is the main cubritt,But the destruction of wetlands, coral reefs and temperate forests also figures heavily. Germany and the Netherlands lost nearly 60% of their wetlands between 1950 and 1980, And a recent analysis of tropical forest tats, which contain 50-90% of the world's species, concluded that, at current rates of loss, up to 15% of the earth's species could disappear over the next 25 years. Today, on- ly 45% of the world's temperate rainforests remain