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What is the Clearing-House Mechanism of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity?
The Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM) is an international network that gathers and distributes information on biological diversity in support of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).The network comprises national information sharing and exchange programmes established in CBD member-countries.The Jamaica CHM, a department of the Natural History Museum of Jamaica at the Institute of Jamaica, serves as the Jamaica’s biodiversity information network.
Click here for an introduction to Jamaica’s biodiversity and learn about endemic and invasive alien species, as well as Jamaica’s protected areas.
Effective conservation of our biological resources is dependent on acquiring relevant information, sound conservation policies and enforcing legislation and regulations.
National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
Draft Strategy and Action Plan For Invasive Alien Species in the Caribbean Region 2011-2015
Draft Protected Areas System Master Plan for Consultation (Public feedback period is closed)
Biosafety is a term used to describe efforts to reduce and eliminate the potential risks resulting from biotechnology and its products.Click here for more on what’s happening in Jamaica.
2012 Pre-Meeting of the Parties Communique acknowledges Jamaica ratifying to the Cartagena Protocol
ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
Reports on Meetings/Conferences/Workshops
BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENTS
A number of research projects and ongoing monitoring programmes have been conducted or are established in order to provide the scientific community, conservation planners and managers with data and information on the status of biodiversity in Jamaica.
National Ecological Gap Assessment Report NEGAR
Sphagnum moss – Natural mini water reservoirs
Sphagnum moss at the Mason River Protected Area in northern Clarendon, Jamaica. Inset (bottom left) shows the moss bordering a trail in the protected area.
In reference to Sphagnum, the Encyclopaedia of Life states “… has a tremendous water-holding capacity, potentially retaining 25 times their dry weight in water”.
Reference: Encyclopaedia of Life. Spagnum Peat Moss. http://eol.org/pages/47595/details Accessed March 18, 2014
