ABSTRACT
Increasing pressures on the natural environment, careless uses and often predatory exploitation of natural resources, and the degradation of ecosystems were among the priority concerns of the Stockholm Conference. Emphasis was placed on the effects of these trends on the prospects for sustainable development of the regions affected, and on the biosphere, weather, and the climate. The impacts of pollutants on non-human targets, their deposition in and impacts on ecosystems, and circulation within and among the various compartments of the environment were highlighted as well. The Conference made specific proposals for monitoring the natural resource base, i.e., trends in soil degradation, capabilities, and regeneration; basic data on forests, changes in biomass, and changes having an impact on the environment; world genetic resources; world fishery resources; and animal species endangered because of their commercial value. It also recommended monitoring of hazardous compounds in biological and abiotic materials.
