Every ecosystem is a complex organization of carefully mixed life forms; a dynamic and particularly sensible system. Consequently, their progressive decline may accelerate climate change and vice versa, influencing flora and fauna composition and distribution, resulting in the loss of biodiversity. Climate changes effects are the principal topics of this volume. Written by internationally renowned contributors, Biodiversity loss in a changing planet offers attractive study cases focused on biodiversity evaluations and provisions in several different ecosystems, analysing the current life condition of many life forms, and covering very different biogeographic zones of the planet.

Biodiversity conservation has drawn considerable attention as to where the funding is available in order for governments concerned with the conservation of biodiversity to fulfil their obligations. This paper examines if financing resources provided through Global Environmental Facility (GEF) in Bosnia Herzegovina could be supplemented with locally voluntary provided funding to lead to an appropriate protection level of threatened species. A study was conducted on a 1189 persons sample to establish the local population willingness to contribute to GEF sponsored biodiversity conservation projects. It was found that the local people are willing to contribute positively higher than the actual spending of the GEF and findings can be used to argue for more attention to preferences of the public in decision making on biodiversity protection activity and spending in Bosnia Herzegovina.

Virgin forests are relatively rare in the European temperate zone. This is due to the continuous use of forests historically and to increasing high population densities. Virgin forests are forests where the structure and dynamics have developed entirely under natural conditions, without any human interference or influence. This article assesses the Plješevica forest in Bosnia Herzegovina to establish whether it can be classified as a virgin forest. The structure and components of the forest were assessed in a 1 ha sample plot and four 400 m2 quadrats. The values of the biodiversity indexes (as defined by Shannon and Weaver, Krebs and Meyer), species richness and evenness, the distribution of the different stand development stages and the proportion of deadwood lead to the conclusion that Plješevica forest presents a set of structural and dynamic characteristics close to the ones typical for virgin forests in Europe, so in order to maintain its status as such, in the meantime, it should undergo a protection management program.