The assessment of how and why species and communities are threatened is crucial to rational decision making about the implementation of management plans for their conservation. There is an increasing interest in the importance of conserving the diversity of species and community assemblages in the world - often called biodiversity. This book looks at the issues involved in the prioritization of these resources. An updated expansion of "Ecological Evaluation for Conservation" by the same author, it contains examples and case studies from around the world, illustrating the issues faced by conservationists. It summarizes a large amount of material from the scientific literature and should not only appeal to conservation biologists and wildlife managers, but also to students of conservation biology.