NEWS BRIEFS The earth lost nearly one-third of its biological wealth over the last 25 years, according to a study by the World Wildlife Fund. On the basis of data collected from 152 countries, the Living Planet Index recorded changes in area and species abundance in the world's forests, freshwater and marine ecosystems between 1970 and 1995. The index revealed a 50% decline in populations of freshwater species, a 30% decline in marine vertebrates and a 10% decline in forest cover The study recommends more stringent control of pollution and fishing efficient water use by farmers and limits on sprawling urban growth Produced in association with the l\[ew Frnnomir*; Fnnnda tion and the World Conservation Monitoring Center the indpx is available nn the Wph at httn:// wwwwwf nrcr Poor organization, weak leadership, and an unclear mission still plague the U.S. Department of Energy's national laboratories despite 20 years of efforts at reform, according to the Government Accounting Office. Implementation of programs such as the Strategic Laboratory Missions Plan have not resulted in any significant changes in DOE operations, GAO reports, primarily because efforts are process- rather than performance-based. As previous reviews have recommended laboratories and research programs need to develop a clear center of focus based on current U S research priorities and identify milestones to gauee success TVIe rp nort Dpnartmpnt of'Fnprev rprtain Prnprp
