This book covers selected topics on research methods in modern ecology, through the lens of 8 chapters, focusing on animal ecology, landcover assessment and habitat change, human perspectives and management, and research techniques, with examples taken from the Indian subcontinent. This area has emerged as one of the pivotal zones where cutting edge applications may be tested. Topics examined include the development and management of computer software techniques and the syntheses of these into pre-existing research methods, chemical analyses, including studies of animal dietary and foraging patterns, landcover, habitat and plant ecological change and even human/animal relations, and genetic studies. Remote sensing and geographical information systems are considered as cutting-edge research methods, at small, medium and large-scale levels, including more accurate positioning systems, more sensitive tracking systems, the removal of obstacles to clearer observation and species identification, such as darkness and poor lighting, dense vegetation and coarse image resolution and more comparative studies across different local contexts and global ecosystems. The topics cover geoinformatics applications to forest management in India, the paradigm shifts in this area, and the promotion and integration of sustainable forest management (SFM) and geoinformatics within the National Working Plan Code. Another case study is of Geoinformatics, Climate Change, Habitat Dynamics and a Case of Vultures in Central India, focusing on vulture ecology and related climatic variables, assessed with geoinformatics, Species Distribution Models (SDMs) and Global Circulation Models (GCMs). Other topics concern the use of tracking technologies including drones, the use of thermal and infrared drones in the study of large mammalian carnivores, the role of remote sensing and GIS in the assessment of natural resource development, clustering around the central concept of change detection, and the monitoring of agricultural development using socio-cultural parameters. This book presents these issues as some factors among the vast number of current ecological issues.

Longhurst examines the proposition, central to fisheries science, that a fishery creates its own natural resource by the compensatory growth it induces in the fish, and that this is sustainable. His novel analysis of the reproductive ecology of bony fish of cooler seas offers some support for this, but a review of fisheries past and present confirms that sustainability is rarely achieved. The relatively open structure and strong variability of marine ecosystems is discussed in relation to the reliability of resources used by the industrial-level fishing that became globalised during the 20th century. This was associated with an extraordinary lack of regulation in most seas, and a widespread avoidance of regulation where it did exist. Sustained fisheries can only be expected where social conditions permit strict regulation and where politicians have no personal interest in outcomes despite current enthusiasm for ecosystem-based approaches or for transferable property rights.

Recent advances in the study of bats have changed the way we understand this illusive group of mammals. This volume consist of 25 chapters and 57 authors from around the globe all writing on the most recent finding on the evolution, ecology and conservation of bats. The chapters in this book are not intended to be exhaustive literature reviews, but instead extended manuscripts that bring new and fresh perspectives. Many chapters consist of previously unpublished data and are repetitive of new insights and understanding in bat evolution, ecology and conservation. All chapters were peer-reviewed and revised by the authors. Many of the chapters are multi-authored to provide comprehensive and authoritative coverage of the topics.

Since early on in the development of wind-energy production, concerns have arisen about the potential impacts of turbines to wildlife; these concerns have especially focused on the mortality of birds. Structural changes and improved turbine design have been instrumental in reducing mortality in birds. Despite the improvements to turbines that have resulted in reduced mortality of birds, there is clear evidence that bat mortality at wind turbines is of far greater conservation concern. Larger and taller turbines actually seem to be causing increased fatalities of bats. Numerous research opportunities exist that pertain to issues such as identifying the best and worst placement of sites for turbines; and mitigation strategies that would minimise impacts to wildlife (birds and bats). This book focuses on refereed journal publications and theses about bats and wind-energy development in North America.

Most projects in Landscape Ecology, at some point, define a species-habitat association. These models are inherently spatial, dealing with landscapes and their configurations. Whether coding behavioral rules for dispersal of simulated organisms through simulated landscapes, or designing the sampling extent of field surveys and experiments in real landscapes, landscape ecologists must make assumptions about how organisms experience and utilize the landscape. These convenient working postulates allow modelers to project the model in time and space, yet rarely are they explicitly considered. The early years of landscape ecology necessarily focused on the evolution of effective data sources, metrics, and statistical approaches that could truly capture the spatial and temporal patterns and processes of interest. Now that these tools are well established, we reflect on the ecological theories that underpin the assumptions commonly made during species distribution modeling and mapping. This is crucial for applying models to questions of global sustainability. Due to the inherent use of GIS for much of this kind of research, and as several authors' research involves the production of multicolored map figures, there would be an 8-page color insert. Additional color figures could be made available through a digital archive, or by cost contributions of the chapter authors. Where applicable, would be relevant chapters' GIS data and model code available through a digital archive. The practice of data and code sharing is becoming standard in GIS studies, is an inherent method of this book, and will serve to add additional research value to the book for both academic and practitioner audiences.

The capybara is the neotropical mammal with the highest potential for production and domestication. Amongst the favorable characteristics for domestication we can list its high prolificacy, rapid growth rate, a herbivorous diet, social behavior and relative tameness. The genus (with only two species) is found from the Panama Canal to the north of Argentina on the east of the Andes. Chile is the only country in South America where the capybara is not found. The species is eaten all over its range, especially by poor, rural and traditional communities engaged in subsistence hunting. On the other hand, in large urban settlements wildlife is consumed by city dwellers as a delicacy. The sustainable management of capybara in the wild has been adopted by some South American countries, while others have encouraged capybara rearing in captivity.

To provide useful and meaningful information, long-term ecological programs need to implement solid and efficient statistical approaches for collecting and analyzing data. This volume provides rigorous guidance on quantitative issues in monitoring, with contributions from world experts in the field. These experts have extensive experience in teaching fundamental and advanced ideas and methods to natural resource managers, scientists and students. The chapters present a range of tools and approaches, including detailed coverage of variance component estimation and quantitative selection among alternative designs; spatially balanced sampling; sampling strategies integrating design- and model-based approaches; and advanced analytical approaches such as hierarchical and structural equation modelling. Making these tools more accessible to ecologists and other monitoring practitioners across numerous disciplines, this is a valuable resource for any professional whose work deals with ecological monitoring. Supplementary example software code is available online at www.cambridge.org/9780521191548.

Along with reproduction, balancing energy expenditure with the limits of resource acquisition is essential for both a species and a population to survive. But energy is a limited resource, as we know well, so birds and mammals - the most energy-intensive fauna on the planet - must reduce energy expenditures to maintain this balance, some taking small steps, and others extreme measures. Here Brian K. McNab draws on his over sixty years in the field to provide a comprehensive account of the energetics of birds and mammals, one fully integrated with their natural history. McNab begins with an overview of thermal rates - much of our own energy is spent maintaining our 98.6[degrees]F temperature - and explains how the basal rate of metabolism drives energy use, especially in extreme environments. He then explores those variables that interact with the basal rate of metabolism, like body size and scale and environment, highlighting their influence on behavior, distribution, and even reproductive output. Successive chapters take up energy and population dynamics and evolution. A critical central theme that runs through the book is how the energetic needs of birds and mammals come up against rapid environmental change and how this is hastening the pace of extinction.

A compilation of highly sought-after research focusing on wolf management and recovery programs in North America. Reviews the status of wolves in Canada, the United States, Greenland, and the Trans-Himalayan region. Specific chapters address several themes: historical perspectives and the evolution of wolf-human relationships; the status, biology, and management of wolves; restoration, reintroduction, and control programs; wolf-prey dynamics and implications of conservation practices; behavior and social interactions; taxonomy; diseases and physiology; and, research and management techniques. Proceedings of the Second North American Symposium on Wolves, 1992. Papers by: L. Boitani; F.F. Gilbert; R.D. Hayes and J.R. Gunson; F.L. Miller; R.O. Stephenson, W.B. Ballard, C.A. Smith, and K. Richardson; U. Marquard-Peterson; R.P. Thiel and R.R. Ream; P. Schullery and L. Whittlesey; C.E. Kay; D. Dekker, W. Bradford, and J.R. Gunson; J.L. Fox and R.S. Chundawat; S.H. Fritts, D.R. Harms, J.A. Fontaine and M.D. Jimenez; D.K. Boyd, P.C. Pacquet, S. Donelon, R.R. Ream, D.H. Pletscher, and C.C. White; D.R. Parsons and J.E. Nicholopoulos; A.P. Wydeven, R.N. Schultz, and R.P. Thiel; M.K. Phillips, R. Smith, V.G. Henry, and C. Lucash; R.P. Thiel and T. Valen; D.R. Seip; F. Messier; M.S. Boyce; D.J. Vales and J.M. Peek; B.W. Dale, L.G. Adams, and R.T. Bowyer; L.D. Mech, T.J. Meier, J.W. Burch, and L.G. Adams; L.G. Adams, B.W. Dale, and L.D. Mech; D.C. Thomas; D.R. Klein; C.S. Asa; C.S. Asa and L.D. Mech; T.J. Meier, J.W. Burch, L.D. Mech, and L.G. Adams; G.J. Forbes and J.B. Theberge; R.O. Peterson; T.K. Fuller; S.G. Fancy and W.B. Ballard; C. Vila, V. Urios, and J. Castroviejo; R.E. Anderson, B.L.C. Hill, J. Ryon, and J.C. Fentress; W.G. Brewster and S.H. Fritts; R.M. Nowak; R.K. Wayne, N. Lehman, and T.K. Fuller; R.M. Nowak, M.K. Phillips, V.G. Henry, W.C. Hunter, and R. Smith; C.J. Brand, M.J. Pybus, W.B. Ballard, and R.O. Peterson; M.R. Johnson, T.N. Bailey, E.E. Bangs, and R.O. Peterson; M.D. Drag, W.B. Ballard, G.M. Matson, and P.R. Krausman. W.B. Ballard, D.J. Reed, S.G. Fancy, and P.R. Krausman; W.B. Ballard, M.E. McNay, C.L. Gardner, and D.J. Reed; D.A. Haggstrom, A.k. Ruggles, C.M. Harms, and R.O. Stephenson; H.D. Cluff and D.L. Murray; R.D. Boertje, D.G. Kelleyhouse, and R.D. Hayes; R. Reid and D. Janz; R. Coppinger and L. Coppinger; P.L. Clarkson; L.D. Mech; Epilogue by M. Hummel

This book represents the results of a comprehensive study of the ecological processes of the central Yellowstone ecosystem carried out over the past 15 years by an integrated team of scientists and graduate students. It provides an authoritative work on the mechanisms underlying the spatial and temporal dynamics of large mammal predator-prey systems in natural ecosystems, and is directed to the scientific community, resource managers, policy makers and the interested public alike.
This area includes the range of one of the largest migratory populations of elk in North America and for the past century it has been at the heart of public debates over population regulation of large herbivores and ungulates and their impact on ecological processes. Since the reintroduction of wolves into the system a decade ago the scientific and public controversy has shifted to debates about the impacts of large predators on their ungulate prey and potential predator-induced trophic cascades.
A part of central Yellowstone comprises the range of the large (2000-3500) migratory bison herd that summers in the high-elevation valleys in east-central Yellowstone, and winters along the headwaters of the Madison River to the west. This unique and diverse area of the Park and the opportunity it presents for studying ecological processes in a large pristine landscape has previously been largely ignored until this study.
The Editors vision is to build an integrated and multidisciplinary research program dedicated to: (1) producing objective science with the goal of advancing our knowledge of the central Yellowstone ecosystem; (2) supporting sound natural resource management, and (3) communicating theirknowledge and discoveries to the visiting public to enhance their experience and enjoyment of the Park. They have developed a small and tight-knit team of scientists with complementary skills and expertise.
Although there is ever-increasing discussion within the ecological community on the need to develop long-term, integrated and interdisciplinary research programs examples of such programs are relatively rare. The proposed book, synthesizing numerous projects will have very broad appeal not only to academic ecologists, but also to natural resource managers, policy makers, biologists, and administrators.
* Unrivalled description of a classic and world famous ecosystem, involving information from a 15 year integrated and multidisciplinary study by numerous scientists.
* Detailed analysis and comparison of two charismatic North American herbivore species - Elk and Bison
* Detailed description of the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone Park - and their ecology and impact on the herbivores and ecosystem in general.
* A whole ecosystem view, putting the biology, ecology, management and human dimensions into context.
* Numerous colour photographs

Globalization is a multidimensional issue, and its impacts on world resources cross and integrate environmental, economic, political and cultural boundaries. Over the last few decades, the push towards globalization has brought a new dimension in which managers of fisheries and water resources will need to operate, both at the local and global level of governance. In order to effectively address the future sustainability of these resources, it is critical to understand the driving factors of globalization and their effect on fisheries ecosystems and the people who depend on these resources for their cultural and societal well-being. This 2007 book discusses the social and political changes affecting fisheries, the changes to ecological processes due to direct and indirect impacts of globalization, the changing nature of the goods and services that fisheries ecosystems are able to provide, and the resultant changes in markets and economic assessment of our fishery resources.

Many raptors, the hawks, eagles, and falcons of the world, migrate over long distances, often in impressively large numbers. Many avoid crossing wide expanses of water and follow "flyways" to optimize soaring potential. Atmospheric conditions and landscape features, including waterways and mountain ranges, funnel these birds into predictable bottlenecks through which thousands of daytime birds of prey may pass in a short time. Birders and ornithologists also congregate at these locations to observe the river of raptors passing overhead (as did hunters in the United States in the past and in some countries even today).

Keith L. Bildstein has studied migrating raptors on four continents and directs the conservation science program at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Pennsylvania, the world's first refuge for migratory birds of prey. In this book, he details the stories and successes of twelve of the world's most important raptor-viewing spots, among them Cape May Point, New Jersey; Veracruz, Mexico; Kekoldi, Costa Rica; the Strait of Gibralter, Spain; and Elat, Israel. During peak migration, when the weather is right, the skies at these sites, as at Hawk Mountain, can fill with thousands of birds in a single field of view. Bildstein, whose knowledge of the phenomenon of raptor migration is comprehensive, provides an accessible account of the history, ecology, geography, science, and conservation aspects surrounding the migration of approximately two hundred species of raptors between their summer breeding sites and their wintering grounds. He summarizes current knowledge about how the birds' bodies handle the demands of long-distance migration and how they know where to go.

Migrating Raptors of the World also includes the ecological and conservation stories of several intriguing raptor migrants, including the Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Western Honey Buzzard, Northern Harrier, Grey-faced Buzzard, Steppe Buzzard, and Amur Falcon.

One of Rick Bass's most widely respected works of natural history, The Ninemile Wolves follows the fate of a modern wolf pack, the first known group of wolves to attempt to settle in Montana outside protected national park territory. The wolf inspires hatred, affection, myth, fear, and pity; its return polarizes the whole of the West -- igniting the passions of cattle ranchers and environmentalists, wildlife biologists and hunters. One man's vigorous, emotional inquiry into the proper relationship between man and nature, The Ninemile Wolves eloquently advocates wolf reintroduction in the West. In a new preface, Bass discusses the enduring lessons of the Ninemile story.

This study of dog ecology (and behaviour) and of human ecology (and behaviour) discusses the facets of the phenomenon of the urban free-roaming dog. It provides information for students who wish to embark on studies of wild canines.

Physiological ecology has grown in importance as an area of biology in the past thirty years and integrates the diverse approaches used in the comparative biology of organisms. Biologists segregate their approaches by technique and concept, but the boundaries among ecology, behavior, anatomy, and physiology are arbitrary and of no significance to organisms. Physiological ecology emphasizes the diversity of not only organisms, but also of solutions to (and evasions of) problems posed by the environment.In a comprehensive and authoritative synthesis of physiological ecology supported by more than 3,100 references, Brian K. McNab demonstrates the intellectual cohesion of the field. To ground his discussion in clearly understood contexts, McNab emphasizes the common thread of energy expenditure throughout the text and limits the discussion to vertebrates, which have familiar habitats and comparatively well-known evolutionary histories.A thorough scientific resource and reference tool, Physiological Ecology of Vertebrates is the first book to cover this complex subject. It will be the standard reference and basis for much future research in this fast-growing field of study.

The papers included in this readings text were selected and are introduced by the authors of Ecology as examples of excellent and insightful research that greatly contributes to our grasp and exploration of ecological questions. These studies span the range of ecological perspectives and are significant reading for every student in the life sciences.

How does the environment shape the ways an animal processes information and makes decisions? How do constraints imposed on nervous systems affect an animal's activities? To help answer these questions, "Cognitive Ecology" integrates evolutionary ecology and cognitive science, demonstrating how studies of perception, memory, and learning can deepen our understanding of animal behavior and ecology.
Individual chapters consider such issues as the evolution of learning and its influence on behavior; the effects of cognitive mechanisms on the evolution of signaling behavior; how neurobiological and evolutionary processes have shaped navigational activities; functional and mechanical explanations for altered behaviors in response to changing environments; how foragers make decisions and how these decisions are influenced by the risks of predation; and how cognitive mechanisms affect partner choice.
"Cognitive Ecology" will encourage biologists to consider how animal cognition affects behavior, and will also interest comparative psychologists and cognitive scientists.

Ecological Dynamics is unique in that it can serve both as an introductory text in numerous ecology courses and as a resource for more advanced work. It provides a flexible introduction to ecological dynamics that is accessible to students with limited previous mathematical and computational experience, yet also offers glimpses into the state of the art in the field.

The book is divided into three parts: Part I, Methodologies and Techniques, defines the authors' modeling philosophy, focusing on models rather than ecology, and introduces essential concepts for describing and analyzing dynamical systems. Part II, Individuals to Ecosystems, the core of the book, describes the formulation and analysis of models of individual organisms, populations, and ecosystems. Part III, Focus on Structure, introduces more advanced readers to models of 'structured' and spatially extended populations. Approximately 25% of the book is devoted to case studies drawn from the authors' research. Readers are guided through the many judgment calls involved in model formulation, shown the key steps in model analysis, and offered the authors' interpretation of the results. All chapters end with exercises and projects. While the book is designed to be independent of any particular computing environment, a well-tested software package (SOLVER),including programs for solution of differential and difference equations, is available via the World Wide Web at http://www.stams.strath.ac.uk/external/solver.

Ideal for courses in modeling ecological and environmental change, Ecological Dynamics can also be used in other courses such as theoretical ecology, population ecology, mathematical biology and ecology, and quantitative ecology.

This unique book synthesizes the ongoing long-term community ecology studies of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. The studies have been conducted from deserts to rainforests as well as in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine habitats and provide valuable insight that can be obtained only through persistent, diligent, and year-after-year investigation.
Long-Term Studies of Vertebrate Communities is ideal for faculty, researchers, graduate students, and undergraduates in vertebrate biology, ecology, and evolutionary biology, including ecology, natural history, and systematics.
Key Features
* Provides unique perspectives of community stability and variation
* Details the influence of natural and other perturbations on community structure
* Includes synopses by well-known authors
* Presents results from a broad range of vertebrate taxa
* Studies were conducted at different latitudes and in different habitats

Many animal species live and breed in colonies. Although biologists have documented numerous costs (increased competition for limited resources) and benefits (more pairs of eyes to watch for predators) of group living, they often still do not agree on why coloniality evolved in the first place. Drawing on their 12-year study of a population of cliff swallows in Nebraska, USA, the authors investigate 26 social and ecological costs and benefits of coloniality. They explore how these costs and benefits are reflected in reproductive success and survivorship, and speculate on the evolution of cliff swallow coloniality. This study of vertebrate coloniality should be of interest to all who study social animals, including behavioural ecologists, population biologists, ornithologists and parasitologists. Its focus on the evolution of coloniality should also appeal to evolutionary biologists and to psychologists studying decision making in animals. The authors' research on swallows was the subject of an award-winning exhibition at the Peabody Museum of Natural History in New Haven, Connecticut, and was included in the BBC television production, "The Trials of Life".

Ecological morphology examines the relation between an animal's anatomy and physiology--its form and function--and how the animal has evolved in and can inhabit a particular environment. Within the past few years, research in this relatively new area has exploded. "Ecological Morphology" is a synthesis of major concepts and a demonstration of the ways in which this integrative approach can yield rich and surprising results.
Through this interdisciplinary study, scientists have been able to understand, for instance, how bat wing design affects habitat use and bat diet; how the size of a predator affects its ability to capture and eat certain prey; and how certain mosquitoes have evolved physiologically and morphologically to tolerate salt-water habitats. "Ecological Morphology" also covers the history of the field, the role of the comparative method in studying adaptation, and the use of data from modern organisms for understanding the ecology of fossil communities.
This book provides an overview of the achievements and potential of ecological morphology for all biologists and students interested in the way animal design, ecology, and evolution interact.

This monumental text-reference places in clear persepctive the importance of nutritional assessments to the ecology and biology of ruminants and other nonruminant herbivorous mammals. Now extensively revised and significantly expanded, it reflects the changes and growth in ruminant nutrition and related ecology since 1982. Among the subjects Peter J. Van Soest covers are nutritional constraints, mineral nutrition, rumen fermentation, microbial ecology, utilization of fibrous carbohydrates, application of ruminant precepts to fermentive digestion in nonruminants, as well as taxonomy, evolution, nonruminant competitors, gastrointestinal anatomies, feeding behavior, and problems fo animal size. He also discusses methods of evaluation, nutritive value, physical struture and chemical composition of feeds, forages, and broses, the effects of lignification, and ecology of plant self-protection, in addition to metabolism of energy, protein, lipids, control of feed intake, mathematical models of animal function, digestive flow, and net energy. Van Soest has introduced a number of changes in this edition, including new illustrations and tables. He places nutritional studies in historical context to show not only the effectiveness of nutritional approaches but also why nutrition is of fundamental importance to issues of world conservation. He has extended precepts of ruminant nutritional ecology to such distant adaptations as the giant panda and streamlined conceptual issues in a clearer logical progression, with emphasis on mechanistic causal interrelationships. Peter J. Van Soest is Professor of Animal Nutrition in the Department of Animal Science and the Division of Nutritional Sciences at the New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University.

Over the past two decades, numerous field and experimental studies on the ecology and evolution of animal and plant interactions have been reported by botanists, zoologists, and ecologists. This textbook offers a comprehensive summary of this extensive and widely scattered literature, and in so doing presents the subject as a coherent, accessible discipline. The authors describe familiar areas, such as herbivory and pollination, and discuss new information on subjects such as seed dispersal, the genetics of coevolution, structural and chemical plant defenses, and the implications of human use of animal and plant communities. As they explore these issues, the authors raise provocative questions of fundamental importance: How can an earth teeming with plant-eating animals be so green? Do plants really need animals that pollinate their flowers and disperse their seeds? What happens to tropical plant communities when fruit-eating toucans and monkeys are killed by encroaching humans? By drawing together information on many diverse aspects of the subject--and presenting a challenging and insightful look into the complexities of plant and animal inter-relationships--this unique book represents a vital contribution to the ecological literature.

Together with Konrad Lorenz, Niko Tinbergen is generally acknowledged as the founder of the young science of ethology. Professor Tinbergen has spent a lifetime of research exploring the behavior of many types of animals in their natural environments, and has founded centers of worldwide renown for research and teaching in the behavioral sciences, first in his native Holland and later at Oxford. His influence extends far beyond the borders of Europe and of zoology proper, and he has contributed substantially to international and interdisciplinary collaboration

Tinbergen's work has been characterized by many as a "breath of fresh air" in fields that were in danger of using touch with nature and of becoming bogged down in theory. He has tirelessly worked for the use of scientific methods in the study if human behavior, both normal and abnormal. Without shying away from quantification and measurement, he has made his main contribution in what Sir Peter Medawar calls "creative observation" and in the design of meaningful experiments, even in the seemingly chaotic and continuously varying conditions if the natural habitat.

In following him in what Tinbergen likes to call his seemingly aimless wanderings, the reader will catch a unique glimpse into the workshop of ethology. Even when reporting on sophisticated experiments, or when developing new theoretical concepts and arguments, Tinergen writes simply, lucidly, and precisely. The present volume spans forty years of pioneer investigation and includes selections on the behavior of gulls; on the homing, landmark preference, and prey findings of the digger wasp; on the food hoarding of foxes; and on creatures living scattered as adefense against predators.

These classic original studies will fascinate the increasing number if readers interested in the topical problems if animals and human behavior.