This volume is the first scholarly book on the antelope that dominate the savanna ecosystems of eastern and southern Africa. It presents a synthesis of research conducted over a span of fifty years, mainly on the wildebeests in the Ngorongoro and Serengeti ecosystems, where eighty percent of the world's total wildebeest population lives. Wildebeest and other grazing mammals drive the ecology and evolution of the savanna ecosystem. Estes describes this process as well as detailing the wildebeest's life history, focusing on its social organization and unique reproductive system, which are adapted to the animal's epic annual migrations. He also examines conservation issues that affect wildebeest, including range-wide population declines.

Documenting the species that have emerged, disappeared and been reborn over the millennia since the Cambrian Explosion, Lost Animals is the story of life on Earth. Over 520 million years ago, all the major animal groups – molluscs, worms, crustaceans, vertebrates – appear in the fossil record in what is, geologically speaking, the blink of an eye. As well as the animals we're familiar with today, evolution also experimented with now-obsolete body forms. Once, the world was a blank slate, but as this slate filled up, some lines were erased while others carried on to this day. Beautifully illustrated with artist's interpretations, photographs of fossils and excavations and scientific drawings, Lost Animals brings back to life some of the most charismatic creatures to inhabit the planet, as well as those representing an important link or leap in evolutionary terms. Zoologist Dr John Whitfield discusses those species we have lost, are only just discovering and those thought extinct until rediscovered, and the attempts to conserve and resurrect others.

A compelling story of African adventure, romance and intrigue, perfect for readers of bestselling true crime such as WHITE MISCHIEF and MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL. WILDFLOWER is the gripping life story of the naturalist, filmmaker and lifelong conservationist Joan Root. From her passion for animals and her hard-fought crusade to save Kenya's beautiful Lake Naivasha, to her storybook love affair, Root's life was one of a remarkable modern-day heroine. After 20 years of spectacular, unparalleled wildlife filmmaking together, Joan and Alan Root divorced and a fascinating woman found her own voice. Renowned journalist Mark Seal has written a breathtaking portrait of a strong woman discovering herself and fighting for her beliefs before her mysterious and brutal murder in Kenya. With a cast as wild, wondrous and unpredictable as Africa itself, WILDFLOWER is a real-life adventure tale set in the world's disappearing wilderness. Rife with personal revelation, intrigue, corruption and murder, readers will remember Joan Root's extraordinary journey long after they turn the last page of this compelling book.

The quiet manatee has long been a flash point of frequent environmental debates. It is Florida's most famous endangered species, as well as its most controversial. Manatees appear on hundreds of license plates, attract hordes of tourists, and expose the uneasy relationships between science and the law and between freedom and responsibility like no other animal. As passions have flared and resentments have grown, the battle over manatee protection has evolved into a war, and no reporter has followed the story more closely than Craig Pittman, the first environmental writer to explore the complex history, culture, and science of the controversies and concerns surrounding this remarkable creature. With an abiding interest in the uncertain fate of this unique species, Manatee Insanity provides the first in-depth history of the attempts to provide legal protection for the manatee. Pittman follows Florida's gentle giants through time and space, detailing interactions with a variety of human actors, from Jacques-Yves Cousteau to Jeb Bush to Jimmy Buffett, from a popular children's book author to a federal lawman who dressed in a gorilla suit for the ultimate undercover assignment.

Written for anyone interested in green development - including policy makers, architects, developers, builders, and homeowners - this practical guide focuses on the central question of how to conserve biodiversity in neighborhoods and to minimize development impacts on surrounding habitats. "The Green Leap" specifically helps move green development beyond the design stage by thoroughly addressing construction and post-construction issues. Incorporating many real-world examples, Mark Hostetler explains key conservation concepts and techniques, with specific advice for a wide variety of stakeholders that are interested in creating and maintaining green developments. He outlines the key players and principles needed to establish biodiverse communities and illustrates eight key design and management strategies. "The Green Leap" not only offers essential information for constructing new developments but also helps existing communities retrofit homes, yards, and neighborhoods to better serve both people and nature.

This book is the fourth in the series of statewise volumes on threatened birds of India, and is largely derived from Threatened Birds of India (2012) by Dr. Asad R. Rahmani, published by BNHS/OUP. Information has been updated according to the latest IUCN 2013 Red List for Birds, incorporating the changes in threat status recommended by BirdLife International, UK. The book describes the threatened and near threatened avian species of the state of Uttar Pradesh, with notes on their distribution, ecology, historical records and current distribution. Based on this updated information, appropriate recommendations have been made regarding the conservation action that needs to be taken for each species. The Introduction has been supplemented with short notes on extinct birds of Uttar Pradesh as well as threatened birds likely to be found in the state. Detailed descriptions are given for the species for which Uttar Pradesh holds critical habitats. Shorter descriptions are given for species marginal to the state. The book is intended to be a handy reference for interested readers, as well as decision makers at the state level, where conservation actions are implemented.

As environmental problems grow larger and more pressing, conservationists have had to adapt. With a shrinking window of time to act, they are turning to broad approaches to combat continental- and global-scale crises of biodiversity loss, invasive species, and climate change. Pathways to Success—the long-awaited successor to the classic volume Measures of Success—is a modern guide to building large-scale transformative programs capable of tackling the complex conservation crises we face today. In this strikingly illustrated volume, coauthors Nick Salafsky and Richard Margoluis walk readers through fundamental concepts of effective program-level design, helping them to think strategically about project coordination, funding, and stakeholder input. Chapters in the first part of the book look at all aspects of designing and implementing large-scale conservation programs while the second part focuses on how to use data and information to manage, adapt, and learn from program strategies. In addition, the authors offer practical advice for avoiding pitfalls, such as formulaic recipes and simplistic silver-bullet solutions that can trip up otherwise well-intentioned efforts. Abundant graphics help to explain and clarify concepts presented in the text, and a glossary in the back matter defines technical terms for the reader. Pathways to Success is the definitive guide for conservation program managers and funders who want to increase the scale and effectiveness of their work combating biodiversity loss, climate change, and other pressing environmental issues.