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Books > Earth & environment > The environment > Conservation of the environment > Conservation of wildlife & habitats
'A book of wonders' Bee Wilson, Sunday Times Books of the Year Winner of the Wainwright Prize 2022 - Eating to Extinction is an astonishing journey through the past, present and future of food, showing why reclaiming a diverse food culture is vital. 'Saladino inspires us to believe that turning the tide is still possible' Yotam Ottolenghi From a tiny crimson pear in the west of England to an exploding corn in Mexico, there are thousands of foods that are at risk of being lost for ever. Dan Saladino spans the globe to uncover their stories, meeting the pioneering farmers, scientists, cooks, food producers and indigenous communities who are defending food traditions and fighting for change. Eating to Extinction is about so much more than preserving the past. It is about the crisis facing our planet today, and why reclaiming a diverse food culture is vital for our future. * With a new preface by the author * Winner of multiple awards, including the Fortnum & Mason Food Book Award and the Guild of Food Writers Food Book Award. 'I love this book... I wish the whole world could read it' Raymond Blanc 'A brilliant read' Tim Spector
Peatlands form important landscape elements in many parts of the world and play significant roles for biodiversity and global carbon balance. This new edition has been fully revised and updated, documenting the latest advances in areas such as microbial processes and relations between biological processes and hydrology. As well as thoroughly referencing the latest research, the authors expose a rich older literature where an immense repository of natural history has accumulated. The Biology of Peatlands starts with an overview of the main peatland types (marsh, swamp, fen, and bog), before examining the entire range of biota present (microbes, invertebrates, plants, and vertebrates), together with their specific adaptations to peatland habitats. Detailed coverage is devoted to the genus Sphagnum, the most important functional plant group in northern peatlands, although tropical and southern hemisphere peatlands are also covered. Throughout the book the interactions between organisms and environmental conditions (especially wetness, availability of oxygen, and pH) are emphasized, with chapters on the physical and chemical characteristics of peat, the role of peat as an archive of past vegetation and climate, and peatland succession and development. Several other key factors and processes are then examined, including hydrology and nutrient cycling. The fascinating peatland landforms in different parts of the world are described, together with theories on how they have developed. Human interactions with peatlands are considered in terms of management, conservation, and restoration. A final chapter, new to this edition, focuses on the role of peatlands as sources or sinks for the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane, and the influences of climate change on peatlands. This timely and accessible text is suitable for students and researchers of peatland ecology, as well as providing an authoritative overview for professional ecologists and conservation biologists.
Life on Earth is facing a mass extinction event of our own making. Human activity is changing the biology and the meaning of extinction. What Is Extinction? examines several key moments that have come to define the terms of extinction over the past two centuries, exploring instances of animal and human finitude and the cultural forms used to document and interpret these events. Offering a critical theory for the critically endangered, Joshua Schuster proposes that different discourses of limits and lastness appear in specific extinction events over time as a response to changing attitudes toward species frailty. Understanding these extinction events also involves examining what happens when the conceptual and cultural forms used to account for species finitude are pressed to their limits as well. Schuster provides close readings of several case studies of extinction that bring together environmental humanities and multispecies methods with media-specific analyses at the terminus of life. What Is Extinction? delves into the development of last animal photography, the anthropological and psychoanalytic fascination with human origins and ends, the invention of new literary genres of last fictions, the rise of new extreme biopolitics in the Third Reich that attempted to change the meaning of extinction, and the current pursuit of de-extinction technologies. Schuster offers timely interpretations of how definitions and visions of extinction have changed in the past and continue to change in the present.
From conservation to protecting endangered species to sustainable living, A Christian's Guide to Planet Earth offers a faith-based framework for viewing our responsibility to the natural world as well as practical, biblical ways we can care for the magnificent creation around us. Drawing on science and Scripture, this hope-filled and reader-friendly guide helps us navigate questions about caring for and respecting God's world. With a focus on real-life solutions, this book explores answers to questions such as: What does the Bible say about food shortages, forests, and pollution? How can we make ethical choices about what we eat and what we wear? Why is reducing our carbon footprint a way of loving others? What do animals tell us about God's design for the earth? What simple choices can we make to help recover God's beauty in creation? Four-color infographics throughout highlight the inherent grandeur of the natural world, stirring our hearts to care about the wild and wondrous things God has made. Each chapter concludes with practical tips on how to become better stewards of the Earth, including how to support efforts that make a positive difference in the world. A Christian's Guide to Planet Earth is ideal for: Anyone who wants to make a difference for the planet but doesn't know where to start Readers interested in how stewardship of the water, air, land, and gardens relates to serving God and our neighbor Bible studies and church small groups Homeschooling families and networks Anyone who loves God's beauty in nature Readers with questions about how changes to our earth affect the planet and our lives Equal parts philosophical and practical, this guide provides us a deeper understanding of God's love for His creation and the delightful, God-given privilege we have to enjoy it and care for it well.
The cheetah, the fastest terrestrial animal, has widespread appeal amongst wildlife biologists and enthusiasts alike. However, like all all large carnivores, it is increasingly threatened by habitat loss and its status is now classified as 'Vulnerable' by the IUCN. This is the first comprehensive study of cheetah biology in an arid environment, a major component of its current distribution range. The book brings together results from an intensive six year study of the cheetah by the authors in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa and Botswana. It documents a wealth of detailed and direct observations of cheetah population biology and behavioural ecology, adopting an evolutionary approach and providing a conceptual framework for future research and applied management in the context of global environmental change. Kalahari Cheetahs covers topics such as optimal foraging theory, hunting strategies and predator prey relations, mating systems and reproductive strategies and success, inter-specific competition, demography, social organisation, and population limitation. Comparisons with previous cheetah studies reveal the variability of ecological determinants on behaviour, and the behavioural flexibility and ability of these carnivores to adapt to different environments. This advanced textbook is suitable for graduate level students as well as professional researchers in felid behavioural ecology and conservation biology. It will also be of relevance and use to conservationists, wildlife managers, and African wildlife enthusiasts.
Wind farms are an essential component of global renewable energy policy and the action to limit the effects of climate change. There is, however, considerable concern over the impacts of wind farms on wildlife, leading to a wide range of research and monitoring studies, a growing body of literature and several international conferences on the topic. This unique multi-volume work provides a comprehensive overview of the interactions between wind farms and wildlife. Volume 4 provides a state-of-the-science guide to monitoring and mitigation to minimise or even eliminate impacts on wildlife from offshore wind farms. The survey and monitoring section includes detailed chapters on fish and invertebrate communities, marine mammals and seabirds, and a chapter dedicated to the use of tracking technology applied to birds. The section continues with a chapter on collision risk and population modelling that underpins much current impact assessment, and a chapter detailing how collision risk for birds and bats may be monitored at sea. The mitigation section comprises chapters outlining mitigation options and strategies for birds and bats, and how to mitigate the effects of noise, especially during construction, on marine mammals and fish. A chapter on perspectives on marine spatial planning as applied to wind farms concludes the volume. The authors have been carefully selected from across the globe from the large number of academics, consultants and practitioners now engaged in wind farm studies, for their influential contribution to the science. Edited by Martin Perrow and with contributions by over 40 leading researchers including: Aonghais Cook, Thomas Dahlgren, Johann Koeppel, Meike Scheidat, Henrik Skov, Chris Thaxter & Frank Thomsen. The authors represent a wide range of organisations and institutions including the Universities of Gothenberg, Ghent, Highlands & Islands and Wageningen, Chalmers University of Technology and Technical University of Berlin, British Trust for Ornithology, The Carbon Trust, Institute of Avian Research Vogelwarte Helgoland, Institute for Applied Ecosystem Research (IfAOE), Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) and Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU); as well as several leading consultancies. Each chapter includes informative figures, tables, photographs and detailed case studies. Several of the latter are produced stand-alone from invited specialists to ensure geographic spread and to showcase exciting new research. This book is designed as the definitive guide on the topic for practitioners, researchers, managers and planners as well as students in higher education engaged in studies of the environment, ecology, climate change, conservation and impact assessment. Other volumes: Volume 1: Onshore: Potential Effects (978-1-78427-119-0) Volume 2: Onshore: Monitoring and Mitigation (978-1-78427-123-7) Volume 3: Offshore: Potential Effects (978-1-78427-127-5)
The habitats of most species have been fragmented by human actions, isolating small populations that consequently develop genetic problems. Millions of small, isolated, fragmented populations are likely suffering from inbreeding depression and loss of genetic diversity, greatly increasing their risk of extinction. Crossing between populations is required to reverse these effects, but managers rarely do so. A key reason for such inaction is that managers are often advised to manage populations in isolation whenever molecular genetic methods indicate genetic differences among them. Following this advice will often doom small populations to extinction when the habitat fragmentation and genetic differences were caused by human activities. A paradigm shift is required whereby evidence of genetic differentiation among populations is a trigger to ask whether any populations are suffering genetic problems, and if so, whether they can be rescued by augmenting gene flow. Consequently, there is now an urgent need for an authoritative practical guide to facilitate this paradigm shift in genetic management of fragmented populations.
The editors utilize their 50 years of combined experience in
professional engagement with the behaviour and ecology of wild
felids to draw together a unique network of the world's most
respected and knowledgeable experts. For the first time, this
inter-disciplinary research programme is brought together within a
single volume.
The editors utilize their 50 years of combined experience in
professional engagement with the behaviour and ecology of wild
felids to draw together a unique network of the world's most
respected and knowledgeable experts. For the first time, this
inter-disciplinary research programme is brought together within a
single volume.
This handbook is the most comprehensive and interdisciplinary work
on marine conservation and fisheries management ever compiled. It
is the first to bridge fisheries and marine conservation issues.
Its innovative ideas, detailed case studies, and governance
framework provide a global special perspective over time and treat
problems in the high seas, community fisheries, industrial fishing,
and the many interactions between use and non-use of the oceans.
Its policy tools and ideas for overcoming the perennial problems of
over fishing, habitat and biodiversity loss address the facts that
many marine ecosystems are in decline and plagued by
overexploitation due to unsustainable fishing practices. An
outstanding feature of the book is the detailed case-studies on
conservation practice and fisheries management from around the
world. These case studies are combined with 'foundation' chapters
that provide an overview of the state of the marine world and
innovative and far reaching perspectives about how we can move
forward to face present and future challenges.
Bioinvasions and Globalization synthesises our current knowledge of
the ecology and economics of biological invasions, providing an
in-depth evaluation of the science and its implications for
managing the causes and consequences of one of the most pressing
environmental issues facing humanity today.
With up to a quarter of all insect species heading towards
extinction over the next few decades, there is now a pressing need
to summarize the techniques available for measuring insect
diversity in order to develop effective conservation strategies.
Bioinvasions and Globalization synthesises our current knowledge of
the ecology and economics of biological invasions, providing an
in-depth evaluation of the science and its implications for
managing the causes and consequences of one of the most pressing
environmental issues facing humanity today.
Biological invaders represent one of the primary threats to the
maintenance of global biodiversity, human health, and the success
of human economic enterprises. The continuing globalization of our
society ensures that the need to understand the process of
biological invasion will only increase in the future. There is also
a growing recognition that the study of biological invaders
provides a unique insight into basic questions in ecology and
evolution.
Emily Dickinson's poem "Split the Lark" refers to the "scarlet experiment" by which scientists destroy a bird in order to learn more about it. Indeed, humans have killed hundreds of millions of birds-for science, fashion, curiosity, and myriad other reasons. In the United States alone, seven species of birds are now extinct and another ninety-three are endangered. Conversely, the U.S. conservation movement has made bird-watching more popular than ever, saving countless bird populations; and while the history of actual physical human interaction with birds is complicated, our long aesthetic and scientific interest in them is undeniable. Since the beginning of the modern conservation movement in the mid-nineteenth century, human understanding of and interaction with birds has changed profoundly. In Scarlet Experiment, Jeff Karnicky traces the ways in which birds have historically been seen as beautiful creatures worthy of protection and study and yet subject to experiments-scientific, literary, and governmental-that have irrevocably altered their relationship with humans. This examination of the management of bird life in America from the nineteenth century to today, which focuses on six bird species, finds that renderings of birds by such authors as Henry David Thoreau, Emily Dickinson, Don DeLillo, and Christopher Cokinos, have also influenced public perceptions and actions. Scarlet Experiment speculates about the effects our decisions will have on the future of North American bird ecology.
When Terri Raines was twenty-seven years old, she took a vacation that changed her life. Leaving behind her wildlife rescue work in Oregon, Terri traveled to Australia, and there, at a small wildlife park, she met and fell in love with a tall, blond force of nature named Steve Irwin. They were married in less than a year, and Terri eagerly joined in Steve's conservation work. The footage filmed on their crocodile-trapping honeymoon became the first episode of T"he Crocodile Hunter, " and together, Steve and Terri began to change the world. In "Steve & Me, " Terri recounts the unforgettable adventures they shared -- wrangling venomous snakes, saving deadly crocodiles from poachers, swimming among humpback whales. A uniquely gifted naturalist, Steve was first and foremost a wildlife warrior dedicated to rescuing endangered animals -- especially his beloved crocs -- and educating everyone he could reach about the importance of conservation. In the hit TV shows that continue to be broadcast worldwide, Steve's enthusiasm lives on, bringing little-known and often-feared species to light as he reveals and revels in the wonders of our planet. With grace, wit, and candor, Terri Irwin portrays her husband as he really was -- a devoted family man, a fervently dedicated environmentalist, a modest bloke who spoke to millions on behalf of those who could not speak for themselves. "Steve & Me" is a nonstop adventure, a real-life love story, and a fitting tribute to a man adored by all those whose lives he touched, written by the woman who knew and loved him best of all.
The purpose of this book is to review and analyze the period (roughly from the 1950s to the present) when the environment became an issue as important as economic growth, or war and peace; to assess the current situation, and begin planning for the challenges that lie ahead. Most people are aware of both the environmental destruction taking place around the world and of the specter of climate change. The devastation of New Orleans by hurricane Katrina illustrates the potential for disaster when climate change is combined with the mismanaged environmental policy. How did we get tot his point? What has been done and what can be done to avoid future environmental disasters? Thirty-two contributing chapter authors (among them, one of the principal drafters of the National Environmental Policy Act, Chief of the African Environment Division and the World Bank, Vice President of the Center for Conservation Innovation at the World Wildlife Fund, President of the Zoological Society of London, former President of the Ecological Society of America) use their unique, authoritative perspective to review the evolution of environmental science and policy in the past half century. Each author describes the evolution of environmental science and policy in the past half century and consider the challenges of the future. Although the authors of this book com from various fields, they have followed paths that have generally converged on the concept of sustainability. This book attempts to define what sustainability is, how we can achieve it, and what the prospects for sustainability in the future are.
Why has Canada been unable to achieve any of its climate-change targets? Part of the reason is that emissions in two provinces, Alberta and Saskatchewan - already about half the Canadian total when taken together - have been steadily increasing as a result of expanding oil and gas production. Declining emissions in other provinces, such as Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, have been cancelled out by those western increases. The ultimate explanation for Canadian failure lies in the differing energy interests of the western and eastern provinces, overlaid on the confederation fault-line of western alienation. Climate, energy, and national unity form a toxic mix. How can Ottawa possibly get all the provinces moving in the same direction of decreasing emissions? To answer this question, Douglas Macdonald explores the five attempts to date to put in place coordinated national policy in the fields of energy and climate change - from Pierre Trudeau's ill-fated National Energy Program to Justin Trudeau's bitterly contested Pan-Canadian program - analysing and comparing them for the first time. Important new insights emerge from this analysis which, in turn, provide the basis for a new approach. Carbon Province, Hydro Province is a major contribution to the vital question of how our federal and provincial governments can effectively work together and thereby for the first time achieve a Canadian climate-change target.
This advanced text focuses on the uses of distance sampling to
estimate the density and abundance of biological populations. It
addresses new methodologies, new technologies and recent
developments in statistical theory and is the follow up companion
to Introduction to Distance Sampling (OUP, 2001).
Orcas are the most profitable and controversial display animal in history, and since the release of the documentary Blackfish in 2013, millions around the world have focused on their plight. Yet no historical account has explored how we came to care about killer whales in the first place. In Orca, Jason Colby tells the exhilarating and often heartbreaking story of how people came to love the ocean's greatest predator. Historically reviled as dangerous pests, killer whales were dying by the hundreds, even thousands, by the 1950s-the victims of whalers, fishermen, and even the US military. In the Pacific Northwest, fishermen shot them, scientists harpooned them, and the Canadian government mounted a machine gun to eliminate them. But that all changed in 1965, when a Seattle entrepreneur named Ted Griffin became the first person to swim and perform with a captive killer whale. The show was a hit, and he began capturing and selling others, including Sea World's first "Shamu." Over the following decade, live display transformed popular and scientific views of Orcinus orca. The public embraced killer whales as charismatic and friendly while scientists enjoyed their first access to live orcas. In the Pacific Northwest, these captive encounters reshaped regional values and helped drive environmental activism, including Greenpeace's anti-whaling campaigns. Yet even as Northwesterners taught the world to love whales, they came to oppose their captivity. So when Sea World attempted to catch its own killer whales, Northwesterners would fight for the freedom of a marine predator that had become a regional icon. With access to previously unavailable documents and interviews, Colby offers the definitive history of how the feared and despised "killer" became the beloved "orca" and what that means for our relationship with the ocean and its creatures.
Forest conservation has become one of the most important
environmental issues currently facing humanity, as a result of
widespread deforestation and forest degradation. Pressures on
remaining natural forests continue to intensify, leading to high
rates of biodiversity loss. Understanding how human activities
influence ecological processes within forests is essential for
developing effective conservation action.
An accessible and thought-provoking introduction to timespans in the natural world, featuring more than 80 beautifully designed diagrams. Which organisms live the longest? How does the natural world recover from fire? How long do eggs take to hatch? What are the world's fastest and slowest growing plants? Which species invest the most in parental care? How Nature Keeps Time discovers the natural world's most important and intriguing patterns of time. Beautifully designed with stunning colour photography and more than 80 reader-friendly charts and diagrams, this witty book examines a broad range of species from across the world and throughout time. From the lifecycle of immortal jellyfish and identifying the perfect amount of time for a 'good sleep' to mass extinction and the destruction of the coral reef, Helen Pilcher tackles highly relevant and fascinating topics in this deeply entertaining read.
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.
For the last twenty years, The Destruction of the Bison has been an essential work in environmental history. Andrew C. Isenberg offers a concise analysis of the near-extinction of the North American bison population from an estimated 30 million in 1800 to fewer than 1000 a century later. His wide-ranging, interdisciplinary study carefully considers the multiple causes, cultural and ecological, of the destruction of the species. The twentieth-anniversary edition includes a new foreword connecting this seminal work to developments in the field - notably new perspectives in Native American history and the rise of transnational history - and placing the story of the bison in global context. A new afterword extends the study to the twenty-first century, underlining the continued importance of this ground-breaking text for current, and future, students and scholars. |
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