Mongooses are a remarkable and fascinating group of small carnivores, with 25 species occurring in Africa and nine in Asia. They live within a wide variety of habitats, from open savannah to dense rainforest, and display an amazing diversity in social behaviour, with both solitary and group-living species. Yet this family is one of the least-known group of carnivores. The general lack of public awareness about most mongoose species, and the scarce ecological knowledge of what they need to survive in the wild, are two of the many conservation threats that this group of carnivores faces, which highlights the urgent need to promote an interest in these amazing animals. As well as popularising mongooses, the book will be a valuable source of information on general scientific and conservation topics, such as social behaviour and how the loss of suitable habitats impacts animal species. Recent cinematic films and TV documentaries on meerkats and banded mongooses have been very popular, but people are much less familiar with the other mongoose species that live across Africa and Asia - most of these are rarely seen in the wild and are very poorly known, and several have not been studied in the field. One African mongoose was only discovered by western scientists in 1958, and several others are only known from a few museum specimens and recent observations in the wild. This well-researched, lavishly illustrated book will give a comprehensive overview of the whole mongoose family, including all the different aspects of mongoose biology, their role in human society and the conservation issues that they face, as well as detailed information on all 34 mongoose species.

The Times Nature Book of the Year 2020 Winner of the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award A Finalist for the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year Award 'Remarkable. If only every endangered species had a guardian angel as impassioned, courageous and pragmatic as Jonathan Slaght' Isabella Tree, author of Wilding 'Gripping' Dave Goulson, author of A Sting in the Tale Primorye, a remote forested region near to where Russia, China and North Korea meet in a tangle of barbed wire, is the only place where brown bears, tigers and leopards co-exist. It is also home to one of nature's rarest birds, the Blakiston's fish owl. A chance encounter with this huge, strange bird was to change wildlife researcher Jonathan C. Slaght's life beyond measure. This is the story of Slaght's quest to safeguard the elusive owl from extinction. During months-long journeys covering thousands of miles, he has pursued it through its forbidding territory. He has spent time with the Russians who struggle on in the harsh conditions of the taiga forest. And he has observed how Russia's logging interests and evolving fortunes present new threats to the owl's survival. Preserving its habitats will secure the forest for future generations, both animal and human - but can this battle be won? Exhilarating and clear-sighted, Owls of the Eastern Ice is an impassioned reflection on our relationship with the natural world and on what it means to devote one's career to a single pursuit. 'Slaght makes the people, wildlife and landscape of the Russian Far East come alive. I haven't enjoyed a book on remote Russia as much as this since Ian Frazier's Travels in Siberia' Sophy Roberts, author of The Lost Pianos of Siberia 'True epic. Powerful, passionate' Charles Foster, author of Being a Beast

Every garden, large or small, in a town or in the country, even one formed completely by pots, can be a living dance of lavish colours, glorious scents and pollen-rich flowers alive to the sound of bird song and the buzz of bees. In Planting a Paradise, Arthur Parkinson, bestselling author of The Flower Yard, focuses on what to grow through the seasons with an array of planting ideas and recommended varieties to inspire the experienced and novice gardener alike. From his newly found love of muscari, narcissi and seeding grasses, to circuses of dahlias, luscious herbs, figs and crab apples, the result is not only a stunning living harvest but also an oasis for wildlife at a time when we need this style of gardening more than ever. Praise for The Flower Yard: 'Simply gorgeous' - Nigel Slater 'The Kew-trained king of the small-space garden' - Guardian

This spectacularly illustrated book is the only complete guide to the wildlife and natural history of the vast and beautiful Antarctic region. Covering the Antarctic continent, the southern ocean, and the subantarctic islands, this guide illustrates all of the region's breeding birds and marine mammals with stunning colour photographs. In addition to the colour plates, it features distribution maps and up-to-date species accounts expertly detailing abundance, seasonal status, and conservation prospects. The volume also covers numerous nonbreeding species, migrants, and vagrants. Regional chapters describe all of the subantarctic islands, in addition to most regularly visited sites in Antarctica, and are accompanied by maps of each area and photographs of each locale. These chapters present detailed information on geography, climate, geology, general ecology, and flora. They also address conservation efforts - past, present, and planned. The book concludes with practical information about visiting the area, including details on the best-available landing sites and notes on seasonal weather conditions. This is an indispensable companion for a trip far south, as well as an informative volume for anyone interested in the Antarctic region's remarkable, occasionally strange, and frequently beautiful animals.

Shortlisted for the 2018 TWS Wildlife Publication Awards in the authored book category In recent years, conflicts between ecological conservation and economic growth forced a reassessment of the motivations and goals of wildlife and forestry management. Focus shifted from game and commodity management to biodiversity conservation and ecological forestry. Previously separate fields such as forestry, biology, botany, and zoology merged into a common framework known as conservation biology and resource professionals began to approach natural resource problems in an interdisciplinary light. Wildlife Habitat Management: Concepts and Applications in Forestry presents an integrated reference combining silvicultural and forest planning principles with principles of habitat ecology and conservation biology. With extensive references and case studies drawn from real situations, this book begins with general concepts such as habitat selection, forest composition, influences on habitat patterns, and the dynamics of disturbance ecology. It considers management approaches for specific habitats including even-aged and uneven-aged systems, riparian areas, and dead wood and highlights those approaches that will conserve and manage biodiversity. The author discusses assessment and prioritization policies, monitoring techniques, and ethical and legal issues that can have worldwide impact. Detailed appendices provide a glossary, scientific names, and tools for measuring and interpreting habitat elements. Writing in a species-specific manner, the author emphasizes the need to consider the potential effects of management decisions on biodiversity conservation and maintains a holistic approach throughout the book. Drawing from the author's more than 30 years working and teaching in natural resources conservation, Wildlife Habitat Management: Concepts and Applications in Forestry provides a synopsis of current preservation techniques and establishes a common body of knowledge from which to approach the conservation of biodiversity in the future.

Savannah habitats comprise an ecologically important, but ultimately fragile, ecosystem. They constitute one of the largest biomes on Earth, covering almost 20% of the land surface, and can be simply described as tropical and subtropical grasslands with scattered bushes and trees. Most savannahs occur in Africa, although smaller areas can be found in South America, India, and Australia. They form a rich mosaic of diverse ecosystems, and this book offers a concise but comprehensive introduction to their ecology, biodiversity, and conservation. The Biology of African Savannahs describes the major plants (grasses, and trees such as Acacia) and animals (mainly large mammals) that live in this habitat, and examines the biological and ecological factors that influence their population size, interactions (such as predation), and community composition. Conservation issues such as climate change, hunting, and conflict between wildlife and domestic animals are also discussed. This new edition has been updated throughout with the latest research in the field, and contains new technique boxes which introduce readers to some of the analytical methods used to study African savannahs. This accessible text is suitable for both senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in savannah and tropical ecology as part of a wider ecology and/or conservation biology degree programme. It will also be of relevance and use to the many professional ecologists and conservation practitioners requiring a concise but authoritative overview of the topic.

From the underreported frontlines of the climate emergency, an at-turns alarming and awe-inspiring work that follows the harrowing migrations of animals and plants fleeing rising temperatures and drought in their natural habitats. As humans accelerate global warming while laying waste to the environment, animals and plants must flee to the margins: on scattered nature reserves, between major highways, or among urban sprawl. And when even these places become too hot and inhospitable, wildlife is left with only one path to survival: an often-formidable journey toward the poles as they race to find a new home in a warming world. Tropical zones lose their inhabitants, beavers settle in Alaska, and gigantic shoals of fish disappear - just to reappear along foreign coastlines. Award-winning environmental journalist Benjamin von Brackel traces these awe-inspiring journeys and celebrates the remarkable resilience of species around the world. But the lengths these plants and animals must go to avoid extinction are as alarming as they are inspirational: Sea animals - like fish - move on average 45 miles a decade to cooler regions, while land animals - like beavers and butterflies - move 11 miles. As even the poles of the Earth heat up, we're left with a stark and irreversible choice: Halt the climate emergency now, or face a massive die-off of species, who are increasingly left with nowhere else to go.

Learn how to de-stress, relax and connect with the wildness you can find on your doorstep even in urban and suburban settings Increasing workload, nervous tension, trouble sleeping? Wondering whether there is more to life? You're not having a mid-life crisis. Like so many others, you are feeling the call of the wild. Today's urban living makes it easy for us to feel divorced from nature. This practical book is filled with 52 varied and inspiring activities illustrated with beautiful colour photographs that will get you out and about whatever the weather. Featuring a combination of creative, culinary, herbal and mindful projects, all with nature at their heart, you'll be surprised how much wildness you can find on your doorstep when you know where to look. Organised by month, Urban Wild's simple, seasonal, step-by-step activities open the door to nature in urban and suburban landscapes to help you increase your potential for health and wellbeing and take your first steps on a journey of discovery towards a lifelong connection with the natural world.

What hope remains for Africa's black rhinos? This book addresses that question by mixing local people and attitudes with biology and adventure, while describing the challenges of doing ecological fieldwork in a difficult setting, accompanied by a small child. It moves beyond typical nature studies by featuring real world components of conservation - the delicate mix of western and economic influences, and personal commitment.

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.

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.

Clifton Bain now completes his trilogy with this look at the Peatlands of Britain and Ireland. A source of fuel for many generations, they are now a haven for wildlife and plants as well as a storehouse of greenhouse gasses. Their social history is one of exploitation and the value of mending and restoring is a major theme of the book. Like its predecessors, The Peatlands of Britain and Ireland will be a sumptuous volume richly illustrated with photographs and with drawings by the wildlife artist Darren Rees.

In Decolonizing Extinction Juno Salazar Parrenas ethnographically traces the ways in which colonialism, decolonization, and indigeneity shape relations that form more-than-human worlds at orangutan rehabilitation centers on Borneo. Parrenas tells the interweaving stories of wildlife workers and the centers' endangered animals while demonstrating the inseparability of risk and futurity from orangutan care. Drawing on anthropology, primatology, Southeast Asian history, gender studies, queer theory, and science and technology studies, Parrenas suggests that examining workers' care for these semi-wild apes can serve as a basis for cultivating mutual but unequal vulnerability in an era of annihilation. Only by considering rehabilitation from perspectives thus far ignored, Parrenas contends, could conservation biology turn away from ultimately violent investments in population growth and embrace a feminist sense of welfare, even if it means experiencing loss and pain.

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 Klamath River Basin on the California-Oregon border is a focal point for local and national discussions on water allocation and species protection. Previously, water and species management issues have exacerbated competition and generated conflict among several interests: farmers, Indian tribes, commercial and sport fisherman, federal wildlife refuge managers, environmental groups, and state, local, and tribal governments. As is true in many regions in the West, the federal government plays a prominent role in the Klamath Basin's waters. This role stems primarily from (1)operation and management of the Bureau of Reclamation's Klamath Water Project; (2)management of federal lands, including six national wildlife refugees; and (3)implementation of federal laws such as the Endangered Species Act. This book provides an overview of the issues in the Klamath Basin, with a focus on the federal government's role in the region.

Bats are highly charismatic and popular animals that are not only fascinating in their own right, but illustrate most of the topical and important concepts and issues in mammalian biology. This book covers the key aspects of bat biology, including evolution, flight, echolocation, hibernation, reproduction, feeding and roosting ecology, social behaviour, migration, population and community ecology, biogeography, and conservation.
This new edition is fully updated and greatly expanded throughout, maintaining the depth and scientific rigour of the first edition. It is written with infectious enthusiasm, and beautifully illustrated with drawings and colour photographs.

Centring on South Africa's Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, this book synthesizes a century of insights from the ecology and conservation management of one of Africa's oldest protected wildlife areas. The park provides important lessons for conservation management, as it has maintained conservation values rivalling those of much larger parks sometimes through, and sometimes despite, strong management interventions, including the rescue of the white rhino from extinction. In addition, the book highlights the ecological science produced in the park, much of which has become widely influential, including the megaherbivore concept, new functional approaches to understanding biomes, and new understandings about the role of consumers in shaping ecosystems. The volume is ideal for researchers and policymakers interested in the conservation of relatively small, isolated and protected areas.

The second book by the bestselling author of Extraordinary Insects Trees clean air and water; hoverflies and bees pollinate our crops; the kingfisher inspired the construction of high-speed trains. In Tapestries of Life, bestselling author Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson explains how closely we are all connected with the natural world, highlighting our indelible link with nature's finely knit system and our everyday lives. In the heart of natural world is a life-support system like no other, a collective term that describes all the goods and services we receive - food, fresh water, medicine, pollination, pollution control, carbon sequestration, erosion prevention, recreation, spiritual health and so much more. In this utterly captivating book, Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson sets out to explore these wonderful, supportive elements - taking the reader on a journey through the surprising characteristics of the natural world.

Despite the wealth of natural historical research conducted on migration over decades, there is still a dearth of hypothesis-driven studies that fully integrate theory and empirical analyses to understand the causes and consequences of migration, and a taxonomic bias towards birds in much migration research. This book takes a comparative, integrated view of animal migration, linking evolution with ecology and management, theory with empirical research, and embracing all the major migratory taxa (including human pastoralists). The scope extends beyond the target organism to consider the ecosystem-level dynamics of migration. The emphasis is on exciting new research avenues that are now opening up, whether due to advances in our understanding of migration as a biological phenomenon or through the availability of a range of new technologies.
Broad themes that emerge include integrating migration into the broad spectrum of movement behavior, the need for a comparative and cross-taxonomic approach that considers migration at a range of temporal and spatial scales, and examination of the key roles of resource uncertainty and spatial heterogeneity in driving migratory behavior. The book identifies the potential for new tools to revolutionize the study of migration, including satellite-tracking technology, genomics, and modeling - all of which are linked to increasing computing power. We are now on the verge of a breakthrough in migration research, which is crucial given the multiple threats that face the conservation of migration as a phenomenon, including climate change.

Rain forests represent the world's richest repository of terrestrial biodiversity, and play a major role in regulating the global climate. They support the livelihoods of a substantial proportion of the world's population and are the source of many internationally traded commodities. They remain (despite decades of conservation attention) increasingly vulnerable to degradation and clearance, with profound though often uncertain future costs to global society. Understanding the ecology of these diverse biomes, and peoples' dependencies on them, is fundamental to their future management and conservation.
Tropical Rain Forest Ecology, Diversity, and Conservation introduces and explores what rain forests are, how they arose, what they contain, how they function, and how humans use and impact them. The book starts by introducing the variety of rain forest plants, fungi, microorganisms, and animals, emphasising the spectacular diversity that is the motivation for their conservation. The central chapters describe the origins of rain forest communities, the variety of rain forest formations, and their ecology and dynamics. The challenge of explaining the species richness of rain forest communities lies at the heart of ecological theory, and forms a common theme throughout. The book's final section considers historical and current interactions of humans and rain forests. It explores biodiversity conservation as well as livelihood security for the many communities that are dependent on rain forests - inextricable issues that represent urgent priorities for scientists, conservationists, and policy makers.

Based on field studies spanning nearly 40 years, this reference book summarizes and integrates past research with new and previously unpublished information on the behavioral ecology of Africa's red colobus monkeys from study sites as diverse as Senegal, Uganda and Zanzibar. It provides an unparalleled compilation of information on taxonomy, genetics, vocalizations, demography, social organization, dispersal, social behavior, reproduction, mortality factors, diet, ranging patterns, interspecific relations, and conservation. Social relationships in red colobus are less rigidly structured than in other African monkeys, resulting in considerable variation in social organization and group composition, both within and between taxa. This provides a unique opportunity to examine the extent to which social variables correlate with differences in habitat quality, demography, and predation by chimpanzees and humans. Unfortunately, at least half of the 18 taxa of red colobus are now threatened with extinction. Conservation problems are described, causal factors identified, and solutions proposed. This volume is intended not only to serve as a reference book, but to stimulate and guide future long-term research and to encourage effective conservation action.

It is becoming clear that the Mediterranean region is one of the "hottest" of the biodiversity hotspots on the planet. There is also an increasing concern for the conservation, adaptive management, and restoration of the unique natural ecosystems and cultural landscapes that characterize this area. The region's biological and cultural heritage as well as its huge wealth of biodiversity is now at real risk. This brings a further urgency to the task of communicating detailed but readily accessible information on the Mediterranean biota, and an ecological, historical and evolutionary perspective to the changing contexts in which the region's flora and fauna continue to evolve.
There is no other recent textbook devoted solely to Mediterranean evolutionary ecology, and a synthesis of the many recent advances is now overdue. This new work builds on the success and reputation of the first edition, although the text has been updated and expanded to document recent changes to biodiversity, new ecological and evolutionary insights, and the challenges for the future. These changes include the addition of two new chapters devoted to the Mediterranean Sea itself, and especially the coastal areas. Throughout the book, the pressing issues of global change (especially climate warming) are addressed, in conjunction with changing land use, and in terms of their potential impact on biota, communities, ecosystems, and landscapes.