Including the work of 12 authors from institutions such as Colorado State University, Frostburg State University, Michigan State University, Salisbury University, Texas Woman's University, University of Birmingham, University of California; Irvine, University of California; Merced, and William Jessup University, Rocklin; California, the collection of essays explores the broad range of animals who share our planet and attempts to recognize our responsibility as humans to take their interests seriously.

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.

Hawai'i is like no other place on earth. Raised above the sea by volcanic action, the islands are home to a fascinating array of animals, most of which are found nowhere else in the world. Because the Hawaiian islands are so isolated-more than 2000 miles from any large land mass-many of its native animals have developed unusual adaptations that help them survive. For example, Hawai'i has whales that sing dolphins that spin through the air bats that turn somersaults as they feed shrimp that climb waterfalls killer caterpillars a tiny blood-sucking bug that survives on the summit of Mauna Kea Hawai'i's habitats are fragile, however, and many of its native species are in danger of becoming extinct. Humans are the most dangerous threats to these threatened animals. Habitat destruction, pollution, development, and introduced species have all contributed to the loss or diminishment of Hawai'i's native species. Hawai'i is the extinction capital of the United States. Only through education and thoughtful conservation can we prevent the disappearance of any more of Hawai'i's unique animals. The first step is to learn about these animals and begin to appreciate their special characteristics.

This book by the renowned naturalist and writer Paul A. Johnsgard tells the complex biological and environmental story of the western Great Plains under the black-tailed prairie dog's reign-and then under a brief but devastating century of human dominion. An introduction to the ecosystem of the shortgrass prairie, Prairie Dog Empire describes in clear and detailed terms the habitat and habits of black-tailed prairie dogs; their subsistence, seasonal behavior, and the makeup of their vast colonies; and the ways in which their "towns" transform the surrounding terrain-for better or for worse. Johnsgard recounts how this terrain has in turn been transformed over the past century by the destruction of prairie dogs and their grassland habitats. This book also offers a rare and invaluable close-up view of the rich history and threatened future of the creature once considered the "keystone" species of the western plains. Included are maps, drawings, and listings of more than two hundred natural grassland preserves where many of the region's native plants and animals may still be seen and studied.

The third in a trilogy of global overviews of conservation of diverse and ecologically important insect groups. The first two were Beetles in Conservation (2010) and Hymenoptera and Conservation (2012). Each has different priorities and emphases that collectively summarise much of the progress and purpose of invertebrate conservation. Much of the foundation of insect conservation has been built on concerns for Lepidoptera, particularly butterflies as the most popular and best studied of all insect groups. The long-accepted worth of butterflies for conservation has led to elucidation of much of the current rationale of insect species conservation, and to definition and management of their critical resources, with attention to the intensively documented British fauna leading the world in this endeavour. In Lepidoptera and Conservation, various themes are treated through relevant examples and case histories, and sufficient background given to enable non-specialist access. Intended for not only entomologists but conservation managers and naturalists due to its readable approach to the subject.

International peace parks--transnational conservation areas established and managed by two or more countries--have become a popular way of protecting biodiversity while promoting international cooperation and regional development. In "Transforming the Frontier," Bram Buscher shows how cross-border conservation neatly reflects the neoliberal political economy in which it developed.

Based on extensive research in southern Africa with the Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation and Development Project, Buscher explains how the successful promotion of transfrontier conservation as a "win-win" solution happens not only in spite of troubling contradictions and problems, but indeed because of them. This is what he refers to as the "politics of neoliberal conservation," which receives its strength from effectively combining strategies of consensus, antipolitics, and marketing. Drawing on long-term, multilevel ethnographic research, Buscher argues that transfrontier conservation projects are not as concerned with on-the-ground development as they are purported to be. Instead, they are reframing environmental protection and sustainable development to fit an increasingly contradictory world order.

Blending ethnography with a fascinating personal story, A Future for Amazonia is an account of a political movement that arose in the early 1990s in response to decades of attacks on the lands and peoples of eastern Ecuador, one of the world's most culturally and biologically diverse places. After generations of ruin at the hands of colonizing farmers, transnational oil companies, and Colombian armed factions, the indigenous Cofan people and their rain forest territory faced imminent jeopardy. In a surprising turn of events, the Cofan chose Randy Borman, a man of Euro-American descent, to lead their efforts to overcome the crisis that confronted them. Drawing on three years of ethnographic research, A Future for Amazonia begins by tracing the contours of Cofan society and Borman's place within it. Borman, a blue-eyed, white-skinned child of North American missionary-linguists, was raised in a Cofan community and gradually came to share the identity of his adoptive nation. He became a global media phenomenon and forged creative partnerships between Cofan communities, conservationist organizations, Western scientists, and the Ecuadorian state. The result was a collective mobilization that transformed the Cofan nation in unprecedented ways, providing them with political power, scientific expertise, and a new role as ambitious caretakers of more than one million acres of forest. Challenging simplistic notions of identity, indigeneity, and inevitable ecological destruction, A Future for Amazonia charts an inspiring course for environmental politics in the twenty-first century.

While the research and management of wildlife has traditionally emphasised studies at smaller scales, it is now acknowledged that larger, landscape-level patterns strongly influence demographic processes in wild animal species. This book is the first to provide the conceptual basis for learning how larger scale patterns and processes can influence the biology and management of wildlife species. It is divided into three sections: Underlying Concepts, Landscape Metrics and Applications and Large Scale Management.

The National Vegetation Classification (NVC) has become the standard classification used for describing vegetation in Britain. It is a 'phytosociological' classification, classifying vegetation solely on the basis of the plant species of which it is composed. The NVC breaks down each broad vegetation type into communities. Many of these communities contain two or more sub-communities, in a few cases further divided into variants. The second volume of British Plant Communities (Rodwell, 1991) provides a detailed account of 38 mire communities and 22 heath communities, with information on their composition, structure and distribution. The summary descriptions here are derived directly from the full accounts prepared by John Rodwell but are in no way a substitute for them. Rather they are intended as an aide-memoire to assist surveyors in the field or for anyone else wishing to familiarise themselves with the overall scheme of classification for mires and heaths. This is a reprint edition (with no amendments) of ISBN 1-86107-526-X.

This book challenges the assumption that humans generally treat all animal species equally according to their need of conservation. Recent studies suggest that humans show strong preferences toward particular animal species/taxa and are willing to protect them more than others. Such understanding of human preferences is an important part of conservation strategies. Special attention has to be paid to less preferred, but endangered species. Fortunately, the highly preferred species are present in almost every family and also among threatened species. Thus, the zoos can replace preferred but common species by endangered one that meets both, conservation as well as visitor's aesthetic criteria.

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

First published by the RSPB in 1998, this book is a practical guide to surveying and monitoring techniques for use in the breeding season - in assessing breeding success as well as population levels - and during the winter. It gives instructions for more than 120 UK bird species, mainly those of conservation concern. Methods used in the UK's main national bird monitoring schemes are also outlined with advice on how to participate in them. In addition, the publication provides advice on the reliability of the methods, sampling, statistics and species protection. An essential reference for all involved in bird monitoring programmes. This is a reprint edition of 1901930033 published in 1998.

Between fiscal years 2002 and 2007, the refuge system experienced funding and staffing level fluctuations, the introduction of several new policy initiatives, and the increased influence of external factors such as extreme weather that threaten wildlife habitat and visitor infrastructure. Although core funding -- measured as obligations for refuge operations, maintenance, and fire management -- increased each year, inflation-adjusted core funding peaked in fiscal year 2003 at about $391 million -- 6.8 percent above fiscal year 2002 funding. Inflation-adjusted core funding ended the period 2.3 percent below peak levels, but 4.3 percent above fiscal year 2002 levels by fiscal year 2007. Core refuge staffing levels peaked in fiscal year 2004 at 3,610 full-time equivalents -- 10.0 percent above the fiscal year 2002 level -- and then declined more slowly than funding levels. By fiscal year 2007, staffing levels fell to 4.0 percent below peak levels, but 5.5 percent above fiscal year 2002 levels. Through fiscal year 2007, the number of permanent employees utilised by the refuge system declined to 7.5 percent below peak levels. During this period, refuge system officials initiated new policies that: (1) reduced staff positions and reallocated funds and staff among refuges to better align staff levels with funding; (2) required refuge staff to focus on a legislative mandate to complete refuge conservation plans by 2012; (3) shifted to constructing a larger number of smaller visitor structures, such as informational kiosks, and fewer large visitor centres to spread visitor service funds across more refuges; (4) increased the number of full-time law enforcement officers and their associated training and experience requirements; and (5) resulted in additional administrative work. During this period, external factors that complicate refuge staffs' ability to protect and restore habitat quality also increased, including severe storms and development around refuges.

The US National Wildlife Refuge System was created by Executive Order On March 14, 1903, when President Theodore Roosevelt established the country's first wildlife refuge on Florida's central Atlantic coast C the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). From its modest beginning on Pelican Island the Refuge System has expanded into a network of over 550 distinct units that encompasses over 95 million acres. Alaska contains approximately 76.8 million acres of refuge lands, or about 80% of the land in the total system. To accomplish its mission the Refuge System finalised a strategic plan in early 2007 that contains twelve strategic outcome goals (SOGs). These goals cover the areas of habitat and wildlife conservation, wildlife dependent recreation, law 1 National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997; Public Law 105 57 enforcement, fire management, welcoming and orienting visitors, wilderness management, conservation planning, infrastructure and equipment maintenance, strategic growth and organisational excellence. The Refuge System is part of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, which is managed by the Department of Interior.

The grizzly bear, once the archetype for all that is wild, is quickly becoming a symbol of nature's fierce but flagging resilience in the face of human greed and ignorance - and the difficulty a wealth-addicted society has in changing its ways. North America's grizzlies have been under siege ever since Europeans arrived. They'd survived the arrival of spear-wielding humans 13,000 years ago, outlived the short-faced bear, the dire wolf and the sabre-tooth cat - not to mention mastodons, mammoths and giant ground sloths the size of elephants - but grizzly bears in much of Turtle Island succumbed to 375 years of unrelenting commercialisation and industrialisation, disappearing from the Great Plains and much of the mountain West. Despite their relatively successful recovery in Yellowstone National Park, the bears' decline continues largely unchecked. And the front line in this centuries-old battle for survival has shifted to western Alberta and southern BC, where outdated mythologies, rapacious industry and disingenuous governments continue to push the Great Bear into the mountains and toward a future that may not have room for them at all.

Unique tales and reflections of a scientist-explorer on his adventures in some of the world's most remote tropical rainforests Perhaps it is not possible to experience all the mysterious sounds, the unfamiliar smells, and the spectacular sights of a tropical rainforest without ever visiting one. But this exhilarating and honest book comes wondrously close to taking the reader on such a journey. Bruce M. Beehler, a widely traveled expert on birds and tropical ecology, recounts fascinating details from twelve field trips he has taken to the tropics over the past three decades. As a researcher, he brings to life the exotic rainforests and the people who inhabit them; as a conservationist, he makes a plea for better ways of managing rainforests-"a resource that the world cannot do without." Drawing on his experiences in Papua New Guinea, India, Madagascar, Indonesia, the Philippines, Panama, and the Ivory Coast, Beehler describes the surprises-both pleasant and unpleasant-of doing science and conservation in the field. He explains the role that rainforests play in the lives of indigenous peoples and the crucial importance of understanding local cultures, customs, and politics. The author concludes with simple but tough solutions for maintaining rainforest health, expressing fervent hope that his great-grandchildren and others may one day also hear the rainforest whisper its secrets.

Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals, and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative. Wildlife can be found in all ecosystems, Deserts, rain forests, plains, and other areas -- including the most developed urban sites -- all have distinct forms of wildlife. While the term in popular culture usually refers to animals that are untouched by human factors, most scientists agree that wildlife around the world is impacted by human activities. This book examines the destruction, conservation and biodiversity of wildlife.

The biography of an Adirondack legend whose tireless efforts are credited with much of today's preservation policies in the Adirondacks.

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.

Large Carnivores and the Conservation of Biodiversity brings together more than thirty leading scientists and conservation practitioners to consider a key question in environmental conservation: Is the conservation of large carnivores in ecosystems that evolved with their presence equivalent to the conservation of biological diversity within those systems? Building their discussions from empirical, long-term data sets, contributors including James A. Estes, David S. Maehr, Tim McClanahan, AndrFs J. Novaro, John Terborgh, and Rosie Woodroffe explore a variety of issues surrounding the link between predation and biodiversity: What is the evidence for or against the link? Is it stronger in marine systems? What are the implications for conservation strategies?
Large Carnivores and the Conservation of Biodiversity is the first detailed, broad-scale examination of the empirical evidence regarding the role of large carnivores in biodiversity conservation in both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. It contributes to a much more precise and global understanding of when, where, and whether protecting and restoring top predators will directly contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. Everyone concerned with ecology, biodiversity, or large carnivores will find this volume a unique and thought-provoking analysis and synthesis.

* Reveals why we are so fascinated by wild animals, what they mean to us and how as ecotourists we may be loving animals to death* Richly illustrated with photographs and accompanied by annexes of original research* Essential and compelling reading for practitioners, students and academics in ecotourism, conservation, environment and cultural studies as well as ecotourists visiting animal encounter sites Ecotourism is the fastest growing segment of tourism, the world's largest industry. Encounters with wild animals, be it swimming with dolphins, going on safari or bird watching, are at the core. Yet little is known about why people seek out these experiences and the meaning for the ecotourism industry, conservation efforts and society at large. Facing the Wild is the first serious empirical examination of why people seek out animals in their natural environment, what the desire for this experience tells us about the meanings of animals, nature, authenticity and wilderness in contemporary industrialized societies and whether visitors change their environmental perspectives and behaviour, as the custodians of parks would like them to. The book explores the contradictions and ambivalence that so many people experience in the presence of 'wild nature'--in loving it we may diminish it and in the act of wanting to see it we may destroy it. Ultimately the book makes a case for 'respectful stewardship' of a 'hybrid nature' and provides insight for both practitioners and ecotourists alike.

An identification guide and general reference to marine mammal biology, conservation, and governmental protective regulations in Florida. Written by two scientists and pioneers in marine mammal research and conservation, it seeks to inform people how their activities affect marine mammals and what they can do to help safeguard the environment of Florida. John Reynolds and Randall Wells present scientific information, conservation principles, and wildlife protection laws in a way that should be easy for the general reader to follow and understand. The basic species descriptions and natural history include all of Florida's marine mammals and the occasional visitor to Florida's waters, including: Florida manatee; bottlenose dolphin; Atlantic spotted dolphin; pygmy and dwarf sperm whales; northern right whale; clymene or short-snouted spinner dolphin; spinner dolphin; rough-toothed dolphin; Risso's dolphin; short-finned pilot whale; false killer whale; pygmy killer whale; beaked whales; goosebeak whale; sperm whale; humpback whale; and pinnipeds.

The Chipko movement emerged in the early 1970s in the Garhwal region of the Indian Himalayas. In attempting to draw attention to the difficulty of sustaining their livelihoods in the region, local communities engaged in protest by hugging trees that were marked for felling in state-owned commercial forests. As the story of these protests spread across India and the globe, Chipko was transformed into a shining symbol of grassroots activism. Ironically, as the Chipko story was embraced worldwide by ecologists, ecofeminists, policy makers and academics so it became increasingly disconnected from the realities that gave rise to the original protests. Chipko now exists as a myth, tenuously linked to an imagined space of the Himalayas that represents the timeless realm of pristine nature and simple peasant life - the terrain that escapes history. Or, in the more prosaic language of policy makers, it is one of several 'disturbances' to have emerged from a mountainous region that has, since the late 1800s, been characterized as 'backward' or 'isolated.' This book brings the Chipko movement back from the realm of myth into the world of geographical history. It traces the modes of administration and policy intervention in the region through the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial phases, and reveals how its biogeography has been shaped by varying struggles over resources, livelihoods and autonomy. Chipko, when seen in the context of its geographical history, shows that the question of sustainability in Garhwal, or in any other 'backward' or 'pristine' realm of the world, hinges more on an understanding of substantive democratic processes than on the need to make heroes or villains of those who participate in activist movements.