This title was first published in 2000: An edited collection based on a workshop which explored the biological, social, ethical, economic and political pressures underlying the present perceived loss of biodiversity. It brings together philosophers, economists, biologists and others whose fields deal with the conservation of nature's diversity, and with the preservation and protection of species and ecosystems.

This title was first published in 2000: An edited collection based on a workshop which explored the biological, social, ethical, economic and political pressures underlying the present perceived loss of biodiversity. It brings together philosophers, economists, biologists and others whose fields deal with the conservation of nature's diversity, and with the preservation and protection of species and ecosystems.

Originally published in 1979, "Serengeti: Dynamics of an Ecosystem" was immediately recognized as the first synthesis of the patterns and processes of a major ecosystem. A prototype for initial studies, "Serengeti" contains baseline data for further and comparative studies of ecosystems. The new "Serengeti II" builds on the information presented originally in "Serengeti;" both books together offer essential information and insights for ecology and conservation biology.

Serengeti National Park is one of the world's most diverse ecosystems, a natural laboratory for ecology, evolution, and conservation, with a history that dates back at least four million years to the beginnings of human evolution. The third book of a ground- breaking series, "Serengeti III" is the result of a long-term integrated research project that documents changes to this unique ecosystem every ten years. Bringing together researchers from a wide range of disciplines--ecologists, paleontologists, economists, social scientists, mathematicians, and disease specialists-- this volume focuses on the interactions between the natural system and the human-dominated agricultural system. By examining how changes in rainfall, wildebeest numbers, commodity prices, and human populations have impacted the Serengeti ecosystem, the authors conclude that changes in the natural system have affected human welfare just as changes in the human system have impacted the natural world. To promote both the conservation of biota and the sustainability of human welfare, the authors recommend community-based conservation and protected-area conservation. "Serengeti III "presents a timely and provocative look at the conservation status of one of earth's most renowned ecosystems.

"Serengeti II: Dynamics, Management, and Conservation of an Ecosystem" brings together twenty years of research by leading scientists to provide the most most thorough understanding to date of the spectacular Serengeti-Mara ecosystem in East Africa, home to one of the largest and most diverse populations of animals in the world.
Building on the groundwork laid by the classic "Serengeti: Dynamics of an Ecosystem," published in 1979 by the University of Chicago Press, this new book integrates studies of the ecosystem at every level--from the plants at the bottom of the visible food chain, to the many species of herbivores and predators, to the system as a whole. Drawing on new data from many long-term studies and from more recent research initiatives, and applying new theory and computer technology, the contributors examine the large-scale processes that have produced the Serengeti's extraordinary biological diversity, as well as the interactions among species and between plants and animals and their environment. They also introduce computer modeling as a tool for exploring these interactions, employing this new technology to test and anticipate the effects of social, political, and economic changes on the entire ecosystem and on particular species, and so to shape future conservation and management strategies.

"Serengeti II: Dynamics, Management, and Conservation of an Ecosystem" brings together twenty years of research by leading scientists to provide the most most thorough understanding to date of the spectacular Serengeti-Mara ecosystem in East Africa, home to one of the largest and most diverse populations of animals in the world.
Building on the groundwork laid by the classic "Serengeti: Dynamics of an Ecosystem," published in 1979 by the University of Chicago Press, this new book integrates studies of the ecosystem at every level--from the plants at the bottom of the visible food chain, to the many species of herbivores and predators, to the system as a whole. Drawing on new data from many long-term studies and from more recent research initiatives, and applying new theory and computer technology, the contributors examine the large-scale processes that have produced the Serengeti's extraordinary biological diversity, as well as the interactions among species and between plants and animals and their environment. They also introduce computer modeling as a tool for exploring these interactions, employing this new technology to test and anticipate the effects of social, political, and economic changes on the entire ecosystem and on particular species, and so to shape future conservation and management strategies.