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This examination of a depopulated species, the North American
bison, provides insights into the past and present behaviour and
ecology of what was once the continent's largest terrestrial
mammal. The authors' research, conducted over a five-year period,
attempts to resolve such questions as: what happens when only a
small proportion of the male of a species mate?; why do animals in
particular areas experience morphological malformations?; and how
much genetic diversity has been lost since the 19th century? The
study also discusses the consequences of mating failures, lineage
differences in growth and birth synchrony. It explores behavioural
ecology, mate choice, the conservation of ecosystems and the
management of endangered species.
On the Tibetan Plateau, there are wild yaks with blood cells
thinner than horses' by half, enabling the endangered yaks to
survive at 40 below zero and in the lowest oxygen levels of the
mountaintops. But climate change is causing the snow patterns here
to shift, and with the snows, the entire ecosystem. Food and water
are vaporizing in this warming environment, and these beasts of ice
and thin air are extraordinarily ill-equipped. A journey into some
of the most forbidding landscapes on earth, Joel Berger's Extreme
Conservation is an eye-opening, steely look at what it takes for
animals like these to live at the edges of existence. But more than
this, it is a revealing exploration of how climate change and
people are affecting even the most far-flung niches of our planet.
Berger's quest to understand these creatures' struggles takes him
to some of the most remote corners and peaks of the globe: across
Arctic tundra and the frozen Chukchi Sea to study muskoxen, into
the Bhutanese Himalayas to follow the rarely-sighted takin, and
through the Gobi Desert to track the proboscis-swinging saiga.
Known as much for his rigorous, scientific methods of developing
solutions to conservation challenges as for his penchant for
donning moose and polar bear costumes to understand the mindsets of
his subjects more closely, Berger is a guide bar none. He is a
scientist and storyteller who has made his life working with desert
nomads, in zones that typically require Sherpas and oxygen
canisters. Recounting animals as charismatic as their landscapes
are extreme, Berger's unforgettable tale carries us with humor and
expertise to the ends of the earth and back. But as his adventures
show, the more adapted a species has become to its particular
ecological niche, the more devastating climate change can be. Life
at the extremes is more challenging than ever, and the need for
action, for solutions, has never been greater.
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.
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.
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.
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