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A synthesis of the ecological and related knowledge pertinent to understanding the biology and conservation of dugongs and manatees.
The definitive visual guide to the world's wildlife Go on an amazing visual journey through the animal kingdom with Animal and find out all about over 2,000 species from tiny elephant shrews to great baleen whales. Written by a team of over 70 zoologists and naturalists from around the globe the book has sold over one million copies worldwide and the new edition has been fully revised and updated to reflect changes in the animal world. As well as important updates on the distribution, population and conservation status of many animal groups this new edition includes more breathtaking photography and 50 new species that have been discovered since Animal was first published 10 years ago. Such exciting creatures as the tube-nosed bat, ghost slug and the remarkable yeti lobster are now featured to name just a few. Perfect for all the family, essential for nature students and conservationists everywhere - Animal is a classic for a new generation. The book's beautiful flocked cover, made to look just like a real zebra, also makes it the perfect gift.
The Anthropology of Extinction offers compelling explorations of issues of widespread concern.
Nature’s Diplomats explores the development of science-based and internationally conceived nature protection in its foundational years before the 1960s, the decade when it launched from obscurity onto the global stage. Raf De Bont studies a movement while it was still in the making and its groups were still rather small, revealing the geographies of the early international preservationist groups, their social composition, self-perception, ethos, and predilections, their ideals and strategies, and the natures they sought to preserve. By examining international efforts to protect migratory birds, the threatened European bison, and the mountain gorilla in the interior of the Belgian Congo, Na...
Carnivores are the focus of intense attention and resources in conservation biology. It is often argued that, because carnivores are at the top of the food chain, if they are protected, then other taxa will also be afforded adequate protection. Carnivores are also charismatic and compete with humans for dwindling space and environmental resources. In the past 10 years, theoretical and empirical studies on carnivores have developed very quickly. This volume reviews and summarises the current state of the field, describes limitations and opportunities for carnivore conservation, and offers a conceptual framework for future research and applied management. As such it will be of interest to students and researchers of conservation biology, mammalogy, animal behaviour, ecology and evolution.
In Wild Capital, Barbara Jones demonstrates that looking at nature through the lens of the marketplace is a surprisingly effective approach to protecting the environment. Showing that policy-makers and developers rarely associate wild places with monetary values, Jones argues that nature can and should be viewed as a capital asset like any other in order for environmental preservation to be a competitive alternative to development. Jones describes how the ecosystem services model, a tool that connects human well-being with the services nature provides, can play a critical role in assigning species and their habitats measurable values. She uses five highly recognizable animal species—moose,...
A passionate naturalist explores what it’s really like to be an animal—by living like them How can we ever be sure that we really know the other? To test the limits of our ability to inhabit lives that are not our own, Charles Foster set out to know the ultimate other: the non-humans, the beasts. And to do that, he tried to be like them, choosing a badger, an otter, a fox, a deer, and a swift. He lived alongside badgers for weeks, sleeping in a sett in a Welsh hillside and eating earthworms, learning to sense the landscape through his nose rather than his eyes. He caught fish in his teeth while swimming like an otter; rooted through London garbage cans as an urban fox; was hunted by bloo...
Phylogeny is a potentially powerful tool for conserving biodiversity. This book explores how it can be used to tackle questions of great practical importance and urgency for conservation. Using case studies from many different taxa and regions of the world, the volume evaluates how useful phylogeny is in understanding the processes that have generated today's diversity and the processes that now threaten it. The urgency with which conservation decisions have to be made as well as the need for the best possible decisions make this volume of great value to researchers, practitioners and policy-makers.
Wildlife management around the world has changed drastically in the last fifty years, and veteran biologist James G. Teer was a trailblazer for much of that time. In this memoir, he looks back on his life and on the transformation of his profession. A pioneer in managing land for deer, Teer became truly global in his conservation efforts. From studying waterfowl in Manitoba and monitoring deer herds in the Texas Hill Country, Teer was propelled into the world of big ranches and African safaris, working for and traveling with Texas landowners while helping to build the reputation of the wildlife ecology program at Texas A&M University. As he reminisces, Teer gives homage to the men who mentored and taught him and to those whose friendships lasted a lifetime. He salutes his colleagues and his students, and he confirms his lifelong commitment to the care and stewardship of animals everywhere.
The earth's biodiversity currently faces an extinction crisis that is unprecedented. Conservationists attempt to intervene in the extinction process either locally by protecting or restoring important species and habitats, or at national and international levels by influencing key policies and promoting debate. Reliable information is the foundation upon which these efforts are based, which places research at the heart of biodiversity conservation. The role of research in such conservation is diverse. It includes understanding why biodiversity is important, defining 'units' of biodiversity, priority-setting for species and sites, managing endangered and declining populations, understanding large-scale processes, making predictions about the future and interfacing with training, education, public awareness and policy initiatives. Using examples from a wide range of bird conservation work worldwide, researchers consider the principles underlying these issues, and illustrate how these principles have been applied to address actual conservation problems for students, practitioners and researchers in conservation biology.