Models for Planning Wildlife Conservation in Large Landscapes

A single-resource volume of information on the most current and effective techniques of wildlife modeling, Models for Planning Wildlife Conservation in Large Landscapes is appropriate for students and researchers alike. The unique blend of conceptual, methodological, and application chapters discusses research, applications and concepts of modeling and presents new ideas and strategies for wildlife habitat models used in conservation planning. The book makes important contributions to wildlife conservation of animals in several ways: (1) it highlights historical and contemporary advancements in the development of wildlife habitat models and their implementation in conservation planning; (2) it provides practical advice for the ecologist conducting such studies; and (3) it supplies directions for future research including new strategies for successful studies. Intended to provide a recipe for successful development of wildlife habitat models and their implementation in conservation planning, the book could be used in studying wildlife habitat models, conservation planning, and management techniques. Additionally it may be a supplemental text in courses dealing with quantitative assessment of wildlife populations. Additionally, the length of the book would be ideal for graduate student seminar course. Using wildlife habitat models in conservation planning is of considerable interest to wildlife biologists. With ever tightening budgets for wildlife research and planning activities, there is a growing need to use computer methods. Use of simulation models represents the single best alternative. However, it is imperative that these techniques be described in a single source. Moreover, biologists should be made aware of alternative modeling techniques. It is also important that practical guidance be provided to biologists along with a demonstration of utility of these procedures. Currently there is little guidance in the wildlife or natural resource planning literature on how best to incorporate wildlife planning activities, particularly community-based approaches. Now is the perfect time for a synthestic publication that clearly outlines the concepts and available methods, and illustrates them.

Table of Contents:
Introduction; Section I: Concepts;Review of Approaches to Assessing Habitat Quality; Importance of a Landscape Perspective; Methods for Population Viability Analysis; Factors Driving Landscape Change; Forest Planning on Federal Lands; Forest Planning for Private Industrial Lands; Human Dimensions of Landscape Change and Conservation Planning; Economic Principles of Conservation Planning; Multi-Species Conservation Planning; Section II: Methods; Analyzing Landscapes in GIS; Simulating Landscape Change Using LANDIS; Simluating Landscape Change Using LMS; Modeling Understory Vegetation; Determining Population viability; Landscape Visualization; Spatial and Temporal Optimization; Predicting Species Occurrence; Validation of a Landscape Simulation Model; Large Landscape HSI Models and Software; Section III: Applications; Hoosier and Mark Twain National Forest Planning; Habitat Networks for Terrestrial Wildlife in the Colubmia Basin; Habitat Conservation Plans for Spotted Owls; Partners in Flight and NABCI; Fire Application; Assessment of Wildlife Habitat; Section IV: Summary; Summary and Future Directions of Planning Wildlife Conservation in Large Landscapes; Appendix: Software for Planning Wildlife Conservation in Large Landscapes

About the Author :
Edited by Joshua Millspaugh, University of Missouri, School of Natural Resources, Columbia, USA; and Frank R. Thompson, U.S.D.A. Forest Service, North Central Research Station, Columbia, MO, USA