Conservation of Biological Resources

This book presents the issues surrounding the conservation of wild species and ecosystems used by people. It is aimed at final year undergraduate and master's students taking courses in conservation, environmental management, ecological economics and related subjects, as well as conservation professionals, including managers, policy-makers and researchers. The structure of the book is ideal for a course in conservation, comprising a theoretical section written by the authors, and a set of ten contributed case studies intentionally diverse in discipline, geographical region and system of study. The theoretical section provides the knowledge that is needed to understand the issues, while the case studies can form the basis of seminars. Readers will emerge with a clear recognition of the difficulties of limiting the harvesting of biological resources to sustainable levels, and of the boundaries of sustainable use as a conservation tool. The authors, an ecologist and an anthropologist, have both worked on the conservation and sustainable use of wildlife for several years, including the ivory and rhino horn trades. The first book to examine the issues underlying the sustainable use debate in a fully interdisciplinary manner. Both the theoretical section and the case studies approach the issues using methods from economics, ecology, anthropology and other fields Designed as a course textbook, combining a theoretical section with invited case studies written by expert practitioners in the field Outlines the new direction that conservation biology (and thus conservation biologists) must take if it is to be successful

Table of Contents:
Part I: Introduction to Biological Conservation and Sustainable Use. Part II: Theoretical Background. The Ecological and Economic Theory of Sustainable Harvesting. Harvesting and Ecological Realities. Decision-Making by Users of Natural Resources. Practical Considerations when Applying the Theory. Part III: Case Studies. Sustainable Use as a Conservation Tool in the Forests of South-East Asia (Kathy Mackinnon). Will Bigleaf Mahogany Be Conserved Through Sustainable Use? (R E Gullison). Cosiguina, Nicaragua: A Case Study in Community-Based Management of Wildlife (Vivienne Solis Rivera and Stephen R Edwards). Sustainability of the Falkland Islands Loligo Squid Fishery (Sophie des Clers). Recreational Use of Coral Reefs in the Maldives and Caribbean (Andrew R G Price, Callum M Roberts and Julie P Hawkins). A Century of Change in the Central Luangwa Valley of Zambia (Joel Freehling and Stuart A Marks). The Economics of Wildlife Conservation Policy in Kenya (M Norton-Griffiths). Gorilla Tourism: A Critical Look (Thomas M Butynski and Jan Kalina). Caribou and Muskox Harvesting in the Northwest Territories (Anne Gunn). Hunting of Game Mammals in the Soviet Union (Leonid M Baskin). Part IV: Making Conservation Work. Making Conservation Work. References. Glossary of Terms. Index.

About the Author :
Eleanor Jane Milner-Gulland is the Tasso Leventis Professor of Biodiversity at the University of Oxford and director of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science. She is particularly known for her work on Saiga Antelope. Ruth Mace is the author of Conservation of Biological Resources, published by Wiley.

Review :
"The book's coverage of ecological and economic theory of sustainable use, decision-making and practical considerations when applying the theory is beautifully done and very readable....... this fine volume is sure to be important and will set a standard for truly interdisciplinary work in conservation biology." Nature