Problem-Solving in Conservation Biology and Wildlife Management

This set of exercises has been created expressly for students and teachers of conservation biology and wildlife management who want to have an impact beyond the classroom. The book presents a set of 32 exercises that are primarily new and greatly revised versions from the book's successful first edition. These exercises span a wide range of conservation issues: genetic analysis, population biology and management, taxonomy, ecosystem management, land use planning, the public policy process and more. All exercises discuss how to take what has been learned and apply it to practical, real-world issues. Accompanied by a detailed instructor’s manual and a student website with software and support materials, the book is ideal for use in the field, lab, or classroom. Also available: Fundamentals of Conservation Biology, 3rd edition (2007) by Malcolm L Hunter Jr and James Gibbs, ISBN 9781405135450 Saving the Earth as a Career: Advice on Becoming a Conservation Professional (2007) by Malcolm L Hunter Jr, David B Lindenmayer and Aram JK Calhoun, ISBN 9781405167611

Table of Contents:
Preface vii Acknowledgments x Part 1 Introduction 1 1. What is Biodiversity? Spiders as Exemplars of the Biodiversity Concept 3 2. What is Conservation Biology? An Analysis of the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund’s Strategies and Funding Priorities 13 3. Why is Biodiversity Important? Why Is It Threatened? An Exploration with the IUCN ‘‘Red List’’ of Threatened Species 21 Part 2 Genes 29 4. Population Genetics: Diversity Within Versus Diversity Among Populations 31 5. Genetic Drift: Establishing Population Management Targets to Limit Loss of Genetic Diversity 36 6. Pedigree Management: Controlling the Effects of Inbreeding as Indicated by Fluctuating Asymmetry 42 7. Landscape Genetics: Identifying Movement Corridors 48 Part 3 Populations 57 8. Life Table Analysis: Balancing Commercial Fisheries with Sea Bird ‘‘By-Catch’’ 59 9. Population Viability Analysis: El Niño Frequency and Penguin Population Persistence 66 10. Habitat Loss and Fragmentation: Ecological Traps, Connectivity, and Issues of Scale 74 11. Diagnosing Declining Populations: Assessing Monitoring Data to Better Understand Causes of Rarity in an Endangered Cactus 83 12. Estimating Population Size with Line Transects and DISTANCE 88 13. Analyzing Camera Trap Data with PRESENCE 105 14. Estimating Population Size with Mark-recapture Data and MARK 125 Part 4 Species 139 15. Estimating ‘‘Biodiversity’’: Indices, Effort, and Inference 141 16. Designing a Zoo: Ex Situ Centers for Conservation, Research, and Education 156 17. Plant Reintroductions: Reestablishing Extirpated Populations 174 18. Edge Effects: Designing a Nest Predation Experiment 179 Part 5 Ecosystems and Landscapes 185 19. Ecosystem Fragmentation: Patterns and Consequences for Biodiversity 187 20. Forest Harvesting: Balancing Timber Production and Parrot Habitat 196 21. Protected Areas: A Systematic Conservation Planning Approach for Ecoregions 201 22. Island Biogeography: How Park Size and Condition Affect the Number of Species Protected 213 23. GIS for Conservation: Mapping and Analyzing Distributions of Wild Potato Species for Reserve Design 221 24. Global Change: Will a Cold-Adapted Frog Survive in a Warmer World? 233 25. Climate Envelope Modeling: Inferring the Ranges of Species to Facilitate Biological Exploration, Conservation Planning, and Threat Analysis 244 Part 6 Policy and Organizations 255 26. Population, Consumption, or Governance: Which Drives Species Imperilment Most in Africa and Europe? 257 27 Overconsumption: Who’s Smarter Students or their Professors? 264 28. Conservation Values: Assessing Public Attitudes 269 29. Priority Setting: Where Around the Globe Should We Invest Our Conservation Efforts? 279 30. An International Debate: Commercial Fishing in Galápagos National Park 289 31. Conservation Law: Should the Polar Bear be Listed as a Threatened Species? 296 32. Conservation Policy: Shaping Your Government 304 Literature Cited 310 Index 317

About the Author :
James Gibbs is Associate Professor of Environmental and Forest Biology at the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Malcolm J. Hunter Jr is the Libra Professor of Conservation Biology and Professor of Wildlife Ecology at the University of Maine, Orono. He is also the former President of the Society for Conservation Biology. Eleanor J. Sterling is Director of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation at the American Museum of Natural History and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology at Columbia University.

Review :
“Much of this book is presented in term of timely and realistic questions or problems that many conservation biologists and wildlife managers face. Readers are given manageable data and the appropriate tools to address those questions.” (The Quarterly Review of Biology, March 2009)