Fundamentals of Conservation Biology

FUNDAMENTALS OF CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
 
"This book is about hope in the face of forces that would degrade our world. This book is about the rich tapestry of life that shares our world now and about how we can maintain it, sometimes in places that we protect and set aside, more often in places where we share the lands and waters with a wide range of other species."
 
For more than 30 years, Fundamentals of Conservation Biology has been a valued mainstay of the literature, serving both to introduce new students to this ever-changing topic, and to provide an essential resource for academics and researchers working in the discipline. In the decade since the publication of the third edition, concerns about humanity's efforts to conserve the natural world have only grown deeper, as new threats to biodiversity continue to emerge.
 
This fourth edition has taken into account a vast new literature, and boasts nearly a thousand new references as a result. By embracing new theory and practice and documenting many examples of both conservation successes and the hard lessons of real-world "wicked" environmental problems, Fundamentals of Conservation Biology remains a vital resource for biologists, conservationists, ecologists, environmentalists, and others.

List of contents

List of Case Studies ix
 
Preface x
 
Acknowledgments xiii
 
About the Companion Website xiv
 
Part I Biodiversity and Its Importance 3
 
1 Conservation and Conservation Biology 4
 
What is Conservation? 4
 
A Brief History of Conservation 6
 
An Overview of Conservation Ethics 10
 
What is Conservation Biology? 13
 
A Brief History of Conservation Biology 15
 
Summary 19
 
2 What is Biodiversity? 21
 
Species, Genes, and Ecosystems 22
 
Structure and Function 23
 
Measuring Biodiversity 24
 
The Mismeasure of Biodiversity 26
 
Biodiversity and Spatial Scales 26
 
Biodiversity Verbs 30
 
The Related Concepts of "Integrity" and "Sustainability" 31
 
Summary 33
 
3 Species Diversity 35
 
What is a Species? 35
 
How Many Species Are There? 37
 
The Intrinsic Value of Species and Their Conservation Status 39
 
The Instrumental Values of Species 46
 
The Uniqueness Value of Species 62
 
Summary 65
 
4 Ecosystem Diversity 67
 
What is an Ecosystem? 67
 
The Values of Ecosystems 71
 
Ecosystem Diversity and Species Diversity 80
 
Ecosystems and Landscapes 85
 
Summary 88
 
5 Genetic Diversity 90
 
What is Genetic Diversity? 90
 
The Importance of Genetic Diversity 101
 
Processes That Diminish Genetic Diversity 110
 
Cultural Diversity 117
 
Summary 124
 
Part II Threats to Biodiversity 129
 
6 Mass Extinctions and Global Change 130
 
Extinction Episodes of the Past 131
 
Estimating the Current Rate of Extinction 135
 
The Recent History of Global Climate Change 139
 
How Did We Get to this Point? What is the Way Ahead? 150
 
Summary 152
 
7 Extinction Processes 154
 
Why Are Some Species More Vulnerable to Extinction than Others? 154
 
Populations 161
 
Population Viability Analysis 166
 
Summary 177
 
8 Ecosystem Degradation and Loss 179
 
Contamination 183
 
Roads, Dams, and Other Structures 189
 
Earth, Fire, Water 195
 
Deforestation 198
 
Desertification 204
 
Draining, Dredging, Damming, Etc. 206
 
Fragmentation 211
 
Summary 221
 
9 Overexploitation 223
 
The Long History of Overexploitation 223
 
Types of Exploitation 230
 
Consequences of Overexploitation 238
 
Some Final Perspectives on Exploitation 243
 
Summary 249
 
10 Invasive Exotics 251
 
How Do Species Move? 252
 
Impacts of Invasive Exotics 261
 
Success Rates 269
 
Irony 271
 
Summary 277
 
Part III Maintaining Biodiversity 279
 
11 Protecting Ecosystems 280
 
Reserve Selection 281
 
Reserve Design 290
 
Reserve Management 299
 
Summary 307
 
12 Sustaining Ecosystems 309
 
Forestry 310
 
Livestock Grazing 316
 
Fisheries 322
 
Ecological Management 325
 
Restoring Ecosystems 325
 
Summary 337
 
13 Managing Populations 338
 
Providing Resources 339
 
Controlling Threats 348
 
Direct Manipulations 364
 
Epilogue 376
 
Summary 378
 
14 Conservation near People 381
 
Cultivated Ecosystems 382
 
Built Ecosystems 391
 
Zoos and Gardens 396
 
The Ex Situ-In Situ Interface 405
 
Conservation of Domesticated Species 410
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About the author

Malcolm L. Hunter, Jr. is the Libra Professor of Conservation Biology at the University of Maine and the former President of the Society for Conservation Biology.
James P. Gibbs is Distinguished Professor of Conservation Biology at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and Conservation Scientist at the Galapagos Conservancy.
Viorel D. Popescu is Assistant Professor of Conservation Biology at Ohio University, Athens and Research Associate at University of Bucharest's Center for Environmental Research, Romania.

Summary

FUNDAMENTALS OF CONSERVATION BIOLOGY

"This book is about hope in the face of forces that would degrade our world. This book is about the rich tapestry of life that shares our world now and about how we can maintain it, sometimes in places that we protect and set aside, more often in places where we share the lands and waters with a wide range of other species."

For more than 30 years, Fundamentals of Conservation Biology has been a valued mainstay of the literature, serving both to introduce new students to this ever-changing topic, and to provide an essential resource for academics and researchers working in the discipline. In the decade since the publication of the third edition, concerns about humanity's efforts to conserve the natural world have only grown deeper, as new threats to biodiversity continue to emerge.

This fourth edition has taken into account a vast new literature, and boasts nearly a thousand new references as a result. By embracing new theory and practice and documenting many examples of both conservation successes and the hard lessons of real-world "wicked" environmental problems, Fundamentals of Conservation Biology remains a vital resource for biologists, conservationists, ecologists, environmentalists, and others.

Product details

• Authors: James Gibbs, James P Gibbs, James P. Gibbs, Gibbs James P., Malcolm Hunter, Malcolm L Hunter, Malcolm L. Hunter, Malcolm L. (University of Maine) Gibbs Hunter, Malcolm L. Gibbs Hunter, ML Hunter, Hunter Malcolm L., Viorel Popescu, Viorel D Popescu, Viorel D. Popescu
• Publisher: Wiley, John and Sons Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.01.2021
• EAN: 9781119144168
• ISBN: 978-1-119-14416-8
• No. of pages: 672
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Biology > Ecology; Ökologie, Angewandte Ökologie, Life Sciences, Biowissenschaften, Applied ecology, Naturschutzbiologie, Conservation Science, Ecology & Organismal Biology, Ökologie u. Biologie der Organismen