Bøger i Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation serien

This book deals with basic spatial population processes, detailing how a number of fundamental problems relating to the abundance and distribution of organisms can be addressed, for example the effect of environmental variability. It aims to bring together analytical population dynamics, random processes and community structure into a common framework.

This account deals with problems and approaches to invertebrate conservation in highly managed agricultural ecosystems, and how to promote biodiversity without compromising agricultural production. It draws attention to the significant functional importance of invertebrates in agriculture and in ecosystem functions, and the importance of conserving them in the wider landscape.

Ecologists, land managers and policymakers continue to search for the most effective ways to manage biological invasions. An emerging lesson is that proactive management can limit negative impacts, reduce risks and save money. This book explores how to detect and respond to alien plant incursions, summarising the most current literature, providing practical recommendations and reviewing the conditions and processes necessary to achieve prevention, eradication and containment. Chapter topics include assessing invasiveness and the impact of alien plants, how to improve surveillance efforts, how to make timely management decisions, and how legislation and strategic planning can support management. Each chapter includes text boxes written by international experts that discuss topical issues such as spatial predictive modelling, costing invasions, biosecurity, biofuels, and dealing with conflict species.

Despite their often dangerous and unpredictable nature, landslides provide fascinating templates for studying how soil organisms, plants and animals respond to such destruction. The emerging field of landslide ecology helps us understand these responses, aiding slope stabilisation and restoration and contributing to the progress made in geological approaches to landslide prediction and mitigation. Summarising the growing body of literature on the ecological consequences of landslides, this book provides a framework for the promotion of ecological tools in predicting, stabilising, and restoring biodiversity to landslide scars at both local and landscape scales. It explores nutrient cycling; soil development; and how soil organisms disperse, colonise and interact in what is often an inhospitable environment. Recognising the role that these processes play in providing solutions to the problem of unstable slopes, the authors present ecological approaches as useful, economical and resilient supplements to landslide management.

Fossils document the existence of trees and wood-associated organisms from almost 400 million years ago, and today there are between 400,000 and 1 million wood-inhabiting species in the world. This is the first book to synthesise the natural history and conservation needs of wood-inhabiting organisms. Presenting a thorough introduction to biodiversity in decaying wood, the book studies the rich diversity of fungi, insects and vertebrates that depend upon dead wood. It describes the functional diversity of these organisms and their specific habitat requirements in terms of host trees, decay phases, tree dimensions, microhabitats and the surrounding environment. Recognising the threats posed by timber extraction and forest management, the authors also present management options for protecting and maintaining the diversity of these species in forests as well as in agricultural landscapes and urban parks.

In the face of ever-declining biodiversity, zoos have a major role to play in species conservation. Written by professionals involved in in situ conservation and restoration projects internationally, this is a critical assessment of the contribution of zoos to species conservation through evidence amassed from a wide range of sources. The first part outlines the biodiversity context within which zoos should operate, introducing the origins and global spread of zoos and exploring animal collection composition. The second part focuses on the basic elements of keeping viable captive animal populations. It considers the consequences of captivity on animals, the genetics of captive populations and the performance of zoos in captive breeding. The final part examines ways in which zoos can make a significant difference to conservation now and in the future. Bridging the gap between pure science and applied conservation, this is an ideal resource for both conservation biologists and zoo professionals.

Human induced development activities are introduced with insufficient attention to their consequences for our living environment, even in cases where environmental assessments have been carried out. This apparent lack of attention to biodiversity in environmental assessment is rooted in the difficulties we have in adequately addressing biodiversity within the scope, time frame and budget allocated for assessments. This book provides a conceptual background and practical approaches to overcome these difficulties. It integrates the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, its ecosystem approach, and the conceptual framework of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment into a comprehensive approach to biodiversity in environmental assessment. It highlights the need to consider the value of biodiversity based on its use by each stakeholder, addresses the importance of both social and economic development to reach the Millennium Development Goals, and provides insights into ways to balance present and future needs.

Native only to the California Channel Islands, the island fox is the smallest canid in North America. Populations on four of the islands were threatened to extinction in the 1990s due to human-mediated predation and disease. This is the first account of the natural history and ecology of the island fox, illustrating both the vulnerability of island ecosystems and the efficacy of cooperative conservation measures. It explains in detail the intense conservation actions required to recover fox populations, such as captive breeding and reintroduction, and large-scale ecosystem manipulation. These actions were successful due in large part to extraordinary collaboration among the scientists, managers and public advocates involved in the recovery effort. The book also examines the role of some aspects of island fox biology, characteristic of the 'island syndrome', in facilitating their recovery, including high productivity and an apparent adaptation to periodic genetic bottlenecks.

In the face of decreasing biodiversity and ongoing global changes, maintaining ecosystem functioning is seen both as a means to preserve biological diversity as well as for safeguarding human well-being by securing the services ecosystems provide. The concept today is prominent in many fields of ecology and conservation biology, such as biodiversity research, ecosystem management, or restoration ecology. Although the idea of ecosystem functioning is important, the concept itself remains rather vague and elusive. This book provides a novel analysis and integrated synthesis of different approaches to conceptualising and assessing ecosystem functioning. It links the natural sciences with methodologies from philosophy and the social sciences, and introduces a new methodology for a clearer and more efficient application of ecosystem functioning concepts in practice. Special emphasis is laid on the social dimensions of the concept and the ways it influences research practice. Several case studies relate theoretical analyses to practical application.

Field studies form the backbone of research, teaching, policy and advisory work. For the first time, a single textbook provides an overview of the diversity, impacts and importance of field work. The authors capture the spirit of enjoying fieldwork, and the many benefits it brings to society.

Field studies form the backbone of research, teaching, policy and advisory work. For the first time, a single textbook provides an overview of the diversity, impacts and importance of field work. The authors capture the spirit of enjoying fieldwork, and the many benefits it brings to society.

A comprehensive guide to conducting environmental risk assessments for students, researchers and professionals in ecology, conservation and resource management. Coverage includes the philosophy of uncertainty and human objectivity in risky situations. Consideration is also given to how both subjective beliefs and technical analysis can be used to make informed decisions.

Focusing on lessons that can be learned from islands, this book is for students and professionals interested in how we can take positive steps to save threatened species. Written by leading conservation practitioners, who share their first-hand experience, it will help readers apply management and leadership principles to biodiversity conservation.

Focusing on lessons that can be learned from islands, this book is for students and professionals interested in how we can take positive steps to save threatened species. Written by leading conservation practitioners, who share their first-hand experience, it will help readers apply management and leadership principles to biodiversity conservation.

Ecology and Conservation of Forest Birds is a unique review of current understanding of the relationships between forest birds and their changing environments, with a particular focus on the non-tropical parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Major conservation issues include forest management, climate change, and altered disturbance regimes.

Ecology and Conservation of Forest Birds is a unique review of current understanding of the relationships between forest birds and their changing environments, with a particular focus on the non-tropical parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Major conservation issues include forest management, climate change, and altered disturbance regimes.

Researchers and policymakers involved in the conservation of relatively small, isolated and protected areas will find this book invaluable. It presents insights from the ecology and conservation management of one of Africa's oldest protected wildlife areas, the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park.

This book explores the increasingly coordinated effort that is underway in botanic gardens around the world to find and apply the best methods of halting the steady erosion of plant diversity and saving wild plant species from extinction.

This book explores the increasingly coordinated effort that is underway in botanic gardens around the world to find and apply the best methods of halting the steady erosion of plant diversity and saving wild plant species from extinction.

This volume synthesises an extensive body of information into a concise and contemporary account of wood ant ecology and conservation. It is an ideal resource for anyone interested in wood ants or in the wider concepts of social insects, keystone species and the conservation of forest ecosystems.

Based on eighteen studies in more than twenty developing countries, this book explores the role of biodiversity-, marine-, forest-, water- and land-related ecosystem services in supporting the livelihoods of the poor around the world. The authors present innovative management opportunities that improve local livelihoods and alleviate poverty while enhancing ecosystem protection.

Based on eighteen studies in more than twenty developing countries, this book explores the role of biodiversity-, marine-, forest-, water- and land-related ecosystem services in supporting the livelihoods of the poor around the world. The authors present innovative management opportunities that improve local livelihoods and alleviate poverty while enhancing ecosystem protection.

Compares methods used for evaluating rivers and lakes for conservation, primarily in the UK and US, but also in countries such as Sweden, Australia and South Africa. Includes a chapter on developing countries, to examine the role of social and economic conditions in conservation ethics.

Covering the latest research into biodiversity conservation, this book provides global perspectives on the role of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in confronting human-induced environmental disturbance. The approach is multidisciplinary, covering all the fields involved in assessing and designating MPAs: ecology, fisheries science, statistics, economics, sociology and genetics.

Covering the latest research into biodiversity conservation, this book provides global perspectives on the role of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in confronting human-induced environmental disturbance. The approach is multidisciplinary, covering all the fields involved in assessing and designating MPAs: ecology, fisheries science, statistics, economics, sociology and genetics.

A comprehensive summary of species distribution modeling, the methods used for spatial prediction of species distributions, along with a framework for mapping species distributions using ecological theory, statistical models of distribution and spatial data. Providing practical guidelines to students, researchers and practitioners in a broad range of environmental sciences.

Compares methods used for evaluating rivers and lakes for conservation, primarily in the UK and US, but also in countries such as Sweden, Australia and South Africa. Includes a chapter on developing countries, to examine the role of social and economic conditions in conservation ethics.

This important new book by Colin Reynolds covers the adaptations, physiology and population dynamics of phytoplankton communities. It provides basic information on composition, morphology and physiology of the main phyletic groups represented in marine and freshwater systems and in addition reviews recent advances in community ecology.