The Ecological Basis of Conservation

A major new work on conservation ecology, in which the authors argue that to advance the internal agenda of the science, theories, models, and field studies of populations and ecosystems will need to be better integrated. The book attempts to bring these two aspects of ecology closer together in conservation, using a new paradigm in ecology. The book explores a broad range of targets for conservation, illustrating the value of the new syntheses. The contributors evaluate the role of theory, and of both familiar and novel types of models, to indicate how such tools can be employed over the range of scales and processes that conservation must now address. |The book contains diverse practical examples and case studies of how the new thinking in ecology, and the new partnerships required for more successful conservation, actually work and can be immproved. The examples range from freshwater to arid, and from subtropical to boreal.

Introduction: The needs for a comprehensive conservation theory; Chapter 1: Defining the scientific issues-R.S. Ostfeld, S.T.A. Pickett, M. Shachak and G.E. Likens. Chapter 2: Part 1. Science, Conservation, Policy, and the Public-G. L. Glickman; Part 2. Providing the scientific information that conservation practitioners need-H. Pulliam; Part 3. A policy perspective on biodiversity protection and ecosystem management. Chapter 3: Conservation and human population growth: what are the linkages?-J. E. Cohen. Chapter 4: Developing an analytical context for multispecies conservation planning-B. Noon, K. McKelvey, and D. Murphy. Chapter5: Operationalizing ecology under a new paradigm: An african perspective-K. H. Rogers. II. Foundations for a comprehensive conservation theory Themes-S.T.A. Pickett, R.S. Ostfeld, M. Shachak & G.E. Likens CHapter 6: The paradigm shift in ecology and its implications for conservation-P. Fielder, P.S. White and R. Leidy; Chapter 7:The emerging role of patchiness in conservation biology-J. A. Wiens; Chapter 8:Linking ecological understanding and application: patchiness in a dryland system-M. Shachak and S.T.A. Pickett. III. Biodiversity and its ecological linkages Themes- R.S. Ostfeld, S.T.A. Pickett, M. Shackhak & G.E. Likens. Chapter 9: The evaluation of biodiversity as a target for conservation-M. P. Nott and S. Pimm; Chapter 10: Conserving ecosystem function-J.L.Meyer; Chapter 11:The relationship between patchiness and biodiversity in terrestial systems-L. Hansson; Chapter 12: Re-evaluating the use of models to predict the consequences of habitat loss and fragmentation-P. Kareiva, D. Skelly, and M. Ruckelshaus; Chapter 13: Managing for heterogeneity and complexity on dynamic landscapes-N. Christensen, Jr.; Chapter 14:Toward a resolution of conflicting paradigms-S. Tartowski; Chapter 15:The land ethic of aldo leopold-A. C. Leopold. IV: Towards a new conservation theory. Themes-R.S. Ostfeld, S.T.A. Pickett, M. Shackhak & G.E. Likens Chapter 16:The future of conservation biology: What's a geneticist to do?-K. E. Holsinger and P. Vitt; Chapter 17: Habitat destruction and metapopulation dynamics-I. Hanski; Chapter 18: How viable is population viability analysis?-K. Ralls and B. L. Taylor Chapter 19: Reserve design and the new conservation theory-N.E. Barrett and J. P. Barrett Chapter 20:Ecosystem processes do?-J.J. Ewel; Chapter 21:Measurement scales and ecosystem management-D.R. Gordon, L. Provencher, and J.L. Hardesty; Chapter 22:Biogeographic approaches and the new conservation biology-D. Simberloff; Chapter 23: Conserving interaction biodiversity-J.N. Thompson. V. The applications of conservation ecology Themes-R.S. Ostfeld, S.T.A. Pickett, M. Shachak and G.E. Likens. Chapter 24: State-dependent decision analysis for conservation biology-H.P.