|
|
- Info
Principles of conservation biology
| Author: |
Meffe, Gary K.; Carroll, C. Ronald |
| Date: |
1994 |
| Periodical: |
Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates, Inc. |
| Abstract: |
The field of conservation biology is a new, rapidly growing, and swiftly changing endeavor, a product of the calamitous decline of biodiversity formally recognized by the scientific community in the 1970s. The field grew in the 1980s from an amalgam of disciplines but until the fall Of 1993 no textbook existed to guide its new practitioners. This is the second textbook in the field, and the first at a more advanced level.
The book Proceeds in four parts. Part I introduces the philosophical, ethical, and biological framework upon which all conservation must be built. A strong ethical standard is a prerequisite for success in any venture, and lack of ethical direction is a root cause of many of the problems we face in conservation today. We paraphrase conservation biologist and ethicist Phil Pister, who has said that training peoplein any field without also providing an ethical foundation is like launching missiles without guidance systems. They will certairdy take off and do something, but we really do not know what. The discussion on ethics is followed by an exploration of definitions and roles of species and Populations m conservation, which also has strong bearing on legal aspects of protection. Part I finishes with two chapters that define biodiversity and its local and global patterns, causes, and dynamics,and focuses on patterns and causes of biodiversity losses.
Part 11 presents two chapters on the Population level. First, the genetic basis of conservation is examined, including discussion of the importance and losses of genetic diversity, and management approaches to its conservation. We then discuss demographic processes of populations, emphasizing mechanisms of population regulation, dynamics of populations, and the importance of linking the population and landscape levels in conservation.
Part III focuses on system-wide issues. The implications of species inter-actions and community influences on conservation are discussed by examining the keystone species concept, mutualistic interactions, and the effects of invasive species on communities. We then move to a dominant global problem in conservation, habitat fragmentation, exploring various concepts of fragmentation and its effects on biota. This sets the stage for a discussion of the design of nature reserves, a major challenge in conservation biology.
The eight chapters in Part IV build on the foundation of the previous parts, and address practical applications and human concerns in conservation. First, two chapters on the theory and practice of management ask why management is necessary, explain different tvpes and levels of management, and discuss management priorities and external threats to management plans. This is followed by a series of management case studies written by individuals experienced in management issues ranging from working with endangered species to managing conservaticiii tmits. We then explore one particular management approach, habitat restoration and mitigation of habitat loss. Although it is not a substitute for protection of natural areas, restoration ecology can potentially reclaim some degraded and destroyed areas and make them ecologically valuable again. Conservation biology is then melded with economics and politics in the next chapter. If the political and economic arenas are not modified to recognize long-term problems associated with biodiversity losses and global erivironmental change, then even the best biological knowledge will have little effect. |
|
