Conservation Biology for All

Conservation Biology for All provides cutting-edge but basic conservation science to a global readership. A series of authoritative chapters have been written by the top names in conservation biology with the principal aim of disseminating cutting-edge conservation knowledge as widely as possible. Important topics such as balancing conversion and human needs, climate change, conservation planning, designing and analyzing conservation research, ecosystem services, endangered species management, extinctions, fire, habitat loss, and invasive species are covered. Numerous textboxes describing additional relevant material or case studies are also included. The global biodiversity crisis is now unstoppable; what can be saved in the developing world will require an educated constituency in both the developing and developed world. Habitat loss is particularly acute in developing countries, which is of special concern because it tends to be these locations where the greatest species diversity and richest centres of endemism are to be found. Sadly, developing world conservation scientists have found it difficult to access an authoritative textbook, which is particularly ironic since it is these countries where the potential benefits of knowledge application are greatest. There is now an urgent need to educate the next generation of scientists in developing countries, so that they are in a better position to protect their natural resources. If a book could receive a standing ovation this one is a candidate. Sodhi and Ehrlich have created a comprehensive introduction to conservation biology that is accessible intellectually, and financially, to a broad audienceindeed it is Conservation biology for all. Ecology The book is packed with information, is wide-ranging, and includes most emerging issues that come under the umbrella of conservation biology today.Introduction ; 1. Conservation Biology: Past and Present ; 2. Biodiversity ; 3. Ecosystem Functions and Services ; 4. Habitat Destruction: Death of a Thousand Cuts ; 5. Habitat Fragmentation and Landscape Change ; 6. Overharvesting ; 7. Invasive Species ; 8. Climate Change ; 9. Fire and Biodiversity ; 10. Extinctions and the Practice of Preventing Them ; 11. Conservation Planning and Priorities ; 12. Endangered Species Management: The US Experience ; 13. Conservation in Human-Modified Landscapes ; 14. The Roles of People in Conservation ; 15. From Conservation Theory to Practice: Crossing the Divide ; 16. The Conservation Biologist's Toolbox - Principles for the Design and Analysis of Conservation Studies ; Index