Large Carnivores and the Conservation of Biodiversity
526 pages
6 x 9
Book Description
Large Carnivores and the Conservation of Biodiversity brings together more than thirty leading scientists and conservation practitioners to consider a key question in environmental conservation: Is the conservation of large carnivores in ecosystems that evolved with their presence equivalent to the conservation of biological diversity within those systems? Building their discussions from empirical, long-term data sets, contributors including James A. Estes, David S. Maehr, Tim McClanahan, Andrès J. Novaro, John Terborgh, and Rosie Woodroffe explore a variety of issues surrounding the link between predation and biodiversity: What is the evidence for or against the link? Is it stronger in marine systems? What are the implications for conservation strategies?
Large Carnivores and the Conservation of Biodiversity is the first detailed, broad-scale examination of the empirical evidence regarding the role of large carnivores in biodiversity conservation in both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. It contributes to a much more precise and global understanding of when, where, and whether protecting and restoring top predators will directly contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. Everyone concerned with ecology, biodiversity, or large carnivores will find this volume a unique and thought-provoking analysis and synthesis.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. Introduction: How to Value Large Carnivorous Animals
PART I. Setting the Stage
Chapter 2. An Ecological Context for the Role of Large Carnivores in Conserving Biodiversity
Chapter 3. Large Carnivorous Animals as Tools for Conserving Biodiversity: Assumptions and Uncertainties
PART II. The Scientific Context for Understanding the Role of Predation
Chapter 4. Carnivory and Trophic Connectivity in Kelp Forests
Chapter 5. The Green World Hypothesis Revisited
Chapter 6. Restoring Functionality in Yellowstone with Recovering Carnivores: Gains and Uncertainties
Chapter 7. Large Marine Carnivores: Trophic Cascades and Top-Down Controls in Coastal Ecosystems Past and Present
Chapter 8. Forest Ecosystems without Carnivores: When Ungulates Rule the World
Chapter 9. King of the Beasts? Evidence for Guild Redundancy among Large Mammalian Carnivores
PART III. From Largely Intact to Human-Dominated Systems: Insight on the Role of Predation Derived from Long-Term Studies
Chapter 10. Tigers and Wolves in the Russian Far East: Competitive Exclusion, Functional Redundancy, and Conservation Implications
Chapter 11. Large Carnivores and Biodiversity in African Savanna Ecosystems
Chapter 12. Large Carnivores and Ungulates in European Temperate Forest Ecosystems: Bottom-Up and Top-Down Control
Chapter 13. Recovery of Carnivores, Trophic Cascades, and Diversity in Coral Reef Marine Parks
Chapter 14. Human-Induced Changes in the Effect of Top Carnivores on Biodiversity in the Patagonian Steppe
PART IV. Achieving Conservation and Management Goals through Focus on Large Carnivorous Animals
Chapter 15. Large Carnivores, Herbivores, and Omnivores in South Florida: An Evolutionary Approach to Conserving Landscapes and Biodiversity
Chapter 16. Hunting by Carnivores and Humans: Does Functional Redundancy Occur and Does It Matter?
Chapter 17. Detecting Top-Down versus Bottom-Up Regulation of Ungulates by Large Carnivores: Implications for Conservation of Biodiversity
Chapter 18. Top Carnivores and Biodiversity Conservation in the Boreal Forest
Chapter 19. The Linkage between Conservation Strategies for Large Carnivores and Biodiversity: The View from the
"Half-Full" Forests of Europe
Chapter 20. Conclusion: Is Large Carnivore Conservation Equivalent to Biodiversity Conservation and How Can We Achieve Both?
References
List of Contributors
Index
