Book Description Review Quotes Contents
Book Description

State of the Wild is a biennial series that brings together international conservation experts and writers to discuss emerging issues in the conservation of wildlife and wild places. Each volume in the series combines evocative writings with a fascinating tour of conservation news highlights and vital statistics from around the world.
 
One-third of each volume focuses on a topic of particular concern to conservationists. This 2010–2011 edition considers how destabilization and war affect wildlife and wild places.
 
Only recently has the international community begun to appreciate the cost of conflict—simmering tension, war, and reconstruction—on the natural world. This special section examines the role that conservation plays in the context of human conflict considering issues such as, Can the work of saving wildlife and wild places help ameliorate tensions? Can conservation deepen political understanding? Can conservation help in post-conflict situations?
 
The book’s twenty essays are intermixed with poetry and beautiful photos that capture our connection to the wild.
 
State of the Wild’s accessible approach educates a wide range of audiences while at the same time presenting leading-edge scientific overviews of hot topics in conservation. Uniquely structured with magazine-like features up front, conservation news in the middle, and essays from eminent authors and experienced scientists throughout, this landmark series is an essential addition to any environmental bookshelf.

Review Quotes

"This unique publication blends poetic awe for nature's beauty with rigorous analysis of the most difficult challenges conservation faces. Discussions range from new discoveries in biodiversity science, to profound reflection on conservation in times and areas of war, to novel field techniques and approaches. This stunning book is informative and inspiring. Every conservationist should read it."
Luigi Boitani, University of Rome, Italy and President, Society for Conservation Biology

"In times of war, it is easy to forget about the indispensible role natural resources play in supporting human livelihoods. This book reminds us of the toll war takes on wildlife and the challenges of conservation in conflict zones. It is an excellent summary of the latest conservation science and draws on important case studies of both success and failure. A source of inspiration for practitioners and policy makers alike, this volume makes an important and timely contribution to the global body of knowledge on the state of the wild."
David Jensen , United Nations Environment Programme

"This edition of the State of the Wild, with its emphasis on conservation in a time of war, puts to bed the misguided notion that natural resources are luxury items to be conserved once fighting has stopped and stability returned. Chapters in the special section uncover the diverse roles conservation plays during conflict, including key contributions to ending conflict, supporting livelihoods, and ultimately building peace. While such contributions are not easy to make, nor their results guaranteed, they offer a means to minimize the threats and grab the opportunity."
Geoffrey Dabelko, Director, Environmental Change and Security Program

Contents

About the Wildlife Conservation Society
By the Numbers: Wildlife Conservation in a Time of War
Foreword: Conservation and the Global Economic Recession
Introduction: Future States of the Wild
 
PART I. State of the Wild
-State of the Wild: Wounded Wilderness
- Global Conservation News Highlights
-Discoveries
-The Rarest of the Rare
-Rarest Ecosystems
-Emerging Diseases and Conservation: An Update on One World–One Health
-Champions of the Wild
 
PART II. Focus on the Wild
-Conservation Amid War
-Conservation and Governance: Lessons from the Reconstruction Effort in Afghanistan
-Marine Life in Times of Conflict
-Who Owns the Wild?: Civil Conflict in Africa
-Parks as Peace Makers: The Peru–Ecuador Divide
 
PART III. Emerging Issues in the Wild
Section 1. Conservation of Wildlife
-Vanishing Asian Turtles
-What Future for Forest Elephants?
-Restoration of the Guanaco, Icon of Patagonia
-Changing Flyways: Migratory Birds in a Warming World
 
Section 2. Conservation of Wild Places
-The Boreal Forest: Trouble in Canada's Great Wilderness
-Inspiring Ocean Conservation
-The Wild and the City
-Life Waters: Wetlands and Climate Change
-Conservation Controversy: Can Paying for Ecosystem Services Save Biodiversity?
 
Section 3. The Art and Practice of Conservation
-Faith, Hope, and Conservation
-Canine Detection Teams and Conservation
-Agriculture and Wildlife in Europe
-The Dilemma of Confiscated Wildlife
-The Evolving Practice of Conservation in Rwanda
-Final Thoughts: Safe Havens for Wildlife and People in Contested Holy Lands
 
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index