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Problem-Solving in Conservation Biology and Wildlife Management, 2nd edition James P. Gibbs, Malcolm J Hunter Jr., and Eleanor J. Sterling (Eds), 2008 Blackwell Publishing, Maiden, USA xii + 332 pp. ISBN 978-1-4051-5287-7 RRP: AUD$69.95
EFFECTIVE dialogue between scientists and policy makers has been identified time and time again as one of the most important factors limiting objective conservation outcomes (e.g., Sutherland et al., 2006). Education is an important step in facilitating this dialogue, as all too often there appears to be a divide between the proponents of conservation biology (scientists, academics and students) and practitioners driving wildlife management (policy makers and politicians). Problem-solving in Conservation Biology and Wildlife Management represents a manual for the practical application of theoretical ideas and the means of communicating them, thus bridging the divide between theory and practice.
Problem-solving in Conservation Biology and Wildlife Management is divided into 32 chapters, themselves divided into 6 Parts. There is a nice logical progression through the Parts from Introduction, Genes, Populations, Species, Ecosystems and Landscapes, to Policy and Organizations. This book differs from most other publications in being designed specifically as a laboratory textbook; merging theory with practice through a problembased learning approach.
The first three chapters outline and define biodiversity and the importance of conservation biology; demonstrating these overarching themes through simple exercises. The four chapters in the Genes part of the book cover population genetics, genetic drift, pedigree management and landscape genetics; also all provided with practical examples. Parts 3 and 4 (Populations and Species respectively) cover diverse concepts from habitat loss and fragmentation, estimating population size (using DISTANCE, PRESENCE and MARK computer programmes) through to considerations in designing a zoo. All these chapters are accompanied with specific examples, such as an examination of the effect of El Niño frequency on...