"Wildlife in a Changing World" presents an analysis of the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Beginning with an explanation of the IUCN Red List as a key conservation tool, it goes on to discuss the state of the world s species and provides the latest information on the patterns of species facing extinction in some of the most important ecosystems in the world, highlighting the reasons behind their declining status. Areas of focus in the report include: freshwater biodiversity, the status of the world s marine species, species susceptibility to climate change impacts, the Mediterranean biodiversity hot spot, and broadening the coverage of biodiversity assessments."
"The discovery is reported of a third line of evidence which separates the large tribe of Oriental tree squirrels Callosciurini from the Holarctic members of the tribe Sciurini and also associates the widely disjunct Bornean tassel-eared squirrel Reithrosciurus with the Holarctic Sciurini. The third line of evidence is the number of pairs of functional mammae, which are four in the Holarctic Sciurini but only two or three in the Callosciurini. Data in the new line of evidence are presented for samples of 34 of the 37 genera of the subfamily Sciurinae of diurnal squirrels. Their significance to the interrelationships of the eight tribes and their constituent subtribes and genera and occasionally lower categories is evaluated. In general the new line of evidence is equivocal or supports the latest classification of the subfamily Sciurinae. It also suggests some minor refinements. For example, within the large Oriental squirrel subgenus Callosciurus a previously unsuspected division of the species is discovered that separates grossly the Malaysian from the Indo-Chinese species. The species of the Indo-Chinese Subregion have two pairs of mammae; those of the Malaysian Subregion, generally three. In addition to being of systematic value in its geographic variation, the number of pairs of functional mammae is shown to vary with latitude. The number of pairs generally decreases from boreal and temperate climates to tropical. Data from the literature on the size of the brood are presented which reveal that it is correlated with a reduction in mammae from temperate to tropical climates. In the tree squirrels as a whole and in the ground squirrels as a whole, there seems to be a strong trend of larger towards smaller broods from the north temperate climates to tropical climates. This trend corresponds with the decrease in the size of the clutch in birds from the north temperate to tropical climates, but in squirrels the trend seems also to be correlated with a meristic morphological difference--the number of pairs of mammae. No clear answer is at hand for an important question concerning evolution: Do the squirrels of the temperate climate with more mammae and larger broods actually produce more young per year? A definite north-to-south increase of broods from one to two broods per year is found in Nearctic ground squirrels. Data from Funambulus pennanti in India and three species of Callosciurus in Malaya hint that the females of tropical species may rear three or four broods in a single year, instead of one or two as do their relatives in more northern latitudes"--P. 29.
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.
A unique and personal insight into the ecology and evolution of pollinators, their relationships with flowers, and their conservation in a rapidly changing world. The pollination of flowers by insects, birds and other animals is a fundamentally important ecological function that supports both the natural world and human society. Without pollinators to facilitate the sexual reproduction of plants, the world would be a biologically poorer place in which to live, there would be an impact on food security, and human health would suffer. Written by one of the world’s leading pollination ecologists, this book provides an introduction to what pollinators are, how their interactions with flowers have evolved, and the fundamental ecology of these relationships. It explores the pollination of wild and agricultural plants in a variety of habitats and contexts, including urban, rural and agricultural environments. The author also provides practical advice on how individuals and organisations can study, and support, pollinators. As well as covering the natural history of pollinators and flowers, the author discusses their cultural importance, and the ways in which pollinator conservation has been portrayed from a political perspective. The book draws on field work experiences in South America, Africa, Australia, the Canary Islands and the UK. For over 30 years the author has spent his career researching how plants and pollinators evolve relationships, how these interactions function ecologically, their importance for society, and how we can conserve them in a rapidly changing world. This book offers a unique and personal insight into the science of pollinators and pollination, aimed at anyone who is interested in understanding these fascinating and crucial ecological interactions.
This Action Plan provides an overview of the state of knowledge about all species of lagomorphs, provides a contemporary framework about their importance to humans and the world’s ecosystems, reviews their status on a worldwide scale, and makes recommendations for conservation action to prevent the extinction of any lagomorph species and to allow their populations to recover to safe and production levels.
Every three years a major international conference on bats draws the leading workers in the field to a carefully orchestrated presentation of the research and advances and current state of understanding of bat biology. Bats are the second most populous group of mammalia species, after rodents, and they are probably the most intensively studied group of mammals. Virtually all mammologists and a large proportion of organismic biologists are interested in bats. The earlier two edited books deriving from previous bat research conferences, as well as this one, have been rigorously edited by Tom Kunz and others, with all chapters subjected to peer review. The resulting volumes, published first by Academic Press and most recently by Smithsonian, have sold widely as the definitive synthetic treatments of current scientific understanding of bats.
This open access multi-authored book presents a 'state of the science' synthesis of knowledge on the biodiversity of Angola, based on sources in peer-reviewed journals, in books and where appropriate, unpublished official reports. The book identifies Angola as one of the most biologically diverse countries in Africa, but notes that its fauna, flora, habitats and the processes that drive the dynamics of its ecosystems are still very poorly researched and documented. This 'state of the science' synthesis is for the use of all students of Angola's biodiversity, and for those responsible for the planning, development and sustainable management of the country's living resources. The volume brings together the results of expeditions and research undertaken in Angola since the late eighteenth century, with emphasis on work conducted in the four decades since Angola's independence in 1975. The individual chapters have been written by leaders in their fields, and reviewed by peers familiar with the region.
“Authoritative and comprehensive—provides an up-to-date description of the tool box of methods for inventorying and monitoring the diverse spectrum of reptiles. All biodiversity scientists will want to have it during project planning and as study progresses. A must for field biologists, conservation planners, and biodiversity managers.”—Jay M. Savage, San Diego State University “Kudos to the editors and contributors to this book. From the perspective of a non-ecologist such as myself, who only occasionally needs to intensively sample a particular site or habitat, the quality and clarity of this book has been well worth the wait.”—Jack W. Sites, Jr.
