Serengeti IV

"An impressive tribute to the Serengeti ecosystem and the work of Sinclair and his colleagues over the past fifty years. The book synthesizes studies on the Serengeti ecosystem through a lens of disturbance, natural and human. Numerous chapters summarize the current state of what is known on subjects ranging from butterflies to infectious disease, elephants, and vegetation, with an overall focus on sustainability. The latter part of the book includes human social systems and consequences of human-wildlife interactions. Throughout the volume, implications of management, policy, and conservation, as directed by the science, are reviewed in the context of changing climate and human influences. . . . Comprehensive, well organized, nicely illustrated, and chock-full of references. The entire volume will be useful to students and researchers with interests in African ecology; additionally, chapters such as, 'Why Are Wildebeest the Most Abundant Herbivore in the Serengeti Ecosystem?' stand alone and can be useful in courses such as ecology and behavior. . . . Highly recommended."--C. L. Johnson, Gustavus Adolphus College "Choice" "An especially momentous contribution. This book is mind-boggling in its scope, synthesizing a suite of multiyear studies ranging from the abundance and diversity of arthropods within Serengeti National Park to strategies for disincentivizing poaching through the development of alternative incomes. . . . In sum, Serengeti IV is an epic achievement. It is at once both deeply and broadly appealing, rigorous and readable, cautionary and optimistic. It belongs on the bookshelves of all ecologists (not just those working in Africa, or on large mammals, or in rangeland ecosystems), those working in human dimensions of wildlife conservation, and members of the general public fascinated by this grand ecosystem."--Jacob R. Goheen, University of Wyoming "Journal of Mammalogy" "Serengeti IV is an interesting read for all who are concerned about the current struggle in conservation biology; to what degree (if at all) do we accept humans as a natural, intrinsic, driver of ecosystems? And how do we develop new ways that ensure that protected areas truly support surrounding communities? The Serengeti, and the research that occurs there, will likely continue to play a pivotal role in these heavily debated questions, and it is my hope that it will provide part of the answers."--Joris P. G. M. Cromsigt, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa "Quarterly Review of Biology"

Anthony R. E. Sinclair is professor emeritus of zoology at the University of British Columbia and coeditor of Serengeti I, II, and III. He lives in Richmond, BC. Kristine L. Metzger is a landscape ecologist working for the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Simon A. R. Mduma is director of the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, Tanzania, and coeditor of Serengeti III. John M. Fryxell is professor of integrative biology at the University of Guelph and coeditor of Serengeti III.