Cambridge Studies in Applied Ecology and Resource Management – serie

Since the industrialization of fishing, fisheries scientists have been subject to intense economic and political pressures, which have affected the way the science has developed. The origins and effects of these pressures are traced in this 1994 book to concerns about determining the causes of fluctuations in fish and whale catches, and to resistance to regulation of fishing activity when populations are depleted. The development of partial theories of fish population dynamics are described using examples of both national and international fisheries. The causes of the difficulties encountered in generalizing these theories are examined, setting the stage for the limitation of scope of these studies that still influences the form and extent of fisheries research today. This is a fascinating resource for all those interested in fisheries science and the way it has developed in the last 150 years.

How do we decide whether a particular vertebrate species can be classified as a pest? What is achieved by control of such pests? This 1994 book describes the application of statistics, economics and mathematical modelling to the control of bird and mammal pests. The emphasis is on the science underlying vertebrate pest control rather than on the control itself - the latter point distinguishes the book from any other. The scope is worldwide.

Land degradation from soil erosion has been considered by many to be a problem of significant proportion, affecting some 30-50% of the earth's land surface. At the time of the first publication of this book in 1993, estimates indicated that 10-15 million hectares of land were being lost each year through erosion and salinisation from irrigation and that at such a rate of loss, topsoil reserves on most sloping lands would be depleted within two hundred years. Since humankind's dependency on the land for food is almost total, soil erosion represents a real threat to the security of our food supply. The need for the immediate conservation of the world's soil resources is therefore clear. As part of the response to this need, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Commission on Ecology convened a special working group to consider the problem of world soil erosion and to propose practical solutions for soil conservation. This important book presents the outcome of their work.

The vast area of swamp and wetlands of the Southern Sudan, the Sudd, absorbs and dissipates by evaporation about half the inflow from the upper catchment of the White Nile. Ways and means of reducing these losses by canalisation have been under engineering investigation since the beginning of the twentieth century, the objective being to provide additional water for irrigation and hydro-electric power in Egypt and the northern Sudan. Construction of the Jonglei Canal began in 1977; at the end of 1983 it was halted by civil war, 260 kilometre from its outfall and 100 kilometres short of completion. In the area through which it passes it will, if ever completed, have varied local effects; it will reduce the seasonally river-flooded grasslands, which are of crucial importance to the pastoral sector of the local economy and cut the line of seasonal migration of man, livestock and wildlife. Yet it will bring benefits and opportunities as well as adverse effects. Based on scientific studies of the area carried out in the early 1950s and again between 1978 and 1983, the aim of the book is to present a multi-disciplinary survey of the very complex interrelated hydrological, ecological, biological and human problems involved.

The management of the elk population at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, has been the subject of a long-standing controversy among wildlife biologists, with critics of the winter feeding program predicting that such intervention would result in overpopulation, habitat destruction, disease and chaos. After more than 75 years in which hay has been provided during the winter months in most years, the elk population is flourishing and is for good measure one of the most intensively studied and managed wildlife populations in North America. This detailed study of migration, population dynamics, harvesting strategies, winter feeding programs and range relationships in the Jackson elk herd provides a classic study in wildlife management. As such it will have wide appeal to professionals and students in wildlife biology, resource management and applied ecology.

The management of kangaroos is one of the most controversial issues in Australian wildlife management today - kangaroos are 'in plague proportions' or 'on the verge of extinction' depending on whom you spoke to last. This book examines the ecology and management of kangaroos and shows how they interact with their own environment and with that shaped by sheep grazing and the wool industry. It presents the results of intensive and detailed studies of feeding behaviour, movement and habitat utilisation, body condition and population dynamics, weather and plant growth. These are then synthesised to produce a clear picture of how kangaroos cope so successfully with the climatic extremes of the arid zone, how they and the sheep jointly affect each other's fortunes, and what the options are for the future management of kangaroos both within the national parks and on the sheep rangelands.

When this book was first published in 1989, attempts to reintroduce plants or animals into their native habitat were still relatively rare, and those that were adequately planned, designed, funded and monitored over the course of years are even scarcer. The oryx story is an exception to this, and has the added interest that it represents the first attempt to re-establish a wild population of a species when there were no others left outside captivity. This meant that zoo-bred animals had to be prepared for release into the oryx's extreme and demanding habitat in the deserts of central Oman. This book will be accessible to the informed conservationist, amateur or professional.

This book, first published in 1989, examines the controversial position of commercial utilisation in relation to wildlife conservation. Production of large mammals has earned respectability as an agricultural strategy and its evaluation has been listed as a priority requirement in the World Conservation Strategy. However, many authorities question whether wildlife production is a viable economic and environmental strategy, and suggest that it runs counter to its claimed purpose. This book evaluates this controversy by chronicling the changing role of wildlife and by reflecting on the implications of these trends. The book should be of interest to people both applauding and deploring the use of wildlife in this economic role.

Since the industrialization of fishing, fisheries scientists have been subject to intense economic and political pressures, which have affected the way the science has developed. The origins and effects of these pressures are traced in this 1994 book to concerns about determining the causes of fluctuations in fish and whale catches, and to resistance to regulation of fishing activity when populations are depleted. The development of partial theories of fish population dynamics are described using examples of both national and international fisheries. The causes of the difficulties encountered in generalizing these theories are examined, setting the stage for the limitation of scope of these studies that still influences the form and extent of fisheries research today. This is a fascinating resource for all those interested in fisheries science and the way it has developed in the last 150 years.

How do we decide whether a particular vertebrate species can be classified as a pest? What is achieved by control of such pests? This 1994 book describes the application of statistics, economics and mathematical modelling to the control of bird and mammal pests. The emphasis is on the science underlying vertebrate pest control rather than on the control itself - the latter point distinguishes the book from any other. The scope is worldwide.

The Asian elephant has had a unique cultural association with people. Unfortunately, elephants and people have also been in conflict, resulting in the decline in elephants throughout their former range in Southern Asia. This book provides an ecological analysis of elephant-human interaction and its implication for the conservation of elephants. The foraging habits of elephants and their impact on vegetation are considered, along with the interactions that occur between elephants and humans. The ecological data provide the basis for recommendations on elephant conservation and management, keeping in view the socio-economic imperatives of the Asian region. This first comprehensive account of Asian elephant ecology will be of particular interest to conservation biologists and mammalogists.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area in the heart of Maasailand is one of the world's most important conservation heritage areas. This book centres on a field study of the Ngorongoro Maasai and their herds, around which present knowledge of African rangeland, wildlife, livestock and pastoralist ecology is brought together and analysed. Management problems in Ngorongoro encapsulate many of the major debates in the ecology and conservation of African savannas. This book explores perceived problems, ecological facts and possible management solutions. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the authors argue a highly charged issue in terms of ecological fact and theory. This is an essential book for all those interested in the interface between wildlife conservation and human land use, whether professional ecologists or biologists, conservationists or resource managers, development workers or rural planners, and more generally, all those concerned with the ecological facts behind environmental and development issues.

Timber production is often the most economic form of land use in areas of tropical forest: forest preservation is rarely so. The area of tropical forest reserved for timber production exceeds that of National Parks and other preserved areas by a ratio of at least 8:1. Although often poorly managed to date, production forests have the potential to support a high percentage of natural forest biodiversity. They have a vital role to play in conservation strategies. This book attempts to bridge the current gap between conservation requirements and commercial interests, indicating the possibilities for integrated management of tropical forests. The aim is to develop a justification and practical approach for the management of production forest as a supplement to totally-protected forest in the conservation of tropical biodiversity.