Conservation of Wildlife Populations: Demography, Genetics, and Management

Title page......Page 5
Copyright page......Page 6
Contents......Page 7
List of boxes......Page 11
Preface to second edition......Page 13
Preface to first edition......Page 14
List of symbols......Page 16
Acknowledgments for second edition......Page 17
Acknowledgments for first edition......Page 18
PART I: Background to Applied Population Biology......Page 19
Introduction......Page 21
Human population growth......Page 22
Number of species on Earth: described and not yet described......Page 26
Historic versus current rates of extinction......Page 27
Humans and Sustainable Harvest......Page 30
Further Reading......Page 31
Introduction......Page 32
Replication and randomization......Page 33
Accuracy, error, and variation......Page 34
The hypothetico-deductive (HD) approach......Page 37
Three ways to test hypotheses......Page 39
Model selection based on information-theoreticmethods......Page 42
Bayesian statistics: updating knowledge withnew information......Page 46
Ethics and the Wildlife Population Biologist......Page 47
Summary......Page 49
Further Reading......Page 50
What Is Genetic Variation?......Page 51
Genetic Markers Used in Wildlife Population Biology......Page 53
Microsatellite DNA......Page 54
Genes that affect fitness: functional genomics, adaptive variation, and transcriptomics......Page 56
Taxonomy and hybridization......Page 61
Determining species identity and distribution......Page 65
Determining gender and individual identity......Page 68
Summary......Page 70
Further Reading......Page 71
Background: censusing, estimating, and indexing abundance......Page 72
Transect methods for estimating abundance......Page 75
Sightability or observation probability models......Page 77
Capture–mark–recapture (CMR) methods for estimating abundance......Page 78
Robust design......Page 83
Known-fate models......Page 85
Band-return approaches......Page 86
Estimation of Reproduction......Page 88
Sex Ratio......Page 89
Sex ratios in the wild......Page 90
Summary......Page 92
Further Reading......Page 93
PART II: Population processes: the basis for management......Page 95
Introduction......Page 97
Discrete (geometric) growth......Page 98
Continuous (exponential) growth......Page 99
Overview of λ and r......Page 100
Factors that cause population growth to fluctuate......Page 102
Implications of variation in population growth......Page 104
Quantifying Exponential Population Growth in a Stochastic Environment......Page 109
Exponential growth with process noise only (EGPN)......Page 110
Process noise and observation error occurring simultaneously (EGSS)......Page 113
Summary......Page 114
Further Reading......Page 115
Introduction......Page 116
Anatomy of a Population-Projection Matrix......Page 117
How Timing of Sampling Affects the Matrix......Page 118
Stable stage distribution, transient dynamics, and reproductive value......Page 121
All Vital Rates are not Created Equal: Analytical Sensitivities and Elasticities......Page 126
Stochasticity in Age and Stage-Structured Populations......Page 127
Sensitivity analysis method 1: manual perturbation......Page 131
Sensitivity analysis method 2: analytical sensitivity and elasticity analysis......Page 132
Sensitivity analysis method 3: life-stage simulation analysis......Page 133
Fitness is Lambda, Selection is Management......Page 134
Case Studies Using Matrix Models to Guide Conservation Decision-Making......Page 136
Case study 1: what are the best management actions to recover an endangered species?......Page 137
Case study 2: prioritizing recovery actions in Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep using asymptotic and nonasymptotic sensitivity analysis......Page 138
Case study 3: what are the most efficient management actions to reduce a pest population?......Page 139
Case study 4: how should a harvested species be managed?......Page 140
Summary......Page 142
Further Reading......Page 143
Negative Density Dependence......Page 144
The Logistic: One Simple Model of Negative Density-Dependent Population Growth......Page 146
Some Counterintuitive Dynamics: Limit Cycles and Chaos......Page 151
Positive Density Dependence......Page 153
Negative and Positive Density Dependence Operate Together......Page 156
Summary......Page 158
Further Reading......Page 159
Introduction......Page 160
Does Predation Affect Prey Numbers?......Page 161
Numerical responses of predators......Page 163
Functional responses of predators......Page 164
Total predation rate......Page 167
Factor 2. Determining How Predation Affects Prey Numbers: Compensation......Page 168
Summary......Page 170
Further Reading......Page 171
Genetic variation allows long-term adaptation......Page 172
The big four: mutation, gene flow, natural selection, and genetic drift......Page 173
The genetic effective population size......Page 174
Genetic changes due to population fragmentation......Page 177
Defining inbreeding......Page 179
When Does Inbreeding Due to Genetic Drift Lead to Inbreeding Depression?......Page 180
Inbreeding depression in wildlife populations......Page 181
Can wild populations adapt to inbreeding through purging?......Page 182
Outbreeding Depression and the Loss of Local Adaptation......Page 183
Genetic Rescue, Genetic Restoration, and Long-Term Population Recovery......Page 185
Appropriate Levels of Genetic Connectivity......Page 186
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep......Page 187
Wolves of several types: Scandinavian, Mexican, and US......Page 188
Florida panther......Page 190
Summary......Page 191
Further Reading......Page 192
Introduction......Page 193
What Is Connectivity?......Page 194
Measuring Connectivity among Wildlife Populations......Page 195
Radiotelemetry and mark–recapture......Page 196
Genetic approaches......Page 198
Multiple Populations are Not All Equal......Page 203
Multiple isolated populations......Page 204
Source–sink populations......Page 206
Ecological traps......Page 207
Corridors and managing the intervening matrix......Page 212
Physically moving animals: translocations......Page 213
Summary......Page 215
Further Reading......Page 216
PART III: Applying Knowledge of Population Processes to Problems of Declining, Small, or Harvestable Populations......Page 217
General Effects of Deterministic Stressors on Populations: Adapt, Move, or Die......Page 219
Habitat fragmentation adds to the problems of habitat loss......Page 221
Introduced and Invasive Species......Page 224
Invasion by natives: human-subsidized species......Page 226
The special case of parasites and disease......Page 227
Pollution......Page 230
Overharvest......Page 232
Adapt in place......Page 233
Adapt by moving......Page 236
Failure to adapt in place or move means die and decline......Page 237
Multiple Deterministic Stressors Occur Simultaneously......Page 238
Summary......Page 240
Further Reading......Page 241
Ecological Characteristics Predicting Risk......Page 242
Predicting Risks in Small Populations......Page 244
PVA defined......Page 245
Three components of PVA......Page 247
How to conduct a PVA......Page 249
Big-picture thoughts about PVA......Page 255
Rules of thumb......Page 257
Summary......Page 260
Further Reading......Page 261
Introduction......Page 262
2 Umbrella species......Page 263
3 Indicator species......Page 264
4 Strong interactors: dominants and keystones......Page 265
Summary......Page 267
Further Reading......Page 268
Introduction......Page 269
Harvest level: numerical and functional responses of hunters......Page 270
Is hunting mortality additive or compensatory?......Page 271
Which ages and sexes are harvested?......Page 273
Long-Term Effects: Hunting as An Evolutionary Force......Page 275
Models to Guide Sustainable Harvest......Page 276
Fixed-quota harvests......Page 277
Adding age structure to harvest models......Page 278
Adaptive harvest management (AHM)......Page 282
Management of Overabundant and Pest Populations......Page 283
Summary......Page 284
Further Reading......Page 285
Epilogue......Page 287
References......Page 289
Index......Page 319
Supplemental Images......Page 347