Ecological Applications: toward a sustainable world

Contents......Page 6
Plates......Page 13
Boxes......Page 14
Preface......Page 15
Acknowledgments......Page 17
1: Introduction – humans, nature and human nature......Page 18
1.1 Homo not-so-sapiens?......Page 19
1.1.2 Human population density and technology underlie environmental impact......Page 20
1.2 A biodiversity crisis......Page 21
1.2.1 The scale of the biodiversity problem......Page 23
1.2.2 Biodiversity, ecosystem function and ecosystem services......Page 24
1.2.3 Drivers of biodiversity loss – the extinction vortex......Page 28
1.2.4 Habitat loss – driven from house and home......Page 29
1.2.5 Invaders – unwanted biodiversity......Page 30
1.2.6 Overexploitation – too much of a good thing......Page 31
1.2.7 Habitat degradation – laying waste......Page 34
1.2.8 Global climate change – life in the greenhouse......Page 35
1.3 Toward a sustainable future?......Page 37
1.3.1 Ecological applications – to conserve, restore and sustain biodiversity......Page 39
1.3.2 From an economic perspective – putting a value on nature......Page 45
1.3.3 The sociopolitical dimension......Page 46
2: Ecological applications of niche theory......Page 53
2.1 Introduction......Page 54
2.2 Unwanted aliens – lessons from niche theory......Page 58
2.2.1 Ecological niche modeling – predicting where invaders will succeed......Page 59
2.2.3 When humans disrupt ecosystems and make it easy for invaders......Page 61
2.3.1 Monarch’s winter palace under siege......Page 63
2.3.2 A species off the rails – translocation of the takahe......Page 65
2.4.1 Land reclamation – prospecting for species to restore mined sites......Page 66
2.4.2 Agricultural intensification – risks to biodiversity......Page 68
2.4.3 How much does it cost to restore a species?......Page 69
2.4.4 River restoration – going with the flow......Page 70
3: Life-history theory and management......Page 76
3.1 Introduction – using life-history traits to make management decisions......Page 77
3.2 Species traits as predictors for effective restoration......Page 78
3.2.2 Restoring tropical forest – abandoned farmland reclaimed for nature......Page 79
3.3 Species traits as predictors of invasion success......Page 82
3.3.2 Invasion success – the importance of flexibility......Page 83
3.3.3 Separating invasions into sequential stages – different traits for each?......Page 85
3.4 Species traits as predictors of extinction risk......Page 88
3.4.1 Niche breadth and flexibility – freshwater and forest at risk......Page 89
3.4.2 When big isn’t best – r/K theory, harvesting, grazing and pollution......Page 90
3.4.3 When competitiveness matters – CSR theory, grazing and habitat fragmentation......Page 94
4: Dispersal, migration and management......Page 98
4.1 Introduction – why species mobility matters......Page 99
4.2.1 For whom the bell tolls – the surprising story of a South American bird......Page 101
4.2.2 The ups and downs of panda conservation......Page 102
4.2.3 Dispersal of a vulnerable aquatic insect – a damsel in distress......Page 103
4.2.4 Designing marine reserves......Page 105
4.3.2 Bog restoration – is assisted migration needed for peat’s sake?......Page 106
4.3.3 Wetland forest restoration......Page 108
4.4.1 The Great Lakes – a great place for invaders......Page 109
4.4.2 Lakes as infectious agents......Page 111
4.4.3 Invasion hubs or diffusive spread?......Page 112
4.4.4 How to manage invasions under globalization......Page 113
4.5.2 Bats – axeman cut that track......Page 114
4.5.3 Farming the wind – the spatial risk of pulverizing birds......Page 117
4.5.4 Bee business – pollination services of native bees depend on dispersal distance......Page 120
5: Conservation of endangered species......Page 125
5.1 Dealing with endangered species – a crisis discipline......Page 126
5.2 Assessing extinction risk from correlational data......Page 130
5.3.1 The case of Fender’s blue butterfly......Page 134
5.3.2 A primate in Kenya – how good are the data?......Page 135
5.4 Simulation modeling for population viability analysis......Page 136
5.4.1 An Australian icon at risk......Page 137
5.4.2 The royal catchfly – a burning issue......Page 139
5.4.3 Ethiopian wolves – dogged by disease......Page 140
5.4.4 How good is your population viability analysis?......Page 143
5.5 Conservation genetics......Page 144
5.5.2 The pink pigeon – providing a solid foundation......Page 145
5.5.3 Reintroduction of a ‘red list’ plant – the value of crossing......Page 146
5.6 A broader perspective of conservation – ecology, economics and sociopolitics all matter......Page 147
5.6.1 Genetically modified crops – larking about with farmland biodiversity......Page 148
5.6.2 Diclofenac – good for sick cattle, bad for vultures......Page 150
6: Pest management......Page 156
6.1.1 One person’s pest, another person’s pet......Page 157
6.1.2 Eradication or control?......Page 158
6.2.1 Natural arms factories......Page 163
6.2.3 From blunderbuss to surgical strike......Page 164
6.2.5 Changing pest behavior – a propaganda war......Page 167
6.2.6 When pesticides go wrong – target pest resurgence and secondary pests......Page 168
6.2.7 Widespread effects of pesticides on nontarget organisms, including people......Page 170
6.3 Biological control......Page 171
6.3.1 Importation biological control – a question of scale......Page 172
6.3.2 Conservation biological control – get natural enemies to do the work......Page 173
6.3.3 Inoculation biological control – effective in glasshouses but rarely in field crops......Page 175
6.3.4 Inundation biological control – using fungi, viruses, bacteria and nematodes......Page 176
6.3.5 When biological control goes wrong......Page 177
6.4 Evolution of resistance and its management......Page 179
6.5 Integrated pest management (IPM)......Page 181
6.5.1 IPM against potato tuber moths in New Zealand......Page 182
6.5.2 IPM against an invasive weed in Australia......Page 183
7: Harvest management......Page 189
7.1.1 Avoiding the tragedy of the commons......Page 190
7.1.2 Killing just enough – not too few, not too many......Page 191
7.2.1 Management by fixed quota – of fish and moose......Page 207
7.2.2 Management by fixed effort – of fish and antelopes......Page 210
7.2.3 Management by constant escapement – in time......Page 211
7.2.4 Management by constant escapement – in space......Page 212
7.2.5 Evaluation of the MSY approach – the role of climate......Page 213
7.2.6 Species that are especially vulnerable when rare......Page 214
7.3 Harvest models that recognize population structure......Page 215
7.3.1 ‘Dynamic pool models’ in fisheries management – looking after the big mothers......Page 216
7.3.2 Forestry – axeman, spare which tree?......Page 219
7.4 Evolution of harvested populations – of fish and bighorn rams......Page 220
7.5 A broader view of harvest management – adding economics to ecology......Page 222
7.6.1 Factoring in human behavior......Page 224
7.6.2 Confronting political realities......Page 226
8: Succession and management......Page 231
8.1 Introduction......Page 232
8.2.1 Restoration timetables for plants......Page 235
8.2.2 Restoration timetable for animals......Page 237
8.2.4 Invoking successional-niche theory......Page 238
8.2.5 Invoking facilitation theory......Page 239
8.2.6 Invoking enemy-interaction theory......Page 244
8.3.1 Benzoin ‘gardening’ in Sumatra......Page 245
8.3.2 Aboriginal burning enhances harvests......Page 246
8.4.1 Grassland......Page 248
8.4.2 Forest......Page 249
8.5.1 When early succession matters most – a harerestoring formula for lynx......Page 250
8.5.2 Enforcing a successional mosaic – first aid for butterflies......Page 251
8.5.4 Controlling succession in an invader-dominated community......Page 252
8.5.5 Nursing a valued plant back to cultural health......Page 253
9: Applications from food web and ecosystem theory......Page 258
9.1 Introduction......Page 259
9.2 Food web theory and human disease risk......Page 263
9.3.1 Who gets top spot in the abalone food web – otters or humans?......Page 265
9.3.2 Food web consequences of harvesting fish – from tuna to tiddlers......Page 267
9.4 Food webs and conservation management......Page 268
9.5.1 Ecosystem consequences of freshwater invaders......Page 269
9.5.2 Ecosystem effects of invasive plants – fixing the problem......Page 270
9.6 Ecosystem approaches to restoration – first aid by parasites and sawdust......Page 271
9.7.2 Managing agriculture to minimize fertilizer input and nutrient loss......Page 274
9.7.3 Constructing wetlands to manage water quality......Page 276
9.7.4 Managing lake eutrophication......Page 277
9.8.1 The value of ecosystem services......Page 278
9.8.2 Ecosystem health of forests – with all their mites......Page 281
9.8.3 Ecosystem health in an agricultural landscape – bats have a ball......Page 282
9.8.4 Ecosystem health of rivers – it’s what we make it......Page 283
9.8.5 Ecosystem health of a marine environment......Page 284
10: Landscape management......Page 290
10.1 Introduction......Page 291
10.2.1 The emu-wren – making the most of the conservation dollar......Page 296
10.2.2 The wood thrush – going down the sink......Page 297
10.2.3 The problem with large carnivores – connecting with grizzly bears......Page 298
10.3.1 Marine protected areas......Page 299
10.3.2 A Peruvian forest successional mosaic – patching a living together......Page 300
10.4.1 Plantation forestry in the landscape......Page 301
10.4.2 Horticulture in the landscape......Page 302
10.5 Restoration landscapes......Page 303
10.5.1 Reintroduction of vultures – what a carrion......Page 304
10.5.3 Old is good – willingness to pay for forest improvement......Page 305
10.6 Designing reserve networks for biodiversity conservation......Page 306
10.6.2 Irreplaceability – selecting reserves in the Cape Floristic Region......Page 308
10.7.1 Marine zoning – an Italian job......Page 309
10.7.3 Managing an agricultural landscape – a multidisciplinary endeavor......Page 312
11: Dealing with global climate change......Page 319
11.1 Introduction......Page 320
11.2.1 Niche theory and conservation – what a shame mountains are conical......Page 326
11.2.2 Niche theory and invasion risk – nuisance on the move......Page 327
11.2.3 Life-history traits and the fate of species – for better or for worse......Page 329
11.3.2 Pest control – more or less of a problem?......Page 332
11.3.3 Harvesting fish in future – cod willing......Page 333
11.3.4 Forestry – a boost for developing countries?......Page 334
11.4.1 Succession – new trajectories and end points......Page 335
11.4.3 Ecosystem services – you win some, you lose some......Page 336
11.5 A landscape perspective – nature reserves under climate change......Page 337
11.5.1 Mexican cacti – reserves in the wrong place......Page 338
11.5.2 Fairy shrimps – a temporary setback......Page 339
Index......Page 344
Color Plates\n......Page 194