Wildlife And Landscape Ecology

While the research and management of wildlife has traditionally emphasised studies at smaller scales, it is now acknowledged that larger, landscape-level patterns strongly influence demographic processes in wild animal species. This book is the first to provide the conceptual basis for learning how larger scale patterns and processes can influence the biology and management of wildlife species. It is divided into three sections: Underlying Concepts, Landscape Metrics and Applications and Large Scale Management.

In this book, the authors discuss the effects that temporal changes in resources have on animal populations. The chapters address the idea of current as well as historical temporal influences on resource availability, quality, and distribution. The authors draw attention to the neglected temporal issues so important to understanding species and community responses. International contributions enable worldwide application of the theories.

Wildlife management specialists and landscape ecologists offer a new perspective on the important intersection of these fields in the twenty-first century. It's been clear for decades that landscape-level patterns and processes, along with the tenets and tools of landscape ecology, are vitally important in understanding wildlife-habitat relationships and sustaining wildlife populations. Today, significant shifts in the spatial scale of extractive, agricultural, ranching, and urban land uses are upon us, making it more important than ever before to connect wildlife management and landscape ecology. Landscape ecologists must understand the constraints that wildlife managers face and be able to use that knowledge to translate their work into more practical applications. Wildlife managers, for their part, can benefit greatly from becoming comfortable with the vocabulary, conceptual processes, and perspectives of landscape ecologists. In Wildlife Management and Landscapes, the foremost landscape ecology experts and wildlife management specialists come together to discuss the emerging role of landscape concepts in habitat management. Their contributions • make the case that a landscape perspective is necessary to address management questions • translate concepts in landscape ecology to wildlife management • explain why studying some important habitat-wildlife relationships is still inherently difficult • explore the dynamic and heterogeneous structure of natural systems • reveal why factors such as soil, hydrology, fire, grazing, and timber harvest lead to uncertainty in management decisions • explain matching scale between population processes and management • discuss limitations to management across jurisdictional boundaries and balancing objectives of private landowners and management agencies • offer practical ideas for improving communication between professionals • outline the impediments that limit a full union of landscape ecology and wildlife management Using concrete examples of modern conservation challenges that range from oil and gas development to agriculture and urbanization, the volume posits that shifts in conservation funding from a hunter constituent base to other sources will bring a dramatic change in the way we manage wildlife. Explicating the foundational similarity of wildlife management and landscape ecology, Wildlife and Landscapes builds crucial bridges between theoretical and practical applications. Contributors: Jocelyn L. Aycrigg, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau, Jon P. Beckmann, Joseph R. Bennett, William M. Block, Todd R. Bogenschutz, Teresa C. Cohn, John W. Connelly, Courtney J. Conway, Bridgett E. Costanzo, David D. Diamond, Karl A. Didier, Lee F. Elliott, Michael E. Estey, Lenore Fahrig, Cameron J. Fiss, Jacqueline L. Frair, Elsa M. Haubold, Fidel Hernández, Jodi A. Hilty, Joseph D. Holbrook, Cynthia A. Jacobson, Kevin M. Johnson, Jeffrey K. Keller, Jeffery L. Larkin, Kimberly A. Lisgo, Casey A. Lott, Amanda E. Martin, James A. Martin, Darin J. McNeil, Michael L. Morrison, Betsy E. Neely, Neal D. Niemuth, Chad J. Parent, Humberto L. Perotto-Baldivieso, Ronald D. Pritchert, Fiona K. A. Schmiegelow, Amanda L. Sesser, Gregory J. Soulliere, Leona K. Svancara, Stephen C. Torbit, Joseph A. Veech, Kerri T. Vierling, Greg Wathen, David M. Williams, Mark J. Witecha, John M. Yeiser

Most projects in Landscape Ecology, at some point, define a species-habitat association. These models are inherently spatial, dealing with landscapes and their configurations. Whether coding behavioral rules for dispersal of simulated organisms through simulated landscapes, or designing the sampling extent of field surveys and experiments in real landscapes, landscape ecologists must make assumptions about how organisms experience and utilize the landscape. These convenient working postulates allow modelers to project the model in time and space, yet rarely are they explicitly considered. The early years of landscape ecology necessarily focused on the evolution of effective data sources, metrics, and statistical approaches that could truly capture the spatial and temporal patterns and processes of interest. Now that these tools are well established, we reflect on the ecological theories that underpin the assumptions commonly made during species distribution modeling and mapping. This is crucial for applying models to questions of global sustainability. Due to the inherent use of GIS for much of this kind of research, and as several authors’ research involves the production of multicolored map figures, there would be an 8-page color insert. Additional color figures could be made available through a digital archive, or by cost contributions of the chapter authors. Where applicable, would be relevant chapters’ GIS data and model code available through a digital archive. The practice of data and code sharing is becoming standard in GIS studies, is an inherent method of this book, and will serve to add additional research value to the book for both academic and practitioner audiences.

"This edited collection considers how landscapes designed by humans contain multiple ecosystems for animals and plants. Using quantitative methods, the contributors explain how to model what components of a landscape are critical to species of interest"--

This book provides a current synthesis of principles and applications in landscape ecology and conservation biology. Bringing together insights from leaders in landscape ecology and conservation biology, it explains how principles of landscape ecology can help us understand, manage and maintain biodiversity. Gutzwiller also identifies gaps in current knowledge and provides research approaches to fill those voids.

Typically, landscape ecologists use empirical observations to conduct research and devise solutions for applied problems in conservation and management. In some instances, they rely on advice and input of experienced professionals in both developing and applying knowledge. Given the wealth of expert knowledge and the risks of its informal and implicit applications in landscape ecology, it is necessary to formally recognize and characterize expert knowledge and bring rigor to methods for its applications. In this context, the broad goal of this book is to introduce the concept of expert knowledge and examine its role in landscape ecological applications. We plan to do so in three steps: First we introduce the topic to landscape ecologists, explore salient characteristics of experts and expert knowledge, and describe methods used in capturing and formalizing that knowledge. Second, we present examples of research in landscape ecology from a variety of ecosystems and geographic locations that formally incorporate expert knowledge. These case studies address a range of topics that will interest landscape ecologists and other resource management and conservation professionals including the specific roles of expert knowledge in developing, testing, parameterizing, and applying models; estimating the uncertainty in expert knowledge; developing methods of formalizing and incorporating expert knowledge; and using expert knowledge as competing models and a source of alternate hypotheses. Third, we synthesize the state of knowledge on this topic and critically examine the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating expert knowledge in landscape ecological applications. The disciplinary subject areas we address are broad and cover much of the scope of contemporary landscape ecology, including broad-scale forest management and conservation, quantifying forest disturbances and succession, conservation of habitats for a range of avian and mammal species, vulnerability and conservation of marine ecosystems, and the spread and impacts of invasive plants. This text incorporates the collective experience and knowledge of over 35 researchers in landscape ecology representing a diverse range of disciplinary subject areas and geographic locations. Through this text, we will catalyze further thought and investigations on expert knowledge among the target readership of researchers, practitioners, and graduate students in landscape ecology.