Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Biology

Contents: Preface. 1. The significance of behavioural ecology for conservation biology. 2. The role of individual identification in conservation biology. 3. Ecological indicators of risk for primates, as judged by species susceptibility to logging. 4. Future prey: some consequences of the loss and restoration of large carnivores. 5. A minimum intervention approach to conservation: the influence of social structure. 6. Contributions of behavioural studies to captive management and breeding of rare and endangered mammals. 7. Behaviour as a tool for management intervention in birds. 8. Conspecific aggregation and conservation biology. 9. Reproductive ecology in the conservation and management of fishes. 10. Social organization and effective populations size in carnivores. 11. Animal breeding systems, hunter selectivity, and consumptive use in wildlife conservation. Bibliography.

"In just the last few years, behavioural ecologists have begun to address issues in conservation biology. This book is the first attempt to link these disciplines formally. Here the author explores current topics in conservation biology and discuss how behavioural ecology can contribute to a greater understanding of conservation problems and conservation intervention programs. In each chapter, the author identifies a conservation issue, review the ways it has been addressed, review behavioural ecological data related to it, including their own, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the behavioural ecological approach, and put forward specific conservation recommendations. The chapters juxtapose different studies on a wide variety of taxonomic groups. A number of common themes emerge, including the ways in which animal mating systems affect population persistence, the roles of dispersal and inbreeding avoidance for topics such as reserve design and effective population size, the key role of humans in conservation issues, and the importance of baseline data for conservation monitoring and modeling attempts. Each chapter sheds new light on conservation problems, generates innovative avenues of interdisciplinary research, and shows how conservation-minded behavioural ecologists can apply their expertise to some of the most important questions we face today." (jacket)