Publisher Summary: This comprehensive handbook represents a definitive state of the art overview of grasslands from multiple, interdisciplinary and global perspectives. Despite the real and intrinsic values that grasslands offer, they are globally subject to fragmentation, habitat and species loss, and they are increasingly threatened by climate change. From a human societal perspective, grasslands are central to much of our culture and represent areas where agriculture first arose. The Routledge Handbook of Grasslands brings together an interdisciplinary team of global authors to present a much needed and vitally important overview of the new and ongoing debates around the values of and threats to grasslands. Reflecting the broad range of issues, debates and threats, the handbook is divided into five parts: Part I: Deep Roots, Dynamic Futures: Understanding the Science of Grasslands Part II: Living Complexity: Grassland Function, Biodiversity, and Renewal Part III: Working Landscapes: Innovation and Tradition in Grassland Stewardship Part IV: Social-Ecological Ties: Grassland Services, Justice, and Governance Part V: Landscapes of Meaning: Cultural and Creative Perspectives on Grasslands Drawing on the experience of researchers, practitioners and managers, the handbook is the only grassland-oriented text to include social, economic, policy, and cultural value dimensions of grasslands, as well as an up-to-date coverage of the agronomy and ecology of these environments. The handbook concludes with a forward-thinking chapter which discusses the future of grasslands, further directions, threats and innovations. The Routledge Handbook of Grasslands is essential reading for students and scholars of grassland ecology, management and conservation as well as policy and management practitioners involved in grassland management and governance, as well as natural resources more broadly.

Publisher Summary: The Routledge Handbook of Wildlife Crime provides a comprehensive and state-of-the-art overview of wildlife crime in its various forms. The effects of wildlife crime and overexploitation are contributing to the possible extinction of one million species. These activities also harm human and nonhuman animals, ecosystems, and communities. To understand and tackle these issues, this handbook presents critical approaches to the study of wildlife crime grounded in empirical, methodological, and conceptual perspectives. Curated for an international audience of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, its contributors are drawn from diverse disciplines, backgrounds, and geographies. The handbook addresses recognised challenges associated with wildlife crime, including transnational security, the role of corporations, legislative frameworks, and enforcement strategies, as well as broader concerns related to conservation, sustainable development, socio-environmental harm, and well-being. Importantly, it also delves into emerging areas, such as gender dynamics, digital markets and social media, social inequality and the marginalisation of vulnerable groups, and moral philosophy and ethics. This handbook equips readers to understand and respond to the multifaceted challenges of wildlife crime in the 21st century. The Routledge Handbook of Wildlife Crime will be of great interest to students and scholars of wildlife crime, wildlife management and conservation, environmental crime, and green criminology more widely. The book will also be of use to practitioners and policymakers involved in developing and implementing strategies to reduce wildlife crime.

Publisher Summary: This handbook provides a comprehensive and interdisciplinary overview of the place, value and significance of wetlands, presenting perspectives from across the environmental and social sciences. Recent decades have witnessed unprecedented global interest in wetlands and the critical role they play in supporting biodiversity and ecosystem services such as carbon storage, flood mitigation, as well as their direct benefits for people and society that include the provision of food, clean water and a range of cultural services. This Routledge Handbook of Wetlands brings together a wide range of perspectives from social and environmental disciplines, and voices from different wetland stakeholders from the global north and south, to present an assessment of our current understanding of wetlands, their environmental significance, and their place in society and policy. A recurring theme of the book is an exploration of how our current knowledge of wetlands, that is often fragmented along traditional disciplinary lines, can be brought together to enable a more integrated, interdisciplinary and social-ecological conceptualisation that aligns more closely with real-world complex challenges, and which offers new directions in wetland management for sustainable development. This handbook will be essential reading for students and scholars of wetland management, environmental science, water resource management, conservation ecology, environmental humanities and sustainable development.

Publisher Summary: In a world where threats of cataclysmic extinction loom and sustainable harvest approaches are essential, applied population ecology has never been more crucial. Conservation of Wildlife Populations, 3rd Edition provides evidence-based insight into how extinctions and human-wildlife conflicts can be minimized. L. Scott Mills, Andrew Whiteley, and Mahdieh Tourani blend rigorous science with practical solutions to illuminate paths where science and action can bring hope. Thoroughly updated since the second edition, Conservation of Wildlife Populations bridges the full scope of applied wildlife population ecology, spanning conservation and wildlife biology, ecology, conservation genetics, evolutionary biology, and environmental studies. This new edition includes updated references and expanded global case studies based on both terrestrial and aquatic wildlife species. With an engaging writing style and real-world examples, this 3rd edition shows how a broad range of practical ecological and evolutionary principles can lead to efficient and sometimes non-intuitive conservation management in a rapidly changing world. Engaging and approachable, yet thorough and solutions-oriented, this is a must-read book for students and practitioners in ecology, wildlife biology, and conservation genetics. Undergraduate and postgraduate students will be equipped to advance conservation management and research, while field practitioners will find the scientific basis for making efficient and effective conservation decisions.

Publisher Summary: The history, science, and influence of an innovative land acquisition program that has protected Florida’s natural ecosystems and inspired global efforts This book traces the growth of landscape conservation planning in Florida, which has developed one of the most ambitious conservation land acquisition programs in North America. As a climate-vulnerable biodiversity hotspot facing rapid growth and development pressures, Florida offers a unique case study in adapting conservation strategies under challenging circumstances. By chronicling the state’s successes, the book offers insights into effective planning for the preservation of ecosystems and the wildlife they support. The Florida Model combines UNESCO’s biosphere reserve framework—core protected areas with surrounding multiuse buffer zones—with the concept of wildlife corridors. Informed by decades of research in conservation biology, landscape ecology, and restoration ecology, along with island biogeography and metapopulation theory, Florida’s practitioners developed robust tools for evaluating and prioritizing land acquisitions. This work led to the creation of the Florida Ecological Greenways Network and its flagship Florida Wildlife Corridor, cemented by landmark legislation in 2021, and has inspired similar regional conservation initiatives around the world.

Publisher Summary: Donald Watson was a seminal figure in the wildlife art and ornithological world from the late 1950s onwards. Since his death in 2005, his work has lived on through active public demand for his outstanding paintings of birds and the continued reading of his books. This is the first time his status and standing in the world of bird art and ornithology has been assessed. This definitive book is a series of biographical essays written by those who knew him and his outstanding contributions. There are so many perceptive insights about him and his work, and many previously untold stories that enliven the text. Reading the stories will bring back memories for all who knew him and hopefully inspire those who didn’t but who follow in his footsteps. Readers will find detailed accounts of his life, his character, his work ethic, his link with his ornithologist son Jeff, his high standing in the world of raptor workers written by his daughter Louise, his daughter-in-law Vanessa and by his close friend and neighbour Chris Rollie. His high standing in raptor protection and especially his outstanding Hen Harrier work is updated by Des Thompson and Colin Galbraith. The author reviews his writing skills and describes how his conservation campaigns are still relevant today. They will also learn so much about his art from the perceptive in-depth account by John Threlfall, himself a very successful wildlife artist. Beautifully illustrated with his outstanding paintings, examples of his exquisite scraper board sketches and family photographs, readers will want this book for its images alone.

Publisher Summary: European ecosystems and species remain under pressure from intensive agriculture and forestry, fishing, pollution, urban sprawl, invasive species and climate change. This book provides a detailed description and critical analysis of nature conservation responses, achievements and failures, motivated by the concerning state of nature and missed biodiversity targets. It summarises Europe's nature and the impact of human activities, and then gives an overview of relevant international biodiversity treaties and the EU nature conservation policy and legislative framework. The core of the book comprises chapters written by national experts, which cover the UK and twenty-five EU Member States, providing comparative case studies from which valuable lessons are drawn. Covering wide-ranging topics such as biodiversity pressures, legislation and governance, biodiversity strategies, species protection, protected areas, habitat management, and funding, this book is of interest to a wide audience, including academics and professionals involved in nature conservation and related environmental fields.

Publisher Summary: A celebration of ecology’s variety—as both subject and research endeavor—and a call for intradisciplinary understanding. Open any ecology textbook, and you will find a heterogeneous mix of material that puzzles many newcomers. How do levels of organization from individual organisms to ecosystems, abstract concepts like food webs and biodiversity, and applied topics, like climate change and conservation, all fit together? New ecological research can be equally puzzling. Ecology journals publish studies using different methods in different study systems to ask different questions and achieve different goals. Is this all really Ecology? Yes, ecologist Jeremy Fox says in this eye-opening book. Ecology contains multitudes, and that is its power. In an essential book for all ecologists, Fox builds on insights developed in his popular blog, Dynamic Ecology, to argue that it is better for a scientific discipline to be messy than monolithic. Analyzing and accessibly explaining a broad range of scientific literature, Fox shows that ecology grew from disparate sources with profoundly different motivations, methods, and goals. We see the differences in those origins reflected in today’s research, in the pull between those who want to establish ecological laws akin to physical ones and those who see ecology’s value as inherent in its species- or system-specific case studies. Neither group, Fox argues, is doing ecology wrong. Instead, he says, the strength of this science—as in most ecological systems—is diversity. It is good when two ecologists look at similar problems differently. We now need the community to know enough about those different approaches to improve how they work together.

Publisher Summary: A report from indigenous experts and scientists exploring wildlife and conservation strategies in southern Guyana. In November 2024, local Indigenous experts joined forces with Guyanese and international scientists to explore a vast wilderness of remote rivers and rainforests in southern Guyana. Together, this large multidisciplinary team recorded the complex history and deep ecological knowledge of nearby Indigenous communities, alongside the geology, plants, and vertebrates of this 1.5 million-hectare expanse. Using a variety of time-tested and cutting-edge techniques, they uncovered an abundance of previously undocumented stone carvings, a spectacular diversity of plants and animals, and an undisturbed landscape harboring dozens of undescribed species. This comprehensive report synthesizes those discoveries, consolidating them into a clear set of ideas about how Guyana can leverage these lands and waters to advance its ambitious conservation goals. The text is in English, with summaries in Waiwai, Wapishana, and Trio.

Publisher Summary: This leading textbook introduces students and practitioners to the identification and analysis of animal remains at archaeology sites. The authors use global examples from the Pleistocene era into the present to explain how zooarchaeology allows us to form insights about relationships among people and their natural and social environments, especially site-formation processes, economic strategies, domestication, and paleoenvironments. This new edition reflects the significant technological developments in zooarchaeology that have occurred in the past two decades, notably ancient DNA, proteomics, and isotope geochemistry. Substantially revised to reflect these trends, the volume also highlights novel applications, current issues in the field, the growth of international zooarchaeology, and the increased role of interdisciplinary collaborations. In view of the growing importance of legacy collections, voucher specimens, and access to research materials, it also includes a substantially revised chapter that addresses management of zooarchaeological collections and curation of data.

Publisher Summary: The last few decades have produced extensive research on the neural mechanisms of avian behavior. Bird Brains and Behavior marries the enthusiasm of bird enthusiasts for the what, how, and why of avian behavior with the scientific literature on avian biology, offering the newest research in an accessible manner. Georg Striedter and Andrew Iwaniuk focus on a wide variety of behaviors, ranging from daily and seasonal rhythms to complex cognition. Importantly, avian behavior and mechanisms are placed in the context of evolutionary history, stressing that many are unique to birds and often found in only a subset of species.

Publisher Summary: A broad view of Merlin ecology over its huge range, highlighting intriguing variations in regional behaviour. With reference to an extensive background literature, Merlin distribution and behaviour are clearly explained in accessible language. Highlights the critical importance of the Merlin and explains its relationships to the ecology of the wider natural environment.

Publisher Summary: This is a photographic identification guide to 280 bird species commonly seen in Vietnam. High-quality photographs from Vietnam’s top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include common, scientific and vernacular names, size, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers geography and climate, vegetation and habitats. Also included is an all-important checklist of all of the birds of Vietnam encompassing, for each species, its common and scientific name as well as its vernacular name, its status in each state as well as its global IUCN status.

Publisher Summary: A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Indonesia is the most extensive photographic reference available for Indonesia's incredible birdlife. Home to the world's most diverse avifauna, Indonesia's vast size and unique geography make it a premier destination for bird-watching enthusiasts. With over 1,600 species – including 235 rare species found nowhere else – Indonesia is a treasure trove for nature lovers. This field guide profiles 912 species, featuring concise descriptions and photographs for each, including most non-migratory and endemic species, as well as numerous threatened and endangered birds. Every entry includes a detailed distribution map, while the updated second edition showcases nearly 100 newly added or improved photographs, carefully chosen to highlight each bird's defining features. Designed for accessibility and ease of use, the guide also includes an index of common names, making it an essential companion for bird enthusiasts exploring Indonesia's extraordinary wildlife.

Publisher Summary: This book showcases the natural history and landscape of the Fens, an area now responsible for a third of Britain’s food production and worth over £3 billion to the economy every year. It describes the geology and geography across the Fenland Basin over the last 14,000 years, a period dominated by the flux of wetlands and movement of water. The human relationship with this landscape is traced through history: from Mesolithic hunters to the prosperity of a medieval economy based on the currency of eels, through the taming and draining of the vast wetlands, to modern farming on an industrial scale. While recognising that only a fraction of the Fens is left, Fenland Nature celebrates the breadth of wildlife still to be found in the region, from vast flocks of visiting wildfowl in the winter months, to rare and specialised plants and insects – all illustrated with detailed and evocative photographs. The book concludes by contemplating an uncertain future where there are possibilities for a sustainable agricultural industry alongside increasing biodiversity, requiring new ways of thinking and working with the land. The fenland landscape is a microcosm of the huge global challenges caused by habitat loss, ecological degradation and climate change. If solutions can be found to these complex issues in the Fens, then there is hope that these can also apply to similar places across the world.

Publisher Summary: With breathtaking wildlife and stunningly beautiful locales, Africa is a premier destination for birders, conservationists, ecotourists, and ecologists. This compact, easy-to-use guide provides an unparalleled treatment of the continent’s wonderfully diverse habitats. Incisive and up-to-date descriptions cover the unique features of each habitat, from geology and climate to soil and hydrology, and require no scientific background. Knowing the surrounding environment is essential to getting the most out of your travel experiences. Habitats of Africa offers quick and reliable information for anyone who wants a deeper understanding and appreciation of the habitats around them. Covers 73 major African habitats, including oceanic habitats Features hundreds of color photos of habitats and their wildlife, a wealth of helpful diagrams and illustrations, and a detailed distribution map for each land habitat Concise text provides all the information you need to identify and understand habitats anywhere in Africa quickly and accurately Discusses iconic and indicator species of birds, mammals, and plants Includes an in-depth section on habitat classification—invaluable for ecologists Representative habitat accounts include a feature describing what you can expect to see and experience there Formatted like a field guide for easy reference

Publisher Summary: Whether you’re a birder, naturalist, outdoor enthusiast, or ecologist, knowing the surrounding habitat is essential to getting the most out of your experiences in the field. This compact, easy-to-use guide provides an unparalleled treatment of the wonderfully diverse habitats of North America. Incisive and up-to-date descriptions cover the unique features of each habitat, from geology and climate to soil and hydrology. Requiring no scientific background, Habitats of North America offers quick and reliable information for anyone who wants a deeper understanding and appreciation of the habitats around them. Covers 81 major North American habitats, including wetlands and oceanic habitats Features hundreds of color photos of habitats and their wildlife, a wealth of helpful diagrams and illustrations, and a detailed distribution map for each land habitat Concise text provides all the information you need to identify and understand habitats anywhere in North America quickly and accurately Discusses iconic and indicator species of birds, mammals, and plants Includes an in-depth section on habitat classification—invaluable for ecologists Representative habitat accounts describe what you can expect to see and experience there Formatted like a field guide for easy reference

Publisher Summary: Crossbills are an ideal group of species to investigate some of the foremost topics in evolutionary ecology. The clear link between bill and cone structure makes obvious the reciprocal adaptations between crossbills and conifers, including especially the coevolutionary arms race driving the evolution of the newly discovered Cassia Crossbill. This accessible and handsomely illustrated book will appeal to a wide audience.

Publisher Summary: The Australian Bird Guide – the most comprehensive field guide to Australian birds ever published. Australia's avifauna is large, diverse and spectacular, reflecting the continent's wide range of habitats and evolutionary history. This book covers every regularly occurring species in Australia, including subspecies and rarities. Illustrations of more than 900 species on almost 250 plates, with particular emphasis on providing the fine detail required to identify difficult groups and distinctive plumages, make The Australian Bird Guide the most comprehensive guide to Australian birds ever published. This revised edition includes updated maps and artwork, reflecting advances in our knowledge of the biology and distribution of Australia's birds, plus fully updated text to ensure identification, distribution and status details are current and accurate, along with an improved index. This book sets the standard for coverage of Australia's remarkable avifauna. It is truly indispensable for anyone looking to explore Australia's magnificent and unique birdlife.

Publisher Summary: Bird flight is a mesmerizing spectacle, yet its intricacies remains largely shrouded in mystery for most. Even after over a century of study, certain aspects of bird flight continue to baffle the public and ornithologists alike. Peter Cavanagh, a dedicated bird photographer, pilot and expert in the fields of biomechanics and anatomy, has dedicated a decade to crafting this remarkable book, How Birds Fly. Through awe-inspiring photography and conversational prose, Peter unveils the complex evolutions and physics of bird flight, making it accessible to bird lovers of all levels.

Publisher Summary: A practical guide to making every bird count, for those who count birds. Counting birds may sound simple—just step outside and start tallying. But in reality, it's a complex and essential endeavor at the core of modern wildlife conservation. In How to Count Birds, conservation biologist Christopher JW McClure offers a practical guide to designing effective bird monitoring programs that inform real-world management and conservation strategies. As species vanish at unprecedented rates, having accurate population data is more urgent than ever. Yet too often, flawed study designs and outdated techniques lead to wasted time, ill-used resources, and misleading conclusions. McClure equips researchers, students, and birders with the tools to design efficient studies that avoid common pitfalls and capture what's truly happening in bird populations. This guide explains the biological, statistical, and philosophical principles behind good monitoring and explores study designs for estimating key demographic rates like survival and reproduction. McClure surveys the techniques used to estimate populations and highlights methods prone to error. Throughout, he advocates for a shift away from traditional approaches toward more precise techniques available today, such as acoustic monitoring and occupancy modeling. Effective study design requires collaboration among wildlife managers, field biologists, and statisticians from the start, as well as flexibility for field conditions and methodological adaptability. Whether you're just beginning or reevaluating a long-standing program, How to Count Birds is a timely reminder that precision and planning are just as critical as passion in the work of conservation.

Publisher Summary: Crater Lake National Park hypnotizes thousands of visitors each year with its stunning vistas, natural beauty, and wildlife, including the extraordinary birds that are found there. In Birds of Crater Lake National Park, Stewart Janes introduces readers to Oregon’s high-country birds and those that are most frequently encountered on visits to the park. The high country is a hostile environment; the birds that live there confront challenges—elevation, weather, geology, habitat—that their lowland relatives do not have to endure. Species that inhabit the high country must be adaptable and resourceful. From the Clark’s Nutcracker to the White-crowned Sparrow, the guide provides species accounts of the most characteristic birds found in the park. Accompanied by detailed color photographs, each entry also includes the scientific name, description, and distribution along with a short narrative. With essays focusing on the history, climate, geology, and geography of the region, this guide offers a strong foundation to greater understanding of the birds of Crater Lake. Plus, chapters like “Birds Beyond Crater Lake National Park” and “Some Places to Bird in Crater Lake National Park,” along with a birding checklist, offer invaluable resources to beginner and skilled birders alike.

Publisher Summary: The unexpected comeback of the endangered Everglades snail kite and what it means for other species facing extinction today. When a bird of prey known as the Everglade snail kite became hard to find in the wetlands of South Florida, where it was once abundant, scientist Hilary Flower sought answers, tracking the kite deep within its ancestral home to tell a surprising story of survival and hope. The Kite and the Snail reveals how one species made a comeback from the brink of extinction through resilience and change – and what this means for the future of conservation. From remote sawgrass marshes to abandoned mining pits, from flooded cattle pastures to water-treatment impoundments, Flower meets field biologists, tribal elders, environmental advocates, and other key players who help her piece together the kite's past and present. The Everglade snail kite has traditionally fed on only the native Florida apple snail, which declined in population as wetland habitats decreased during the mid- to late twentieth century. But the kite shocked scientists by adapting to a new food source – an invasive, exotic snail that is now common across the Everglades and beyond – and quadrupling the kites' population. A rare success story in an age of increasing threats of extinction, this book traces the evolutionary and ecological factors that have allowed the kite to thrive against the odds. The Kite and the Snail asks: How can endangered species be saved when the world around them keeps shifting? Part natural history, part investigative journey, and part personal meditation, this story shows that flexibility, surprise, and human-altered habitats may play unexpected roles in saving species at risk, pointing to new approaches to conservation in the age of the Anthropocene.

Publisher Summary: Human-avian relationships developed in many ways throughout the Iron Age, particularly in the first millennium AD in Central and Northern Europe. These airborne animals foraged and scavenged close to settlements, inviting interactions — wild birds were hunted, and domesticated poultry were bred for meat, feathers, and eggs; other birds were kept for entertainment or sport, with raptors trained for falconry, and the importance of birds is noted in texts ranging from Pliny the Elder to Old Norse poetry. This volume offers new insights into the extraordinary role played by birds in the past, from their roles in the pre-Christian beliefs and rituals of Iron Age societies to their appearance in early Christian iconographies, and from the discovery of their remains in everyday and ritual contexts to the styles employed by artists on jewellery and weapons. The result is a unique insight into the important relationship between birds and humans in the cultures of Central and Northern Europe in the first millennium AD.