Efforts to conserve wildlife populations and preserve biological diversity are often hampered by an inadequate understanding of animal behavior. How do animals react to gaps in forested lands, or to sport hunters? Do individual differences--in age, sex, size, past experience--affect how an animal reacts to a given situation? Differences in individual behavior may determine the success or failure of a conservation initiative, yet they are rarely considered when strategies and policies are developed. Animal Behavior and Wildlife Conservation explores how knowledge of animal behavior may help increase the effectiveness of conservation programs. The book brings together conservation biologists, wildlife managers, and academics from around the world to examine the importance of general principles, the role played by specific characteristics of different species, and the importance of considering the behavior of individuals and the strategies they adopt to maximize fitness.Each chapter begins by looking at the theoretical foundations of a topic, and follows with an exploration of its practical implications. A concluding chapter considers possible future contributions of research in animal behavior to wildlife conservation.
Preface
PART I. Why Animal Behavior Is Important for Conservation Chapter 1. General Introduction Chapter 2. Adaptive Behavior and Population Viability
PART II. Resource-Use Strategies in Space and Time Chapter 3. Dispersal and Conservation: A Behavioral Perspective on Metapopulation Persistence Chapter 4. Migration and Conservation: The Case of Sea Turtles Chapter 5. Bridging the Gap: Linking Individual Bird Movement and Territory Establishment Rules with Their Patterns of Distribution in Fragmented Forests Chapter 6. Knowledge of Reproductive Behavior Contributes to Conservation Programs Chapter 7. Foraging Behavior, Habitat Suitability, and Translocation Success, with Special Reference to Large Mammalian Herbivores
PART III. Wildlife Management Chapter 8. Variation in Life History Traits and Realistic Population Models for Wildlife Management: The Case of Ungulates Chapter 9. Through the Eyes of Prey: How the Extinction and Conservation of North America's Large Carnivores Alter Prey Systems and Biodiversity Chapter 10. Behavioral Aspects of Conservation and Management of European Mammals Chapter 11. Implications of Sexually Selected Infanticide for the Hunting of Large Carnivores Chapter 12. Exploitative Wildlife Management as a Selective Pressure for the Life-History Evolution of Large Mammals
PART IV. Genetic Diversity and Individual Differences Chapter 13. Social Groups, Genetic Structure, and Conservation Chapter 14. Pathogen-Driven Sexual Selection for ""Good Genes"" versus Genetic Variability in Small Populations Chapter 15. Measuring Individual Quality in Conservation and Behavior Chapter 16. Individual Quality, Environment, and Conservation
PART V. Conclusion Chapter 17. Where Do We Go from Here?
Literature Cited List of Contributors Index
"A timely book which focuses on free-living but exploited vertebrates whose future is of concern...Will do much to encourage more conservation biologists to take a greater interest in better considering animal behavior patterns as an essential element in making better management decisions."
