Amphibian Conservation

Amphibian Conservation
Author: Rebecca K. Smith
Publisher: Pelagic Publishing Ltd
Total Pages: 273
Release: 2014-05-16
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 178427027X

Amphibian Conservation is the fourth in the series of Synopses of Conservation Evidence, linked to the online resource www.ConservationEvidence.com. This synopsis is part of the Conservation Evidence project and provides a useful resource for conservationists. It forms part of a series designed to promote a more evidence-based approach to biodiversity conservation. Others in the series include bee, bird, farmland and bat conservation and many others are in preparation. Approximately 32% of the 7,164+ amphibian species are currently threatened with extinction and at least 43% of species are declining. Despite this, until recently amphibians and their conservation had received little attention. Although work is now being carried out to conserve many species, often it is not adequately documented. This book brings together and summarises the available scientific evidence and experience relevant to the practical conservation of amphibians. The authors consulted an international group of amphibian experts and conservationists to produce a thorough summary of what is known, or not known, about the effectiveness of amphibian conservation actions across the world. "The book is packed with literature summaries and citations; a veritable information goldmine for graduate students and researchers. It also admirably provides decision makers with a well-researched resource of proven interventions that can be employed to stem/reverse the decline of amphibian populations." -John G Palis, Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society

Equids--zebras, Asses, and Horses

Equids--zebras, Asses, and Horses
Author: Patricia Des Roses Moehlman
Publisher: IUCN
Total Pages: 212
Release: 2002
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9782831706474

The new Equid Action Plan provides current knowledge on the biology, ecology and conservation status of wild zebras, asses, and horses. It specifies what information is lacking, and prioritizes needed conservation actions. The Action Plan also provides chapters on equid taxonomy, genetics, reproductive biology, and population dynamics. These chapters highlight unsolved issues of taxonomy and genetics. They also provide information and insight into the special demographic and genetic challenges of managing small populations. The chapter on disease provides a review of documented equine disease and epidemiology and focuses on priorities for equid conservation health. The final chapter deals with the importance of developing an assessment methodology that explicitly considers the role of equids in ecosystems and the ecological processes that are necessary for ecosystem viability. The approach of combining ecological field studies and ecosystem modeling should prove useful for the scientific management and conservation of wild equids worldwide. These chapters provide research and conservation practitioners with new information and paradigms.

Wild Sheep and Goats and Their Relatives

Wild Sheep and Goats and Their Relatives
Author: David M. Shackleton
Publisher: World Conservation Union
Total Pages: 404
Release: 1997
Genre: Nature
ISBN:

Wild caprinae, including sheep and goats, are an extremely valuable group of mammals. While most live in mountains, some inhabit desert grasslands, tropical forests or even arctic tundra. They range in size from the 30kg goral to the 350kg musk ox and display a variety of horn shapes and sizes as well as coat and body coloration. They are highly prized by hunters on account of their horns and their coats. Today, despite their important domestic relations, many wild caprinae are in danger of being lost forever: over 70 of caprinae taxa are threatened and over 30 endangered or critical. The main threats to them are over-harvesting, habitat loss and resource competition from livestock. Some face an additional threat from trophy hunters. Despite this, however, conservation legislation is either absent or, more often, poorly enforced. This action plan explores the value of caprinae to biodiversity, the threats facing the members of the species, and makes recommendations to reverse current trends. It also emphasizes the importance to carpinae conservation and survival of close collaboration among all parties involved in wildlife conservation including local peoples and hunting organizations, governments, scientists and academic institutions.

Antelopes

Antelopes
Author: David P. Mallon
Publisher: IUCN
Total Pages: 276
Release: 2001
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9782831705941

Antelope herds numbering in the tens of thousands formerly occurred across the steppes and semideserts of Eurasia and India, but these have nearly all been reduced to fractions of their earlier size; antelope populations are now fragmented across the region, and during recent decades several species have disappeared altogether. Threats include hunting, loss of habitat, population fragmentation, inadequate protected area coverage, poorly-developed administrative structures, under-resourcing of conservation programmes, and lack of enforcement of existing legislation. Rising human population growth and economic development constantly increases pressure on land and natural resources. There is a consequent need for integrated rural development, and community-based conservation projects, which have the full participation of local people at the planning and execution stages.This publication, Part 4 of the Global Antelope Survey, covers 37 countries in the region, and actions to conserve antelope populations are listed in each country report.

Sustainable Land Use in Deserts

Sustainable Land Use in Deserts
Author: Siegmar-W. Breckle
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 473
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Science
ISBN: 364259560X

Changing desert areas for land use implies a lot of ecological problems. These and related ones are dealt with in this book covering various interdisciplinary and international aspects. Large areas in arid and semi-arid regions are already polluted in various ways. One of the biggest problems is the anthropogenic salinization by inadequate means of agriculture and irrigation. Additionally, most arid areas in the world are dramatically overgrazed. Methods and practices of a sustainable land use in deserts are urgently needed in many arid regions. This book gives a broad survey on some of the affected regions of the world as well as some case studies from elsewhere (Aral Sea, Negev desert, Namib desert etc.). Thus, basic and applied sciences are brought together. Water management in deserts, grazing systems or reclamation of desertified areas are among the topics of this book, as well as social and economic aspects.

Transboundary Protected Areas for Peace and Co-operation

Transboundary Protected Areas for Peace and Co-operation
Author: Trevor Sandwith
Publisher: Iucn
Total Pages: 126
Release: 2001
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN:

PProtected areas are vital for life on earth. They safeguard biological and cultural diversity, help to improve the livelihoods of local communities, provide the homelands for many indigenous peoples and bring countless benefits to society at large. It is now generally understood that conservation planning cannot just be site-specific; plants and animals do not recognize national boundaries, nor do many of the forces that threaten them. Strategies to conserve biodiversity in the 21st century must therefore emphasize transboundary co-operation , and may at the same time foster better co-operation and understanding between countries. This publication reports on the work undertaken by IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas to focus attention on the conservation and security benefits of transboundary protected areas.