Wildlife Science Linking Ecological Theory and Management Applications

Consciously or not, wildlife managers generally act from a theoretical basis, although they may not be fully versed in the details or ramifications of that theory. In practice, the predictions of the practitioners sometimes prove more accurate than those of the theoreticians. Practitioners and theoreticians need to work together, but this proves difficult when new management ideas and cutting-edge ecological theory are often published in separate scientific outlets with distinctly different readerships. A compilation of the scientific papers presented at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute's 25th Anniversary Conference of April 2006, Wildlife Science: Linking Ecological Theory and Management Applications brings together these two often separate approaches to elucidate the theoretical underpinnings of wildlife management and to apply evolving ecological concepts to changes and adaptations in management practices. Gathering many of the best and greatest minds in wildlife science, this volume addresses the critically important theme of linking ecological theory and management applications. Divided into five parts, the first two parts deal with the landscape ecology of birds and mammals respectively, demonstrating the need for applied theory in gamebird management and the preservation of the cougar. Part three highlights the role of climate when applying ecological theory to habitat management and discusses the emergence of ecosystem management in managing wildlife at the ecosystem scale. Part four considers the management of wildlife disease and reveals the increasing importance of genetics in conservation and ecology. Finally, the economic and social issues affecting wildlife science round out the coverage in part five.Applying emerging ecological theory for the advancement of wildlife management, Wildlife Science: Linking Ecological Theory and Management Applications provides a long awaited cooperative look at the future of ecosystem manage

Preface, Linking Ecological Theory and Management Applications, BIRDS, Conservation and Management for Migratory Birds: Insights from Population Data and Theory in the Case of White-Winged Dove, Avian Ecology at the Landscape Scale in South Texas: Applying Metapopulation Theory to Grassland Bird Conservation, Global Biodiversity Conservation: We Need More Managers and Better Theorists, Upland Game Bird Management: Linking Theory and Practice in South Texas, An Ecological Basis for Management of Wetland Birds, Linking Waterfowl Ecology and Management: A Texas Gulf Coast Perspective, MAMMALS, Conserving the Cats, Cougar as a Model: A Review, Effects of Drought on Bobcats, Ocelots, and Their Prey, Seeing the World through the Nose of a Bear - Diversity of Foods Fosters Behavioral and Demographic Stability, Metapopulations, Food, and People: Bear Management in Northern Mexico, Ecology, Evolution, Economics, and Ungulate Management, Density Dependence in Deer Populations: Relevance for Management in Variable Environments, HABITAT, From the Management of Single Species to Ecosystem Management, Applying Ecological Theory to Habitat Management: The Altering Effects of Climate, ANIMAL HEALTH AND GENETICS, The Introduction and Emergence of Wildlife Diseases in North America, Wildlife Disease Management: An Insurmountable Challenge?, Conservation Genetics of Marine Turtles: Ten Years Later, Genetics and Applied Management: Using Genetic Methods to Solve Emerging Wildlife Management Problems, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ISSUES AFFECTING WILDLIFE SCIENCE, Society, Science, and the Economy: Exploring the Emerging New Order in Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife and Ranching: From Externality to Profit Center

Timothy E. Fulbright, David G. Hewitt