Monitoring Plant and Animal Populationsis a thorough overview of monitoring issues. It is designed for field biologists and land managers with a modest statistical background. The authors have written a practical text that will include concrete guidelines for ecologists to follow to design a statistically defensible monitoring program for natural populations and communities.

Features

• User-friendly, practical guide, written in a highly readable format which integrates the theme of decision making guidance and management.
• Only population monitoring text to focus on both plant and animals.
• Interdisciplinary in scope, given the current, widespread interest in monitoring in many environmental fields including pure and applied ecology, conservation biology, and wildlife management.
• Includes suggestions for monitoring plant and animal communities.
• Outlines the essential concepts in monitoring populations.
• Emphasizes the role o monitoring in adaptive management.
• Defines important terminology and contrasts monitoring with other data-collection activities.
• Provides a step-by-step overview of the monitoring process, as illustrated by flow charts and references.
• Illustrates the foundation of management objectives and describes their components, types, and development.
• Describes basic terms and concepts relevant to sampling using simple examples.
• Explains how to make basic decisions in designing a sample-based monitoring study.
• Provides field techniques for measuring important attributes of animal and plant populations.
• Covers different ways of recording monitoring data in the field and describes means for entering and managing field monitoring data sets with computers.
• Comprehensive presentation of statistical analysis and communicating results.

A handbook providing an overview of monitoring issues, designed for field biologists and land managers with a modest statistical background. Presents concrete guidelines for ecologists to follow to design a statistically defensible monitoring program for natural populations and communities. Covers the development of measurable objectives, application of proper field techniques, use of sampling design tools, identification of correct analysis approaches, and completion of monitoring by reporting and using results. Spiral wire binding.
Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

"A handbook to help field biologists and land managers cope with monitoring is a worthwhile product." Professor Michael McGowan, San Francisco State University <!--end-->

"Such a text could easily form the basis for undergraduate and graduate courses in institutions having programs which include wildlife, fisheries, ecology, or conservation biology. It would also be important reading for state and federal agency personnel and all those biologists involved in the ecological consulting field." Professor Gary Vinyard, University of Nevada at Reno

"One of the most intractable problems facing ecologists and conservationists conducting manipulative experiments on ecosystems is monitoring the outcome. Without such monitoring the experiments, of course, are worthless, so careful considerations of experimental design and recording techniques prior to the establishment of the manipulations are always worthwhile, and it is here that this practical manual seeks to exist." Bulletin of the British Ecological Society, 2002

An overview of population monitoring issues that is accessible to the typical field biologist and land managers with a modest statistical background. This text will include concrete guidelines for ecologists to follow to design a statistically defensible monitoring program.

Preface.

1. Introduction To Monitoring.

2. Monitoring Overview.

3. Selecting Among Priorities.

4. Qualitative Techniques For Monitoring.

5. General Field Techniques.

6. Data Collection And Data Management.

7. Basic Principles Of Sampling.

8. Sampling Design.

9. Statistical Analysis.

10. Analysis Of Trends.

11. Selecting Random Samples.

12. Field Techniques For Measuring Vegetation.

13. Specialized Sampling Methods And Field Techniques For Animals.

14. Objectives.

15. Communication And Monitoring Plans.

Appendix I: Monitoring Communities.

Appendix II: Sample Size Equations.

Appendix III: Confidence Interval Equations.

Appendix IV: Sample Size And Confidence Intervals For Complex Sampling Designs.

Literature Cited.

Index References