Synopses & Reviews
The Great Lakes region is unique in that it is the only portion of the lower 48 states where wolves were never extirpated. As the birthplace of some of the first modern concepts of wolf conservation and research, the region is also the first place in the U.S. where "endangered" wolf populations recovered. During this process, much has been learned about wolf biology and ecology, endangered species management, carnivore conservation, landscape ecology, depredation management, and social aspects of wildlife conservation. Recovery of Gray Wolves in the Great Lakes Region of the United States traces wolf recovery in this region and highlights lessons learned by conservationists during the recovery process. Each chapter includes a thorough review of the pertinent literature, in addition to new data or new perspectives and interpretations. The result is both rigorous with respect to science and policy and accessible and interesting for the lay reader. The story of wolf recovery in the Great Lakes region is one of international significance for conservationists.
Review
From the reviews: "This book documents and evaluates the recovery of the gray wolf in the Great Lakes Region, where modern concepts of wolf conservation developed. Twenty-three chapters written by numerous wolf biologists cover all aspects of the recovery effort, starting with early history, research, and conservation in this area. ... This book provides a model for future recovery efforts and the management of wolf populations, as well as of large predators. Summing Up: Recommended. All general, academic, and professional audiences." (R. L. Smith, Choice, Vol. 47 (2), October, 2009) "Each chapter reads like a scientific paper that addresses its topic with scholarly thoroughness. ... The chapters are essentially research papers written by scientists for other scientists. Anyone who can read a newspaper can understand most of this material ... . In short, this book is a serious attempt to understand a major topic in wolf restoration. This compilation of scholarship is likely to be the most authoritative and carefully researched book on the topic for a long time to come." (Steve Grooms, International Wolf, Spring, 2010)
Synopsis
In this book, we document and evaluate the recovery of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in the Great Lakes region of the United States. The Great Lakes region is unique in that it was the only portion of the lower 48 states where wolves were never c- pletely extirpated. This region also contains the area where many of the first m- ern concepts of wolf conservation and research where developed. Early proponents of wolf conservation such as Aldo Leopold, Sigurd Olson, and Durward Allen lived and worked in the region. The longest ongoing research on wolf-prey relations (see Vucetich and Peterson, Chap. 3) and the first use of radio telemetry for studying wolves (see Mech, Chap. 2) occurred in the Great Lakes region. The Great Lakes region is the first place in the United States where "Endangered" wolf populations recovered. All three states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan) developed ecologically and socially sound wolf conservation plans, and the federal government delisted the population of wolves in these states from the United States list of endangered and threatened species on March 12, 2007 (see Refsnider, Chap. 21). Wolf management reverted to the individual states at that time. Although this delisting has since been challenged, we believe that biological recovery of wolves has occurred and anticipate the delisting will be restored. This will be the first case of wolf conservation reverting from the federal government to the state conser- tion agencies in the United States.
Synopsis
Tracing the recovery of gray wolves in the Great Lakes region, where they were never extirpated, and highlighting lessons learned by conservationists during the recovery process, each chapter of this book includes a thorough review of the pertinent literature.
Synopsis
The western Great Lakes region of the United States is the only portion of the lower 48 states where wolves were never completely extirpated. This region contains the areas where many of the first modern concepts of wolf conservation and research were developed, and where many early proponents of wolf conservation such as Aldo Leopold, Sigurd Olson, and Durward Allen lived and worked. The Great Lakes region also is the first place in the U. S. where "endangered" wolf populations recovered. During this recovery, we learned much about wolf biology and ecology, endangered species management, carnivore conservation, landscape ecology, depredation management, and social aspects of wildlife conservation. "Recovery of Gray Wolves in the Great Lakes Region of the United States," traces wolf recovery from diverse perspectives ranging from ecology, management, and policy to the cultural, social, and historical significance of wolves.
Table of Contents
Contents Preface Foreword Bruce Babbitt Chapter 1 - Early Wolf Research and Conservation in the Great Lakes Region Curt Meine Chapter 2 - Long-term Research on Wolves in the Superior National Forest L. David Mech Chapter 3 - Wolf and Moose Dynamics on Isle Royale John A. Vucetich and Rolf O. Peterson Chapter 4 - An Overview of the Legal History and Population Status of Wolves in Minnesota John Erb and Michael W. DonCarlos Chapter 5 - Wolf Population Changes in Michigan Dean E. Beyer, Jr., Rolf O. Peterson, John A. Vucetich, and James H. Hammill Chapter 6 - History, Population Growth, and Management of Wolves in Wisconsin Adrian P. Wydeven, Jane E. Wiedenhoeft, Ronald N. Schultz, Richard P. Thiel, Randle R. Jurewicz, Bruce E. Kohn, and Timothy R. Van Deelen Chapter 7 - An Isolated Wolf Population in Central Wisconsin Richard P. Thiel, Wayne Hall, Ellen Heilhecker, and Adrian P. Wydeven Chapter 8 - Change in Occupied Wolf Habitat in the Northern Great Lakes Region David J. Mladenoff, Murray K. Clayton, Sarah D. Pratt, Theodore A. Sickley, and Adrian P. Wydeven Chapter 9 - Growth Rate and Equilibrium Size of a Recolonizing Wolf Population in the Southern Lake Superior Region Timothy R. Van Deelen Chapter 10 - Prey of Wolves in the Great Lakes Region Glenn D. DelGiudice, Keith R. McCaffery, Dean E. Beyer, Jr., and Michael E. Nelson Chapter 11 - Factors Influencing Homesite Selection of Gray Wolves in Northwestern Wisconsin and East-Central Minnesota David E. Unger, Paul W. Keenlance, Bruce E. Kohn, and Eric M. Anderson Chapter 12 - Dispersal of Gray Wolves in the Great Lakes Region Adrian Treves, Kerry A. Martin, Jane E. Wiedenhoeft, and Adrian P. Wydeven Chapter 13 - Are Wolf-Mediated Trophic Cascades Boosting Biodiversity in the Great Lakes Region? Tom Rooney and Dean Anderson Chapter 14 - Wolves, Roads, and Highway Development Bruce E. Kohn, Eric M. Anderson, and Richard P. Thiel Chapter 15 - Taxonomy, Morphology, and Genetics of Wolves of the Great Lakes Region Ronald M. Nowak Chapter 16 - Human Dimensions: Public Opinion Research Concerning Wolves in the Great Lakes States of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin Kevin Schanning Chapter 17 - Ma'iingan and the Ojibwe Peter David Chapter 18 - Wolf-Human Conflicts and Management in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan David B. Ruid, William J. Paul, Brian J. Roell, Adrian P. Wydeven, Robert C. Willging, Randy L. Jurewicz, and Donald H. Lonsway Chapter 19, Education and Outreach Efforts on Wolves in the Great Lakes Region Pamela S. Troxell, Karlyn Atkinson Berg, Holly Jaycox, Andrea Lorek Strauss, Peggy Struhsacker, and Peggy Callahan Chapter 20 - The Role of the Endangered Species Act in Midwest Wolf Recovery Ron Refsnider Chapter 21 - Wolf Recovery in the Great Lakes Region: What Have We Learned, and Where Do We Go Now? Adrian P. Wydeven, Timothy R. Van Deelen, and Edward J. Heske Index