Synopses & Reviews
Conserving Living Natural Resources is an introductory textbook for students of conservation biology and resource management. It presents the historical and conceptual contexts of three seminal approaches to the management of living natural resources: utilitarian management for harvest of featured species and control of unwanted species, protection and restoration of populations and habitats to maintain biodiversity, and management of complex ecosystems to sustain both productivity and biodiversity. The book shows how the first two approaches were grounded in the belief that nature is 'in balance' and that people are outsiders, and then goes on to show how the 'flux-of-nature' paradigm suggests new strategies for conservation grounded in a view of nature as dynamic, and people as participants in the natural world. Rather than endorsing a single approach as the only correct one, this book investigates the historical and philosophical contexts, conceptual frameworks, principal techniques, and the limitations of each approach.
Review
"Weddell (Washington State Univ.) has written a highly readable book detailing the history and concepts of three different approaches to managing and conserving natural resources... Weddell presents uses and limitations of these concepts in a well-written and organized style suitable for anyone interested in the conservation of natural resources." ChoiceConserving Living Natural Resources takes the reader on a wide-ranging tour of conservation principles and practices. One of the book's strengths is the historical overview of conservation philosophy it offers." Environment"With Conserving Living Natural Resources, Bertie Josephson Weddell has filled a vacant niche with a textbook that presents some new, and refreshingly old, concepts, examples, and ideas. She has fashioned a valuable addition for the teaching and practice of conservation." Ecoscience
Synopsis
Essential reading for undergraduate students of conservation biology and living natural resource management.
Synopsis
An introductory textbook for students of conservation biology and resource management. No prior knowledge of biological sciences or natural resource management is assumed, and the book is written in such a way as to encourage students to think critically about evidence and its interpretation. Each of the three main concepts of conservation are discussed in an historical context (utilitarianism, habitat protection and restoration, and whole-ecosystem management) and the limitations and advantages of each of the approaches are explained. Essential reading for conservation biology courses.