Synopses & Reviews
Trophic cascadesandmdash;the top-down regulation of ecosystems by predatorsandmdash;are an essential aspect of ecosystem function and well-being. Trophic cascades are often drastically disrupted by human interventionsandmdash;for example, when wolves and cougars are removed, allowing deer and beaver to become destructiveandmdash;yet have only recently begun to be considered in the development of conservation and management strategies.
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Trophic Cascades is the first comprehensive presentation of the science on this subject. It brings together some of the worldandrsquo;s leading scientists and researchers to explain the importance of large animals in regulating ecosystems, and to relate that scientific knowledge to practical conservation.
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Chapters examine trophic cascades across the worldandrsquo;s major biomes, including intertidal habitats, coastal oceans, lakes, nearshore ecosystems, open oceans, tropical forests, boreal and temperate ecosystems, low arctic scrubland, savannas, and islands. Additional chapters consider aboveground/belowground linkages, predation and ecosystem processes, consumer control by megafauna and fire, and alternative states in ecosystems. An introductory chapter offers a concise overview of trophic cascades, while concluding chapters consider theoretical perspectives and comparative issues.
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Trophic Cascades provides a scientific basis and justification for the idea that large predators and top-down forcing must be considered in conservation strategies, alongside factors such as habitat preservation and invasive species. It is a groundbreaking work for scientists and managers involved with biodiversity conservation and protection.
Review
"When two or more people sleep on a waterbed, one person rolling over is likely to disturb the others. The ecological world is like a gigantic waterbed in which disturbances ripple through webs, or branching chains of species, with unforeseen effects.
Trophic Cascades provides a comprehensive account of what life's waterbed is really like: When a population is changed, introduced, or eradicated, trophic cascades can change the numbers or behavior of even the most ecologically remote species in ways that seem counterintuitive. The authors discuss the conservation significance of trophic cascades on land, in oceans, and in fresh water. This great book will become a classic centerpiece of the ecological literature."
Review
"Predators everywhere are threatened by human impact, underscoring Aldo Leopold's dictum that intelligent tinkering requires saving all the parts; yet we've failed to appreciate the significant roles of these animals in structuring ecosystems. Terborgh and Estes, both distinguished field biologists, provide a wide-ranging set of scholarly reviews.
Trophic Cascades is natural history at its best, outstanding science in the service of conserving the diversity of life on earth."
Review
"This important book focuses attention on a relatively neglected aspect of the Biodiversity Crisis, namely that species higher up in food chains are differentially important, and also differentially at risk. The book's rich array of well-studied examples of consequent 'trophic cascades' of damage to ecosystems and the services they deliver deserves wide attention, with the lessons incorporated in conservation planning. Read this book."
Review
“This first comprehensive work on trophic cascades is excellent, thorough, and timely. The reader will be treated to accounts of trophic cascades akin to adventure stories, full of interactions, intrigue, unexpected consequences, and the discovery of pattern and order against a backdrop of noise and environmental degradation. The studies span the furthest reaches of the planet and include work in some of its most remote and pristine ecosystems. This book provides additional fuel for the need to shift away from a species-by-species management approach to a more holistic, ecosystem-based one.”
Professor Lord Robert May - Department of Zoology, Oxford University
Review
"Predator-prey interactions are fundamental to ecology. This work recasts the traditional approach to food chains and stable populations as trophic cascades, showing the extremely dynamic nature of ecosystems. Terborgh and Estes, acknowledged leaders in ecology, have assembled a broad selection of examples in this four-part work. Following an introductory chapter, part 1, "Aquatic Ecosystems," covers ocean, intertidal, and lake environments. Part 2, "Terrestrial Ecosystems," focuses on temporal and tropical forests, above- and belowground. Part 3, "Predation and Ecosystems Processes," discusses predator or prey release, conservation, and fire ecology. Part 4, "Synthesis," addresses theoretical perspectives on trophic cascades, comparisons across ecosystems, and conservation relevance and includes a conclusion by the editors titled "Our Trophically Degraded Planet." The foreword reveals the books overriding theme by pointing to the complex relationship among orcas, sea otters, sea urchins, and kelp forests. Increased orca predation on sea otters (perhaps due to dietary shifts in response to whaling pressures), caused a decline in otters, releasing a mid-level predator, the sea urchin, which can wipe out kelp forests. The complexities of nature, the importance of keystone predators, and the dynamic nature of populations are clearly described in these well-written, thought-provoking papers, well suited for general audiences." Dr. Ellen K. Pikitch - Executive Director of the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science
Review
"The interaction [...] amongst keystone species and landscapes is very key to the actual direction that we need to go here. And trophic cascades is how we refer to that interaction. And there are some brand-new materials, in fact, published recently by Island Press. In fact, the name of this book Im looking at here is Trophic Cascades, edited by John Terborgh and James Estes. And it probably is the finest work yet available on describing these interactions and the importance they have for landscape. So I would recommend to your listeners that they might check that out." J. Burger, Rutgers University - CHOICE
Review
"Trophic Cascades, a collection of essays detailing evidence of the critical importance of apex predators in ecosystem functioning, will be given a home on the same shelf as
Game Management. While it may not yet represent a watershed intellectual moment, it is an important contribution that advances our collective understanding. [...] The material is presented in a straightforward, logical format according to the evidence for this effect in various ecosystems. It is truly an illuminating resource that should be on the bookshelf of anyone concerned with conservation and ecological restoration. [...] This resource brings together, for the first time, a wealth of evidence from a variety of ecosystems detailing the (usually unpredictable) consequences of apex predator elimination. The material is absolutely fascinating to anyone with even a modicum of ecological expertise."
Kim Vacariu, Western Director for the Wildlands Network - Mountain Lion Foundation Interview
Review
"In the first comprehensive work on trophic cascades, leading experts in terrestrial, marine, and lake food webs distill decades of evidence and lifetimes of insight to show that large carnivores, as apex predators, exert ubiquitous and powerful effects over nature. This landmark book argues, compellingly, that the ongoing worldwide loss of megacarnivores not only impoverishes Earth's biota, but also undermines life support services needed for thriving human societies."
Review
"... this book is a very valuable source for all students and researchers and for the first time provides an excellent overview of our current knowledge on trophic cascades in different ecosystems."
Review
"The complexities of nature, the importance of keystone predators, and the dynamic nature of populations are clearly described in these well-written, thought-provoking papers, well suited for general audiences."
Review
"This book is provocative and demands sustained, deep thought on the part of readers. Many bold, large, synthetic ideas are proposed, albeit often tentatively, and the relevant literature is not only from ecology and conservation biology but from archeology, paleobiology, mathematics, and other fields...One should not read
Trophic Cascades in search of insights on restoration techniques. Rather, any restoration biologist should read it as a challenging, mind-expanding exercise, inspiring thoughts about why we try to restore, what we try to restore to, what might be feasible, why we have succeeded or failed, and why an ecosystem perspective is absolutely necessary."
Review
"We recommend this book to instructors, professionals and any others in need of a text that presents varied examples and addresses questions surrounding top-down forcing in aquatic and terrestrial systems."
Review
"This book is an excellent, comprehensive resource on trophic cascades... This is a comprehensive book. Its dramatic examples and bold conclusions make for exciting and challenging reading. It is a timely and compelling synthesis of evidence relating to trophic cascades."
Review
"This book provides a great deal of clarity"
Review
"It is the first well-written and comprehensive book about this subject...it will certain become a classic in ecological literature."
Synopsis
Synopsis
Trophic cascadesand#8212;the top-down regulation of ecosystems by predatorsand#8212;are an essential aspect of ecosystem function and well-being. Trophic cascades are often drastically disrupted by human interventionsand#8212;for example, when wolves and cougars are removed, allowing deer and beaver to become destructiveand#8212;yet have only recently begun to be considered in the development of conservation and management strategies.
Trophic Cascades is the first comprehensive presentation of the science on this subject. It brings together some of the worldand#8217;s leading scientists and researchers to explain the importance of large animals in regulating ecosystems, and to relate that scientific knowledge to practical conservation. It is a groundbreaking work for scientists and managers involved with biodiversity conservation and protection.
About the Author
John Terborgh is James B. Duke Professor of Environmental Sciences and codirector of the Center for Tropical Conservation at Duke University. He has devoted much of the past 35 years to issues concerning the ecology and conservation of neotropical systems.
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After spending most of his career as a research scientist with the US Geological Survey, James A. Estes is currently a faculty member at the University of California at Santa Cruz where he holds a position of professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.
Table of Contents
Foreword \ Ellen K. Pikitch
Preface
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Chapter 1. Trophic Cascades: What They Are, How They Work, and Why They Matter \ John Terborgh, Robert D. Holt, and James A. Estes
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PART I. Aquatic Ecosystems
Chapter 2. Food Chain Dynamics and Trophic Cascades in Intertidal Habitats \ Robert T. Paine
Chapter 3. Some Effects of Apex Predators in Higher-Latitude Coastal Oceans \ James A. Estes, Charles H. Peterson, and Robert S. Steneck
Chapter 4. Trophic Cascades in Lakes: Lessons and Prospects \ Stephen R. Carpenter, Jonathan J. Cole, James F. Kitchell, and Michael L. Pace
Chapter 5. Prey Release,Trophic Cascades, and Phase Shifts in Tropical Nearshore Ecosystems \ Stuart A. Sandin, Sheila M.Walsh, and Jeremy B. C. Jackson
Chapter 6. Trophic Cascades in Open Ocean Ecosystems \ Tim Essington
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PART II. Terrestrial Ecosystems
Chapter 7. The Role of Herbivores in Terrestrial Trophic Cascades \ Robert J. Marquis
Chapter 8. Propagation of Trophic Cascades via Multiple Pathways in Tropical Forests \ John Terborgh and Kenneth Feeley
Chapter 9. Large Predators, Deer, and Trophic Cascades in Boreal and Temperate Ecosystems \ William J. Ripple,Thomas P. Rooney, and Robert L. Beschta
Chapter 10. Islands as Tests of the Green World Hypothesis \ Lauri Oksanen,Tarja Oksanen, Jonas Dahlgren, Peter Hamband#228;ck, Per Ekerholm, and#197;sa Lindgren, and Johan Olofsson
Chapter 11. Trophic Cascades on Islands \ Thomas W. Schoener and David A. Spiller
Chapter 12. Trophic Cascades,Abovegroundand#150;Belowground Linkages, and Ecosystem Functioning \ David A.Wardle
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PART III. Predation and Ecosystem Processes
Chapter 13. Ecological and Conservation Implications of Mesopredator Release \ Justin S. Brashares, Laura R. Prugh, Chantal J. Stoner, and Clinton W. Epps
Chapter 14. Fear-Mediated Food Webs \ Joel Berger
Chapter 15. Trophic Cascades in African Savanna: Serengeti as a Case Study \ A. R. E. Sinclair, Kristine Metzger, Justin S. Brashares,Ally Nkwabi, Gregor Sharam, and John M. Fryxell
Chapter 16. Consumer Control by Megafauna and Fire \ William Bond
Chapter 17. Alternative States in Ecosystems \ Marten Scheffer
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PART IV. Synthesis
Chapter 18. Theoretical Perspectives on Trophic Cascades: Current Trends and Future Directions \ Robert D. Holt, Ricardo M. Holdo, and F. J. Frank van Veen
Chapter 19. Comparing Trophic Cascades across Ecosystems \ Jonathan B. Shurin, Russell W. Markel, and Blake Matthews
Chapter 20. Conservation Relevance of Ecological Cascades \ Michael E. Souland#233;
Chapter 21. Conclusion: Our Trophically Degraded Planet \ John Terborgh and James A. Estes
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References
Contributors
Index