Austral Ark: The State of Wildlife in Australia and New Zealand

Description

Australia and New Zealand are home to a remarkable and unique assemblage of flora and fauna. Sadly though, by virtue of their long isolation, and a naive and vulnerable biota, both countries have suffered substantial losses to biodiversity since European contact. Bringing together the contributions of leading conservation biologists, Austral Ark presents the special features and historical context of Austral biota, and explains what is being conserved and why. The threatening processes occurring worldwide are discussed, along with the unique conservation problems faced at regional level. At the same time, the book highlights many examples of conservation success resulting from the innovative solutions that have been developed to safeguard native species and habitats in both New Zealand and Australia. Austral Ark fills an important gap regarding wildlife gains and declines, and how best to take conservation forward to keep this extraordinary area of the world thriving.

Adam Stow is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Macquarie University, Australia. His research focuses on three broad themes: conservation genetics, evolutionary processes and molecular ecology. He is Head of the Conservation Genetics Group which carries out research on animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate, in both marine and terrestrial environments. He is a nominated scientific expert to the State and Federal Governments for Shark conservation and an academic editor for the open access scientific journal PLoS ONE. Norman Maclean is Emeritus Professor of Genetics at the University of Southampton. He is the Molecular Editor of the Journal of Fish Biology and has authored and edited a dozen books on Genetics as well as published about 150 papers. He is a member of the RSPB, BTO, Hants Wildlife Trust and Southampton Natural History Society, and has studied wildlife (as an amateur) in over 50 countries. In 2010 he edited Silent Summer: The State of Wildlife in Britain and Ireland, published by Cambridge University Press. Gregory I. Holwell is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Auckland. His research focuses on the behaviour, ecology, evolution and conservation of insects and other invertebrates throughout Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia. Much of his research has centred on praying mantises, most recently investigating the impact of an invasive South African praying mantis on New Zealand's only native mantis. He is a passionate naturalist and advocate for the conservation of our little-known invertebrate fauna.

'This splendid book is a unique up-to-date synthesis of the global values, threats to existence and conservation of Australian and New Zealand wildlife. The authors illuminate the challenges faced by a remarkable selection of plant species and vegetation types, vertebrates and invertebrates; on land, in surface and underground freshwater, and the oceans. The growing list of threats to wildlife is assessed, with particular focus on global warming, changing wildfire patterns, plant, animal - and microbial invasions, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Useful examples of successful conservation projects are reinforced by templates for the design of conservation reserves on land and in the oceans. The book captures the urgency of the current situation, throwing new light on the modern requirements for wildlife conservation science and policy in this mega-diverse region. In achieving this, it crucially informs conservation efforts worldwide.' Andrew Beattie, Macquarie University, Sydney 'Whether a reader is embarking on a career in conservation, ecology, evolution, or biology or just wants to understand the current state of Australian and New Zealand wildlife and what is being done to secure its future, Austral Ark is essential reading.' Tara Martin, The Quarterly Review of Biology