Species Conservation: Lessons from Islands

Description

This book brings together leading conservation practitioners to reflect on their response to the current global biodiversity crisis, through the lens of island species recovery and management. Initial chapters cover the biological understanding of small population biology and the growing threat of invasive species, while subsequent chapters discuss the management of these threats and the complexity of leading projects within a dynamic and still relatively unknown system. Multiple case studies from islands worldwide illustrate key points, allowing readers to draw on the first-hand practical experience of experienced professionals. This resource will be invaluable to both current and future conservation professionals, helping them to go beyond disciplinary 'comfort zones' and develop, manage and lead projects over extensive timeframes in a way that brings others with them on the journey.

Jamieson A. Copsey is Director of Training for the Conservation Planning Specialist Group of the International Union for Nature Conservation, currently living in Mauritius. His research interests include island species conservation, invasive species management and conservation planning, management and leadership. Simon A. Black is a member of the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology at the University of Kent. His research and practice covers both conservation science and conservation management including performance measurement and evaluation. He has nearly thirty years of experience in management development and organisational improvement and over the past decade has focused on the wildlife sector including recovery of endangered species, human-wildlife conflict, community conservation, and captive population management. He has trained hundreds of conservation professionals world-wide on project management, leadership and personal effectiveness and works directly with organisations on goal-setting, programme design, monitoring and evaluation. Jim J. Groombridge is Professor of Biodiversity Conservation at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology in the School of Anthropology and Conservation at the University of Kent. His research interests include the conservation genetics and ecology of small populations, evolutionary genetics, phylogenetics and biogeography. Carl G. Jones is Chief Scientist at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and Scientific Director of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. In 2016 he won the prestigious Indianapolis Prize for Conservation. He has developed and led many programmes enabling some of the most striking animal population recoveries in the world, including the Mauritius kestrel, pink pigeon, echo parakeet, and the Rodrigues warbler.

'Islands are special. From Darwin and Wallace through to Gerald Durrell and the editors of this volume, life on islands has fascinated and troubled biologists in equal measure. In Species Conservation: Lessons from Islands an eminent group of conservationists bring their considerable experience to bear on the full gamut of problems facing those working to conserve insular species. From outlining the peculiarities and complexities of island life through to planning, managing and monitoring for recovery, the editors and authors present a compendium of strategies and practices for all those involved in the conservation of species in these special places. We have learnt much from the study of life on islands. The guidance in this very practical volume will help ensure that the many endemic and other species characteristic of the world's islands will survive to fascinate future generations.' Martin Fisher, Editor-in-Chief of Oryx: The International Journal of Conservation 'This book offers an inspiration to all those engaged in conservation science and practice. Students in conservation courses and managers preparing conservation projects (e.g. EU LIFE projects) should be encouraged to read it because it provides not only a sense of hope, but more importantly, guidance on how to plan, develop, and bring to fruition the recovery of species and habitats on islands.' Paulo A. V. Borges, Conservation Biology 'This hugely readable book is an excellent supplementary undergraduate course text, providing a wealth of examples of theory being put into practice.' Alexander Waller, The Biologist