Conservation of Wildlife Populations: Demography, Genetics, and Management, 2nd Edition

Population ecology has matured to a sophisticated science with astonishing potential for contributing solutions to wildlife conservation and management challenges. And yet, much of the applied power of wildlife population ecology remains untapped because its broad sweep across disparate subfields has been isolated in specialized texts. In this book, L. Scott Mills covers the full spectrum of applied wildlife population ecology, including genomic tools for non-invasive genetic sampling, predation, population projections, climate change and invasive species, harvest modeling, viability analysis, focal species concepts, and analyses of connectivity in fragmented landscapes. With a readable style, analytical rigor, and hundreds of examples drawn from around the world, Conservation of Wildlife Populations (2 nd ed) provides the conceptual basis for applying population ecology to wildlife conservation decision-making. Although targeting primarily undergraduates and beginning graduate students with some basic training in basic ecology and statistics (in majors that could include wildlife biology, conservation biology, ecology, environmental studies, and biology), the book will also be useful for practitioners in the field who want to find - in one place and with plenty of applied examples - the latest advances in the genetic and demographic aspects of population ecology. Additional resources for this book can be found at: www.wiley.com/go/mills/wildlifepopulations . Title page......Page 5 Copyright page......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 List of boxes......Page 11 Preface to second edition......Page 13 Preface to first edition......Page 14 List of symbols......Page 16 Acknowledgments for second edition......Page 17 Acknowledgments for first edition......Page 18 PART I: Background to Applied Population Biology......Page 19 Introduction......Page 21 Human population growth......Page 22 Number of species on Earth: described and not yet described......Page 26 Historic versus current rates of extinction......Page 27 Humans and Sustainable Harvest......Page 30 Further Reading......Page 31 Introduction......Page 32 Replication and randomization......Page 33 Accuracy, error, and variation......Page 34 The hypothetico-deductive (HD) approach......Page 37 Three ways to test hypotheses......Page 39 Model selection based on information-theoreticmethods......Page 42 Bayesian statistics: updating knowledge withnew information......Page 46 Ethics and the Wildlife Population Biologist......Page 47 Summary......Page 49 Further Reading......Page 50 What Is Genetic Variation?......Page 51 Genetic Markers Used in Wildlife Population Biology......Page 53 Microsatellite DNA......Page 54 Genes that affect fitness: functional genomics, adaptive variation, and transcriptomics......Page 56 Taxonomy and hybridization......Page 61 Determining species identity and distribution......Page 65 Determining gender and individual identity......Page 68 Summary......Page 70 Further Reading......Page 71 Background: censusing, estimating, and indexing abundance......Page 72 Transect methods for estimating abundance......Page 75 Sightability or observation probability models......Page 77 Capture–mark–recapture (CMR) methods for estimating abundance......Page 78 Robust design......Page 83 Known-fate models......Page 85 Band-return approaches......Page 86 Estimation of Reproduction......Page 88 Sex Ratio......Page 89 Sex ratios in the wild......Page 90 Summary......Page 92 Further Reading......Page 93 PART II: Population processes: the basis for management......Page 95 Introduction......Page 97 Discrete (geometric) growth......Page 98 Continuous (exponential) growth......Page 99 Overview of λ and r......Page 100 Factors that cause population growth to fluctuate......Page 102 Implications of variation in population growth......Page 104 Quantifying Exponential Population Growth in a Stochastic Environment......Page 109 Exponential growth with process noise only (EGPN)......Page 110 Process noise and observation error occurring simultaneously (EGSS)......Page 113 Summary......Page 114 Further Reading......Page 115 Introduction......Page 116 Anatomy of a Population-Projection Matrix......Page 117 How Timing of Sampling Affects the Matrix......Page 118 Stable stage distribution, transient dynamics, and reproductive value......Page 121 All Vital Rates are not Created Equal: Analytical Sensitivities and Elasticities......Page 126 Stochasticity in Age and Stage-Structured Populations......Page 127 Sensitivity analysis method 1: manual perturbation......Page 131 Sensitivity analysis method 2: analytical sensitivity and elasticity analysis......Page 132 Sensitivity analysis method 3: life-stage simulation analysis......Page 133 Fitness is Lambda, Selection is Management......Page 134 Case Studies Using Matrix Models to Guide Conservation Decision-Making......Page 136 Case study 1: what are the best management actions to recover an endangered species?......Page 137 Case study 2: prioritizing recovery actions in Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep using asymptotic and nonasymptotic sensitivity analysis......Page 138 Case study 3: what are the most efficient management actions to reduce a pest population?......Page 139 Case study 4: how should a harvested species be managed?......Page 140 Summary......Page 142 Further Reading......Page 143 Negative Density Dependence......Page 144 The Logistic: One Simple Model of Negative Density-Dependent Population Growth......Page 146 Some Counterintuitive Dynamics: Limit Cycles and Chaos......Page 151 Positive Density Dependence......Page 153 Negative and Positive Density Dependence Operate Together......Page 156 Summary......Page 158 Further Reading......Page 159 Introduction......Page 160 Does Predation Affect Prey Numbers?......Page 161 Numerical responses of predators......Page 163 Functional responses of predators......Page 164 Total predation rate......Page 167 Factor 2. Determining How Predation Affects Prey Numbers: Compensation......Page 168 Summary......Page 170 Further Reading......Page 171 Genetic variation allows long-term adaptation......Page 172 The big four: mutation, gene flow, natural selection, and genetic drift......Page 173 The genetic effective population size......Page 174 Genetic changes due to population fragmentation......Page 177 Defining inbreeding......Page 179 When Does Inbreeding Due to Genetic Drift Lead to Inbreeding Depression?......Page 180 Inbreeding depression in wildlife populations......Page 181 Can wild populations adapt to inbreeding through purging?......Page 182 Outbreeding Depression and the Loss of Local Adaptation......Page 183 Genetic Rescue, Genetic Restoration, and Long-Term Population Recovery......Page 185 Appropriate Levels of Genetic Connectivity......Page 186 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep......Page 187 Wolves of several types: Scandinavian, Mexican, and US......Page 188 Florida panther......Page 190 Summary......Page 191 Further Reading......Page 192 Introduction......Page 193 What Is Connectivity?......Page 194 Measuring Connectivity among Wildlife Populations......Page 195 Radiotelemetry and mark–recapture......Page 196 Genetic approaches......Page 198 Multiple Populations are Not All Equal......Page 203 Multiple isolated populations......Page 204 Source–sink populations......Page 206 Ecological traps......Page 207 Corridors and managing the intervening matrix......Page 212 Physically moving animals: translocations......Page 213 Summary......Page 215 Further Reading......Page 216 PART III: Applying Knowledge of Population Processes to Problems of Declining, Small, or Harvestable Populations......Page 217 General Effects of Deterministic Stressors on Populations: Adapt, Move, or Die......Page 219 Habitat fragmentation adds to the problems of habitat loss......Page 221 Introduced and Invasive Species......Page 224 Invasion by natives: human-subsidized species......Page 226 The special case of parasites and disease......Page 227 Pollution......Page 230 Overharvest......Page 232 Adapt in place......Page 233 Adapt by moving......Page 236 Failure to adapt in place or move means die and decline......Page 237 Multiple Deterministic Stressors Occur Simultaneously......Page 238 Summary......Page 240 Further Reading......Page 241 Ecological Characteristics Predicting Risk......Page 242 Predicting Risks in Small Populations......Page 244 PVA defined......Page 245 Three components of PVA......Page 247 How to conduct a PVA......Page 249 Big-picture thoughts about PVA......Page 255 Rules of thumb......Page 257 Summary......Page 260 Further Reading......Page 261 Introduction......Page 262 2 Umbrella species......Page 263 3 Indicator species......Page 264 4 Strong interactors: dominants and keystones......Page 265 Summary......Page 267 Further Reading......Page 268 Introduction......Page 269 Harvest level: numerical and functional responses of hunters......Page 270 Is hunting mortality additive or compensatory?......Page 271 Which ages and sexes are harvested?......Page 273 Long-Term Effects: Hunting as An Evolutionary Force......Page 275 Models to Guide Sustainable Harvest......Page 276 Fixed-quota harvests......Page 277 Adding age structure to harvest models......Page 278 Adaptive harvest management (AHM)......Page 282 Management of Overabundant and Pest Populations......Page 283 Summary......Page 284 Further Reading......Page 285 Epilogue......Page 287 References......Page 289 Index......Page 319 Supplemental Images......Page 347

Population ecology has matured to a sophisticated science with astonishing potential for contributing solutions to wildlife conservation and management challenges. And yet, much of the applied power of wildlife population ecology remains untapped because its broad sweep across disparate subfields has been isolated in specialized texts. In this book, L. Scott Mills covers the full spectrum of applied wildlife population ecology, including genomic tools for non-invasive genetic sampling, predation, population projections, climate change and invasive species, harvest modeling, viability analysis, focal species concepts, and analyses of connectivity in fragmented landscapes. With a readable style, analytical rigor, and hundreds of examples drawn from around the world, Conservation of Wildlife Populations (2 nd ed) provides the conceptual basis for applying population ecology to wildlife conservation decision-making. Although targeting primarily undergraduates and beginning graduate students with some basic training in basic ecology and statistics (in majors that could include wildlife biology, conservation biology, ecology, environmental studies, and biology), the book will also be useful for practitioners in the field who want to find - in one place and with plenty of applied examples - the latest advances in the genetic and demographic aspects of population ecology. Additional resources for this book can be found at: www.wiley.com/go/mills/wildlifepopulations.

Population ecology has matured to a sophisticated science with astonishing potential for contributing solutions to wildlife conservation and management challenges. And yet, much of the applied power of wildlife population ecology remains untapped because its broad sweep across disparate subfields has been isolated in specialized texts. In this book, L. Scott Mills covers the full spectrum of applied wildlife population ecology, including genomic tools for non-invasive genetic sampling, predation, population projections, climate change and invasive species, harvest modeling, viability analysis, focal species concepts, and analyses of connectivity in fragmented landscapes. With a readable style, analytical rigor, and hundreds of examples drawn from around the world, __Conservation of Wildlife Populations (2nd ed)__ provides the conceptual basis for applying population ecology to wildlife conservation decision-making. Although targeting primarily undergraduates and beginning graduate students with some basic training in basic ecology and statistics (in majors that could include wildlife biology, conservation biology, ecology, environmental studies, and biology), the book will also be useful for practitioners in the field who want to find - in one place and with plenty of applied examples - the latest advances in the genetic and demographic aspects of population ecology.**Additional resources for this book can be found at: www.wiley.com/go/mills/wildlifepopulations**. "Conservation of Wildlife Populations provides an accessible introduction to the most relevant concepts and principles for solving real-world management problems in wildlife and conservation biology. Bringing together insights from traditionally disparate disciplines, the book shows how population biology addresses important questions involving the harvest, monitoring, and conservation of wildlife populations. The most up-to-date approaches for assessing factors that affect both population growth and interactions with other species are covered in detail, including predation, genetic changes, harvest, introduced species, viability analysis, and habitat loss and fragmentation." "Conservation of Wildlife Populations is a guide for undergraduates and postgraduate students of wildlife biology, conservation biology, ecology, and environmental studies; and will be invaluable for practicing managers requiring an up-to-date assessment of how population biology can be applied to wildlife conservation and management."--BOOK JACKET Further Reading; CHAPTER 4: Estimating population vital rates; Introduction; Estimating Abundance and Density; Background: censusing, estimating, and indexing abundance; Transect methods for estimating abundance; Sightability or observation probability models; Capture-mark-recapture (CMR) methods for estimating abundance; Robust design; Density estimation in capture-mark-recapture studies; Survival Estimation; Known-fate models; CMR using the Cormack-Jolly-Seber method; Band-return approaches; Other approaches; Estimation of Reproduction; Sex Ratio; Sex ratios in the wild; Summary