Marine Bycatch
We agree with Scott Norris (“Thinking Like an Ocean,” Fall 2002) that a practical, cooperative approach to the problem of marine bycatch is required and that most technological solutions will come from within the fishing industry itself. As conservation biologists, we can help fishermen to systematically test the most promising ideas to determine […] Read More »
Books
Spring 2003 (Vol. 4, No. 2)
Some books reviewed in our book review section are available through Amazon.com. To make your purchase easier we have included a link when available. When you purchase a book through this service on our website Conservation In Practice receives a portion of the purchase price.
The Conservation Handbook: […] Read More »
Despite the fact that strip mines can destroy entire mountain tops in the Appalachians, mine reclamation mandates focus on short-term fixes instead of ecosystem restoration. New research shows that although reclaimed mines can look good, even after 30 years they are still missing about half of the plant species found in unmined forests.
“More emphasis […] Read More »
A first step in reducing roadkill is figuring out where animals are most likely to get hit along roads. New research shows that small animals in Canada’s Banff National Park are safest along raised roads and suggests that reducing roadkill may be as simple as providing enough culverts for wildlife to use as underpasses.
This […] Read More »
California’s sea otters (Enhydra lutris) and red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) fisheries both need help — but what’s the best way to protect predators as well as their prey? New research suggests that the answer is separate reserves.
“We conclude that coastal marine protected areas off California cannot enhance abalone fisheries if they also contain sea […] Read More »
When it comes to conservation, perception really is reality. Two new studies show that people’s views of nature and interpretations of environmental buzzwords can drive conservation policies and management.
“Differing assumptions about nature constrain people’s vision of what environmental conditions can and should exist, thereby constraining the future that can be negotiated,” say Bruce Hull […] Read More »
Imagine if people kept hiking through your baby’s room. That’s essentially what happens in some of the canyons where Mexican spotted owls (Strix occidentalis lucida) breed, and a new study shows that hikers can disrupt the owls’ behavior in ways that might harm their young.
“We suggest that restrictions on hiking intensity should be considered […] Read More »
Having a patch of woods in your backyard may boost your spirits but could threaten your health. New research shows that small forest fragments in New York have more Lyme disease-carrying ticks, which could increase peoples’ risk of acquiring the disease.
“These results suggest that…habitat fragmentation can influence human health,” say Felicia Keesing of Bard […] Read More »
Linking habitat fragments with corridors is a catchy idea, but no one knows if it really benefits species. New research suggests that corridors may not help birds in Canadian forest fragments, which means they might be better off in a larger protected area than in a series of small ones.
“Corridors connecting small reserves of […] Read More »
By Brian DeVore
Spring 2003 (Vol. 4, No. 2)
I sat in a darkened conference room on a June afternoon in 1996. Along with agronomists, engineers, and others participating in something called the International Precision Agriculture Conference, I watched a video of a John Deere 7800 tractor rolling along a California test plot. The […] Read More »
By Philip Nyhus, Hank Fischer, Francine Madden, and Steve Osofsky
Spring 2003 (Vol. 4, No. 2)
With flaming torches lighting the night sky, a young man with a whip rushes toward a massive bull elephant moving through his rice field. Chased by the cracking whip, exploding firecrackers, drums, and screams of villagers, the pachyderm, a […] Read More »
By Jason Van Driesche and Roy Van Driesche
Spring 2003 (Vol. 4, No. 2)
If only all conservation crises were this simple. It was 1920. The invasion of prickly pear cacti (Opuntia spp.) in Australia had become an emergency of national proportions. Millions of acres of grassland and forest were covered with these invaders, […] Read More »
By Katherine Ellison and Gretchen C. Daily
Spring 2003 (Vol. 4, No. 2)
Adam Davis was sitting in a Marin County, California cafe four years ago when he dreamed up an idea he hoped could help save the Earth-and also make some money in the process. In a plan that might have tickled the […] Read More »
