By Jim Robbins
January-March 2005 (Vol. 6, No. 1)
From his perch atop the gleaming observation deck at Ford Motor Company’s Rouge River complex, William “Bill” McDonough, in a black shirt, black pants, and a black beret, looks out over a sun-drenched 4-ha meadow, enthusiastically describing the hummingbirds and butterflies that use it. Nothing […] Read More »
By Jon Christensen
January-March 2005 (Vol. 6, No. 1)
Way out on the sagebrush sea of the American West, people are embarking on a journey called community-based conservation. This is a journey communities around the world are undertaking. But it’s new for us Westerners. Our flagship is the greater sage grouse, a bird that […] Read More »
We Cannot Afford to See People as Opponents
Arriving on the heels of an election that seems to bode ill for the environment, the quote on the cover of the Fall 2004 issue of Conservation in Practice struck me as inspired: “We cannot afford to see people as opponents-especially not those who oppose us.” While […] Read More »
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
By Jared Diamond
Viking Books, 2005
Reviewed by David Rains Wallace
Wandering in the wood, Alice heard sawing and walked that way, hopeful of getting directions. Halfway up an oak, a hedgehog in a frock coat and silk hat was sawing off the limb it sat on. […] Read More »
The global outcry over tropical forest loss notwithstanding, some conservationists argue that there are “survivor” species that thrive in the secondary habitats that replace the original forest. But new research shows that this is wrong: these so-called survivor species are just as threatened as the rest, once the original forest is gone.
“Secondary habitat use […] Read More »
Although riparian strips are widely used to protect wetlands, these buffer zones may be too small to do much good. Most wetland buffers are only 30 to 120 m across, and new research shows that wetland water quality can be affected by land use up to 4 km away.
“Our results suggest that current U.S. […] Read More »
January-March 2005 (Vol. 6, No. 1)
While not as dramatic as dynamite or poison fishing, cast-fishing can still be deadly to corals in reefs. New research in the Hawaiian Islands shows that reefs off popular cast-fishing sites have up to twice as many damaged and dead coral colonies than those that are not fished.
“Seemingly […] Read More »
January-March 2005 (Vol. 6, No. 1)
One of the keys to managing the bushmeat trade sustainably is understanding why people eat wildlife in the first place: do they want to, or do they have to? Many conservationists assume the latter, and now there is evidence that this assumption may be true in Ghana. A new […] Read More »
January-March 2005 (Vol. 6, No. 1)
Sea urchin diseases are on the rise; figuring out why is important, partly because these epidemics can threaten tropical reefs, which depend on urchins to graze the seaweeds that can otherwise overgrow and kill corals. New research suggests that sea urchin populations are more vulnerable to diseases when their […] Read More »
January-March 2005 (Vol. 6, No. 1)
Most large wild animals in East Africa live on grazing lands, raising the question of whether conservation is compatible with livestock production. The answer will depend on how different species affect each other and the land they share. New research suggests that, although cattle deter zebras from using savannas, […] Read More »
January-March 2005 (Vol. 6, No. 1)
Wild bees can boost crop pollination, but little is known about how much habitat they need to provide this ecosystem service. New research gives farmers and land planners specifics and shows that conserving as little as one-tenth of the nearby wild bee habitat can provide up to 40 percent […] Read More »
January-March 2005 (Vol. 6, No. 1)
Rather than being just a feel-good activity, conservation volunteering can make a real difference. The first step in protecting biodiversity is figuring out what species live where, but this can be an overwhelming task because time and funds are limited. A new report shows that volunteers can help on […] Read More »
January-March 2005 (Vol. 6, No. 1)
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By Ivars Peterson
January-March 2005 (Vol. 6, No. 1)
A map can show much more than rivers, roads, and political boundaries. It can express an attitude. Saul Steinberg’s famous New Yorker cover illustration, “View from 9th Avenue,” shows a foreshortened map of New York City and its environs. Beyond the city’s avenues and the Hudson […] Read More »
By Nancy Bazilchuk
January-March 2005 (Vol. 6, No. 1)
The Bible says it took just seven days to create the world. But the Lutheran Diocese of Västerås, one of Sweden’s largest, knows it takes decades to grow a healthy forest that can then be harvested in a sustainable way. And they’re willing to put […] Read More »
