"Weddell (Washington State Univ.) has written a highly readable book detailing the history and concepts
of three different approaches to managing and conserving natural resources... Weddell presents uses and limitations
of these concepts in a well-written and organized style suitable for anyone interested in the conservation of natural
resources."
--Choice
Cambridge University Press Web Site, Dec., 2002
Summary
Conserving Living Natural Resources is an introductory textbook for students of conservation biology and resource
management. It presents the historical and conceptual contexts of three seminal approaches to the management of
living natural resources: utilitarian management for harvest of featured species and control of unwanted species,
protection and restoration of populations and habitats to maintain biodiversity, and management of complex ecosystems
to sustain both productivity and biodiversity. Rather than endorsing a single approach as the only correct one,
this book investigates the historical and philosophical contexts, conceptual frameworks, principal techniques,
and the limitations of each approach.
Table of Contents
Introduction - different approaches to managing renewable natural resources
Preface - getting the information we need to manage living natural resources
Part I. Management to Maximise Production of Featured Species - A Utilitarian Approach to Conservation:
1. Historical context - the commodification of resources and the foundations of utilitarian resource management
2. Central concepts - population growth and interactions between populations
3. Central concepts - habitats
4. Techniques - harvest management
5. Techniques - habitat management
6. Techniques - management to minimize conflict between pest species and people
Part II. Protection and Restoration of Populations and Habitats - A Preservationist Approach to Conservation:
7. Historical context - the rise of environmental concerns
8. Central concepts - the causes of extinction
9. Techniques - protecting and restoring species
10. Techniques - protecting and restoring ecosystems
Part III. Management to Maintain Processes and Structures - A Sustainable-Ecosystem Approach to Conservation:
11. Historical context - pressures to move beyond protection of species and reserves
12. Central concepts - the flux of nature
13. Techniques - conserving processes and contexts
14. Techniques - including people in the conservation process
Appendix - major types of ecosystems
Conclusions.
