Decline and Recovery of the Island Fox
A Case Study for Population Recovery

An account of the catastrophic decline and remarkable recovery of a fox species inhabiting only the California Channel Islands.

Timothy J. Coonan (Author), Catherin A. Schwemm (Author), David K. Garcelon (Author)

9780521715102, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 22 July 2010

232 pages, 40 b/w illus. 3 maps 13 tables
22.8 x 15.1 x 1.1 cm, 0.37 kg

"I found the book to be very interesting and inspiring."
Park Science

Native only to the California Channel Islands, the island fox is the smallest canid in North America. Populations on four of the islands were threatened to extinction in the 1990s due to human-mediated predation and disease. This is the first account of the natural history and ecology of the island fox, illustrating both the vulnerability of island ecosystems and the efficacy of cooperative conservation measures. It explains in detail the intense conservation actions required to recover fox populations, such as captive breeding and reintroduction, and large-scale ecosystem manipulation. These actions were successful due in large part to extraordinary collaboration among the scientists, managers and public advocates involved in the recovery effort. The book also examines the role of some aspects of island fox biology, characteristic of the 'island syndrome', in facilitating their recovery, including high productivity and an apparent adaptation to periodic genetic bottlenecks.

1. Introduction
2. Evolution and genetics
3. Social structure, reproduction, and population dynamics
4. Food habits, habitat use, and activity patterns
5. Golden eagles and island fox declines on the Northern Islands
6. Ecosystem recovery on the Northern Islands: predators and prey
7. Disease and island fox declines on Catalina Island
8. Recovery actions: captive breeding
9. Recovery actions: reintroduction and translocation
10. Reproductive biology Cheryl S. Asa
11. Diseases of island foxes Linda Munson
12. The role of zoos, education, and the public in island fox recovery
13. Managing recovery: cooperative conservation, politics, and the Endangered Species Act
14. The ecological role of island foxes
15. Conclusion
References.

Subject Areas: Pollution & threats to the environment [RNP], Conservation of wildlife & habitats [RNKH], Conservation of the environment [RNK], Environmental management [RNF]