Evolutionary Conservation Biology

Presents an introduction to the area of evolutionary conservation biology.

Régis Ferrière (Edited by), Ulf Dieckmann (Edited by), Denis Couvet (Edited by)

9780521116084, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 23 July 2009

448 pages, 121 b/w illus. 8 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.5 cm, 0.65 kg

'The book provides an excellent overview of current tools for modelling evolutionary processes associated with different types of populations and landscape patterns … Evolutionary Conservation Biology presents a great deal of useful information related to conservation geneticists and evolutionary ecology.' Bulletin of Mathematical Biology

As anthropogenic environmental changes spread and intensify across the planet, conservation biologists have to analyze dynamics at large spatial and temporal scales. Ecological and evolutionary processes are then closely intertwined. In particular, evolutionary responses to anthropogenic environmental change can be so fast and pronounced that conservation biology can no longer afford to ignore them. To tackle this challenge, areas of conservation biology that are disparate ought to be integrated into a unified framework. Bringing together conservation genetics, demography, and ecology, this book introduces evolutionary conservation biology as an integrative approach to managing species in conjunction with ecological interactions and evolutionary processes. Which characteristics of species and which features of environmental change foster or hinder evolutionary responses in ecological systems? How do such responses affect population viability, community dynamics, and ecosystem functioning? Under which conditions will evolutionary responses ameliorate, rather than worsen, the impact of environmental change?

Contributing authors
Acknowledgements
Notational standards
1. Introduction Régis Ferrière, Ulf Dieckmann and Denis Couvet
Part A. Theory of Extinction: Introduction
2. From individual interactions to population viability Wilfried Gabriel and Régis Ferrière
3. Age structure, mating system and population viability Stéphane Legendre
4. Spatial dimensions of population viability Mats Gyllenberg, Ilkka Hanski and Johan A. J. Metz
Part B. The Pace of Adaptive Responses to Environmental Change: Introduction
5. Responses to environmental change: adaptation or extinction Richard Frankham and Joel Kingsolver
6. Empirical evidence for rapid evolution David Reznick, Helen Rodd and Leonard Nunney
7. Genetic variability and life-history evolution Kimberly A. Hughes and Ryan Sawby
8. Environmental stress and quantitative genetic variation Alexandra G. Imasheva and Volker Loeschcke
Part C. Genetic and Ecological Bases of Adaptive Responses: Introduction
9. Fixation of new mutations in small populations Michael C. Whitlock and Reinhard Bürger
10. Quantitative-genetic models and changing environments Reinhard Bürger and Christoph Krall
11. Adaptive dynamics and evolving biodiversity Ulf Dieckmann and Régis Ferrière
Part D. Spatial Structure: Introduction
12. Genetic structure in heterogeneous environments Oscar E. Gaggiotti and Denis Couvet
13. Conservation implications of niche conservatism and evolution in heterogeneous environments Robert D. Holt and Richard Gomulkiewicz
14. Adaptive responses to landscape disturbances: theory Kalle Parvinen
15. Adaptive responses to landscape disturbances: empirical evidence Bruno Colas, Chris D. Thomas and Ilkka Hanski
Part E. Community Structure: 16. Co-evolutionary dynamics and extinction Judith Bronstein and Ulf Dieckmann
17. Ecosystem evolution and conservation Michel Loreau, Claire de Mazancourt and Robert D. Holt
18. The congener as an agent of extermination and rescue of rare species Donald A. Levin
19. Epilogue Régis Ferrière, Ulf Dieckmann and Denis Couvet
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Conservation of the environment [RNK], Evolution [PSAJ], Ecological science, the Biosphere [PSAF], Applied mathematics [PBW]