[ECOLOG-L] What is the best book to teach Conservation Biology?

[J C Voltolini]

Dear friends, 
 
I will teach conservation biology in 2014 for undergraduate Biology students
and the library in my University is requesting the list of books. I am
thinking to use one good book and I like very much Groom et al. 2005 but I
am wating for a new edition and it seems to be a hard book for undergraduate
students. I am feeling that Hunter & Gibbs (2006) could be a good textbook
for undergraduate courses and I would like to receive suggestions please!

The main textbooks in this area are listed below:
Essentials of Conservation Biology, 5th Ed by Richard B. Primack (2010)
Principles of Conservation Biology, 3rd Ed by Groom, Meffe, Carroll (2005)
A Primer of Conservation Biology, 5th Ed by Primack (2012)
Fundamentals of Conservation Biology, 3rd by Hunter and Gibbs (2006)
A Primer of Conservation Biology, 4th Ed by Primack (2008)
Conservation Biology for All by Sodhi and Ehrlich (2010)
Conservation Biology: Foundations, Concepts, Applications by Van Dyke (2010)
Conservation Biology by Pullin (2002)

Thanks for any help!
 
Voltolini

Prof. Dr. J. C. VOLTOLINI 
Grupo de Pesquisa e Ensino em Biologia da Conservação - ECOTROP
Universidade de Taubaté, Departamento de Biologia Taubaté, SP. 12030-010. 
E-Mail: jcvo...@uol.com.br 
* Grupo de pesquisa ECOTROP CNPq: 
http://dgp.cnpq.br/buscaoperacional/detalhepesq.jsp?pesq=8137155809735635 
* Currículo Lattes: 
http://lattes.cnpq.br/8137155809735635 
* Fotos de Cursos e Projetos no Facebook: 
http://www.facebook.com/VoltoliniJC?v=info 

"Siamo tutti angeli con un'ala e possiamo volare soltanto se ciabbracciamo"

[malcolm McCallum]

This is going to depend upon the emphasis you place in the class.
For example, are you emphasizing the theory or the practice, or equal
energy to both?
Also, how much supplemental reading is involved?
I personally think sometimes we worry too much about the textbook
itself and not enough about the other readings. Sometimes its better
for a student to read the landmark paper and current papers than to
read the text. then, you become the text in class. YOu provide the
structure, depth and direction instead of a textbook. Textbooks are
often little more than an overview anyway. You can also abandon the
text altogether and have students read other kinds of things (books on
biodiversity related topics for example).

What is best, depends mostly on you.

malcolm

--
Malcolm L. McCallum
Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
School of Biological Sciences
University of Missouri at Kansas City

Managing Editor,
Herpetological Conservation and Biology

"Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" -
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[Wayne Tyson]

Malcolm and Ecolog:

"Textbooks are often little more than an overview anyway." --Malcolm
McCallum

May be, but if I were to pick the best textbook I have ever read it would be
Ricklefs' ECOLOGY. I read the second edition. Found 2 errors, but that can
be a test of the students' ability to think critically. In my view, adding
"Conservation" to biology or ecology tends to water down the subject and
bring old stuff into the dialog. Conservation is, or should be, a
cutting-edge issue that should be continuously updated. The term is vague,
often padded with politics. The subject needs to span the continuum from
preservation to integration to restoration and management, but this requires
a deep understanding of how biological systems and their constituent
organisms work and why.

I fear that I must run the risk of offending some to say that, in my
experience (admittedly not a large "sample"), most of those with
conservation biology/ecology degrees fall woefully short in terms of the
fundamentals. These were well-intentioned, even sentimental and romantic
folks, but it seemed to me that their degree had come to them at a cost of
the basic tools necessary to do meaningful work where the wheel actually
meets the road. Overview? It appears so. But I wonder what the facts really
are.

WT

----- Original Message -----
From: "malcolm McCallum" <malcolm....@herpconbio.org>
To: "Wayne Tyson" <land...@cox.net>
Cc: <ECOL...@listserv.umd.edu>
Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2013 6:52 PM
Subject: Re: Education Cost of Textbooks Re: [ECOLOG-L] What is the best
book to teach Conservation Biology?


Isn't there a conservation biology book online somewhere that was open
access?
Maybe that was a different discipline?

Malcolm

On Sun, Feb 3, 2013 at 8:45 PM, Wayne Tyson <land...@cox.net> wrote:
> My geologist friend does not require textbooks; he provides links or
> copies
> of reading material and teaches from that and his mind. Far different from
> one of my professors who required us to purchase his "book" of
> mimeographed
> material for $10 in 1956 (well over $100 in today's money) from the
> bookstore.
>
> This practice can cut costs to students considerably, and provide a
> superior
> education.
>
> WT
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "malcolm McCallum"
> <malcolm....@HERPCONBIO.ORG>
> To: <ECOL...@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU>
> Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2013 8:46 AM
> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] What is the best book to teach Conservation
> Biology?

>> Grupo de Pesquisa e Ensino em Biologia da Conserva��o - ECOTROP
>> Universidade de Taubat�, Departamento de Biologia Taubat�, SP. 12030-010.

>> E-Mail: jcvo...@uol.com.br
>> * Grupo de pesquisa ECOTROP CNPq:
>> http://dgp.cnpq.br/buscaoperacional/detalhepesq.jsp?pesq=8137155809735635

>> * Curr�culo Lattes:

> -----
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[David L. McNeely]

---- Wayne Tyson <land...@COX.NET> wrote:

>
> I fear that I must run the risk of offending some to say that, in my
> experience (admittedly not a large "sample"), most of those with
> conservation biology/ecology degrees fall woefully short in terms of the
> fundamentals. These were well-intentioned, even sentimental and romantic
> folks, but it seemed to me that their degree had come to them at a cost of
> the basic tools necessary to do meaningful work where the wheel actually
> meets the road. Overview? It appears so. But I wonder what the facts really
> are.

Wayne, are you perhaps painting with a broad brush? Just wonderin'. I have believed the same of "Environmental Studies" degrees, but then found some who were quite adept and went on to significant science/conservation careers. Many of these degrees are not intended to produce scientists, but rather people who work in science related or even natural history education settings that do provide important public service. On the other hand, I have seen quite capable people who were distracted into such programs with too little understanding of the difference between them and a rigorous, science program.

David McNeely

[Lyndell Bade]

I also think that is quite a sweeping statement to make about ecology and
conservation biology programs, and I think we should err on the side of
caution in these discussions. I have a conservation biology certificate
from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, that was available as part of a
very rigorous biology program (undergraduate and graduate) known for their
evolutionary biology, animal behaviour, and molecular ecology. (I might
add that UMSL is also the home of Dr. Ricklefs, author of the
earlier-mentioned *Ecology* textbook.) The use of the terms "conservation
biology" and "ecology" have morphed over the years. We now use terms like
"molecular ecology" and "behavioural ecology" to indicate the overlap and
interchange of disciplines...ie) the use of molecular tools to answer
ecological questions.

We should be very careful about the sweeping statements we make about
disciplines and programs, especially on a listserv that is public and
searchable. The finest scientists I know are ecologists, and there is
nothing lax about using an ecological approach or perspective in scientific
research. I very much think that we should let programs and people stand
on their own achievements.

Best,
Lyndell

[Todd Doherty]

Ok first, yes, Malcom, there is an online ConsBio book that was posted on
Ecolog awhile back. I’ll track it down for you.

And second, since the thread evolved……..

“In my view, adding “Conservation” to biology or ecology tends to water
down the subject and bring old stuff into the dialog.”

I completely disagree that conservation “waters down” biology or ecology as
philosophies, and further, I feel it adds context to the practice of these
sciences beyond the realm of basic research and pure science.

“Bringing old stuff into the dialog”, well isn’t that how you build your
fundamentals? Exploring and understanding the progression of a science,
learning from its history, has only ever given me a richer understanding of
whatever topic I happen to be studying. The “old stuff” helped me learn
what is cutting-edge, the future directions of the discipline, and it
helped prepare me for how to evolve as a professional.

You’re correct in saying Conservation is/should be a cutting-edge issue,
continuously updated, integrating multiple disciplines and philosophies.
Most importantly, I agree that any approach to conservation should be based
in a deep understanding of how the biological systems and their constituent
organisms work and why.

Conservation – “the term is vague, often padded with politics”.
“Sustainability” could fit this bill too, but what issue that affects all
of society and all of nature wouldn’t fit that bill. Conservation and
Sustainability are vague (broad, inclusive – are better words)
philosophies/movements that have evolved into practical sciences of their
own accord.

As developing sciences, it isn’t surprising to see some of the old guard
belittling the newbies for “lack of rigor” or “weak fundamentals”. I’ve
experienced brilliant ecologists who really just weren’t that interested in
Conservation or didn’t much see the point. I’ve also experienced folks with
alternative backgrounds, maybe not even a bachelor’s degree, who were far
more capable as land stewards or ecologists than some I’ve experienced who
had a sparkly PhD from a top program.

When it comes to doing “meaningful work”, so much more depends on the
individual person, their motivations, and their past experiences. Clearly,
“meaningful work” also varies in the eye of the beholder.

I’m an academically trained ecologist, but professionally I function as an
“Environmental Scientist” in the non-profit world. Work on both sides of
the aisle was rigorous, important and rewarding. Really, what changes with
“Conservation” and “Sustainability” is that the human element is
introduced. A human context of course complicates its existence as an
objective science, but in reality even “pure” sciences (biology, ecology)
are influenced by human perspective.

My main point is that it is frustrating to find colleagues still putting
down others within the same realm of science. After all, the original
ecologists and evolutionary biologists were scoffed at back when they were
new to the scene. My aim is to bring us together; our differences are much
less than our similarities. We’re all trying to understand and protect the
natural world.

I’m an applied Ecologist (“Environmental Scientist”) – I do public
outreach, event coordination, non-traditional education, and specialize in
IT and web development (in addition to my more traditional science-y
duties). That doesn’t make me any less capable as a scientist; it opens up
the venues in which I can have an effect. We need people people just as
much as we need pure science people. When we work together, support each
other, it takes us all higher.

Cheers,

TD



P.S. - Props to anyone out there trying to do something new/different,
interdisciplinary, beyond borders. I’ll see you on the road less traveled.
How else can you be cutting-edge other than to define your own career and
professional expression independently of stale notions?

[Isabela Freedman]

Dear Voltini,

Please, do not forget a very important part of Conservation Biology that have been neglected in many Con Bio courses: Conservation Genetics. For that a very good start book is Introduction to Conservation Biology - Frankham, Ballou and Briscoe.

Isabela Dias Freedman - igo...@amnh.org
Post-Doctoral Researcher
Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics
American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024
Office: 212 313 7847
Cell: 973 487 8259

________________________________________
From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [ECOL...@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] on behalf of J C Voltolini [jcvo...@UOL.COM.BR]
Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2013 9:44 AM
To: ECOL...@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
Subject: [ECOLOG-L] What is the best book to teach Conservation Biology?

[Wayne Tyson]

Ecolog:

I find myself mostly in agreement with most of the objectors to my post, and this is no exception. In fact, I am overjoyed to discover how wrong I am and how exceptional my experiences have been. Apparently the required courses now include enough basic biology and botany, for example, that any Ph.D. in, say, "conservation biology" will know things like the fundamentals of how plants grow and die and terms like "apical meristem" are not entirely foreign to them. Certainly the practice of conservation biology will require a general understanding of plant-soil water relations and how nutrients figure into the large picture of conservation biology, and all such graduates are fully prepared in such respects.

WT


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