Conservation of Wildlife Populations: Demography, Genetics and Management (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: wildlife population biology, adaptive harvest management, henhouse syndrome, New Zealand, North America, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An outstanding text highly suitable for our postgraduate students and even conservation scientists, offering an international perspective into the discipline of conservation and management of wildlife populations … .Mills has been particularly effective in getting down to the simple nuts and bolts of what may appear to be daunting concepts and equations for either the conceptually or statistically challenged ecologist." (New Zealand Journal of Ecology, Winter/Spring 2008)

“A well-organized, well-written, and entertaining introduction to the study of population biology ….Mills uses personal experience as a tool to infuse his message of ethics.” (Ecology)

“[Mills] writes in an engaging style … .Avoiding the temptation to see the world in black and white, Mills emphasizes that uncertainty is as much a part of conservation biology as the conceptual foundations and quantitative tools that make up our collective toolbox. Mills generally presents concepts in very understandable terms … he backs these up with numerous examples from his work and the broader literature. With this book under their belt, students will have the foundation to pursue more advanced coursework and understand why they should. In doing this, Mills has succeeded in filling an important void.” (Conservation Biology)

“Scott Mills has written a valuable advanced text for those who will be practitioners of wildlife management. Provides a nice blend of the negative human effects often seen in conservation texts, balanced with the importance of proactive wildlife management. Those looking for an advanced text on population management with numerous examples and effective integration of demography and genetic concepts along with a variety of standard and more recent management approaches will find this text a valuable resource.” (Journal of Heredity)

Review

“Scott Mills has written an excellent textbook designed to make undergraduates think and to guide them to understanding of how modern methods of population biology are applied by wildlife biologists. The themes of genetics and population dynamics run through the book with succinct expositions of theory and vivid examples from real problems facing the practitioner.”
–Professor Henry M Wilbur, University of Virginia

“Scott Mills cleverly bridges the gap between conservation genetics and population ecology; a connection often given short thrift in more specialized titles. The writing style is engaging, and technical concepts are regularly reinforced with interesting real-world examples.”
–Barry W Brook, Charles Darwin University

“Scott Mills’ Conservation of Wildlife Populations is a significant contribution to the literature. I found it thorough, readable, and useful in dealing with this increasingly important aspect of wildlife and conservation biology. Well done!”
–Professor Jack W Thomas, University of Montana

"Finally! ... a book that combines the nuts and bolts of basic population growth and population estimation techniques (including genetic techniques) with PVA and harvest modeling while using applied examples from real wildlife populations! Now I don't have to use two books plus cobble together readings from various sources in order to teach my upper division Population Dynamics course! This book will make it so much easier on instructors and students alike."
–Dr Marcella Kelly, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 424 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 1 edition (December 22, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1405121467
• ISBN-13: 978-1405121460
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #443,757 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for the practicing or developing wildlife/conservation biologist, August 15, 2007

By	Sterling Miller (Missoula, Montana) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a practicing wildlife biologist for 40 years, I found this new text to be an excellent review of the key elements of population biology that are pertinent to wildlife management and conservation. Mills cogently discusses numerous new issues in population biology that have developed since I completed my academic studies (such as climate change) and updates long-known issues (like predator-prey relationships) with new studies and thinking. The boxes describing real-world examples of the issues described in the text are very helpful. This books fills a needed gap between traditionally-oriented texts and practical applications. It would be an excellent text for intermediate-level wildlife biology or conservation biology courses and would be an important addition to the shelves of any biologist working to resolve conservation problems in the real world where wildlife and people interact.
Sterling Miller Ph.D.
Senior Wildlife Biologist
National Wildlife Fedration (Missoula)
&
Research Biologist (Retired)
Alaska Department of Fish and Game

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic synthesis of wildlife population biology , July 2, 2008

By	Stewart Breck (Fort Collins, CO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a must read for anyone pursuing a career in wildlife/conservation biology and a great book for anyone interested in the issues facing wildlife biologists. Mills does a fantastic job of including enough detail and new information to refresh and push practicing wildlife biologist. This includes a good review of relevant literature on a variety of topics: predator-prey relationships, small and declining populations, harvested populations, genetics in population biology; and includes a nice introduction to important tools for studying populations (i.e., population project matrixes and genetic techniques). Often these topics are presented as isolated sub-disciplines but I thought the exceptional aspect of this book was how Mills tied all these subjects together. For those not in the profession, skipping some of the details will provide a great overview of the critical issues of today and the future in wildlife conservation biology.

Stewart Breck
Research Wildlife Biologist