Describes the activities of a variety of animals from sunset to sunrise.

The impact that pesticides may have had on the mortality rates and productivity rates of non-game birds during the last 25 years was evaluated by studying the population dynamics of 16 species. A mathematical model showing the relationships between population parameters that yielded stable populations was developed. The information needed for the model included: (1) mortality rate schedule (obtained from recoveries of banded birds), (2) productivity rates, and (3) the age of sexual maturity. Production requirements for a stable population and annual rate of change (increase or decrease) in population levels were estimated. Population parameters were compared to determine if changes had occurred between time periods (i.e, 1925-1945 vs. 1946-1965). The great horned owl, red-shouldered hawk, sparrow hawk, osprey, barn owl, Cooper's hawk, red-tailed hawk, great blue heron, black-crowned night heron, brown pelican, barn owl, chimney swift, blue jay, black-capped chickadee, cardinal, and robin were subjected to this analysis. No increase in post-fledging mortality rates in any of the species has occurred since 1945. Therefore, accelerated decline in the species studied must have resulted from lowered reproductive rates. Mortality rates have decreased in the Cooper's hawk, sparrow hawk, great blue heron, and brown pelican. A decrease in shooting pressure was associated with decreased mortality rates. Evidence of declining reproductive rates were found in the brown pelican, osprey, Cooper's hawk, red-shouldered hawk, and sparrow hawk. No changes in reproductive rates were noted in the red-tailed hawk, great horned owl, or barn owl. Information on productivity rates was not available for comparison with the other species although rates of productivity essential for a stable population were estimated. This work will provide the basis for making comparisons in future studies. No change in reproductive rates was apparent among species feeding primarily on mammals. Species exhibiting a lowered reproductive success since 1945 were those whose major food items consisted of fish, reptiles, amphibians, or birds. Lowered reproductive success was accompanied by a decrease in eggshell thickness. Other investigators have reported that sparrow hawks and mallard ducks fed a diet of DDE and dieldrin have produced thin eggshells under laboratory conditions, and exhibited a lower reproductive success. Many bird species which consume food in which chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides have been concentrated through a series of transfers along food chains have declined. The chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides are believed responsible.

A knowledge of animal population dynamics is essential for the proper management of natural resources and the environment. This book, now available in paperback, develops basic concepts and a rigorous methodology for the analysis of animal population dynamics to identify the underlying mechanisms.

In 1984, a conference called Wildlife 2000: Modeling habitat relationships of terrestrial vertebrates, was held at Stanford Sierra Camp at Fallen Leaf Lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. The conference was well-received, and the published volume (Verner, J. , M. L. Morrison, and C. J. Ralph, editors. 1986. Wildlife 2000: modeling habitat relationships of terrestrial vertebrates, University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin, USA) proved to be a landmark publication that received a book award by The Wildlife Society. Wildlife 2001: populations was a followup conference with emphasis on the other major biological field of wildlife conservation and management, populations. It was held on July 29-31, 1991, at the Oakland Airport Hilton Hotel in Oakland, California, in accordance with our intent that this conference have a much stronger international representation than did Wildlife 2000. The goal of the conference was to bring together an international group of specialists to address the state of the art in wildlife population dynamics, and set the agenda for future research and management on the threshold of the 21st century. The mix of specialists included workers in theoretical, as well as practical, aspects of wildlife conservation and management. Three general sessions covered methods, modelling, and conservation of threatened species.

Analysis and Management of Animal Populations deals with the processes involved in making informed decisions about the management of animal populations. It covers the modeling of population responses to management actions, the estimation of quantities needed in the modeling effort, and the application of these estimates and models to the development of sound management decisions. The book synthesizes and integrates in a single volume the methods associated with these themes, as they apply to ecological assessment and conservation of animal populations. Integrates population modeling, parameter estimation and decision-theoretic approaches to management in a single, cohesive framework Provides authoritative, state-of-the-art descriptions of quantitative approaches to modeling, estimation and decision-making Emphasizes the role of mathematical modeling in the conduct of science and management Utilizes a unifying biological context, consistent mathematical notation, and numerous biological examples