While tropical forests are being cleared at an alarming rate, the clearing is rarely complete and is often not permanent. A considerable amount of tropical forest exists as remnants that have significant value both for the conservation of biological diversity and for meeting the needs of local people. This volume brings together world-renowned scientists and conservationists to address the biological and socio-economic value of forest remnants and to examine practical efforts to conserve those remnants. An outgrowth of a year-long study by the policy program at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, Forest Patches in Tropical Landscapes provides a broad overview of theory and practice, and will help foster both interdisciplinary research and more effective approaches to tropical conservation and development.

Each year, billions of birds move between the forests of North America & tropical America. Many scientists are concerned with the decline of the magnificent migration systems as habitats are degraded on both ends of the flyways. The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center is initiating a series of monographs addressing critical issues facing the conservation of migratory birds. Healthy populations of migratory birds depend upon the condition of habitats, which is in turn the result of good stewardship of the land. The SMBC will focus this series on land use & conservation issues that affect both migratory birds & the diversity of life in general. Most importantly, the SMBC recognizes that humans are an inseparable part of the habitat for migratory birds. The papers will present a synthetic, interdisciplinary approach to the biological conservation & social problems involved with the critical land use issues facing migratory bird conservation. The Series first contribution, FOREST PATCHES IN THE TROPICAL LANDSCAPE & THE CONSERVATION OF MIGRATORY BIRDS, will address the conservation of patches of native vegetation in the tropical landscape as a strategy for conserving migratory birds as well as an important component of sustainable land use. To order contact: Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, National Zoological Park, Washington, D.C. 20008.

Agroforestry -- the practice of integrating trees and other large woody perennials on farms and throughout the agricultural landscape -- is increasingly recognized as a useful and promising strategy that diversifies production for greater social, economic, and environmental benefits. Agroforestry and BiodiversityConservation in Tropical Landscapes brings together 46 scientists and practitioners from 13 countries with decades of field experience in tropical regions to explore how agroforestry practices can help promote biodiversity conservation in human-dominated landscapes, to synthesize the current state of knowledge in the field, and to identify areas where further research is needed. Agroforestry and Biodiversity Conservation in Tropical Landscapes is the first comprehensive synthesis of the role of agroforestry systems in conserving biodiversity in tropical landscapes, and contains in-depth review chapters of most agroforestry systems, with examples from many different countries. It is a valuable source of information for scientists, researchers, professors, and students in the fields of conservation biology, resource management, tropical ecology, rural development, agroforestry, and agroecology.

This book focuses on central themes related to the conservation of bats. It details their response to land-use change and management practices, intensified urbanization and roost disturbance and loss. Increasing interactions between humans and bats as a result of hunting, disease relationships, occupation of human dwellings, and conflict over fruit crops are explored in depth. Finally, contributors highlight the roles that taxonomy, conservation networks and conservation psychology have to play in conserving this imperilled but vital taxon. With over 1300 species, bats are the second largest order of mammals, yet as the Anthropocene dawns, bat populations around the world are in decline. Greater understanding of the anthropogenic drivers of this decline and exploration of possible mitigation measures are urgently needed if we are to retain global bat diversity in the coming decades. This book brings together teams of international experts to provide a global review of current understanding and recommend directions for future research and mitigation.

This book provides a cross-section of all outstanding experience in all fields of tropical forestry under a drastically changing environment induced by climate change. It sheds light on the existing know-how and presents it in a concise and efficient way for the scientist and professional in charge of planning, implementing and evaluating forest resources. The Tropical Forestry Handbook provides proven and/or promising alternative concepts which can be applied to solve organizational, administrative and technical challenges prevailing in the tropics. Presented are state of the art methods in all fields concerning tropical forestry. Emphasize is given to methods which are adapted to- and which safeguard - environmental conditions.

This book is number two in a series for Primates in Fragments. In this volume, ten years after the first http://www.springer.com/social+sciences/anthropology+%26+archaeology/book/978-0-306-47696-9, we continue to address issues regarding primates within a fractured landscape. There are seven sections based on specific categories of primates in fragments. In the Introductory section, authors discuss the issues surrounding primates in remnant habitats as well as encourage discussion about what we mean by fragmentation on a landscape scale. In the Long-Term and Regional Studies section, authors present information on changes that have occurred during longer studies as well as changes that have occurred over regions. In the Landscape, Metapopulations and the Matrix section, authors cover topics from dry to moist forests, and from metapopulations to single species use of multiple fragments locations. In Feeding and Behavioral Ecology, authors take a closer look at the flexibility and responsiveness of primates in fragments in terms of their food choices, resource use, and behavioral changes. In Endemic, Endangered, and Nocturnal Primates authors uncover details involving critical primates living in major city centers to the heights of the Himalayas. In Genetics, Disease and Parasites authors cover topics including population viability, disease and parasite transmission between primates in fragments and humans. Finally, in the Conservation and Ecology: Threats and Management section, we synthesize information in this volume and make recommendations for the future of work in this field and the survivability of primates in fragments.

Restoration ecology, as a scientific discipline, developed from practitioners’ efforts to restore degraded land, with interest also coming from applied ecologists attracted by the potential for restoration projects to apply and/or test developing theories on ecosystem development. Since then, forest landscape restoration (FLR) has emerged as a practical approach to forest restoration particularly in developing countries, where an approach which is both large-scale and focuses on meeting human needs is required. Yet despite increased investigation into both the biological and social aspects of FLR, there has so far been little success in systematically integrating these two complementary strands. Bringing experts in landscape studies, natural resource management and forest restoration, together with those experienced in conflict management, environmental economics and urban studies, this book bridges that gap to define the nature and potential of FLR as a truly multidisciplinary approach to a global environmental problem. The book will provide a valuable reference to graduate students and researchers interested in ecological restoration, forest ecology and management, as well as to professionals in environmental restoration, natural resource management, conservation, and environmental policy.