Overview

As the US National Park Service marks its centennial in 2016, parks and protected areas worldwide are under increasing threat from a variety of factors, including storms and fires of greater severity, plant and animal extinctions, the changing attitudes of a public that has become more urbanized, and the political pressures of narrow special interest groups. In the face of such rapid environmental and cultural changes, Science, Conservation, and National Parks gathers a group of renowned scholars including Edward O. Wilson, Jane Lubchenco, Thomas Dietz, and Monica Turner, among many others who seek to address these problems and, in so doing, to secure a future for protected areas that will push forward the frontiers of biological, physical, and social science in and for parks. Examining the major challenges of parks and protected areas throughout the world, contributors provide answers to a number of key conservation questions, such as: How should stewardship address climate change, urban encroachment and pollution, and invasive species? How can society, especially youth, become more engaged with nature and parks, and are there models to guide interactions between parks and their neighbors? What are appropriate conservation objectives for parks in the Anthropocene? Charting a course for the parks of the next century, Science, Conservation, and National Parks is certain not only to catalyze the continued evolution of US park conservation policy, but also to be an inspiration for parks, conservation, and management worldwide.

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9780226422954

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Reviews

A monumental capstone to the US National Park Service centennial with a very timely and unique historical perspective. Written by an outstanding lineup of authors who are leaders in their fields, <i>Science, Conservation, and National Parks</i> offers a refreshing holistic treatment of the linkages and mutual dependencies between parks and science. This book will be a valuable contribution to the field of protected area conservation, one that positions the National Park Service and other agencies and institutions managing protected areas to become more proficient at using science in decision making. At the same time, it offers greater insights into the important role parks play in science. Conservation scholars, conservation practitioners, and land managers all over the world will be interested in its content and lessons. Compelling. --William B. Monahan, USDA Forest Service and formerly of the US National Park Service

Science, Conservation, and National Parks is an exciting contribution that will be of interest to park managers around the world. Addressing important themes like the potential transition from an extensive to an intensive economy and what that means for parks and biodiversity, authors do a nice job exploring the different strategies for setting goals and managing national parks, including retrospective restoration foci, managing processes, and hypermanagement for particular ideal future states. Clearly these are not mutually exclusive management strategies, but it is useful to have them articulated in discrete categories from different viewpoints. This is an eclectic, enjoyable mix of literature reviews, personal experience and case studies, and practical advice from authors who are indubitably leaders in their sub-disciplines. --Eleanor J. Sterling, Chief Conservation Scientist, Center for Biodiversity & Conservation, American Museum of Natural History

Author Information

Steven R. Beissinger is professor of conservation biology in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management and in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California, Berkeley. He is coeditor of Population Viability Analysis, also published by the University of Chicago Press. David D. Ackerly is professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and an associate curator in the Jepson Herbarium at the University of California, Berkeley. Holly Doremus is the James H. House and Hiram H. Hurd Professor of Environmental Regulation at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law and coauthor of Water War in the Klamath Basin: Macho Law, Combat Biology, and Dirty Politics. Gary E. Machlis is university professor of environmental sustainability at Clemson University and science advisor to the director of the National Park Service.

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