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Science Ornithology

Conservation and Biology of Small Populations

The Song Sparrows of Mandarte Island

by (author) James N.M. Smith, Lukas F. Keller, Amy B. Marr & Peter Arcese

Publisher
Oxford University Press
Initial publish date
Jan 2006
Category
Ornithology
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780195159363
    Publish Date
    Jan 2006
    List Price
    $135.00

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Description

This book explores the factors affecting the survival of small populations. As the human impact on Earth expands, populations of many wild species are being squeezed into smaller and smaller habitats. As a consequence, they face an increasing threat of extinction. National and international conservation groups rush to add these populations, species and sub-species to their existing endangered and threatened lists. In nations with strong conservation laws, listing often triggers elaborate plans to rescue declining populations and restore their habitats. The authors review these theoretical ideas, the existing data, and explore the question: how well do small and isolated populations actually perform? Their case study group is the song sparrows of Mandarte Island, British Columbia. This population is small enough and isolated enough so that all individuals can be uniquely marked and their survival and reproduction monitored over many generations. This is one of the strongest long-term ecological studies of a contained vertebrate population, now in its 31st year.

About the authors

Contributor Notes

James N. M. Smith is at University of British Columbia. Lukas F. Keller is at Zoological Museum, Zurich. Amy B. Marr and Peter Arcese are both at University of British Columbia.