Metapopulations and Wildlife Conservation

Developmof rural landscapes is converting once-vast expanses of open space into pockets of habitat where wildlife populations exist in isolation from other members of their species. The central concept of metapopulation dynamics -- that a constellation of partially isolated patches can yield overall stability to a system that is chaotic at the level of the individual patch -- offers an important new way of thinking about the conservation and managemof populations dispersed among small habitat fragments. This approach is proving to be a rich resource for biologists hoping to arrest the currcatastrophic loss of biodiversity.This volume provides a comprehensive overview of the subject, addressing the needs of an applied professional audience for comprehensible information to integrate into their practices. Leading conservation biologists, ecologists, wildlife managers, and other experts consider the emergence and developmof metapopulation theory and explore its applicability and usefulness to real-world conservation programs. Conservation is essential reading for anyone working in the field of wildlife conservation and management.