State of the Wild: A Global Portrait of Wildlife, Wildlands, and Oceans

by Sharon Guynup (Editor), Kent H. Redford (Foreword by)

Overview

In wild places where nature thrives, humanity prospers; our well-being is inextricably linked with that of the planet's web of life. In fact, one could argue that the state of the world can be measured by the state of the wild.

But how do we gauge the state of earth's wildlife, wildlands, and oceans? State of the Wild is a new series that brings together some of the world's most renowned conservationists and writers-George Schaller, Alan Rabinowitz, Sylvia Earle, Rick Bass, Bill McKibben, Tom Lovejoy, and many others-to assess wildlife and wilderness, and to provide insights into how humans can become better stewards of the wild.

This new series combines evocative writings with a fascinating tour of news highlights and vital statistics from around the world. One-third of each volume will focus on a topic of particular concern to conservationists working to protect wildlife and our last wild places. This 2006 edition explores the impacts of hunting and the wildlife trade through a range of essays: Ted Kerasote traces the history of hunting in North America; Carl Safina, Eric Gilman, and Wallace J. Nichols quantify the toll taken by commercial fishing on seabirds, turtles, and other marine species; James Compton and Samuel K. H. Lee explore the global reach of the wildlife trade for traditional Asian medicine.

Contributors also examine other pivotal conservation issues, from the reasons why one in eight of the world's birds are endangered, to the impacts of global climate change, to the complexity of conserving seals, flamingos, zebras, and other wide-ranging species. The book's closing essay, "The Relative Wild," considers what exactly it means for a place to be "wild," where even the most remote corners of the planet have been altered by human activities.

Uniquely structured with magazine-like features up front, conservation news in the middle, and essay contributions from eminent authors and biologists throughout, this landmark series is an essential addition to any environmental bookshelf.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781597262903
Publisher:	Island Press
Publication date:	10/21/2005
Series:	State of the Wild , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	344
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wildlands through field research, education, and management of the world's largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. WCS publishes an award-winning magazine, Wildlife Conservation, and partners with media outlets to cover pressing conservation issues.

Table of Contents

Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents By the Numbers: Hunted, Traded, and Eaten into Extinction, Sharon Guynup Foreword: A Brief History, Kent H. Redford Introduction: Wildlife, Wildlands, and Oceans, Sharon Guynup Part I: State of the Wild Gold or Flowers: One View on the State of the Wild, George B. Schaller Mapping the Wild: The Human Footprint, Eric. W. Sanderson Discoveries, Bijal Trivedi New Conservation Methods and Technologies, Ken Kostel Regulating the Wild, Ken Kostel The Rarest of the Rare: Some of the World's Most Endangered Animals, Michael Berens Part II: Global News Highlights Africa, Ken Kostel Asia, Ken Kostel Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands, Ken Kostel Central and South America, Jesse Chapman-Bruschini Europe, Jesse Chapman-Bruschini Middle East and North Africa, Ken Kostel North America, Jesse Chapman-Bruschini Oceans, Bijal Trivedi Polar Regions, Jesse Chapman-Bruschini Acknowledgments Part III: Hunting and the Wildlife Trade: Setting the Scene, Elizabeth L. Bennett and Sharon Guynup A Short History of Hunting in North America, Ted Kerasote Consuming Wildlife in the Tropics, Elizabeth L. Bennett Wildlife Trade within East Asia: Supply and Demand for Traditional Oriental Medicine, James Compton and Samuel K.H. Lee Twine and the Ancient Mariners: Albatrosses, Sea Turtles, and Fishing Gear Encounters, Carl Safina, Eric Gilman, and Wallace J. Nichols Ebola, SARS, and Other Diseases That Imperil People and Animals, Robert A. Cook and William B. Karesh Hunting for Conservation in the Amazon Rain Forests; Lessons Learned from Peru, Richard Bodmer Part IV: Conservation Controversies Let Them Eat Cake? : Some Skeptical Thoughts on Conservation Strategies in the Bushmeat Range States, David Brown Biting the Hand That Feeds You: The Consumption of Nature and Natural Resources in the Tropics, John Robinson Response to John Robinson: Postindustrial Conservation Ideals and Real-World Politics, David Brown Response to David Brown: The View from Versailles Contrasts with Local Reality, John Robinson Comments on Brown vs. Robinson: Bushmeat Trade: Thoughts from "The Coast," Glyn Davies Through the Looking Glass: The Tragedy of Depleting Wildlife Resources: A Response to John Robinson and David Brown, Kathy MacKinnon Let Them East LSD Bushmeat: Thoughts Arising from Brown vs. Robinson, Ian Redmond Part V: Wildlife Listening to the Birds: Joseph Tobias, Leon Bennun, and Alison Stattersfield Species in Focus: Saving Jaguars throughout Their Range: From Theory to Practice, Alan Rabinowitz Climate Change and the Wild: Into the Great Unknown, Glenn Scherer The Gathering Wave of Ocean Extinctions, Ellen K. Pikitch Conservation Strategies for Colonial and Social Species, William Conway Part VI: Wildlands and Oceans The Land the Wilderness Act Forgot, Rick Bass Marine Protected Areas: Can We Rebuild Marine Ecosystems by Closing Areas to Fishing?, Callum M. Roberts Part VII: People and Culture Culturally Determined Wildlife Populations: The Problem of the Designer Ark, Bill Weber Part VIII: The Art and Practice of Conservation Conservation and Conflict: The Importance of Continuing Conservation Work during Political Upheaval and Armed Conflict, Peter Zahler Neither War nor Peace: Protected Areas Still at Risk in DR Congo, 2005, John Hart The Destruction of Iraq's Wetlands and Impacts on Biodiversity, David Jensen, Hassan Partow, and Chizuru Aoki Captive Breeding: Miracle Under Fire, Dan Wharton Can Tropical Forests Be Managed for Timber Production and Wildlife Protection?, Francis E. Putz What Falls through the Cracks in Conservation Strategies? : Interviews with Sylvia Earle and Thomas Lovejoy, Sharon Guynup Afterword: The Relative Wild, Bill McKibben Acknowledgments Notes Contributors Index

Editorial Reviews

"The wild helps to define us as human, and our efforts to conserve the wild help to demonstrate how civilized we are. State of the Wild 2006 contains some alarming figures about the loss of the wild but balances these with aspiring stories of efforts to maintain the wilderness areas that inspire so many of us to conserve the diversity of our planet."

chief scientist, IUCN-The World Conservation Union, Gland, Switzerland - Jeffrey A. McNeely

"The value of this overstuffed volume (the premier edition of a series) is twofold: One, it provides a no-bullshit roundup and analysis of the year's major environmental stories—a regular physical for the planet. And two, it gives experts like Carl Safina and essayists like Rick Bass and Ted Kerasote ample room to explain why it all so desperately matters."

Men's Journal

"Offering thorough documentation of the impact of the human species on the globe, the contributors are hopeful but also realistic in their perspective. State of the Wild 2006 belongs in every public, school, academic, and government library."

CHOICE

"Offering thorough documentation of the impact of the human species on the globe, the contributors are hopeful but also realistic in their perspective. State of the Wild 2006 belongs in every public, school, academic, and government library."

Choice

"No one can remain complacent after reading this book; the problems are real and they threaten our very existence, but the stories of successful conservation efforts give hope that we can still preserve what remains. Future editions in this series are sure to be eagerly anticipated."

Southeastern Naturalist

"The value of this overstuffed volume (the premier edition of a series) is twofold: One, it provides a no-bullshit roundup and analysis of the year's major environmental stories—a regular physical for the planet. And two, it gives experts like Carl Safina and essayists like Rick Bass and Ted Kerasote ample room to explain why it all so desperately matters."

Men's Journal

"A new annual publication from the Wildlife Conservation Society, this work has four goals: (1) analyzing global conservation issues, (2) highlighting global news on conservation and the wild, (3) promoting science-based solutions to conservation problems, and (4) influencing global public policy. To accomplish these goals, it incorporates essays and scientific works from over 40 contributors, ranging from policy specialists to wildlife biologists to science writers. Reports cover all continents and oceans. Issues range from the wildlife trade in bushmeat to the effects of war on protected areas in the Congo. The book includes black-and-white illustrations, color prints, maps, charts, an excellent index with cross-references, see also references, and scientific and common names of organisms. Offering thorough documentation of the impact of the human species on the globe, the contributors are hopeful but also realistic in their perspective. State of the Wild 2006 belongs in every public, school, academic, and government library. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels."

CHOICE - W.E. Drew Jr.

"The value of this overstuffed volume (the premier edition of a series) is twofold: One, it provides a no-bullshit roundup and analysis of the year's major environmental stories -- a regular physical for the planet. And two, it gives experts like Carl Safina and essayists like Rick Bass and Ted Kerasote ample room to explain why it all so desperately matters."

Men's Journal - Sharon Guynup