Wildlife Habitat Conservation: Concepts, Challenges, and Solutions ed. by Michael L. Morrison, Heather A. Mathewson (review)

Habitat is a word familiar to elementary school students. It is used by wildlife enthusiasts in such terms as “backyard habitat.” It is used widely among natural resource researchers, managers, and educators. However, the target audience of this book is not necessarily those with “habitat” in their vernacular; it is intended for students studying natural resources as well as professional resource managers and researchers.

Habitat is a word used on various spatial scales, from microhabitat to biome. Therein lies some of the problem addressed in this book. Attempts to define precisely habitat and associated terms are largely ineffective. Yet the take-home message is that the term “habitat” needs to be carefully defined.

The real value of the book is in the concepts presented. These range from factors affecting habitat to managing and restoring habitat. The concepts are general and thus broadly applicable. It is not a “how to” book on management.

One of the major concepts, for example, is habitat fragmentation and corridors. Anthropogenic fragmentation results primarily from urban sprawl and conversion of land to agriculture. Consultants, planners, and various managers describe a need for corridors to connect patches of habitat. However, where is the source habitat for colonization of patches? Are the patches large enough to support population persistence? How are the population genetics affected? There is very little research to substantiate the efficacy of corridors. Their requisite width, length, and vegetative composition are largely unknown as they pertain to effective corridors. Of course, those metrics also depend on the species for which the corridor is designed.

Answering these questions is paramount to prairie restoration and management. Tallgrass prairie in many areas exists because of restoration, serendipitous acquisition of patches donated or sold to conservation groups, and preservation of relic patches. It is a major challenge to connect these disparate patches so the network of patches may serve as a functioning prairie.

Another appropriate example that applies to the Great Plains is the situation in which habitat is lost without the actual disappearance of habitat, as when wind turbines are installed. How might species react to noise from the turbines? What impact does increased human activity have on species as the turbines undergo periodic inspections and maintenance? Finally, what is the impact of service roads leading to the turbines? Another anthropogenic factor is light. Lighted buildings attract birds, and millions are killed during migration. Light may influence seasonal activities that are normally synchronized by photoperiodicity.

In all management efforts, well-defined goals and followup studies or long-term monitoring are necessary. This paves the way for implementing adaptive management so that modifications can be made, if necessary, as monitoring progresses.

These are just a few of the items to consider when managing and conserving habitat. In this very worth-while book, the editors and chapter authors have accomplished the important task of setting forth a path to guide habitat management and conservation.