Conservation of Wildlife Populations: Demography, Genetics, and Management

354 Pages·2012·15.04 MB·English

by  L. Scott Mills

CONSERVATION OF
WILDLIFE POPULATIONS
COMPANION WEBSITE:
This book has a companion website:
www.wiley.com/go/mills/wildlifepopulations
with additional resources
CONSERVATION OF
WILDLIFE POPULATIONS
Demography, Genetics, and
Management
Second Edition
L. Scott Mills
Wildlife Biology Program
Department of Ecosystem & Conservation Sciences
University of Montana
Missoula, MT 59812
USA
A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mills, L. Scott.
Conservation of wildlife populations : demography, genetics, and management / L. Scott Mills. – 2nd ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-470-67150-4 (cloth) – ISBN 978-0-470-67149-8 (pbk.) 1. Wildlife management. 2. Animal
populations. I. Title.
SK355.M55 2013
639.9–dc23
2012016373
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in
electronic books.
Front Cover: Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and the Environment / Royal Manas National Park, Bhutan
Cover Design by: Design Deluxe
Set in 9 on 11 pt PhotinaMT by Toppan Best-set Premedia Limited
1 2013
Contents
List of boxes, ix 3 Genetic concepts and tools to support
wildlife population biology, 33
Preface to second edition, xi
Introduction, 33
What Is Genetic Variation?, 33
Preface to first edition, xii
Genetic Markers Used in Wildlife Population
Biology, 35
List of symbols, xiv
Insights into Wildlife Population Biology Using
Genetic Tools, 43
Acknowledgments for second edition, xv
Summary, 52
Further Reading, 53
Acknowledgments for first edition, xvi
4 Estimating population vital rates, 54
PART I BACKGROUND TO APPLIED
POPULATION BIOLOGY, 1 Introduction, 54
Estimating Abundance and Density, 54
Survival Estimation, 67
1 The big picture: human population
Estimation of Reproduction, 70
dynamics meet applied population
Sex Ratio, 71
biology, 3
Summary, 74
Introduction, 3
Further Reading, 75
Population Ecology of Humans, 4
Extinction Rates of Other Species, 8
Humans and Sustainable Harvest, 12 PART II POPULATION PROCESSES: THE
The Big Picture, 13 BASIS FOR MANAGEMENT, 77
Further Reading, 13
5 The simplest way to describe and project
2 Designing studies and interpreting population growth: exponential or geometric
population biology data: how do we know change, 79
what we know?, 14
Introduction, 79
Introduction, 14 Fundamentals of Geometric or Exponential
Obtaining Reliable Facts Through Growth, 80
Sampling, 15 Causes and Consequences of Variation in Population
Linking Observed Facts to Ideas Leads to Growth, 84
mind
Understanding, 19 Quantifying Exponential Population Growth in a
Ethics and the Wildlife Population Biologist, 29 Stochastic Environment, 91
Summary, 31 Summary, 96
Further Reading, 32 Further Reading, 97
vi Contents
6 All stage classes are not equal in their 9 Genetic variation and fitness in wildlife
effects on population growth: structured populations, 154
population-projection models, 98
Introduction, 154
Introduction, 98 Long-Term Benefits of Genetic Variation, 154
Anatomy of a Population-Projection Matrix, 99 What Determines Levels of Genetic Variation in
How Timing of Sampling Affects the Matrix, 100 Populations?, 155
Projecting a Matrix Through Time Leads to Transient Quantifying the Loss of Heterozygosity: The
and Asymptotic Dynamics, 103 Inbreeding Coefficient, 161
All Vital Rates are not Created Equal: Analytical When Does Inbreeding Due to Genetic Drift Lead to
Sensitivities and Elasticities, 108 Inbreeding Depression?, 162
Stochasticity in Age and Stage-Structured Outbreeding Depression and the Loss of Local
Populations, 109 Adaptation, 165
Sensitivity Analysis in the Broad Sense to Help Genetic Rescue, Genetic Restoration, and Long-Term
Evaluate Management Actions, 113 Population Recovery, 167
Fitness is Lambda, Selection is Appropriate Levels of Genetic Connectivity, 168
Management, 116 Case Studies Where Genetic Rescue Meets the Real
Case Studies Using Matrix Models to Guide World, 169
Conservation Decision-Making, 118 Summary, 173
Summary, 124 Further Reading, 174
Further Reading, 125
10 Dynamics of multiple populations, 175
Introduction, 175
7 Density-dependent population
What Is Connectivity?, 176
change, 126
Consequences of Connectivity for Wildlife
Introduction, 126
Populations, 177
Negative Density Dependence, 126
Measuring Connectivity Among Wildlife
The Logistic: One Simple Model of Negative
Populations, 177
Density-Dependent Population Growth, 128
Multiple Populations are not All Equal, 185
Some Counterintuitive Dynamics: Limit Cycles and
Options for Restoring Connectivity, 194
Chaos, 133
Summary, 197
Positive Density Dependence, 135
Further Reading, 198
Negative and Positive Density Dependence Operate
Together, 138
PART III APPLYING KNOWLEDGE OF
Component Versus Demographic Outcomes of
POPULATION PROCESSES TO PROBLEMS
Density Dependence, 140
OF DECLINING, SMALL, OR HARVESTABLE
Summary, 140
POPULATIONS, 199
Further Reading, 141
11 Human-caused stressors: deterministic
8 Predation and wildlife populations, 142 factors affecting populations, 201
Introduction, 142 Introduction, 201
Does Predation Affect Prey Numbers?, 143 General Effects of Deterministic Stressors on
Factor 1. Determining How Predation Affects Prey Populations: Adapt, Move, or Die, 201
Numbers: Predation Rate, 145 Habitat Loss and Fragmentation, 203
Factor 2. Determining How Predation Affects Prey Introduced and Invasive Species, 206
Numbers: Compensation, 150 Pollution, 212
Factor 3. Determining How Predation Affects Prey Overharvest, 214
Numbers: Who Gets Killed, 152 Global Climate Change, 215
Summary, 152 Multiple Deterministic Stressors Occur
Further Reading, 153 Simultaneously, 220
Contents vii
Summary, 222 14 Population biology to guide
Further Reading, 223 sustainable harvest, 251
Introduction, 251
12 Predicting the dynamics of small and Effects of Hunting on Population Dynamics, 252
declining populations, 224 Long-Term Effects: Hunting as an Evolutionary
Introduction, 224 Force, 257
Ecological Characteristics Predicting Models to Guide Sustainable Harvest, 258
Risk, 224 Waterfowl Harvest and Adaptive Harvest
The Extinction Vortex, 226 Management in the US, 264
Predicting Risks in Small Populations, 226 Management of Overabundant and Pest
Population Viability Analysis (PVA): Quantitative Populations, 265
Methods of Assessing Viability, 227 Summary, 266
Other Approaches to Assessing Viability, 239 Further Reading, 267
Summary, 242
Further Reading, 243 Epilogue, 269
References, 271
13 Focal species to bridge from populations
to ecosystems, 244
Index, 301
Introduction, 244
The Four Categories of Focal Species, 245
Colour Plates fall between page 160 and 161.
Summary, 249
Further Reading, 250
COMPANION WEBSITE:
This book has a companion website:
www.wiley.com/go/mills/wildlifepopulations
with additional resources