Problematic Wildlife: A Cross-Disciplinary Approach

610 Pages·2016·12.887 MB·English

by  Francesco M. Angelici (eds.)

Editor
Francesco M. Angelici
Problematic
Wildlife
A Cross-Disciplinary Approach
Problematic Wildlife

Francesco M. Angelici
Editor
Problematic Wildlife
A Cross-Disciplinary Approach
Editor
Francesco M. Angelici
FIZV, Rome
Italy
ISBN 978-3-319-22245-5 ISBN 978-3-319-22246-2 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-22246-2
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015958782
Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London
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Pref ace
Arbore deiecta, quivis ligna colligit
(Latin proverb)
Go there, where nature leads
(Francis Bacon)
I t is with great trepidation and honour that I write this introduction after a long work
concluded in close cooperation with all authors of this book. I am very happy to
have fi nally fi nished this work!
The theme is very composite, very intriguing and, at the same time, extremely
hot and current. The ‘Problematic Wildlife’ is certainly an argument really great and
varied.
I fought a lot for this to come true, we have worked hard with all the authors, and
I hope that the common effort had generated a useful product. It all began with the
organisation of two international conferences held in Italy; in 2007 and in 2011,
they succeeded very well. But although some authors of this book have participated
in these events, specifi cally now this book is not a collection of conference proceed-
ings, at all! Most of the contributions were born in a total independence; those
congresses have only increased my interest for these issues of wildlife management,
which already existed for a long time.
P roblematic species? What does it mean? In fact there is no single defi nition. In
this volume, in which many experts of various fi elds of ecology, zoology and animal
biology and conservation biology have worked actively, with cross-cutting and
interdisciplinary approaches, we will try to clarify what is meant by this defi nition
or, better, what can be understood. Specifi c cases as examples and other contribu-
tions will be considered; by contrast, they will address more general and wide-
ranging reviews on the subject.
T he reason for this book is precisely to grope to make a little sum of the various
cases in which wildlife can cause problems to humans, problems of various kinds,
of course. And bear always in mind that the man is the main cause, if not unique, of
v
vi Preface
issues related to wildlife. Following the altering intervention of man over nature, the
wildlife can sometimes create ‘problems’ that often requires human intervention
again to ensure that it can again be sustainable and in harmony with human activity
and habitats remain now irrevocably altered.
It is clear that without the impact of human activity, there would not be
‘Problematic Wildlife’.
Of course it has not been possible to treat all existing cases, but the text is divided
into sections that cover the most important case studies, with some examples that
perhaps make the idea to entire classes of events. But the purpose of this book is
also to try to highlight how the various issues should be addressed in wide range,
with the participation and synergy of different professionals, who face various cases
from different points of view of course, but that all should be most possibly coordi-
nated for obtaining the common objective, namely, the resolution, or at least mitiga-
tion, of problems.
Each section is preceded by a brief presentation that makes continuity and con-
nection between different themes easier. I’ll be glad to get advice or reports of
individual and explanatory cases, in the event of a future updated edition.
The book has been compiled for a broad audience. It is, of course, intended for
industry insiders, i.e. anybody who is interested in the profession of wildlife and
wildlife management, animal biology and ecology. Yet it is also a book that
addresses some issues related to trade, traffi cking in endangered species and bush-
meat. Problems of human-wildlife confl ict will also be dealt with, from the species
that are ‘managed’ to those that become invasive pests, including problems related
to species that are in decline, already extinct or endangered. Therefore, this book is
also of use to university students in disciplines such as ecology, animal biology,
wildlife conservation and so on, as well as to those involved in legislation related to
the protection of fauna, engineers and teachers of natural science or ecology. It is
also of interest to people working in protected areas, national parks, reserves, etc.,
in short, to all those who have to manage the land optimally so that it is preserved in
the best possible way.
The issue of cryptic species (do they exist or not?) has also been added simply
because this argument often creates some rather unusual situations, attracting the
attention of the general public, in addition to that of scientifi c authorities and wild-
life management institutions.
Naturally, I would like to thank all the authors, who were the true architects of
this book, because they were the ones who, from the outset, have believed in its
signifi cance and realisation and have waited a long time to see its birth. I wish to
thank Springer Verlag International for its adherence to this initiative and for giving
value to our work and making it concrete. Thanks is also owed to all those listed
below for their unpaid efforts to foster the creation of a high-quality product, for
their great professionalism and for their comments and suggestions such as those
published in high- profi le or scientifi c journals.
T he book is dedicated to the memory of Marco Flavio Angelici. Thinking of him
gave me the strength to continue to work hard, especially when I was not in very
good health and in those moments when the project seemed to be at a stalemate.
Preface vii
T he written contributions (including four rejected manuscripts) have been
reviewed and improved by the critical referee processes of the following people:
B rian R. Amman, Marc Ancrenaz, Francesco M. Angelici, Marco Apollonio,
Chad Arment, Simon J. Baker, Natale E. Baldaccini, Luigi Boitani, Scott M. Brainerd,
Paul R. F. Chanin, Ernest W. T. Cooper, Alayne O. Cotterill, Cheli Cresswell,
J. Fernando Del Moral Sacchetti, Emmanuel Do Linh San, Paul E. Eschenfelder,
Alan H. Fielding, Shandra N. Frey, Biruté M. F. Galdikas, Jaime Gongora, Simon
J. Goodman, Colin P. Groves, Matt W. Hayward, Juan Herrero Cortes, Edwin
E. Herricks, Tim L. Hiller, Gregg R. Howald, Robert E. Kenward, András Kovács,
Sabrina Kumschick, Jan E. Janecka, Bruce D. Leopold, Laly L. Lichtenfeld, Rurik
H. List, Scott R. Loss, Sandro Lovari, Christopher F. Mason, L. David Mech, Terry
A. Messmer, Susan M. Miller, Solomon Mombeshora, Alessandro Montemaggiori,
Darren Naish, Wolfgang Nentwig, John F. Oates, Craig Packer, Lorenzo Rossi,
Holger Schielzeth, Jeffrey J. Short, K. Shawn Smallwood, Anna Songhurst, Keith
Springer, Caroline J. Stem, Jeffrey B. Stetz, Diederik Strubbe, Benoît de Thoisy,
Brian E. Washburn, Mark E. Welch, David S. Wilkie and Tanya Wyatt
Rome, Italy Francesco M. Angelici
May 20, 2015

Contents
Part I General Introduction: The Reasons Behind and Signifi cance
of the Book. Problematic Wildlife: Defi nitions and Concepts.
When and Why a Wild Species May Become Problematic
1 Problematic Wildlife at the Beginning
of the Twenty-First Century: Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Francesco Maria Angelici
Part II Extinct Species, Species at Risk of Extinction
and Declining Species: Some Current and Past
Case Studies. Land Fragmentation and Habitat Degradation
2 Mammal Species Extinction and Decline: Some Current
and Past Case Studies of the Detrimental Influence of Man . . . . . . . . 21
Katarzyna Daleszczyk , Amy E. Eycott , and Jörg E. Tillmann
3 The Decline in the Lion Population in Africa
and Possible Mitigation Measures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Martina Trinkel and Francesco M. Angelici
4 Commodification of the Saker Falcon F alco cherrug:
Conservation Problem or Opportunity? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Andrew Dixon
5 Towards Extinction and Back: Decline and Recovery
of Otter Populations in Italy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Alessandro Balestrieri, Luigi Remonti, and Claudio Prigioni
ix