Includes bibliographical references (pages [310]-315) and index.

Part 1. Introduction -- 1. What Is Biodiversity? Spiders As Exemplars Of The Biodiversity Concept -- 2. What Is Conservation Biology? An Analysis Of The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund s Strategies And Funding Priorities -- 3. Why Is Biodiversity Important? Why Is It Threatened? An Exploration With The IUCN Red List Of Threatened Species -- Part 2. Genes -- 4. Population Genetics: Diversity Within Versus Among Populations -- 5. Genetic Drift: Establishing Population Management Targets To Limit Loss Of Genetic Diversity -- 6. Pedigree Management: Controlling The Effects Of Inbreeding As Indicated By Fluctuating Asymmetry -- 7. Landscape Genetics: Identifying Movement Corridors In The Landscape -- Part 3. Populations -- 8. Life Table Analysis: Balancing Commercial Fisheries With Sea Bird By-Catch -- 9. Population Viability Analysis: El Nino Frequency And Penguin Population Persistence -- 10. Habitat Loss And Fragmentation: Ecological Traps, Connectivity And Issues Of Scale -- 11. Diagnosing Declining Populations: Assessing Monitoring Data To Better Understand Causes Of A Rarity In An Endangered Cactus -- 12. Estimating Population Size With Line Transects And DISTANCE -- 13. Analyzing Camera Trap Data With PRESENCE -- 14. Estimating Population Size With Mark-Recapture Data And MARK -- Part 4. Species -- 15. Estimating "Biodiversity": Indices, Effort And Inference -- 16. Designing A Zoo:Ex-Situ Centers For Conservation, Research, And Education -- 17. Plant Reintroductions: Reestablishing Extirpated Populations -- 18. Edge Effects: Designing A Nest Predation Experiment -- Part 5. Ecosystems And Landscapes -- 19. Ecosystem Fragmentation: Patterns And Consequences For Biodiversity -- 20. Forest Harvesting: Balancing Timber Production And Parrot Habitat -- 21. Protected Areas: A Systematic Conservation Planning Approach For Ecoregions -- 22. Island Biogeography: How Park Size And Condition Affect The Number Of Species Protected -- 23. GIS For Conservation: Mapping And Analyzing Distributions Of Wild Potato Species For Reserve Design -- 24. Global Change: Will A Cold-Adapted Frog Survive In A Warmer World? -- 25. Climate Envelope Modeling: Inferring The Ranges Of Species -- Part 6. Policy And Organizations -- 26. Population, Consumption, Or Governance: Which Drives Species Imperilment Most In Africa And Europe? -- 27. Overconsumption: Who s Smarter... Students Or Their Professors? -- 28. Conservation Values: Assessing Public Attitudes -- 29. Priority Setting: Where Around The Globe Should We Invest Our Conservation Efforts? -- 30. An International Debate: Commercial Fishing In Galapagos National Park -- 31. Conservation Law: Should The Polar Bear Be Listed As A Threatened Species? -- 32. Conservation Policy: Shaping Your Government.

This set of exercises has been created expressly for students and teachers of conservation biology and wildlife management who want to have an impact beyond the classroom. The exercises span a wide range of conservation issues: genetic analysis, population biology and management, taxonomy, ecosystem management, land use planning, the public policy process and more. All exercises discuss how to take what has been learned in the classroom and apply it to practical, real-world issues.