Science, Conservation, and National Parks

Steven R. Beissinger is professor of conservation biology in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management and in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California, Berkeley. He is coeditor of Population Viability Analysis, also published by the University of Chicago Press. David D. Ackerly is professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and an associate curator in the Jepson Herbarium at the University of California, Berkeley. Holly Doremus is the James H. House and Hiram H. Hurd Professor of Environmental Regulation at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law and coauthor of Water War in the Klamath Basin: Macho Law, Combat Biology, and Dirty Politics. Gary E. Machlis is university professor of environmental sustainability at Clemson University and science advisor to the director of the National Park Service.

Preface

Section I : Mission and Relevance of National ParksOne / Parks, Biodiversity, and Education: An Essay and DiscussionTwo / Seas the Day: A Bluer, Saltier Second Century for American ParksThree / A Global Perspective on Parks and Protected AreasFour / Strategic Conversation: Mission and Relevance of National Parks

Section II : Stewardship of Parks in a Changing WorldFive / Climate Change and Novel Disturbance Regimes in National Park LandscapesSix / Climate Change Trends, Impacts, and Vulnerabilities in US National ParksSeven / Protecting National Parks from Air Pollution Effects: Making Sausage from Science and PolicyEight / Biological Invasions in the National Parks and in Park ScienceNine / The Science and Challenges of Conserving Large Wild Mammals in 21st-Century American Protected AreasTen / Strategic Conversation: Stewardship of Parks in a Changing World

Section III : Engaging People in ParksEleven / The Tangled Web of People, Landscapes, and Protected AreasTwelve / Science, Values, and Conflict in the National ParksThirteen / The World Is a Park: Using Citizen Science to Engage People in Parks and Build the Next Century of Global StewardsFourteen / The Spiritual and Cultural Significance of Nature: Inspiring Connections between People and ParksFifteen / Strategic Conversation: Engaging and Disengaging People in Parks

Section IV : Future of Science, Conservation, and ParksSixteen / A New Kind of EdenSeventeen / The Near-Horizon Future of Science and the National ParksEighteen / Science, Parks, and Conservation in a Rapidly Changing WorldAppendix / Historical Connections between UC Berkeley, the Birth of the US National Park Service, and the Growth of Science in Parks

About the Contributors
Index

“Science, Conservation, and National Parks is an exciting contribution that will be of interest to park managers around the world. Addressing important themes like the potential transition from an extensive to an intensive economy and what that means for parks and biodiversity, authors do a nice job exploring the different strategies for setting goals and managing national parks, including retrospective restoration foci, managing processes, and hypermanagement for particular ideal future states. Clearly these are not mutually exclusive management strategies, but it is useful to have them articulated in discrete categories from different viewpoints. This is an eclectic, enjoyable mix of literature reviews, personal experience and case studies, and practical advice from authors who are indubitably leaders in their subdisciplines.”

“A monumental capstone to the US National Park Service centennial with a very timely and unique historical perspective. Written by an outstanding lineup of authors who are leaders in their fields, Science, Conservation, and National Parks offers a refreshing holistic treatment of the linkages and mutual dependencies between parks and science. This book will be a valuable contribution to the field of protected area conservation, one that positions the National Park Service and other agencies and institutions managing protected areas to become more proficient at using science in decision making. At the same time, it offers greater insights into the important role parks play in science. Conservation scholars, conservation practitioners, and land managers all over the world will be interested in its content and lessons. Compelling.”

"This is a testament to what can be achieved by determined conservationists, compiled to mark the centenary of the founding of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) in 1916, but looking forward as well as reflecting on the past."