UID:
almahu_9949697681602882
Format:
1 online resource (538 pages) :
,
illustrations
ISBN:
0-12-817555-9
Content:
"Galapagos Giant Tortoises brings together researchers and conservationists to share the most up-to-date knowledge of Galapagos giant tortoises. Despite being icons of the world-famous Galapagos Archipelago and the target of more than 50 years of conservation research and management, Galapagos giant tortoise evolution and much of their ecology remained unknown until recently. This book documents the history, the pressing conservation issues, and success stories recovering several of the 15 different species of Galapagos tortoises from near extinction. The book begins with an overview of the history of the relationship between humans and Galapagos giant tortoises, starting from initial heavy exploitation of tortoises by pirates and whalers, and extending to the start of the modern conservation era in the 1960s. The book then shifts to biology, describing Galapagos tortoise evolution, taxonomy, ecology, habitats, reproduction, and behavior. Next the decades of conservation efforts and their results are reviewed, including issues of captive breeding, invasive species, introduced diseases, and de-extinction, as well as the current status and distribution of every species. The final portion of the book turns to four case studies of restoration, and then looks ahead to the future of all tortoise populations."
Note:
Section I. Overview -- The Galapagos : island home of giant tortoises / Jack Frazier -- Galapagos tortoises : protagonists in the spectacle of life on Earth / Jack Frazier -- Section II. History of human-tortoise interactions -- Human perceptions of Galapagos tortoises through history / Henry Nicholls -- The era of exploitation : 1535-1959 / Cyler Conrad and James P. Gibbs -- Darwin and the Galapagos giant tortoises / Frank J. Sulloway -- The collectors : beginnings of scientific inquiry and the lasting impacts of living and museum collections / Rayna C. Bell and Lauren A. Scheinberg -- Section III. Natural history -- Evolution and phylogenetics / Adalgisa Caccone -- Morphology / Ylenia Chiari -- Reproduction / Erika Kubisch and Nora R. Ibargüengoytia -- Thermoregulation / Nigel J. Blake, Adam F. Parlin, Iain Cumming, James P. Gibbs, Glenn J. Tattersall, Daniel E. Warren, Freddy Cabrera, Jose Haro, Jack Norys, Randall James and Stephen Blake -- Diet, behavior, and activityi patterns / Stephen Blake, Patricia Isabela Tapia, Kamran Safi and Diego Ellis-Soto -- Population biology / James P. Gibbs and Harrison Goldspiel -- Movement ecology / Stephen Blake, Charles B. Yackulic, Freddy Cabrera, Sharon L. Deem, Diego Ellis-Soto, James P. Gibbs, Franz Kummeth, Martin Wikelski and Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau -- Habitats / Elizabeth A. Hunter and James P. Gibbs -- Role in ecosystems / Elizabeth A. Hunter, Stephen Blake, Linda J. Cayot and James P. Gibbs -- Galapagos tortoises in a changing climate / Noah D. Charney -- Section IV. Conservation : slow rescue from near destruction -- The history of Galapagos tortoise conservation / Linda J. Cayot -- Tortoise health / Joseph P. Flanagan -- Invasive species : impacts, control, and eradication / Linda J. Cayot, Karl Campbell and Victor Carrion -- Tortoise populations after 60 years of conservation / Washington Tapia A., Christian Sevilla, Jeffreys Málaga and James P. Gibbs -- Section V. Restoration case studies -- Española Island : from near extinction to recovery / Linda J. Cayot -- Pinzón Island : a century of zero tortoise hatchlings to a growing population / Linda J. Cayot -- Floreana and Pinta Islands : restoring tortoise populations through lost lineage recovery / Linda J. Cayot and Elizabeth A. Hunter -- Santa Fe Island : return of tortoises via a replacement species / Washington Tapia A., Harrison Goldspiel, Christian Sevilla, Jeffreys Málaga and James P. Gibbs -- Section VI. Into the future -- Beyond rescue to full recovery / James P. Gibbs, Linda J. Cayot and Washington Tapia A.
Additional Edition:
ISBN 0-12-817554-0
Language:
English
