Species-level strategies for conserving rare or little-known species [Chapter 6]

Abstract

Conservation science is concerned, in part, with anticipating how natural or human-caused disturbance affects the pattern of commonness and rarity among the biota of a given area (Lubchenco et al. 1991; also see chap. 1). In this and the next chapter, we review various species- and system-level approaches proposed or applied to species conservation planning and assessment. We review the literature on approaches to conservation and management of individual species, groups of species, communities, and ecosystems, as published in peer-reviewed ecological outlets or in reports by land management agencies and nongovernmental organizations. We summarize conservation goals and objectives, discuss the scientific basis, and identify strengths and weaknesses of each approach for addressing conservation needs of rare or little-known (RLK) species of plants and animals. This review is intended to provide land and natural resource managers (hereafter, just "resource managers") access to this diverse literature and the basic information needed to select those approaches that best suit their conservation objectives and ecological context. A companion chapter (see chap. 8) outlines a process to evaluate how well each approach meets conservation objectives.

Citation

Marcot, Bruce G.; Flather, Curtis H. 2007. Species-level strategies for conserving rare or little-known species [Chapter 6]. In: Raphael, Martin G.; Molina, Randy, eds. Conservation of Rare or Little-Known Species: Biological, Social, and Economic Considerations. Washington, DC: Island Press. p. 125-164.