When an animal settles preferentially in a habitat within which it does poorly relative to other available habitats, it is said to have been caught in an "ecological trap." Although the theoretical possibility that animals may be so trapped is widely recognized, the absence of a clear mechanistic understanding of what constitutes a trap means that much of the literature cited as support for the...

When an animal settles preferentially in a habitat within which it does poorly relative to other available habitats, it is said to have been caught in an ‘‘ecological trap.’’ Although the theoretical possibility that animals may be so trapped is widely recognized, the absence of a clear mechanistic understanding of what constitutes a trap means that much of the literature cited as support for t...

As tropical regions are converted to agriculture, conservation of biodiversity will depend not only on the maintenance of protected forest areas, but also on the scope for conservation within the agricultural matrix in which they are embedded. Tree cover typically retained in agricultural landscapes in the neotropics may provide resources and habitats for animals, but little is known about the ...

Perennial woody crops have the potential to contribute significantly to the production of bio-fuels while simultaneously helping to provide a wide range of conservation benefits. Among these benefits are increased biological diversity in the landscape, conservation of soil and water resources, maintenance of forest ecosystem productivity and health, contribution to the global carbon cycle, and ...

Agro-biodiversity is the result of natural and human selection processes involving animal, plant, and micro-organisms in agricultural systems, and is important for determining the socioeconomic and ecological benefits that can be derived from the systems [1]. The trend of developing monoculture agricultural systems for the sake of high productivity and economic return, however, has led agro-bio...

Agro-biodiversity is the result of natural and human selection processes involving animal, plant, and micro-organisms in agricultural systems, and is important for determining the socioeconomic and ecological benefits that can be derived from the systems [1]. The trend of developing monoculture agricultural systems for the sake of high productivity and economic return, however, has led agro-bio...

During the past 2 decades, the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) has increased in numbers and expanded in range. Understanding temporal, environmental, and spatial variables responsible for this change is useful in evaluating what likely influenced grizzly bear demographics in the GYE and where future management efforts might benefit conservation ...

The concept of ecological 'traps' is based in theory from ecology and conservation biology that has now found application to infectious diseases with a study from Paul Turner's group. This study is important because it offers a mathematical model of ecological traps, applies this model to viruses, and tests the model in a bacteria-phage system. Although there will be technical hurdles to overco...

Vernal pools are far more important for providing ecosystem services than one would predict based on their small size. However, prevailing resource-management strategies are not effectively conserving pools and other small natural features on private lands. Solutions are complicated by tensions between private property and societal rights, uncertainties over resource location and function, dive...