Save Cover Preview

Serengeti II

Dynamics, Management, and Conservation of an Ecosystem

Edited by A. R. E. Sinclair and Peter Arcese

Serengeti II

Dynamics, Management, and Conservation of an Ecosystem

Edited by A. R. E. Sinclair and Peter Arcese

Serengeti II: Dynamics, Management, and Conservation of an Ecosystem brings together twenty years of research by leading scientists to provide the most most thorough understanding to date of the spectacular Serengeti-Mara ecosystem in East Africa, home to one of the largest and most diverse populations of animals in the world.

Building on the groundwork laid by the classic Serengeti: Dynamics of an Ecosystem, published in 1979 by the University of Chicago Press, this new book integrates studies of the ecosystem at every level—from the plants at the bottom of the visible food chain, to the many species of herbivores and predators, to the system as a whole. Drawing on new data from many long-term studies and from more recent research initiatives, and applying new theory and computer technology, the contributors examine the large-scale processes that have produced the Serengeti’s extraordinary biological diversity, as well as the interactions among species and between plants and animals and their environment. They also introduce computer modeling as a tool for exploring these interactions, employing this new technology to test and anticipate the effects of social, political, and economic changes on the entire ecosystem and on particular species, and so to shape future conservation and management strategies.

Read More Read Less

Biological Sciences: Ecology, Natural History

Reviews
Table of contents
Excerpt
Gallery
Awards
Author Events
Related Titles

Reviews

“The relationship of humans and the wildlife, barely mentioned in Serengeti I, is the major theme of Serengeti II. The human dimension of wildlife conservation and management has been discovered, as a result of either cultural change or increasing human population pressure. Research in the Serengeti has come full circle, once again serving the management of the wildlife and its interaction with people. At the same time, the benefits of this uniquely conserved and studied system to our fundamental scientific understanding are irreplaceable. There will never be anywhere else like the Serengeti, nor can such long-term data be repeated. The editors of this book have shown that excellent science can coexist with and complement management-oriented studies. I hope that, by doing so, they have helped to secure the future of the Serengeti and its wildlife.”

Animal Behaviour

“The depth, breadth, and longevity of the research program in the Serengeti have resulted in a book of great importance. . . . This book clearly shows the need for further integrative research and the importance of basing conservation policy on a sound scientific footing.”

Journal of Animal Ecology

“Serengeti II brings us up to date on the last twenty years of research and ecosystem change, and fosters integration between pure research and applied conservation biology. . . . This is not just a book about the Serengeti, it makes substantial contributions to ecology and to ecosystem science.”

Northwest Science

“Sinclair and Arcese deserve great credit for bringing together such a wealth of information from their authors. Readers with the stamina to digest all the threads of Serengeti II will see the beginnings of important links through from research to management. . . . Among its many and varied images, the Serengeti remains a testament to the value of long-term research and monitoring. . . . There will certainly be scope for Serengeti III in a decade or two’s time.”

TREE: Trends in Ecology and Evolution

“Serengeti II reveals the deteriorating changes in the Serengeti ecosystem brought about by a growing human population and declining wildlife populations. . . . This important book shows how a wide diversity of research from plant communities to species interactions and impacts of human intrusions can be integrated into a holistic study of an ecosystem, and it emphasizes how basic research findings can be applied to the management of ecosystems. A landmark in ecosystem ecology and essential addition to a working library in ecology, wildlife biology, and conservation biology.”

Choice

“The volume . . . demonstrates both the breadth and depth of the ongoing research efforts in the Serengeti. . . . An excellent addition to collections which focus on wildlife biology, ecosystem managements, or conservation biology.”

Biofeedback

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
1: Serengeti Past and Present
A. R. E. Sinclair
2: Serengeti in the Context of Worldwide Conservation Efforts
A. R. E. Sinclair, Peter Arcese.
3: Plant Communities and Herbivory
S. J. McNaughton, F. F. Banyikwa.
4: Vegetation Dynamics in the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem: The Role of Elephants, Fire, and Other Factors
Holly T. Dublin
5: Equilibria in Plant-Herbivore Interactions
A. R. E. Sinclair
6: Population Trends and Distribution of Serengeti Herbivores: Implications
for Management
Ken Campbell, Markus Borner.
7: Long-Term Trends in the Herbivore Populations of the Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
Victor A. Runyoro, Heribert Hofer, Emmanuel B. Chausi, Patricia D. Moehlman.
8: Population Trends of Ungulates in and around Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve 169
Michael D. Broten, Mohammed Said.
9: Population Limitation of Resident Herbivores
A. R. E. Sinclair
10: Distribution and Abundance of Oribi, a Small Antelope
Simon A. R. Mduma
11: Specific Nutrient Requirements and Migration of Wildebeest
Martyn G. Murray
12: Aggregation and Migration by Grazing Ungulates in Relation to Resources and Predators
John M. Fryxell
13: Antipredator Behavior of Serengeti Ungulates: Individual Differences and Population Consequences
Clare D. FitzGibbon, John Lazarus.
14: Variation in Predation by Lions: Tracking a Movable Feast
D. Scheel, C. Packer.
15: Ecology, Demography, and Behavior of Lions in Two Contrasting Habitats: Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti Plains
J. P. Hanby, J. D. Bygott, C. Packer.
16: Population Dynamics, Population Size, and the Commuting System of Serengeti Spotted Hyenas
Heribert Hofer, Marion East.
17: Dominance, Demography, and Reproductive Success of Female Spotted Hyenas
Laurence G. Frank, Kay E. Holekamp, Laura Smale.
18: Implications of High Offspring Mortality for Cheetah Population Dynamics
M. Karen Laurenson
19: Demographic Changes and Social Consequences in Wild Dogs, 1964-1992
Roger Burrows
20: Habitat Variation and Mongoose Demography
Peter M. Waser, Lee F. Elliott, Nancy M. Creel, Scott R. Creel.
21: The Importance of Behavioral Ecology for Conservation Biology: Examples from Serengeti Carnivores
T. M. Caro, S. M. Durant.
22: Population Structure of Wildebeest: Implications for Conservation
Nicholas Georgiadis
23: The Ecology and Epidemiology of Rinderpest Virus in Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Andy Dobson
24: Historical and Present-Day Anti-Poaching Efforts in Serengeti
Peter Arcese, Justine Hando, Ken Campbell.
25: People and Wildlife: Spatial Dynamics and Zones of Interaction
Ken Campbell, Heribert Hofer.
26: Multiple Land Use in the Serengeti Region: The Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Scott Perkin
27: Economic Incentives to Develop the Rangelands of the Serengeti: Implications for Wildlife Conservation
M. Norton-Griffiths
28: The Serengeti Regional Conservation Strategy
B. N. N. Mbano, R. C. Malpas, M. K. S. Maige, P. A. K. Symonds, D. M.
Thompson.
29: A Model to Evaluate Alternative Management Policies for the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem
R. Hilborn et al
Appendix A: Scientific and Common Names of the Larger Mammal Species of the Serengeti-Mara Region
Appendix B: Scientific and Common Names of the Birds of the Serengeti-Mara
Region
List of Contributors
Index