The Wildlife Techniques Manual - Volume 1: Research; Volume 2: Management (Eighth Edition)

Edited by Nova J Silvy
Johns Hopkins University Press, in association with The Wildlife Society, £129.50

Wildlife rangers and national park managers have a great ‘office’: environment outdoors with wide horizons, sometimes literally covering as far as the eye can see. Very few habitats we are familiar with, either from experience or from television documentaries, exist as we know them in an unmanaged form. Heathland, grassland and many forests require at least occasional management to maximise biodiversity or maintain the habitat in its current form.

Managing the natural environment to maintain a habitat, manage wildlife or create a space for human recreational use, all requires a firm grasp of the many aspects of the natural world and ecology of a specific area. People managing such environments need to have a thorough understanding of ecology and wildlife management. The two-part Wildlife Techniques Manual is a very thorough and informative starting point to gain the knowledge needed to manage many habitats and wildlife populations.

These books contain a lot of very well-referenced and well-presented information about the many aspects of wildlife management. Specific case studies and examples are given. Topics covered include; research and experimental design, management and analysis of ecology data; measuring wildlife habitat, capturing and remote monitoring of animals, ethical issues, teaching about wildlife and much more. This is an interesting and extensive reference book and would be very useful for university students and others who need to learn about the techniques covered by the book.

Dr Amanda Hardy MRSB