BIO 530A      Spring 2004      Biodiversity and Conservation: Theoretical Issues

Meets Tu 5:45-8:35, BIO 248B

Instructor:

George Robinson             Rm 253B Biology  Tel: 2-4302  

            Office Hours:  Wed. 2:30-4:00  or by appointment.

Contributing Instructors: Chris D’Elia, Gary Kleppel

 

Required text:              Meffe G., and R. Carroll.  1997.  Principles of Conservation Biology 2nd

                                    Edition. Sinauer, Sunderland MA.

Also required:            Wilson, E.O.  2002.  The Future of Life.  Vintage Books, NY. 

(Both available in campus Bookstore and Mary Jane Books)

Supplemental readings will accompany most text chapters.  Required supplemental readings will be available to read, copy, or download.  A fuller bibliography is attached below. 

 

Grading (100 points total):                         

 

Three study questions, 10 points each (30 total)

One book review, 10 points

Preparation of discussion of one scientific paper, 10 points

Research group project contribution, 40 points

General participation in class activities, 10 points

 

Schedule of Topics and readings (Subject to change with notice)

 

[NOTE: All readings listed in the course schedule are required in advance — they will be discussed on the day announced.]

 

Date   Lecture Topic           Lab/Discussion

1/27   COURSE INTRODUCTION          Discuss readings

          Readings:  The Future of Life (Ch 1-4)       Schedule paper discussions

                    Values survey

                    Introduce Group Project

2/3     Historical perspectives on conservation biology;                    

          Values and ethics Discuss readings

          Readings:  The Future of Life (Ch 5-7);      Plan group projects

           TEXT ch. 1-2; #53, 63          Values survey results

 

2/10   Biodiversity losses and the extinction record     

          Readings:  TEXT ch. 5; #17, 25, 81, 85, 187, 209          Discuss readings

                     Plan group projects

Book Review due

Study Question 1 distributed

2/24   The species concept and the ESA          Discuss readings 

          Readings:  TEXT ch. 3; #15, 81, 85, 152, 209, 231          Plan group projects

Study Question 1 due    Discuss study question

3/2     Measuring biodiversity              

          Readings:  TEXT ch. 4;            Discuss readings

           #107, 112, 121, 214           Video on NYS Gap Project

                    Plan group projects

Study Question 2 distributed          Methods laboratory

3/9     Biological invasions          Discuss readings

          Readings: TEXT ch. 5; #104, 190, 212, 232, 235          Plan group projects

3/16   Conservation Genetics          Discuss readings

          Demography of vulnerable populations           Plan group projects

          Readings:  TEXT ch. 6, 7; #5, 88, 97, 140, 151          Simulation exercises

Study Question 2 due    Discuss study question

3/23   Habitat fragmentation          Discuss readings

          Design of nature preserves          Plan group projects

          Readings:  TEXT ch. 9, 10; # 98, 134, 167, 228          Group Project progress reports

Study Question 3 handed out               

[Mar. 25-26 Conference on Invertebrate Conservation, AMNH]

[March 26-28 Northeast Ecology and Evolution Conference, Storrs]

3/30   Biodiversity and ecosystem function          Discuss readings

          Readings:  TEXT ch. 8;            Plan group projects

           #76, 78, 105, 123, 196, 208          Methods laboratory.

 4/13  Ecological Restoration          Discuss readings

          Readings:  TEXT ch. 14; #52, 229, 236           Plan group projects

                    Group Project progress reports

Study Question 3 due    Discuss study question                     

4/20   Human population growth          Discuss readings

          Sustainable development          Wrap up group projects

          Readings:  Text Ch. 18;           Methods laboratory

          # 10, 32, 33, 49, 74, 122, 137, 191

4/27   Land use planning           Discuss readings

          Conservation management          Review project reports

          Readings:  Text Ch. 11-13         

          #18, 51, 82, 154, 168

Group Project reports due

5/4     Bad Science, Pseudoscience and conservation          Discuss readings

          Readings:  TEXT ch. 19;             Group Project critique

          #53, 132, 197, 220, 237

Group Project process assessment due

Course format

 

1.  Lectures and class preparation

            Most class periods will begin with a lecture designed to introduce the scheduled topic.  Lectures will be presented by course instructors and occasional guest experts from outside our department or university.  The order of lecture topics may change, depending on the pace of the course and scheduling of guests.  Plan to attend all classes.  Skipping one is equivalent to missing a full week of material.  COME PREPARED:  Read all required materials in advance; bring questions to the table; when you are in charge of choosing and discussing a scientific paper, make it available at least one week in advance; prepare notes and background on your chosen paper; contribute your fair share to your group project in a timely manner.

           

2.  Discussions/labs

            During and after lectures we will discuss pending topics, as well as assignments and projects.  All students are responsible for every phase of topic discussion.  In other words, you may be called on to participate at any time, based on readings and any experience or ideas you wish to introduce.  Every student will be also required to lead a discussion of one scientific paper.  Several labs/demos will be given on ecological modeling and analytical techniques.  These are aimed to give insight into techniques for collecting and analyzing biological data relevant to conservation.  Some may form the basis of study questions or provide tools for group projects.

 

Assignments and Examinations

 

1.  Study Questions

          Three study questions will be assigned.  These will be analytical exercises, problem sets, or essay questions, designed to focus on key aspects of relationships between ecological theory and biological conservation.

 

2.  Book Review

          After reading and discussing Wilson’s, The Future of Life, prepare a journal-style book review, written for an audience of peers (graduate students).  General format: 500-1,000 words, double-spaced, professional style (consult Book Review sections in scientific journals for examples).  You may consult published reviews of the book, but I have found that it is better to write your main draft before doing so; reading another’s review tends to stifle your creative juices.

 

3.  Discussion of one scientific paper

            Locate one scientific paper related to biological conservation, make copies available to the class, and lead a discussion of that work.  Selections should not be made from already designated course readings.  Either choose a paper from the supplemental list, or find an alternative that interests you.  As part of this assignment, prepare background notes (on the paper’s topic and on its authors) and discussion questions to distribute at the start of discussion.

 

4.  Group Research Project. 

          We will choose several research questions, based on current problems in conservation of biological diversity.  In small groups (3-6 students), we will plan a strategy for refining the question, obtaining pertinent information, and analyzing our findings.  Each group member will choose a part of the problem, and carry out necessary research, such as database searches, personal interviews, reviews of case studies, data analysis, and data verification.  Groups will report to the class at frequent intervals to check progress and receive advice and assistance.  The final reports from each group will be published on a Web site, and we hope than one or more of the projects will lead to external publications and contribute to significant conservation issues.  Our goal is to identify and take on real-life, relevant issues that can be reasonably addressed in a few months. The keys to success are (1) choosing a well-focused, accessible topic, (2) active and timely participation by all members, and (3) constant feedback and evaluation of progress.  More information and advice on report preparation and format will be provided later in the semester.

 

FOR ALL ASSIGNMENTS: Number pages; include name(s) and date with title; save paper and forgo separate title pages; use no fancy binders; double-space with 12-point font; graphics and diagrams may be hand- or computer-drawn; use metric system for all units of measure place English units in parentheses if included); check spelling and grammar; re-used printer paper is allowed, except for final group project report; color graphics are fine, but usually not necessary; images downloaded from on-line sources may be used sparingly, when highly pertinent; use a consistent style for references; do not cite your textbook or include it in bibliographies; when referencing on-line literature, include full URL and date downloaded.

 

List of required and supplemental readings

1.          Akimoto, H.  2003.  Global air quality and pollution.  Science 302: 1716-1719.

2.          Alroy, J.  2001.  A multispecies overkill simulation of the end-Pleistocene megafaunal mass extinction.   Science 292: 1893-1896.

3.          Andelman, S.J., and W.F. Fagan.  2000.  Umbrellas and flagships: Efficient conservation surrogates or expensive mistakes?  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 97: 5954-5959.

4.          Anderson, J.L. 1998. Embracing uncertainty: The interface of Bayesian statistics and cognitive psychology. Conservation Ecology [online]2: 2.   URL: http://www.consecol.org/vol2/iss1/art2

5.          Ashley, M.V.  1999.  Molecular conservation genetics.  American Scientist 87: 28-35.

6.          Austin, M.P.  1999.  A silent clash of paradigms: Some inconsistencies in community ecology.  Oikos 86: 170-178. 

7.          Ayensu, E., and 24 Others.  1999.  International ecosystem assessment.  Science 286: 685-686.

8.          Balmford, A., J.L. Moore, T. Brooks, N. Burges, L.A. Hansen, P. Williams, and C. Rahbek.  2001.  Conservation conflicts across Africa.  Science 291: 2616-2619.

9.          Barnett, A.  2001.  Safety in Numbers.  New Scientist, 3 February 2001: 38-41. 

10.      Beaugrand, G., K.M. Brander, J.A. Lindley, S. Souissi, and P.C. Reid.  2003.  Plankton effect on cod recruitment in the North Sea.  Nature 426: 661-664.

11.      Begon, M., J.L. Harper, and C.R. Townsend.  1996.  Ecology.  3rd Edition. Blackwell. [Ch 24-25]

12.      Beier, P., and R.F. Noss.  1998.  Do habitat corridors provide connectivity?  Conservation Biology 12: 1241-1252.

13.      Belovsky, G.E., C. Mellison, C. Larson, and P.A. Van Zandt.  1999.  Experimental studies of extinction dynamics.  Science 286: 1175-1177.  

14.      Berger, J, J.E. Swenson, and I-L. Persson.  2001.  Recolonizing carnivores: Conservation lessons from Pleistocene extinctions.  Science 291: 1036-1039.

15.      Boersma, P.D., P. Kareiva, W.F. Fagan, J.A. Clark, and J.M. Hoekstra.  2001.  How good are endangered species recovery plans?  BioScience 51: 643-649.

16.      Botsford, L.W., J.C. Castilla, and C.H. Peterson.  1997.  The management of fisheries and marine ecosystems.  Science 277: 509-514.

17.      Brook, B.W., N.S. Sodhi, and P.K.L. Ng.  2003.  Catastrophic extinctions follow deforestation in Singapore.  Nature 424: 420-423.

18.      Brooks, T.M., and Ten Others.  2002.  Habitat loss and extinction in the hotspots of biodiversity.  Conservation Biology 16: 909-923.

19.      Brown, J.H., T.G. Whitham, S.K. Morgan Ernest, and C.A. Gehring.  2001.  Complex species interactions and the dynamics of ecological systems: Long-term Experiments.  Science 293: 643-650.

20.      Bruner, A.G., R.E. Gullison, R.E. Rice, and G.A.B. da Fonseca.  2000.  Effectiveness of parks in protecting tropical biodiversity.  Science 291: 125-128.

21.      Burney, D.A.  1993.  Recent animal extinctions: Recipes for disaster.  American Scientist 81: 530-541.  

22.      Burslem, F.R.P., N.C. Garwood, and S.C. Thomas.  2001.  Tropical forest diversity ­— the plot thickens.  Science 291: 606-607.

23.      Caicco, S.L., J.M. Scott, B. Butterfield, and B. Csuti.  1995.  A gap analysis of the management status of the vegetation of Idaho.  Conservation Biology 9: 498-511.   

24.      Cardoso da Silva, J.M., and M. Tabarelli.  2000.  Tree species impoverishment and the future flora of northeast Brazil.  Nature 404: 72-74.  

25.      Carlton, J.T., J.B. Geller, M. L. Reaka-Kudla, and E.A. Norse.  1999.  Historical extinctions in the sea.  Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 30: 315-338.

26.      Carroll, S.S., and D.L. Pearson.  2000.  Detecting and modeling spatial and temporal dependence in conservation biology.  Conservation Biology 14: 1893-1897.

27.      Chapin, F.S. III, B.H. Walker, R.J. Hobbs, D.U. Hooper, J.H. Lawton, O.E. Sala, and D. Tilman.  1997.  Biotic control over functioning ecosystems.  Science 277: 500-504.

28.      Charles, D.  2001.  Seeds of discontent.  Science 294: 772-775.

29.      Chesson, P.  2000.  Mechanisms of maintenance of species diversity.  Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 31: 343-366.

30.      Clubb, R., and G. Mason.  2003.  Captivity effects on wide-ranging carnivores.  Nature 425: 473-474.

31.      Cochrane, M.A., A. Alencar, M.D. Schultze, C.M. Souza, Jr., D.C. Nepstad, P. Lefebvre, and E.A. Davidson.  1999.  Positive feedbacks in the fire dynamic of closed canopy tropical forests.  Science 284: 1832-1835.

32.      Cohen, J.E.  1995.  Population growth and earth’s human carrying capacity.  Science 269: 341-346.

33.      Cohen, J.E.  2003.  Human population: The next half century.  Science 302: 1172-1175.

34.      Cole, B.J., and D.C Wiernasz.  1999.  The selective advantage of low relatedness.  Science 285: 891-893.

35.      Coley, P.D., and Fifteen Others.  2003.  Using ecological criteria to design plant collection strategies for drug discovery.  Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 1: 421-428.

36.      Collins, J.P., A. Kinzig, N.B. Grimm, W.F. Fagan, D. Hope, J. Wu, and E.T. Boxer.  2000.  A new urban ecology.  American Scientist 88: 416-425.

37.      Coltman, D.W., P. O’Donaghue, J.T. Jorgenson, J.T. Hogg, C. Strobeck, and M. Festa-Blanchet.  2003.  Undesirable evolutionary consequences of trophy hunting.  Nature 426: 655-658.

38.      Conroy, M.J., and B.R. Noon.  1996.  Mapping of species richness for conservation of biological diversity: Conceptual and methodological issues.  Ecological Applications 6: 763-773.

39.      Conway, G.  2000. Genetically modified crops: risks and promise. Conservation Ecology 4: 2. [online] URL: http://www.consecol.org/vol4/iss1/art2

40.      Costanza, R., H. Daly, C. Folke, P. Hawken, C.S. Holling, A.J. McMichael, D. Pimentel, and D. Rapport.  2000.  Managing our environmental portfolio.  BioScience 50: 149-155.

41.      Cowen, R.W., K. M.M. Lwiza, S. Sponaugle, C.B. Paris, and D.B. Olson.  2000.  Connectivity of marine populations: Open or closed?  Science 287: 857-859

42.      Crawley, M.J., and J.E. Harral.  2001.  Scale dependence in plant biodiversity.  Science 291: 864-868.

43.      Crone, E.E., and J.L. Gehring.  1998.  Population viability of Rorippa columbine: Multiple models and spatial trend data.  Conservation Biology 12: 1054-1065. 

44.      Cunningham, A.A., and P. Daszak.  1998.  Extinction of a land snail due to infection with a microsporidian parasite.  Conservation Biology 12: 1139-1141.

45.      Curran, L.M., I. Caniago, G.D. Paoli, D. Astianti, M. Kusneti, M. Leighton, C.E. Nirarita, and H. Haeruman.  1999.  Impact of El Niño and logging on canopy tree recruitment in Borneo.  Science 286: 2184-2188.  

46.      Czech, B, P.R. Kraussman, and R. Borkhataria.  1998.  Social construction, political power, and the allocation of benefits to endangered species.  Conservation Biology 12: 1103-1112. 

47.      Daily, G.C., P.R. Ehrlich, and N.M. Haddad.  1992.  Double keystone bird in a keystone species complex.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 90: 592-594.

48.      Daly, H.E.  1999.  The lurking Inconsistency.  Conservation Biology 13: 693-694

49.      Daszak, P., A.A. Cunningham, and A.D. Hyatt.  2000.  Emerging infectious diseases of wildlife-threats to biodiversity and human health.  Science 287: 443-449.

50.      DeDyn, G.B., and Seven Others.  2003.  Soil invertebrate fauna enhances grassland succession and diversity.  Nature 422: 711-713.

51.      Dietz, T., E. Ostrom, and P.C. Stern.  2003.  The struggle to govern the commons.  Science 302: 1907-1911.

52.      Dobson, A.P., A.D. Bradshaw, and A.J.M. Baker.  1997.  Hopes for the future: Restoration ecology and conservation biology.  Science 277: 515-522.

53.      Ehrlich, P.R.  2003.  Bioethics: Are our priorities right?  BioScience 53: 1207-1216.

54.      Elton, C.S.  1958.  The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants. 2nd Edition. Methuen, London, England.

55.      Englehardt, K.A.M., and M.E. Ritchie.  2002.  The effect of aquatic plant species richness on wetland ecosystem processes.  Ecology 83: 2911-2924. 

56.      Erickson, J.D.  1998.  Sustainable development and the Adirondack experience.  Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies 5: 24-31.

57.      Esseen, P.-A., and K.-E. Renhorn.  1998.  Edge effects on an epiphytic lichen in fragmented forests.  Conservation Biology 12: 1307-1317.

58.      Fiedler, P.L., and S.K. Jain, editors.  1992.  Conservation Biology.  Chapman and Hall, New York. 

59.      Fukami, T., and P.J. Morin.  2003.  Productivity-biodiversity relationships depend on the history of community assembly.  Nature 424: 423-426.

60.      Gering, J.C., T.O Crist, and J.A. Veech.  2003.  Additive partitioning of species diversity across multiple spatial scales: Implications for regional conservation of biodiversity.  Conservation Biology 17: 488-499.

61.      Gibbs, J.P., S. Droege, and P. Eagle.  1998.  Monitoring populations of plants and animals.  BioScience 48: 935-940.

62.      Goklany, I.M.  1998.  Saving habitat and conserving biodiversity on a crowded planet.  BioScience 48: 941-953.

63.      Greene, J.D.,  R.B. Sommerville, L.E. Nystrom, J.M Darley, and J.D. Cohen.   2001.  An fMRI investigation of emotional engagement in moral judgment.  Science 293: 2105-2108. 

64.      Grime, J.P.  1998.  Benefits of plant diversity to ecosystems: Immediate, filter, and founder effects.  Journal of Ecology 86: 902-910. 

65.      Groffman, P.M., and P.J. Bohlen.  1999.  Soil and sediment biodiversity.  BioScience 49: 139-148.

66.      Grumbine, R.E.  1991.  Cooperation or conflict? Interagency relationships and the future of biodiversity for US parks and forests.  Environmental Management 15: 27-37.

67.      Haeuber, R.A., and W.K. Michener.  1998.  Policy implications of recent natural and managed floods.  BioScience 48: 765-772.

68.      Hall, C.A.  1988.  An assessment of several of the historically most influential theoretical models used in ecology and some of the data provided in their support.  Ecological Modeling 43: 5-31.

69.      Handel, S.N., Robinson, G.R., and Beattie, A.J.  (1994)  Biodiversity resources for ecological restoration.  Restoration Ecology 2: 230-241.

70.      Hanski, I., and M. Gyllenberg.  1997.  Uniting two general patterns in the distribution of species.  Science 275: 397-400.

71.      Hanski, I., and O. Ovaskainen.  2002.  Extinction debt at extinction threshold.  Conservation Biology 16: 666-673.

72.      Harrison, S.P.  1994.  Metapopulations and conservation.  Pages 111-128 in: P.J. Edwards, R.M. May, and N.R. Webb, editors.  Large-Scale Ecology and Conservation Biology.  Blackwell Scientific.

73.      Harte, J., A. Kinzig, and J. Green.  1999.  Self-similarity in the distribution and abundance of species.  Science 284: 334-336.

74.      Hasselman, K., and Nine Others.  The challenge of long-term climate change.  Science 302: 1923-1926.

75.      Hastings, A.  2003.  Metapopulation persistence with age-dependent disturbance or succession.  Science 301: 1525-1526.

76.      Hector, A., and 34 Others.  1999.  Plant diversity and productivity experiments in European grasslands.  Science 286: 1123-1129.

77.      Hockings, M.  2003.  Systems for assessing the effectiveness of management in protected areas.  BioScience 53: 823-832.

78.      Hooper, D.U., and P.M. Vitousek.  1997.  The effects of plant composition and diversity on ecosystem processes.  Science 277: 1302-1305.

79.      Houck, O.  2003.  Tales from a troubled marriage: Science and law in environmental policy.  Science 302: 1926-1929.

80.      Hudson, W.E.  1991.  Landscape Linkages and Biodiversity.  Island Press.

81.      Hughes, J.B., G.C. Daily, and P.R. Ehrlich.  1997.  Population diversity: Its extent and extinction.  Science 278: 692-694.

82.      Hughes, T.P., and Sixteen Others.  2003.  Climate change, human impacts, and the resilience of coral reefs.  Science 301: 929-933.

83.      Huston, M.  1994.  Biological diversity, soils, and economics.  Science 262: 1676-1680.  

84.      Jackson, J.B.C., and Eighteen Others.  2001.  Historical overfishing and the recent collapse  of coastal ecosystems.  Science 293: 629-638.

85.      Jenkins, M.  2003.  Prospects for biodiversity.  Science 302:  1175-1177.

86.      Jepson, P, J.K. Jarvie, K. MacKinnon, and K.A. Monk.  2001.  The end for Indonesia's lowland forests?  Science 292: 859-861.

87.      Johnson, K.H., K. A. Vogt, H.J. Clark, O.J. Schmitz, and D.A. Vogt.  1996.  Biodiversity and the productivity and stability of ecosystems.  Trends in Ecology and Evolution 11: 372-377.

88.      Joron, M., and P.M. Brakefield.  2003.  Captivity masks inbreeding effects on male success in butterflies.  Nature 424: 191-194.

89.      Kaiser, J.  2000.  Rift over biodiversity divides ecologists.  Science 289: 1282-1283. 

90.      Kareiva, P., and M. Marvier.  2003.  Conserving biodiversity coldspots.  American Scientist 91: 344-351.

91.      Kareiva, P., M. Marvier, and M. McClure.  2000.  Recovery and management options for spring/summer Chinook salmon in the Columbia River basin.   Science 290: 977-979.

92.      Karl, T.R., and K.E. Trenbeth.  2003.  Modern global climate change.  Science 302: 1719-1722

93.      Knapp, A.K., J.M. Blair, J.M. Briggs, S.L. Collins, D.C. Hartnett, L.C. Johnson, and E. G. Towne.  1998.  The keystone role of bison in North American tallgrass prairie.  BioScience 49: 39-50.

94.      Knopf, F.L.  1986.  Changing landscapes and the cosmopolitanism of eastern Colorado avifauna.  Wildlife. Soc. Bull. 14: 132-142.

95.      Kunin, W.E.  1998.  Extrapolating species abundance across spatial scales.  Science 281: 1513-1515. 

96.      L. Guterman.  2000.  Have ecologists oversold biodiversity?  The Chronicle of Higher Education, Oct. 13, 2000, http://chronicle.com/free/v47/i07/07a02401.htm

97.      Lacy, R.C.  1987.  Loss of genetic diversity from managed populations: Interacting effects of drift, mutation, selection, and population subdivision.  Conservation Biology 1: 143-158.

98.      Laurance, W.F., T.E. Lovejoy, H.L Vasoncelos, E.M. Bruna, R.K. Didham, P.G. Stouffer, C. Gascon, R.O. Bierregaard, S.G. Laurance, and E. Sampaio.  2002.  Ecosystem decay of Amazonian forest fragments: A 22-year investigation.  Conservation Biology 16: 605-618.

99.      Lawler, A.  2001.  Up for the count?  Science 294: 769-770.

100.   Lawton, J. H.  1996.  The ECOTRON Facility at Silwood Park: The value of “big bottle” experiments.  Ecology 77: 665-669.

101.   Lawton, J.H.  1994.  What do species do in ecosystems?  Oikos 71: 367-374.

102.   Lawton, J.H.  and V.K. Brown.  1993.  Redundancy in ecosystems.  Pages 255-270 in: E-D. Schulze and H.A. Mooney, editors.  Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function.  Springer-Verlag, Berlin.

103.   Levin, P.S., and D.A. Levin.  2001.  The real biodiversity crisis.  American Scientist 90: 6-8.

104.   Levine, J.M.  2000.  Species diversity and biological invasions: Relating local process to community pattern.  Science 288: 852-854.

105.   Loreau, M., and Eleven Others.  2001.  Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning: Current knowledge and future challenges.  Science 294: 804-808.

106.   Lutz, W., W. Sanderson, and S. Scherbov.  2001.  The end of world population growth.  Nature 412: 543-545.

107.   Magurran, A.E., and P.A. Henderson.  2003.   Explaining the excess of rare species in natural species abundance distributions.  Nature 422: 714-716.

108.   Malakoff, D.  2001.  A roaring debate over ocean noise.  Science 291: 576-578.

109.   Marshall, E., R. Haight, and F.R. Homans.  1998.  Incorporating environmental uncertainty into species management decisions: Kirtland's warbler habitat management as a case study.  Conservation Biology 12: 975-985. 

110.   Matson, P.A., W.J. Parton, A.G. Power, and M.J. Swift.  1997.  Agricultural intensification and ecosystem properties.  Science 277: 504-509.

111.   May, R.M.  1988.  How many species are there on earth?  Science 241: 1441-1449.

112.   McGill, B.J.  2003.  A test of the unified neutral theory of biodiversity.  Nature 422: 881-885.

113.   McMillan, M.A., J.C. Nekola, and D.W. Larson.  2003.  Effects of rock climbing on the land snail community of the Niagara Escarpment in southern Ontario, Canada.  Conservation Biology 17: 616-621.

114.   McNaughton, S.J.  1993.  Biodiversity and function of grazing ecosystems.  Pages 362-383 in: E-D. Schulze and H.A. Mooney, editors.  Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function.  Springer-Verlag, Berlin. 

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116.   Mooney, H.A.,  and J.A. Drake, editors.  1989. Ecology of Biological Invasions of North America and Hawai'i.  Springer-Verlag, New York, USA.

117.   Morgan, M.G., A. Houghton, and J.H. Gibbons.  2001.  Improving science and technology advice for Congress.  Science 293: 1999-2000.

118.   Moyle, P.B., and R.A. Leidy.  1992.  Loss of biodiversity in aquatic systems: Evidence from fish faunas.  Pages 127-169 in: P.L. Fiedler and S.K. Jain, editors.  Conservation Biology.  Chapman and Hall, New York. 

119.   Myers, N.  1995.  The world's forests: Need for a policy appraisal.  Science 268: 823-824.

120.   Myers, N.  2003.  Biodiversity hotspots revisited.  BioScience 53: 916-917.

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