ABOUT THIS BOOK

In wild places where nature thrives, humanity prospers; our well-being is inextricably linked with that of the planet's web of life. In fact, one could argue that the state of the world can be measured by the state of the wild.

But how do we gauge the state of earth's wildlife, wildlands, and oceans? State of the Wild is a new series that brings together some of the world's most renowned conservationists and writers-George Schaller, Alan Rabinowitz, Sylvia Earle, Rick Bass, Bill McKibben, Tom Lovejoy, and many others-to assess wildlife and wilderness, and to provide insights into how humans can become better stewards of the wild.

This new series combines evocative writings with a fascinating tour of news highlights and vital statistics from around the world. One-third of each volume will focus on a topic of particular concern to conservationists working to protect wildlife and our last wild places. This 2006 edition explores the impacts of hunting and the wildlife trade through a range of essays: Ted Kerasote traces the history of hunting in North America; Carl Safina, Eric Gilman, and Wallace J. Nichols quantify the toll taken by commercial fishing on seabirds, turtles, and other marine species; James Compton and Samuel K. H. Lee explore the global reach of the wildlife trade for traditional Asian medicine.

Contributors also examine other pivotal conservation issues, from the reasons why one in eight of the world's birds are endangered, to the impacts of global climate change, to the complexity of conserving seals, flamingos, zebras, and other wide-ranging species. The book's closing essay, "The Relative Wild," considers what exactly it means for a place to be "wild," where even the most remote corners of the planet have been altered by human activities.

Uniquely structured with magazine-like features up front, conservation news in the middle, and essay contributions from eminent authors and biologists throughout, this landmark series is an essential addition to any environmental bookshelf.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wildlands through field research, education, and management of the world's largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. WCS publishes an award-winning magazine, Wildlife Conservation, and partners with media outlets to cover pressing conservation issues.

REVIEWS

"The wild helps to define us as human, and our efforts to conserve the wild help to demonstrate how civilized we are. State of the Wild 2006 contains some alarming figures about the loss of the wild but balances these with aspiring stories of efforts to maintain the wilderness areas that inspire so many of us to conserve the diversity of our planet."

— Jeffrey A. McNeely, chief scientist, IUCN-The World Conservation Union, Gland, Switzerland

"Offering thorough documentation of the impact of the human species on the globe, the contributors are hopeful but also realistic in their perspective. State of the Wild 2006 belongs in every public, school, academic, and government library."

— CHOICE

"The value of this overstuffed volume (the premier edition of a series) is twofold: One, it provides a no-bullshit roundup and analysis of the year's major environmental stories—a regular physical for the planet. And two, it gives experts like Carl Safina and essayists like Rick Bass and Ted Kerasote ample room to explain why it all so desperately matters."

— Men's Journal

"No one can remain complacent after reading this book; the problems are real and they threaten our very existence, but the stories of successful conservation efforts give hope that we can still preserve what remains. Future editions in this series are sure to be eagerly anticipated."

— Southeastern Naturalist

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page

Copyright Page

Table of Contents

By the Numbers: Hunted, Traded, and Eaten into Extinction, Sharon Guynup

Foreword: A Brief History, Kent H. Redford

Introduction: Wildlife, Wildlands, and Oceans, Sharon Guynup

Part I: State of the Wild

Gold or Flowers: One View on the State of the Wild, George B. Schaller

Mapping the Wild: The Human Footprint, Eric. W. Sanderson

Discoveries, Bijal Trivedi

New Conservation Methods and Technologies, Ken Kostel

Regulating the Wild, Ken Kostel

The Rarest of the Rare: Some of the World's Most Endangered Animals, Michael Berens

Part II: Global News Highlights

Africa, Ken Kostel

Asia, Ken Kostel

Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands, Ken Kostel

Central and South America, Jesse Chapman-Bruschini

Europe, Jesse Chapman-Bruschini

Middle East and North Africa, Ken Kostel

North America, Jesse Chapman-Bruschini

Oceans, Bijal Trivedi

Polar Regions, Jesse Chapman-Bruschini

Acknowledgments

Part III: Hunting and the Wildlife Trade: Setting the Scene, Elizabeth L. Bennett and Sharon Guynup

A Short History of Hunting in North America, Ted Kerasote

Consuming Wildlife in the Tropics, Elizabeth L. Bennett

Wildlife Trade within East Asia: Supply and Demand for Traditional Oriental Medicine, James Compton and Samuel K.H. Lee

Twine and the Ancient Mariners: Albatrosses, Sea Turtles, and Fishing Gear Encounters, Carl Safina, Eric Gilman, and Wallace J. Nichols

Ebola, SARS, and Other Diseases That Imperil People and Animals, Robert A. Cook and William B. Karesh

Hunting for Conservation in the Amazon Rain Forests; Lessons Learned from Peru, Richard Bodmer

Part IV: Conservation Controversies

Let Them Eat Cake? : Some Skeptical Thoughts on Conservation Strategies in the Bushmeat Range States, David Brown

Biting the Hand That Feeds You: The Consumption of Nature and Natural Resources in the Tropics, John Robinson

Response to John Robinson: Postindustrial Conservation Ideals and Real-World Politics, David Brown

Response to David Brown: The View from Versailles Contrasts with Local Reality, John Robinson

Comments on Brown vs. Robinson: Bushmeat Trade: Thoughts from "The Coast," Glyn Davies

Through the Looking Glass: The Tragedy of Depleting Wildlife Resources: A Response to John Robinson and David Brown, Kathy MacKinnon

Let Them East LSD Bushmeat: Thoughts Arising from Brown vs. Robinson, Ian Redmond

Part V: Wildlife

Listening to the Birds: Joseph Tobias, Leon Bennun, and Alison Stattersfield

Species in Focus: Saving Jaguars throughout Their Range: From Theory to Practice, Alan Rabinowitz

Climate Change and the Wild: Into the Great Unknown, Glenn Scherer

The Gathering Wave of Ocean Extinctions, Ellen K. Pikitch

Conservation Strategies for Colonial and Social Species, William Conway

Part VI: Wildlands and Oceans

The Land the Wilderness Act Forgot, Rick Bass

Marine Protected Areas: Can We Rebuild Marine Ecosystems by Closing Areas to Fishing?, Callum M. Roberts

Part VII: People and Culture

Culturally Determined Wildlife Populations: The Problem of the Designer Ark, Bill Weber

Part VIII: The Art and Practice of Conservation

Conservation and Conflict: The Importance of Continuing Conservation Work during Political Upheaval and Armed Conflict, Peter Zahler

Neither War nor Peace: Protected Areas Still at Risk in DR Congo, 2005, John Hart

The Destruction of Iraq's Wetlands and Impacts on Biodiversity, David Jensen, Hassan Partow, and Chizuru Aoki

Captive Breeding: Miracle Under Fire, Dan Wharton

Can Tropical Forests Be Managed for Timber Production and Wildlife Protection?, Francis E. Putz

What Falls through the Cracks in Conservation Strategies? : Interviews with Sylvia Earle and Thomas Lovejoy, Sharon Guynup

Afterword: The Relative Wild, Bill McKibben

Acknowledgments

Notes

Contributors

Index

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