Malcolm and Ecolog:
"Textbooks are often little more than an overview anyway." --Malcolm
McCallum
May be, but if I were to pick the best textbook I have ever read it would be
Ricklefs' ECOLOGY. I read the second edition. Found 2 errors, but that can
be a test of the students' ability to think critically. In my view, adding
"Conservation" to biology or ecology tends to water down the subject and
bring old stuff into the dialog. Conservation is, or should be, a
cutting-edge issue that should be continuously updated. The term is vague,
often padded with politics. The subject needs to span the continuum from
preservation to integration to restoration and management, but this requires
a deep understanding of how biological systems and their constituent
organisms work and why.
I fear that I must run the risk of offending some to say that, in my
experience (admittedly not a large "sample"), most of those with
conservation biology/ecology degrees fall woefully short in terms of the
fundamentals. These were well-intentioned, even sentimental and romantic
folks, but it seemed to me that their degree had come to them at a cost of
the basic tools necessary to do meaningful work where the wheel actually
meets the road. Overview? It appears so. But I wonder what the facts really
are.
WT
----- Original Message -----
From: "malcolm McCallum" <[email protected]>
To: "Wayne Tyson" <[email protected]>
Cc: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2013 6:52 PM
Subject: Re: Education Cost of Textbooks Re: [ECOLOG-L] What is the best
book to teach Conservation Biology?
Isn't there a conservation biology book online somewhere that was open
access?
Maybe that was a different discipline?
Malcolm
On Sun, Feb 3, 2013 at 8:45 PM, Wayne Tyson <[email protected]> wrote:
My geologist friend does not require textbooks; he provides links or
copies
of reading material and teaches from that and his mind. Far different from
one of my professors who required us to purchase his "book" of
mimeographed
material for $10 in 1956 (well over $100 in today's money) from the
bookstore.
This practice can cut costs to students considerably, and provide a
superior
education.
WT
----- Original Message ----- From: "malcolm McCallum"
<[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2013 8:46 AM
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] What is the best book to teach Conservation
Biology?
This is going to depend upon the emphasis you place in the class.
For example, are you emphasizing the theory or the practice, or equal
energy to both?
Also, how much supplemental reading is involved?
I personally think sometimes we worry too much about the textbook
itself and not enough about the other readings. Sometimes its better
for a student to read the landmark paper and current papers than to
read the text. then, you become the text in class. YOu provide the
structure, depth and direction instead of a textbook. Textbooks are
often little more than an overview anyway. You can also abandon the
text altogether and have students read other kinds of things (books on
biodiversity related topics for example).
What is best, depends mostly on you.
malcolm
On Sat, Feb 2, 2013 at 8:44 AM, J C Voltolini <[email protected]> wrote:
Dear friends,
I will teach conservation biology in 2014 for undergraduate Biology
students
and the library in my University is requesting the list of books. I am
thinking to use one good book and I like very much Groom et al. 2005 but
I
am wating for a new edition and it seems to be a hard book for
undergraduate
students. I am feeling that Hunter & Gibbs (2006) could be a good
textbook
for undergraduate courses and I would like to receive suggestions please!
The main textbooks in this area are listed below:
Essentials of Conservation Biology, 5th Ed by Richard B. Primack (2010)
Principles of Conservation Biology, 3rd Ed by Groom, Meffe, Carroll
(2005)
A Primer of Conservation Biology, 5th Ed by Primack (2012)
Fundamentals of Conservation Biology, 3rd by Hunter and Gibbs (2006)
A Primer of Conservation Biology, 4th Ed by Primack (2008)
Conservation Biology for All by Sodhi and Ehrlich (2010)
Conservation Biology: Foundations, Concepts, Applications by Van Dyke
(2010)
Conservation Biology by Pullin (2002)
Thanks for any help!
Voltolini
Prof. Dr. J. C. VOLTOLINI
Grupo de Pesquisa e Ensino em Biologia da Conservação - ECOTROP
Universidade de Taubaté, Departamento de Biologia Taubaté, SP. 12030-010.
E-Mail: [email protected]
* Grupo de pesquisa ECOTROP CNPq:
http://dgp.cnpq.br/buscaoperacional/detalhepesq.jsp?pesq=8137155809735635
* Currículo Lattes:
http://lattes.cnpq.br/8137155809735635
* Fotos de Cursos e Projetos no Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/VoltoliniJC?v=info
"Siamo tutti angeli con un'ala e possiamo volare soltanto se
ciabbracciamo"
--
Malcolm L. McCallum
Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
School of Biological Sciences
University of Missouri at Kansas City
Managing Editor,
Herpetological Conservation and Biology
"Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" -
Allan Nation
1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea" W.S. Gilbert
1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss,
and pollution.
2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction
MAY help restore populations.
2022: Soylent Green is People!
The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi)
Wealth w/o work
Pleasure w/o conscience
Knowledge w/o character
Commerce w/o morality
Science w/o humanity
Worship w/o sacrifice
Politics w/o principle
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--
Malcolm L. McCallum
Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
School of Biological Sciences
University of Missouri at Kansas City
Managing Editor,
Herpetological Conservation and Biology
"Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" -
Allan Nation
1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea" W.S. Gilbert
1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss,
and pollution.
2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction
MAY help restore populations.
2022: Soylent Green is People!
The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi)
Wealth w/o work
Pleasure w/o conscience
Knowledge w/o character
Commerce w/o morality
Science w/o humanity
Worship w/o sacrifice
Politics w/o principle
Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any
attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may
contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized
review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not
the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and
destroy all copies of the original message.
-----
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 10.0.1430 / Virus Database: 2639/5578 - Release Date: 02/03/13
