P3-Vol 2.No3 Dec 96 - International Journal of Wilderness

Landscape Approaches in Mammalian Ecology edited by William Z. Lidicker Jr. 1995. University of Minnesota
Press, Minneapolis. 215 pp., $35.00 (hardcover). *
A wilderness may be considered a landscape,
a series of ecological systems
containing more than one community.
Landscapes incorporate both terrestrial
and aquatic components in spite of the
name, and might more easily be defined
and identified than the more
nebulous ecosystem. At the very least,
we are beginning to discuss units of
land in an ecological context at levels
beyond the plant community, and this
broader-scale level is important as we
seek to understand the values of wilderness
and other wild areas.
This book stems from a symposium
at the Sixth International Theriological
Congress of 1993 in Sydney, Australia.
Seventeen authors provide discussions
on the context, field approaches, and
“experimental model systems” related
to landscape ecological situations dealing
with mammals. The chapters generally
have conservation applications,
and three present views of the evolution
of the landscape concept, which
might be of most interest to those reading
this for wilderness-related informa-
tion. There is a valuable representation
of literature from across the continents,
which adds value and depth to the discussions.
A number of subjects, including
corridors between habitat patches,
patch sizes, and configuration are discussed
throughout the book. The field
approaches deal with the Australian
tropical rainforest, agricultural and urban
landscapes, ecology of martens, and
Norway’s predator-prey relationships.
The model systems include discussions
on use of experimental and simulated
landscapes in ecology, and old-field
habitats.
This book deals primarily with the
smaller mammals and concepts applicable
to their ecology at different levels
up to the landscape level. It is not a
comprehensive review of literature that
is applicable to understanding landscape-level
ecology of mammals. For
instance, the extensive literature on
caribou movements and habitat use
could be reviewed for what retention
of landscape-level integrity is needed
for this far-ranging species. The griz-
New National Monument Created in the United States
46 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WILDERNESS/Volume 2, Number 3, December 1996
zly bear, a habitat generalist with large
home-range size that typically includes
many plant communities, must be managed
at the landscape level and has special
needs relative to security from humans
that are important.
In the wilderness context, this book
provides information useful in assessing
the suitability of areas to support
populations of different species and
sizes, how populations may respond to
different levels of habitats, and for assessing
their suitability for retention or
re-establishment of intact systems.
Many of the concepts and theoretical
considerations have definite implications
for wilderness management, and
thus the book serves those interested
in wilderness by providing ecological
insights. Although this collection of papers
is primarily intended for the mammalian
ecologist, it can definitely make
a contribution beyond that niche of
science by enhancing our understanding
of wilderness values. IJW
* Reviewed by James M. Peek, professor of wildlife
resources at the University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho.
U.S. President Clinton used his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906 last September to create the Grand
Staircase–Escalante National Monument in Utah. The area includes 1.7 million acres of federal public land in southern
Utah. It is the first national monument administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
The Grand Staircase-Escalante is a high, rugged, and remote region that was the last place in the continental
United States to be mapped. It is a valuable geologic area for scientific study and includes the wild canyon country of
the upper Paria Canyon system, major components of the White and Vermillion Cliffs, the spectacular Circle Cliffs,
and remaining unprotected parts of the Waterpocket Fold.
The monument includes world-class paleontological sites, such as the Circle Cliffs, which contain remarkable
specimens of large, unbroken petrified logs exceeding 30 feet in length. It is a haven for archeologists studying ancient
Native American cultures, and it contains hundreds of recorded archeological treasures, including art panels, occupation
sites, campsites, and granaries. Scientists say that there are many more undocumented sites in the area still to be
studied.
The monument spans five life zones from low desert to coniferous forest and harbors numerous wild species that
live in those habitats. Significant populations of mountain lion and desert bighorn sheep share the area with more
than 200 species of birds, including bald eagles and peregrine falcons. Lots of wildlife, including neotropical birds,
concentrate around the Paria and Escalante Rivers and other riparian corridors within the monument.
National monument status will not affect recreational use of the area but will prevent coal mining, which is a threat
to some of the antiquities.
(Excerpted from Outdoor News Bulletin, Vol. 50, No. 9, September 1996.)