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Wildlife of Southern Forests: Habitat & Management

Posted on: Thursday, 24 June 2004, 06:00 CDT

Wildlife of Southern Forests: Habitat & Management Edited by James G. Dickson. 2001. Published by Hancock House Publishers, 1431 Harrison Avenue, Blaine, WA 98230-5005. 480 p. $50.00. ISBN 0-88839- 497-7.

Wildlife of Southern Forests: Habitat and Management consolidates within one volume a plethora of information concerning wildlife and wildlife management in southern forests. The intended audience, land managers, will appreciate the one-stop shopping for detailed biological information coupled with practical guidelines for habitat management on a broad scale. This book succeeds in providing a complete, up-to-date overview of most areas of ecology and management important to wildlife in southern forests. Experts from universities, federal agencies, and conservation organizations of the South well qualified to write on their chosen topics author individual chapters. Most of the book is devoted to providing detailed, current information on life history traits and management strategies of individual species or suites of species.

The strength of this book is its breadth and clarity. Subjects such as a well-written chapter on sensitive plant communities not often found in traditional wildlife ecology texts are included. The chapter on landscape ecology provides clear explanations of basic terminology and concepts of the field in the context of wildlife and biodiversity. This chapter will be helpful not only for land managers but also for students looking for examples of these terms and concepts applicable to southeastern ecosystems.

The book appropriately begins with chapters on the history of southern forests and associated wildlife and additional overview topics. Chapters dealing with classic game species are extensive. White-tailed deer, northern bobwhite quail, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, mourning dove, American woodcock, squirrels, and waterfowl are each covered in individual chapters. Information is current with topics within each chapter including history, distribution, current population status, habitat requirements, feeding and foods, reproduction, diseases, interaction with other species, predation, hunting, and management.

While classic game species are possibly overemphasized, this book also includes up-to-date coverage for communities of non-game species including bird communities, bats, furbearers, small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. While a large body of information is available concerning game species, non-game species are among the groups least studied. As a result, much detailed information on life history and management about species within these groups is unavailable. However, to best address the information that is available, separate chapters are devoted to species other than endangered or game species for groups such as birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Gaps in ecological knowledge are identified. Presentation of information on bird communities by habitat type is an approach that is particularly helpful in a management context.

Endangered or keystone species from each of these groups such as red-cockaded woodpecker, black bear, and red wolf were covered in separate chapters. Again, information was current and clearly stated. The only important keystone species not adequately covered was the gopher tortoise. The last two chapters of the book covered the human dimension component of wildlife management with chapters titled "Resolving Wildlife Conflicts" and "Wildlife Recreation." A cursory coverage of information on the changing attitudes and needs of the public in regards to wildlife management is provided in these chapters.

The goals of the book as identified by the authors are to provide help to land managers in assessing land suitability for various species and communities, determine how different land management practices affect wildlife, and actively manage for target species and communities. The book provides for these goals. In addition, as an instructor of wildlife classes in a natural resource conservation program, I am always looking for a source of complete, updated information that combines ecological and management information with emphasis on the southeast. Although this book may not function as a textbook for any one class I teach, this text is a helpful supplement to traditional wildlife textbooks and I will recommend this as such to my students.

As would be expected, this book has a few minor weaknesses. Integrated, adaptive management concepts and ecosystem restoration with techniques such as reintroduction of fire into fire-suppressed areas were sprinkled throughout, but these concepts may have benefited from an overview chapter. Discussion of exotics, except for an excellent chapter on wild hogs, a critical emerging issue in portions of the southeast, was less than completely covered. Management practices involving herbicide use were mentioned, but more complete coverage might have been provided. I felt the conclusion chapter did not adequately synthesize or "point out the salient points" as was its purpose.

Overall, this book is well written with complete up-todate information on a wide variety of wildlife species occurring in the southeast. Management information is well integrated with basic life history and habitat requirements. Wildlife students as well as the target audience, land managers, will benefit from this book.

Reviewed by Debbie L. Miller, Associate Professor, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, West Florida Research and Education Center, Milton, FL 32583. Phone: (850) 983-5216 ext. 104; dlmi@ifas.ufl.edu.

Copyright Society of American Foresters Apr 2004

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