Habitat Press

Habitat management is commonly used to maintain and enhance the biological interest of many areas of semi-natural habitat where natural processes no longer create suitable conditions for desired species. Habitat restoration and creation is increasingly being used to increase the extent of ecologically important habitats in order to mitigate the impacts of human development. The modification of past management techniques and the introduction of new ones can provide additional benefits.

Habitat Management for Conservation is a practical handbook which describes the general principles and techniques of managing and creating habitats throughout the world. The opening sections describe the general principles of managing land for biodiversity conservation. They include decision-making, mitigating the damaging effects of climate change, and monitoring the success of management. These are followed by a series of chapters which describe how to manage specific habitats: grasslands, shrublands, forests, scrub, freshwater wetlands, coastal habitats, arable land, urban areas and gardens. For each of these habitats the book discusses the main factors influencing their value for wildlife, highlights the key decisions that need to be made, and describes and compares the effects of individual management techniques.

This comprehensive guide will be essential reading for graduate students as well as an invaluable resource for land managers, land-use advisors and others involved in conservation land management worldwide.

Malcolm Ausden is a Senior Ecologist at the RSPB, the UK and Europe’s largest wildlife conservation charity, where he advises on the management of their network of 200 reserves and oversees monitoring on them. He is a particularly keen birder, moth enthusiast and botanist, and is interested in all types of natural history. Malcolm has written a number of book chapters on habitat management and monitoring techniques and is involved in efforts to improve dissemination of information on habitat management through the website conservationevidence.com. Other interests include foreign travel, photography and painting.