There is a new book out from Island Press linking complexity and conservation that may be of interest to Ecolog subscribers. The Science of Open Spaces, by Charles Curtin, reviews decades of experience in conserving and restoring large complex systems in both marine and terrestrial environments. As such it represents a departure from much of ecology and conservation in presenting what is essentially a whole systems approach that integrates social and ecological perspectives. The book shows how changing institutional frameworks can expand the horizons and increase the effectiveness of both ecology and conservation and make both more effective at addressing such large scale challenges as climate change and habitat fragmentation. In many respects the work also represents a case statement for large landscape approaches to ecology and conservation. Though grounded in theory, the book is largely case study driven with many examples and is intended to be readable and accessible to a broad audience with materials relevant to students, teachers, and practitioners. For more information see the link (http://www.islandpress.org/curtin). If you’d like to purchase a copy from Island Press, use discount code 4OPEN for a 20% discount.
