Silent Summer
The State of Wildlife in Britain and Ireland
Published on 20. May 2010
Book
Hardback
768 pages
978-0-521-51966-3 (ISBN)
Description
Over the past 20 years dramatic declines have taken place in UK insect populations. Eventually, such declines must have knock-on effects for other animals, especially high profile groups such as birds and mammals. This authoritative, yet accessible account details the current state of the wildlife in Britain and Ireland and offers an insight into the outlook for the future. Written by a team of the country's leading experts, it appraises the changes that have occurred in a wide range of wildlife species and their habitats and outlines urgent priorities for conservation. It includes chapters on each of the vertebrate and major invertebrate groups, with the insects covered in particular depth. Also considered are the factors that drive environmental change and the contribution at local and government level to national and international wildlife conservation. Essential reading for anyone who is interested in, and concerned about, UK wildlife.
Reviews / Votes
'If we are concerned about the environmental future of Britain and Ireland, then we must know as much as possible about its present condition ... That is why this book is so important. It gives us a benchmark ... It is invaluable now - and in years to come it will be irreplaceable.' Sir David Attenborough, from the Foreword 'The book is absolutely terrific. An all-star cast of conservation scientists and practitioners document powerful stories of loss - and of hope for the future - among Britain and Ireland's many non-human inhabitants. Gripping and rigorous - a core foundation for students of Conservation Ecology and Environmental Science.' Gretchen Daily, Director, Center for Conservation Biology, Stanford University 'The season has changed but the silence is deeper and that's why this important book must be read. It's not a catalogue of doom - it's a pragmatic snapshot of reality and a desperate plea for action. Your action.' Chris Packham, Naturalist, Wildlife Photographer and TV Presenter '... thoughtful and comprehensive ... timely ...' Guardian 'Every now and again a really good entomology book appears ... informative, insightful and a true delight to read ... Silent Summer [falls] into this rare category ... This book is a rich source of information about the state of our fauna and flora and a copy should find its way onto the bookshelf of every entomologist in the UK ... The editor, Norman Maclean, is to be congratulated for publishing an excellent book.' Antenna 'If I had to sum up the state of Britain's wildlife in one word, I'd say 'terrible', but this book is generally rather more positive!' The International Journal of Avian Science ' ... should ... contribute to our attempt to rescue and preserve the remaining biodiversity of the British Isles.' Bulletin of the British Ecological Society ' ... a timely review of the state of our wildlife today ... having all the information on so many groups in one place means that we can reach a much more balanced assessment of the overall state of our country's wildlife and this is the great benefit of the book. ... a rich source of information about the state of our fauna and flora and a copy should find its way onto the bookshelf of every entomologist in the UK. ... The editor, Norman Maclean, is to be congratulated for publishing an excellent book.' British Journal of Entemology and Natural HistoryMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Paper over boards
Illustrations
42 Tables, black and white; 57 Plates, color; 90 Halftones, black and white; 38 Line drawings, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 231 mm
Width: 155 mm
Thickness: 41 mm
Weight
1406 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-521-51966-3 (9780521519663)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
10/2012
1st Edition
Cambridge University Press
€52.99
Available for download
Book
05/2010
Cambridge University Press
€43.40
The article will not be published
E-Book
05/2010
Cambridge University Press
€45.49
Available for download
Previous edition
Book
05/2010
Cambridge University Press
€43.40
The article will not be published
Person
Norman Maclean is Emeritus Professor of Genetics at Southampton University and has a strong interest in wildlife, conservation and river management. He has helped to run student field courses for more than 20 years and has authored and edited more than a dozen textbooks and reference books in Genetics and Cell Biology. He is an Elected Fellow of the Linnaean Society and the Institute of Biology.
Content
List of contributors; Foreword David Attenborough; Preface; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; 1. Introduction Norman Maclean; Part I. Factors Driving Changes in Wildlife: 2. Climate change T. H. Sparks, C. D. Preston and D. B. Roy; 3. Agriculture, woodland and semi-natural habitats Ken Norris; 4. Vertebrate animal introductions Christopher Lever; 5. Plant introductions Andrew Lack; 6. Urbanisation and development Kevin J. Gaston and Karl L. Evans; 7. The great game: the interaction of field sports and conservation in Britain from the 1950s to 2008 Robin Sharp; 8. Going fishing: recent trends in recreational angling Robin Sharp and Norman Maclean; 9. Impacts of hormone disrupting chemicals on wildlife C. R. Tyler and R. M. Goodhead; 10. Water pollution: other aspects Michael Hughes and Carl Sayer; 11. 25 key questions in ecology Norman Maclean; Part II. Conservation in Action: 12. Conservation in action in Britain and Ireland Andy Clements; 13. Wildlife in the UK Overseas Territories Mike Pienkowski; 14. UK involvement in conservation outside UK territory N. Leader-Williams and A. M. Rosser; Part III. The Case Histories: 15. Mammals in the 20th century D. W. Yalden; 16. Bats Karen A. Haysom, Gareth Jones, Dan Merrett and Paul A. Racey; 17. State of bird populations in Britain and Ireland Robert A. Robinson; 18. The conservation of the Grey Partridge N. W. Sotherton, N. J. Aebischer and J. A. Ewald; 19. Reptiles Chris P. Gleed-Owen; 20. Amphibians Tim Halliday; 21. Freshwater fishes: a declining resource Peter S. Maitland and John F. Craig; 22. Riverflies Cyril Bennett and Warren Gilchrist; 23. Bumblebees Dave Goulson; 24. Butterflies J. A. Thomas; 25. Moths Richard Fox, Kelvin F. Conrad, Mark S. Parsons, Martin S. Warren and Ian P. Woiwod; 26. Dragonflies (Odonata) in Britain and Ireland Peter Mill, Steve Brooks and Adrian Parr; 27. Flies, beetles and bees, wasps and ants (Diptera, Coleoptera, and Aculeate Hymenoptera) Alan Stubbs; 28. Hemiptera Alan J. A. Stewart and Peter Kirby; 29. Grasshoppers, crickets and allied insects Judith Marshall; 30. Aerial insect biomass: trends from long-term monitoring Richard Harrington, Chris R. Shortall and Ian P. Woiwod; 31. Invertebrates Richard Chadd and Brian Eversham; 32. Land and freshwater molluscs Ian J. Killeen; 33. The sea shore S. J. Hawkins, H. E. Sugden, P. S. Moschella, N. Mieszkowska, R. C. Thompson and M. T. Burrows; 34. The offshore waters John Baxter; 35. Plants Andrew Lack; 36. Conclusion: what is the likely future for the wildlife in Britain and Ireland? Norman Maclean; Glossary; Index.