Predators are charismatic animals that most people enjoy seeing. Visitors to Alaska want to witness a bear or wolf moving across the tundra in search of its next meal. When watching salmon sharks leaping out of the water, chasing their prey, some primal feeling grips you. Seeing a bald eagle swoop down to snatch an unsuspecting fish from the water fascinates onlookers, who can’t help but be awed and impressed by this raptor’s flight and sight capabilities. The Ecology and Conservation of Alaska’s Predators helps readers gain an understanding of these magnificent animals, their function in Alaska’s ecosystems, and how and why they should be protected.
The Alaska marine and terrestrial ecosystems are dynamic and complex and predators are central to stabilizing these systems; they are important indicators of the health and observed changes to the ecosystem. Predators are not to be feared but to be understood, and this book helps readers learn to appreciate predators for all that they do and are.
The book focuses on twenty-one different predatory species that are grouped as terrestrial, air and sea species: the arctic fox, wolf, black bear, brown bear, lynx, mink, marten, wolverine, bald eagle, gyrfalcon, great horned owl, snowy owl, sunflower star, giant Pacific octopus, salmon shark, Pacific sleeper shark, Pacific halibut, sea otter, Steller’s sea lion, polar bear and orca. Because Alaska has thousands of predatory animals, they couldn’t possibly all be included in this book. The animals selected are representative species, but all the predators in Alaska play an important role in the ecosystem and are of equal value and interest. There is basic information for each species: size, color, speed, longevity, reproduction, social structure, distribution, movements and migration, habitat, prey, predators, predatory characteristics, current status, ecology and conservation. This information helps readers to compare the animals and better understand their various similarities and differences. Accompanying the text are spectacular color photos throughout.
In the first part of this book there are explanations of many of the ecological concepts that will help to shed light on how predators survive. Topics discussed include Ecological Roles of Predators; Ecosystems, Food Webs and Indicator Species; Keystone Species: Top-Down and Bottom-Up Control; Predator Control; Regime Shifts and the Northeast Pacific; Optimal Foraging Theory and Relationships of Predators and Prey; Home Range and Territory; Landscape Ecology and Gene Flow; Patches and Hot Spots; Niche and Interspecific Competition; and Conservation. Many of these ecological concepts are also discussed within the species descriptions and in context of that particular species. While the authors have tried to minimize the use of technical terminology, there is a glossary at end of the book to help explain some of the more particular terminology; additionally, there is a thorough index. |
