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249 posts · 158,431 views

Conservation Maven reviews the latest groundbreaking research and books in the field of conservation.

Rob Goldstein
249 posts

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  • November 5, 2009
  • 05:55 AM
  • 1,150 views

Making commercial plantations better for birds

by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven

From palm oil to eucalyptus to rubber, researchers have generally found that commercial plantations are bad for biodiversity compared to natural forests. Now a new study in the journal Conservation Biology finds that increasing the structural complexity of plantations could make them better for birds.

The study reflects a pragmatic way of thinking on the part of many conservationists who accept the reality that plantations are here to stay and maybe they can complement protected areas in conserving biodiversity.... Read more »

  • September 22, 2009
  • 05:30 AM
  • 959 views

Scientists contributing to exotic species invasion of Antarctica

by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven

... Read more »

  • October 2, 2009
  • 08:00 AM
  • 956 views

Growing biofuels from restored native prairie...

by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven

... Read more »

  • March 12, 2010
  • 06:00 AM
  • 950 views

The challenge of managing disease in wildlife: the case of elk in Yellowstone

by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven

The disease brucellosis is surging in free-ranging elk populations in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem according to a new study in the journal Ecological Applications.

Furthermore, efforts to address the problem by reducing the density of elk populations through increased hunting or introduction of natural predators will be difficult given the matrix of private and public lands where elk aggregate.... Read more »

Cross, P., Cole, E., Dobson, A., Edwards, W., Hamlin, K., Luikart, G., Middleton, A., Scurlock, B., & White, P. (2010) Probable causes of increasing brucellosis in free-ranging elk of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Ecological Applications, 20(1), 278-288. DOI: 10.1890/08-2062.1  

  • September 3, 2009
  • 03:02 AM
  • 949 views

Can harvesting trees improve habitat for birds?

by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven


In a new study, scientists look at the effect of wildlife-friendly forestry on avian species in the bottomland hardwood forests of Louisiana...read more... Read more »

  • June 8, 2010
  • 08:00 AM
  • 942 views

Does sex matter in wildlife habitat preferences?

by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven

... Read more »

Conde, D., Colchero, F., Zarza, H., Christensen Jr., N., Sexton, J., Manterola, C., Chávez, C., Rivera, A., Azuara, D., & Ceballos, G. (2010) Sex matters: Modeling male and female habitat differences for jaguar conservation. Biological Conservation. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2010.04.049  

  • November 6, 2009
  • 08:00 AM
  • 926 views

The fate of tall grass prairie remnants in North America...

by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven

North American tall grass prairie holds an unfortunate distinction of having faced one of the highest conversion rates of any ecosystem in the world. In Manitoba, 99% of the historic tall grass prairie has been lost, mostly to agriculture.

So if 99% is gone, how is the remaining 1% making out?... Read more »

Koper, N., et al. (2009) Recent declines in northern tall-grass prairies and effects of patch structure on community persistence . Biological Conservation. info:/

  • October 30, 2009
  • 08:00 AM
  • 918 views

Shade-grown coffee: the benefit for wintering migratory birds

by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven

... Read more »

  • December 16, 2009
  • 05:00 AM
  • 909 views

Bogs self-restore after reduction in power plant emissions

by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven

A new study in Estonia finds that reductions in power plant emissions can allow degraded bogs to naturally self-restore. Since the 1950s power plants in northeast Estonia have emitted thousands of tons of calcium-rich fly ash along with other atmospheric pollutants. These emissions have caused substantial pH increases in bogs and the addition of various chemicals leading to a widespread disappearance of Sphagnum mosses in favor of other plants adapted to neutral or alkaline soil conditions.... Read more »

  • September 14, 2009
  • 03:02 AM
  • 903 views

Improving water quality may help corals resist climate change

by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven

... Read more »

  • June 1, 2010
  • 05:00 AM
  • 897 views

Plantations sequester less carbon than natural forests

by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven

Plantations sequester less carbon than natural forests according to a new study recently published in the open access journal PLoS ONE. Yiqi Luo from the University of Oklahoma and fellow researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 86 experimental studies comparing plantations and their natural forest counterparts...... Read more »

  • October 27, 2009
  • 07:00 AM
  • 895 views

Evaluating ecotourism in Costa Rica...

by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven

... Read more »

Koens, J., Dieperink, C., & Miranda, M. (2009) Ecotourism as a development strategy: experiences from Costa Rica. Environment, Development and Sustainability. DOI: 10.1007/s10668-009-9214-3  

  • September 28, 2009
  • 06:00 AM
  • 892 views

Exploring human induced evolution in fish

by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven


Interview: Scientists are grappling with a frightening prospect - fishing is driving evolutionary changes in fish. We interview two leading scientists on the topic...read more... Read more »

Dunlop, E., Enberg, K., Jørgensen, C., & Heino, M. (2009) Toward Darwinian fisheries management. Evolutionary Applications, 2(3), 245-259. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-4571.2009.00087.x  

  • November 4, 2009
  • 08:00 AM
  • 891 views

The impact from recreational power boating on freshwater turtles

by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven

Attention all boaters, please slow down for wildlife! A new study finds that recreational power boating can pose serious threats to freshwater turtles.

Researchers from the University of Ontario measured the occurrence of power boating injuries to northern map turtles ... Read more »

  • November 19, 2009
  • 08:00 AM
  • 882 views

Conserving whales by collecting blow samples in the wild

by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven

New research on pathogens in whales and dolphins illustrates the incredible ingenuity that some scientists display in gathering data on species at risk...... Read more »

  • November 25, 2009
  • 08:31 AM
  • 880 views

A cautionary tale: botanical gardens and the hybridization of endangered species

by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven

Botanical gardens play an important role in conserving plant species that are highly endangered or even extinct in the wild. But as a new study shows, botanical gardens can pose their own dangers for these at-risk species, specifically from hybridization with other plants in the collection.... Read more »

  • June 15, 2010
  • 08:00 AM
  • 876 views

Do protected areas increase development of adjacent lands?

by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven

... Read more »

  • September 30, 2009
  • 06:29 AM
  • 871 views

Study finds wind farms impact breeding bird distribution

by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven

... Read more »

Pearce-Higgins, J., Stephen, L., Langston, R., Bainbridge, I., & Bullman, R. (2009) The distribution of breeding birds around upland wind farms. Journal of Applied Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2009.01715.x  

  • December 18, 2009
  • 08:00 AM
  • 870 views

'Why are wind farms so deadly for bats,' scientists ask

by Rob Goldstein in Conservation Maven

Scientists Paul Cryan and Robert Barclay tackle a perplexing question in the newest issue of the Journal of Mammalogy. "Why are wind farms so deadly for bats?" Their article, a synthesis of the research on the topic should be required reading for anyone working on bat conservation, wind development, or for those with a strong interest in either topic...... Read more »

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