1 - Introduction and historical perspective

Summary

Conservation and management of mammals in western coniferous forest has been one of the important topics in ecology over the last two decades. The level of attention that such species as the grizzly bear, lynx, gray wolf, elk, and bison have attracted, plus the time and funds that have been expended on behalf of their management, exemplifies this interest. Listings of various species as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), particularly grizzly bears and gray wolves, has stimulated much research, initiated management activities, and prompted many political and legal decisions concerning the management of mammalian species. During this time period, however, a paradigm shift has changed emphasis from single-species conservation to conservation strategies for communities and ecosystems. This paradigm shift and the many legal challenges to federal agency management and policy decisions have resulted in the development of several ecosystem-level management plans, including the Northwest Forest Plan, the Interior Columbia River Basin Ecosystem Management Project, the Tongass National Forest Management Plan, the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project, and the Southern California Forest-Urban Interface Plan (Johnson et al. 1999). As a result of these research and conservation activities, increased information on mammalian communities, as well as interest in their management, has become available.

The geographic focus of this book is from the east side of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean and from the southern United States to northern Canada and Alaska.