Books.
I write a lot. Sometimes I actually publish.
Harvest of Fish and Wildlife: New Paradigms for Sustainable Management
Great Plains Birds
Photo by Michael Farrell
Pope, K., and L. Powell (eds). In prep. Harvest of Fish and Wildlife: New Paradigms for Sustainable Management. CRC Press.
An edited, interdisciplinary volume that provides new insights into a traditional area of emphasis for fisheries and wildlife management. For more than a century, managers have sought to set effective and efficient regulations for harvest management that meet goals for population levels. Until recently, efforts to manage harvested species had a primary focus on predicting population-level effects of regulations using models of population growth.
We are now in a new era of harvest management. Population biologists have new modeling tools that can be applied to harvest questions. Evolutionary biologists have measured effects of harvest that go beyond simple changes in population size, and we can evaluate the potential for selective mortality through harvest to affect species. Social scientists have begun to look reflectively at behaviors of hunters and anglers, as they respond to changing densities of fish and game. And, tenets of decision science have proven useful as improved frameworks to select regulations for harvested species in a social and political climate that is often hostile of consumptive uses of fish and wildlife. In sum, harvest management has broadened beyond its traditional roots to embrace information provided by genetics and advanced population dynamics research as well as insights obtained through a consideration of human dimensions.
Find this book at CRC Press (not yet live--expected in Spring 2021)
Find this print book at Amazon.com (not yet live)
Powell, L. A. 2019 (in press, Nov publication date). Great Plains Birds. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln. 224pp. ISBN: 978-1-4962-0418-9
The Great Plains is a well-known and well-studied hybrid zone for many animals, most notably birds.
In Great Plains Birds Larkin Powell explores the history, geography, and geology of the plains and the birds that inhabit it. From the sandhill crane to ducks and small shorebirds, he explains migration patterns and shows how human settlements have affected the movements of birds. Larkin uses historical maps and images to show how wetlands have disappeared, how grasslands have been uprooted, how rivers have been modified by dams, and how the distribution of forests has changed, all the while illustrating why grassland birds are the most threatened group of birds in North America. Powell also discusses conservation attempts and how sporting organizations have raised money to create wetland and grassland habitats for both game and nongame species.
Great Plains Birds tells the story of the birds of the plains, discussing where those birds can be found and the impact humans have had on them.
Find this book at University of Nebraska Press
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Find other books in the Great Plains series here!
Principles for Management of Fisheries and Wildlife
Parameter estimation for animal populations
Powell, L. A. 2019 (Fall publication date). Principles for Management of Fisheries and Wildlife: the manager as decision-maker. Cognella, San Diego, CA. ISBN: TBA
Principles for Management of Fisheries and Wildlife: The Manager as Decision-maker is a unique introductory text that explains critical theories and principles of
management and how to apply these successfully to real-world fisheries and wildlife situations and issues. Readers learn about management paradigms, decision-making frameworks and skills, planning for success, and ethics – all taught in the context of fisheries and wildlife issues such as habitat management, human-wildlife conflict, managing over-abundant and at-risk species, and harvest regulations.
Each chapter includes guiding outcomes, terms and definitions and critical thinking questions. Opening problems and closing case studies provide opportunities for application of both ecological and management knowledge and skills. Readers also benefit from learning about international models of wildlife management.
Rooted in the belief that biological and ecological knowledge can only be enhanced by sound management, planning, and decision-making skills, the book prepares biologists to be successful managers and leaders. Principles for Management of Fisheries and Wildlife is an outstanding textbook for introductory courses in the discipline.
Find this book direct with discount at Cognella
Powell, L. A., and G. A. Gale. 2015. Parameter estimation for animal populations: a primer for the rest of us. Lincoln, Nebraska: Caught Napping Publications. 256pp. ISBN: 978-1-329-06151-4
This book is a simple introduction to the logic behind analyses and sampling design for mark-recapture and survey efforts. With a focus on the early user and beginner, the book explains the complicated formulas and statistics that can be effectively used around the world in support of conservation efforts.
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Find PDF chapters for free on-line. Seriously, they are free!
Cursed with wings
Powell, L. A. 2014. Cursed with wings: and other frustrations. Lincoln, Nebraska: Caught Napping Publications. 90pp. ISBN: 978-1-312-45118-6
"Cursed with wings: and other frustrations" is a collection of original poetry and prose that captures quiet moments of life and death in the sacred spaces of nature, farm, and family. The author takes you under a whirling flock of cranes, into a morning on a Sandhills ranch, and through the lens of time in a Solomon Butcher photograph. Sit under a shade tree to watch a field become planted, bounce along rocks to visit an African village, and clap along as a bar singer brings out the best in her aged audience. "Cursed with wings" asks the reader to contemplate the frustrations that haunt us and the small moments that make life rich and full of meaning.
All proceeds from this book support children at Future Professor Preschool in Windhoek, Namibia.
Dust and mud
Powell, L. A., K. D. Powell, and T. R. Powell. 2010. Dust and mud: perspectives from Namibia. Lincoln, Nebraska: Lulu Publishing. 42pp. ISBN: 978-0-557-66873-1
Dust and mud is a collection of original writing and Namibian folk stories. The authors capture the stillness of 'African time' and the grandeur of space that can be found in this new nation. Travel through Namibia on backroads. Watch the moon rise over the Brandberg, as the stars of the southern hemisphere reflect the fires of Namibian villages. Explore harsh, open landscapes. And, draw inspiration from people who are not the subject of postcards, but who literally scratch out a living amid rocks, sand, and dust in this arid country.
You are invited to discover, through the authors' eyes, the Namibia that is seen by few tourists. You, too, may find yourself wanting to linger along the road to Maltahöhe or return to a farm community on the edge of the Namib desert.
Farming with wildlife
Powell, L. A. 2010. Farming with wildlife: conservation and ecotourism on private lands in Namibia. Lincoln, Nebraska: Lulu Publishing. 50pp. ISBN: 978-0-557-64898-6
Namibians have developed diverse approaches to wildlife conservation and ecotourism on private farm lands. Although Namibia is a potential model for conservation efforts around the globe, the structure and function of these organizations has not been documented. Farming with wildlife shares the perspectives of landowners, investors, and NGO employees who are engaged in large-scale management of landscapes. Data is provided to document the structure, goals, and activities of commercial conservancies in Namibia.
Explore the diversity of opinions and organizational strategies developed to farm with wildlife!
LARKIN POWELL
University of Nebraska-Lincoln