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Introduction to Conservation Genetics Frankham, R., Briscoe, D. A. and Ballou, J. 2002 - ISBN Pending Cambridge University Press. 600 +pp with lots of Figures and Tables. RRP will be ~Aud$100.00 paperback Aud$250.00 hardback.
WITH regards to threatened species, section 5A (a) reads:
"Whether ... a viable local population of the species is likely to be placed at risk of extinction."
This is part of a new section, popularly known as the "8-part test" that was inserted into the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) by the assent of the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW).
What is a "viable local population"? In an age when the law has almost inevitably lagged behind the science this might be the lone case that is the exception - the science of Conservation Genetics.
At last, a stand-alone text on Conservation Genetics! Up till now we have had to contend with snippets of genetics in Conservation Biology textbooks or examples of conservation genetics in General Genetics textbooks - not any more.
But before I proceed with the review of this very important book, I must declare my conflict of interest in reviewing it. The senior author is Dr Richard Frankham, the Professor of Biology with Dr David Briscoe, an Associate Professor at Macquarie University. This is where I undertook my postgraduate training in ecology and it is where I am currently still an honorary research associate. Dr Jon Ballou is from the National Zoo which is part of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland. I initially came across Jon as the studbook...