high species 

 richness 



low species 

 richness 



© 



A schematic view of "nested subsets," a pattern of distribution sliown 

 by mammals and birds on islands. When islands are arranged in 

 order of species richness, it is obvious that smaller islands support 

 fewer species than large islands and that these are the same spe- 

 cies, not different ones. Only the largest islands (or island-like 

 preserves) support rare or narrowly distributed species such as "C" 



or "D." Figure by B D Patterson 



only the largest isolated preserves will sustain pop- 

 ulations of most species. In addition, the rare, narrowly 

 distributed species that need special protection occur 

 only on the largest islands. 



Other conceptual studies underway at the Mu- 

 seum do not employ island analogies; instead, they 

 address basic mechanisms of community ecology that 

 are useful in management. Herpetologist Robert Inger 

 is studying the dynamics of amphibian and reptile com- 

 munities in Bornean rainforests, and his 30 years of 

 fieldwork give him unique perspectives on their stabil- 

 ity over time. By comparing community patterns in in- 

 tact forests and forests subjected to cutting at various 

 times in the past, Inger is determining the susceptibil- 

 ity of these communities to deforestation. In the pro- 

 cess, he is acquiring important information on the vul- 

 nerability of particular species to disturbance. 



Coordination with Resource Managers 



Direct coordination of scientific studies with resource 

 managers ensures that information on tropical species 

 and habitats is quickly passed from the volumes of 

 research libraries to conservation action. The nature of 

 24 these interactions depends on the specific needs and 



objectives of a management authority and the Field 

 Museum resource that is called upon to address it. 



Field Museum's collections of specimens resemble 

 immense libraries that chronicle the occurrence of 

 myriad species at particular places and times. The col- 

 lections are maintained in excellent condition, being 

 continually curated (re identified, relabelled, reorga- 

 nized) according to the current state of knowledge. 

 Data from several Field Museum collections are now 

 fully computerized, and fiinding for data base projects 

 in other collections is being sought. Collection in- 

 formation can now be easily shared with managers and 

 planners who seek to inventory imperiled biotas or to 

 determine the range and status of individual species. 

 Because the collections have been amassed over the 

 last 100 years, they are especially useful in assessing the 

 effects of environmental degradation during the 20th 

 century. As computer networking develops, Museum 

 data bases will contribute significantly to a global heri- 

 tage program. 



Field Museum researchers are also called upon to 

 share their personal knowledge and expertise on the 

 floras and faunas of specific regions, entire countries, 

 and even continents, as well as the specific biologies of 

 endangered species. These collaborations are essential 

 for the development of national inventories and for 

 meaningful "survival plans" for endangered forms. 

 Recent consultations with the Nature Conservancy on 

 distributions of South American mammals and with 

 lUCN  editors of Red Data Book: Aves serve as exam- 

 ples. 



Frequently, coordination with resource managers 

 involves fieldwork. During the last decade. Field Mu- 

 seum personnel have conducted benchmark surveys in 

 many national parks and reserves throughout the 

 world's tropics. In most cases, these studies generated 

 the first inventories of species that are protected by the 

 parks. Once the richness of these areas is documented, 

 it is easier for managers to justify additional funds to 

 maintain the parks and to devise specific measures for 

 their protection. To date, park surveys have been con- 

 ducted in Costa Rica, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, 

 Chile, Philippines, Borneo, and China. Plans call for 

 additional surveys of parks in Mexico, Guatemala, Bra- 

 zil, Peru, Bolivia, Uganda, Madagascar, and Borneo in 

 the near future. 



Studies of distribution and abundance at particu- 



 International Union for Conservation ot Nature and Natural 

 Resources 



