Over the last several years, interest in using the long-term data produced by zooarchaeological studies in the conservation arena has grown, but there are often disciplinary and procedural roadblocks to reaching a successful resolution in most cases. This slim, yet by no means lightweight, volume contains five case studies highlighting the diverse applications and potential role of zooarchaeology in conservation. The authors, known for previous publications in this area, recognize several challenges in so-called applied zooarchaeology in the introduction and address some of the most common ones through carefully chosen examples in subsequent chapters.
Readers will find that the introduction covers basic yet essential principles of zooarchaeology, useful for the uninitiated and a helpful reminder for current practitioners. Each chapter has a set of key terms and discussion questions that make it ideal for classroom teaching or easy reference. Perhaps most salient is the premise that long-term perspectives are critical for conservation, with the appropriate depth of that scale determined by multiple factors and ranging on the order of hundreds to a few thousand years. Data quality and the need for control and assessment are also crucial, and the authors note that the limitations and shortcomings of those data must be made transparent to conservation biologists in order to move forward. It is clear that the book is addressed toward zooarchaeologists wishing to contribute to the practice of conservation, rather than informing the interested conservation biologist about how zooarchaeology can work for them, and this is apparent throughout the case studies.
The first of the case studies, “Taphonomy and Conservation of Freshwater Mussels,” highlights research in two river systems in the southern United States Because the effects of water resource use and management on riverine ecosystems, including flow, pollution, and even the connectivity of fish communities, can be gauged through the study of highly sensitive mussel populations, it is important to understand how differential preservation and cultural filters may affect interpretation and to establish how representative an archaeological sample really is through appropriate taphonomic analysis. Only then can research findings be applied to management policy.
Any plans for conservation action must also take into consideration local political ecology, social values, and economics, which will influence the success or failure of the initiative. In the second study, “Sea Otters: Historical Extirpations and Modern Reintroductions,” the authors consider the history of this charismatic species, overhunted for their pelts and eventually extirpated from much of their range. As a result, the kelp forest marine ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest were drastically affected; yet, reintroducing sea otters was fraught with issues for fishing and led to a failed attempt. In contrast, the conservation of the California condor is considered a success story, but, in the chapter “California Condor Conservation,” the authors question the ethical and moral grounds of extinction and “re-wilding,” since the late Pleistocene and early Holocene population history of this species showed that it had already exhibited range constriction and population decrease independent of human action.
“Takahe Translocation in New Zealand” stands out as the only non-North American case study and as an example of the complexity of island biogeography. In this case, a number of different approaches have been applied to the repopulation of this critically endangered flightless species, highlighting the need for a better understanding of its effective ecological niche and historical distribution through DNA and stable isotope studies. But what about species that do not require protection and, rather, represent a management issue due to overpopulation? “Applied Zooarchaeology and the Deer Problem in Central Texas” discusses the use of metrical data to study changes in body size through time as a proxy reflective of overall population size of white-tailed deer, reinforcing the importance of using a local-scale approach with sufficient time depth to inform management strategies.
Applied zooarchaeology has implications for the present and future of conservation in meaningful and concrete ways. By focusing on traditionally high-profile species and using specific examples of the zooarchaeological data concerning each case, the authors have covered a wide range of conservation and management problems and shown how we might rise to meet the most pressing challenges. The issues addressed are of global significance for zooarchaeologists, conservation biologists, and ecologists alike, and, as a result, this book stands as an important contribution to the growing interdisciplinary field of applied zooarchaeology.
