Why Wolves and Other Apex Predators Are Critically Important

By Frank Schiavone Most ecosystems have devolved into what conservation biologists call “alternate states”. Few, if any, pristine ecosystems remain worldwide. Virtually all have been degraded and simplified. Human transformation of the natural world has been lasting and is by any measure accelerating. Impacts emanate equally from physical forcing (e.g. habitat destruction) and biotic forcing (e.g. the...

Protecting Nature, When Convenient

Betrayal Rancho Cucamonga’s last General Plan Update was conducted in 2003. As always, the public was invited to participate. So I did, lobbying for several months to have the following language included in the General Plan’s Vision Statement: “Our city has recognized the importance of the natural resources within its purview and is sensitive to the threatened ecosystems that are present...