As science, ecology is often accused of being weak because of its basic lack of predictive power (Peters 1991) and the many ecological concepts judged vague or tautological. Also, important paradigms that dominated the ecological scene for years have been discarded in favor of new concepts | Research Techniques in Animal Ecology Methods and Cases in Conservation Science Mary C. Pearl Editor Methods and Cases in Conservation Science Tropical Deforestation Small Farmers and Land Clearing in the Ecuadorian Amazon Thomas K. Rudel and Bruce Horowitz Bison Mating and Conservation in Small Populations Joel Berger and Carol Cunningham Population Management for Survival and Recovery Analytical Methods and Strategies in Small Population Conservation Jonathan D. Ballou Michael Gilpin and Thomas J. Foose Conserving Wildlife International Education and Commiinication Approaches Susan K. Jacobson Remote Sensing Imagery for Natural Resources Management A First Time User s Guide David S. Wilkie and John T. Finn At the End of the Rainbowl Gold Land and People in the Brazilian Amazon Gordon MacMillan Perspectives in Biological Diversity Series Conserving Natural Value Holmes Rolston III Series Editor Mary C. Pearl Series Advisers Christine Padoch and Douglas Daly Research Techniques in Animal Ecology Controversies and Consequences Luigi Boitani and Todd K. Fuller Editors kC COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS NEW .