Associated Professor Nyhus Edits Biodiversity Book Series for Leading Science Publisher

Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Philip Nyhus is the editor of a new book series, “Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscapes,” published by Elsevier, a leading provider of scientific, technical, and medical information products and services. Books in the series focus on specific species or taxa across disciplinary boundaries and spatial scales.

The first title in the series, Snow Leopards, is edited by Tom McCarthy and David Mallon, experts on the animal. It is the only comprehensive work on the biology, behavior, and conservation status of the snow leopard, long one of the least studied of the large cats. The book, published June 27, includes nearly 200 authors and 47 chapters.

Nyhus, director of the Environmental Studies Program at Colby, teaches environmental policy, conservation biology, and GIS and is an expert on endangered species conservation and policy, with a particular focus on conflict between humans and wildlife, including tiger and large mammal conservation.

“Snow leopards are one of the most secretive and least understood of all the great cats. Today, that changes with the publication of Snow Leopards,” said Luke Hunter, president and chief conservation officer of Panthera, an organization that works to ensure the survival of wild cats. “The editors have assembled a blue-ribbon team of specialists to produce the most comprehensive synthesis of available knowledge on the ecology and conservation of this iconic cat.”

“This is an incredibly important book,” said Peter Zahler, coordinator for the Wildlife Conservation Society’s snow leopard program. “It has collected virtually all the most recent research and information from all 12 range states, covering biology, behavior, threats, and conservation activities for this mysterious and elusive big cat. This book will serve as the go-to reference work on snow leopards for decades to come.”