In 2009, John Carroll published "Quantitative Conservation of Vertebrates," which provides a hands-on introduction to the construction and application of models to studies of vertebrate distribution, abundance and habitat.
Nearly seven years later, the book is enjoying an encore as a Spanish-language version was recently released.
"Those of us who speak English have it quite easy, as English is widely seen as a de facto language of science," said Carroll, professor and director of UNL's School of Natural Resources. "We forget that our colleagues, even those who are quite fluent in English, can work more efficiently in their home language. I know when my colleagues have done translations from other languages to English, I very much appreciated the access to the literature."
Carroll and his co-author, Mike Conroy, senior research scientist at the University of Georgia, have done extensive research throughout South America and saw a need for a Spanish-language version of their book.
"Latin America is an important part of the world for biodiversity," Carroll said.
Two colleagues, Juan Carlos Senar and Jeffrey J. Thompson, came onboard to assist in the authorship of the Spanish version.
The book is geared toward field biologists, conservation planners and advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students who are involved with planning and analyzing conservation studies, and applying the results to conservation decisions.
"We hope that the Spanish version allows our target audience access to some tools for their research that would have been difficult to access otherwise," Carroll said. "I'm excited that our colleagues in South America will be able use our book as a link into a range of newer techniques in abundance estimation for wildlife, because the nuances are often lost for someone who reads English as a second language."
"Métodos Cuantitativos para la Conservación de los Vertebrados" is available for purchase from the Nebraska Maps and More Store on the first floor of Hardin Hall at 33rd and Holdrege streets. Call 402-472-3471 to order by phone. The book can also be purchased on the UNL Marketplace at http://marketplace.unl.edu/nemaps. The English and Spanish versions are available at amazon.com.
— Mekita Rivas, Natural Resources