biology

Path of the Puma

Path of the Puma is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Path of the Puma rather than just read about it. In short: Path of the Puma: The Remarkable Resilience of the Mountain Lion, by Jim Williams, is a non-fiction book presenting the research of the author, a wildlife biologist and supervisor for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' Region 1 in Kalispell. Williams also discusses DNA research conducted by others on these animals, and makes the case for coexistence with these big, wild cats.

Key takeaways

Path of the Puma belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Path of the Puma to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Path of the Puma from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Path of the Puma: The Remarkable Resilience of the Mountain Lion, by Jim Williams, is a non-fiction book presenting the research of the author, a wildlife biologist and supervisor for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' Region 1 in Kalispell. Williams also discusses DNA research conducted by others on these animals, and makes the case for coexistence with these big, wild cats.

Synopsis With a foreword by Doug Chadwick, the book chronicles Williams' journey, from his early work at a Florida marine park, to his conversion to "a lifelong devotee of the species". Williams has fitted Puma concolors (also known as cougars and mountain lions) with radio collars and has installed cameras in their caves to track and study them. According to Mountain West News, "Montana-based wildlife biologist Jim Williams celebrates wildlife research and conservation of ghost cats from Canada's Yukon Territory to Tierra del Fuego in Argentina and Chile..."

Critical reception Path of the Puma has received positive reviews. Publishers Weekly said, "Williams writes movingly of the challenges these animals face, many due to human encroachment on their habitats. He makes a strong case for the necessity of preserving—or at least peacefully coexisting with—the puma." Kirkus Reviews noted, "While the book is an undisguised conservationist's plea ... it is not a harangue. The author's passion and his firsthand knowledge of his subject make the narrative highly readable. A noteworthy feature of this work is the presence of numerous full-color photographs..." Kirkus concluded, "A handsome book that is well-balanced, instructive, and authoritative." The Natural History Book Service wrote that the puma's story, "...is fascinating for the lessons it can afford the protection of all species in times of dire challenge and decline." Susan Waggoner of PressReader notes Williams' "...enthusiasm for nature and animals jumps off every page... Williams's writing is expert, friendly, and interesting. Well organized and clearly presented, information emerges from field work examples, such as the tracking studies that showed that pumas feed almost exclusively on wild prey rather than domestic herds." Tristan Scott of the Flathead Beacon wrote, "Path of the Puma doesn't sugarcoat the risks of predators living among humans — mountain lions live at the intersection of human landscapes, livelihoods and lifestyles — but it points out the critical role predatory species play in the natural world."

Awards In March 2019, Path of the Puma was named a finalist in two categories for the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards. In June, it was declared the INDIES 2018 Gold winner for Nature in the Adult Non-Fiction category, a category described as "Books that examine not only nature and its inhabitants, but people's connection with nature. Authors present their personal responses to the outdoors, comment on environmental issues, and demonstrate how each person can enjoy and relate to nature." Path of the Puma also won the INDIES 2018 Bronze award for Ecology and Environment in Adult Non-fiction. That award is described, "Books that comment on environmental themes, particularly as applied to the relationships between man, society, and the environment. Often, environmental literature is understood to promote care and concern for the environment and advocates a more thoughtful and ecologically sensitive relationship of man with nature."

References

External links Path of the Puma (2018) - Book Trailer on YouTube Path Of The Puma With Jim Williams (video, 28:57) This is the Author, S4, E57: Jim Williams, Robert Pondiscio, and Rhonda Magee (audio, first 6:10 minutes)

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Path of the Puma

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Path of the Puma claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Path of the Puma before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Path of the Puma ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Path of the Puma

In research: Path of the Puma appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Path of the Puma in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Path of the Puma is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2018 English-language non-fiction books, 2018 non-fiction books, American non-fiction books, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Path of the Puma outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Path of the Puma in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Path of the Puma means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Path of the Puma out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Path of the Puma in simple terms?

Why does Path of the Puma matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Path of the Puma?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Path of the Puma.