This book presents the state-of-the-art of forest resources assessments and monitoring. It provides links to practical applications of forest and natural resource assessment programs. It offers an overview of current forest inventory systems and discusses forest mensuration, sampling techniques, remote sensing applications, geographic and forest information systems, and multi-resource forest inventory. Attention is also given to the quantification of non-wood goods and services.

Ancient lakes are exceptional freshwater environments that have continued to exist for hundreds of thousands of years. They have long been recognized as centres of biodiversity and hotspots of evolution. During recent decades, speciation in ancient lakes has emerged as an important and exciting topic in evolutionary biology. The contributions in this volume deal with patterns and processes of biological diversification in three prominent ancient lake systems. Of these, the famous East African Great Lakes already have a strong tradition of evolutionary studies, but the two other systems have so far received much less attention. The exceptional biodiversity of the European sister lakes Ohrid and Prespa of the Balkans has long been known, but has largely been neglected in the international literature until recently. The rich biota and problems of its evolution in the two central lake systems on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, in turn, have only lately started to draw scientific attention. This volume aims at deepening the awareness of the unusual biological diversity in ancient lakes in general, and of the role of these lakes as natural laboratories for the study of speciation and diversification in particular. It should stimulate further research that will lead to a better understanding of key evolutionary processes in these lakes, and to knowledge that might help in mitigating the deterioration of their diversity in the future.

The African Baobab is a revised and expanded edition of a book originally published in 2007.

In this absorbing and inspired account of one of the continent’s oldest botanical wonders, Rupert Watson explores the life and times of the majestic baobab, an ancient tree that has outlasted every plant and animal around it. The narrative effortlessly blends natural history and personal observation, while also drawing on extracts from the journals of early explorers. There are intriguing accounts of the baobab’s eccentric growth and reproductive habits, its present-day distribution, and its wide impact on everyday African life.

Watson also takes a close look at the relationship between humans and baobabs, and the tree’s myriad uses over the ages, from shelters to medicinal and spiritual applications.

This new edition is aimed at nature lovers, environmentalists, botanical enthusiasts, travellers and anyone intrigued by the wonders of plants and the natural world.

This book offers an environmental-economic analysis of exploited ecosystems with a clear policy orientation. The study moves beyond traditional economic fishery analysis in two respects. First, several theoretical and numerical models are offered that combine economic and ecological descriptions of fisheries. Second, valuation and stakeholder concerns are addressed in empirical analyses employing both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The approaches, models and policy insights are sufficiently general and innovative to interest a broad audience.

The book synthesizes knowledge on the arthropod taxon Oribatida, a suborder of Acari (the mites and ticks), that are a key group in soil ecology and biodiversity studies for Canada and Alaska but also worldwide. This book is unparalleled in the comprehensive nature of the information provided on this key biotic group. It is presented by two leading global experts for this group. There is no competing text in English. Reviewers were unanimous in their view that there is an "unquestionable" need for this book. The book provides highly reliable set of data, well prepared from a content and methodological point of view, bringing much interesting information on the subject and a valuable contribution to the knowledge of ecology of the group of invertebrates.

- Provides a comprehensive introduction to the emerging interdisciplinary field of marine studies - Provides a unique social science and humanities approach to key marine challenges, including climate change, pollution and aquaculture - Includes examples of professional or academic areas of specialization within Marine Studies such as social and environmental justice, governance, traditional ecological knowledge and management, community development, conservation, and the blue economy - provide the first cohesive resource on Marine Studies to educate students, train interdisciplinary marine leaders, and build capacity for a new generation of marine-focused professionals

This is a readable, informative and up-to-date account of the patterns and controls on biodiversity. The author describes major trends in species richness, along with uncertainties in current knowledge. The various possible explanations for past and present species patterns are discussed and explained in an even-handed and accessible way. The implications of global climate change and habitat loss are considered, along with current strategies for preserving what we have. This book examines the state of current understanding of species richness patterns and their explanations. As well as the present day world, it deals with diversification and extinction, in the conservation of species richness, and the difficulties of assessing how many species remain to be discovered. The scientifically compelling subject of vegetation-climate interaction is considered in depth. Written in an accessible style, the author offers an up-to-date, rigorous and yet eminently comprehensible overview of the ecology and biogeography of species richness. He departs from the often heavy approach of earlier texts, without sacrificing rigor and depth of information and analysis. Prefacing with the aims of the book, Chapter 1 opens with an explanation of latitudinal gradients, including a description of major features of the striking gradients in species richness, exceptions to the rule, explanations, major theories and field and experimental tests. The following chapter plumbs the depth of time, including the nature of the fossil record, broad timescale diversity patterns, ecosystem changes during mass extinctions and glaciations and their influence on species richness. Chapters 3 and 4 consider hotspots and local scale patterns in species richness while Chapter 5 looks at the limitations and uncertainties on current estimates of richness, the last frontiers of species diversity and the process of identifying new life forms. The last three chapters cover humans and extinctions in history and prehistory, current habitat and global change, including the greenhouse effect, and the race to preserve what we still have, including parks, gene banks and laws.

Population and evolutionary genetics have been quickly developing ?elds of biological research over the past decades. This book compiles our current understanding of genetic processes in natural populations. In addition, the book provides the author's original ideas and concepts based on the data obtained by himself and his close coworkers. The author introduces his pioneering concept of population genetic stability, and much of thebook is concerned with the factors and conditions of such stability. Why does genetic stability matter so much? Altukhov argues that the sustainable use of natural resources, including genetic resources of popu- tions, critically depends on the maintenance of their stability. The preser- tion of well-adapted genetic characteristics from one generation to the next is essential for this stability. Traditionally, population genetics has been - cusedonevolution andthe role of evolutionary factorsinshapinggenetic structures of populations. While the idea of a population as a dynamic unit of evolution has been widely accepted, the signi?cance of genetic stability and its implications for the long-term survival of populations and species have not been fully appreciated.

This work synthesizes the current state of knowledge on the biology of polar benthic marine algae and presents an outlook on their responses to changing environmental conditions in polar regions. Topics treated include environment, biodiversity and biogeography of micro- and macroalgae, including an update of the knowledge of the red algal flora of Antarctica. It treats the chemical ecology as well as the primary production and ecophysiology of polar benthic algae with new information on the important contribution of benthic microalgae to the productivity in costal areas.

Landscape Research has been established as an interdisciplinary field dealing with complex environmental processes at multiple spatial and temporal scales. During the course of its history, various societal, technological and philosophical stimuli have shaped Landscape Research, e.g. the declaration of Landscape Ecology in the 1930s and contemporary global technological and societal developments.

Modern landscape research presently uses mathematics, statistics and advanced simulation techniques to combine empirical observations with known theories from ecology, physics, geography, social science and so on. Knowledge is thus updated and quantified via models that are used for estimation, hypothesis testing, prediction and assessment of scenarios. Advances in the computational sciences (e.g. fast computers and vast array of software), space science (e.g. remote sensing) and biological sciences (e.g. genetics) as well as new perspectives in the social sciences play important roles. Research findings are implemented in conservation management, urban planning and global change mitigation strategies.

This book identifies emerging fields and new challenges that are discussed within the framework of the driving forces of Landscape Development. Rather than offering a comprehensive overview of all fields of Landscape Research, the book addresses hot topics emphasizing major contemporary trends in these fields."

How did we get here? All cultures have a creation story, but a little over 150 years ago Charles Darwin introduced a revolutionary new one. We, and all living things, exist because of the action of evolution on the first simple life form and its descendants. We now know that it has taken 3.8 billions of years of work by the forces of evolution to turn what was once a lump of barren rock into the rich diversity of into plants, animals and microbes that surround us. In the process, evolution has created all manner of useful adaptions, from biological computers (brains) to a system to capture energy from the sun (photosynthesis). But how does evolution actually work? In Evolution, leading biologists and New Scientist take you on a journey of a lifetime, exploring the question of whether life is inevitable or a one-off fluke, and how it got kick-started. Does evolution have a purpose or direction? Are selfish genes really the driving force of evolution? And is evolution itself evolving? ABOUT THE SERIES New Scientist Instant Expert books are definitive and accessible entry points to the most important subjects in science; subjects that challenge, attract debate, invite controversy and engage the most enquiring minds. Designed for curious readers who want to know how things work and why, the Instant Expert series explores the topics that really matter and their impact on individuals, society, and the planet, translating the scientific complexities around us into language that's open to everyone, and putting new ideas and discoveries into perspective and context.

This book explores the epistemological and ethical issues at the foundations of environmental philosophy, emphasizing the conservation of biodiversity. Sahota Sarkar criticizes previous attempts to attribute intrinsic value to nature and defends an anthropocentric position on biodiversity conservation based on an untraditional concept of transformative value. Unlike other studies in the field of environmental philosophy, this book is as much concerned with epistemological issues as with environmental ethics. It covers a broad range of topics, including problems of explanation and prediction in traditional ecology and how individual-based models and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology is transforming ecology. Introducing a brief history of conservation biology, Sarkar analyzes the new consensus framework for conservation planning through adaptive management. He concludes with a discussion of the future directions for theoretical research in conservation biology and environmental philosophy.

The diversity, ecological role and biotechnological applications of marine fungi have been addressed in numerous scientific publications in the last few years. This enormous spurt of information has led to a dire need among students and professionals alike for a source, which contains comprehensive reviews of various aspects of marine fungi. This book addresses this need, especially since it is written by reputed marine mycologists. The latest information on topics including molecular taxonomy and phylogeny, ecology of fungi in different marine habitats such as deep sea, corals, dead- sea, fungi in extreme marine environments and their biotechnological applications is reviewed. The book presents a comprehensive source of information and analysis aimed at marine fungi for researchers, teachers and students of marine mycology.

The second edition of this widely cited textbook continues to provide a concise but comprehensive introduction to cave and subterranean biology, describing this fascinating habitat and its biodiversity. It covers a range of biological processes including ecosystem function, evolution and adaptation, community ecology, biogeography, and conservation. The authors draw on a global range of examples and case studies from both caves and non-cave subterranean habitats. One of the barriers to the study of subterranean biology has been the extraordinarily large number of specialized terms used by researchers; the authors explain these terms clearly and minimize the number that they use. This new edition retains the same 10 chapter structure of the original, but the content has been thoroughly revised and updated throughout to reflect the huge increase in publications concerning subterranean biology over the last decade.

This book comprehensively addresses the economic, social and institutional difficulties in conserving biodiversity and the ecosystem services that it provides. It covers a wide range of issues such as biodiversity, ecosystem services and valuation in the context of diverse ecosystems such as tropical forests, marine areas, wetlands and agricultural landscapes, non-timber forest products, incentives and institutions, payments for ecosystem services, governance, intellectual property rights and the protection of traditional knowledge, management of protected areas, and climate change and biodiversity. It also covers the application of environmental economics and institutional economics to different cases and the use of techniques such as contingent valuation method and game theory. The book spans the globe with case studies drawn from a cross section of regions and continents including the UK, US, Europe, Australia, India, Africa and South America.

This book is unique in providing a global overview of alpine (high mountain) habitats that occur above the natural (cold-limited) tree line, describing the factors that have shaped them over both ecological and evolutionary timescales. The broad geographic coverage helps synthesize common features whilst revealing differences in the world's major alpine systems from the Arctic to the Tropics. The words "barren" and "wasteland" have often been applied to describe landscapes beyond the tree line. However, a closer look reveals a large diversity of habitats, assemblages and individual taxa in the alpine zone, largely connected to topographic diversity within individual alpine regions.
The book considers habitat-forming factors (landforms, energy and climate, hydrology, soils, and vegetation) individually, as well as their composite impacts on habitat characteristics. Evolution and population processes are examined in the context of the responsiveness/resilience of alpine habitats to global change. Finally, a critical assessment fo the potential impacts of climate change, atmospheric pollutants and land use is made and related to the management and conservation options available for these unique habitats.
Interest in mountains continues to grow as their resource importance is increasingly recognized. This accessible text is suitable for both senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in ecology and environmental sciences as well as the many professional ecologists and conservation biologists requiring a concise, authoritative overview of the topic.
Each of the books in the Oxford Biology of Habitats Series introduces a different habitat, and gives an integrated overview of the design, physiology, ecology, and behaviour of the organisms found there. The practical aspects of working within each habitat, the sorts of studies that are possible, and habitat biodiversity and conservation status are all explored.

Introducing Biological Rhythms is a primer that serves to introduce individuals to the area of biological rhythms. It describes the major characteristics and discusses the implications and applications of these rhythms, while citing scientific results and references. Also, the primer includes essays that provide in-depth historic and other background information for those interested in more specific topics or concepts.

It covers a basic cross-section of the field of chronobiology clearly enough so that it can be understood by a novice, or an undergraduate student, but that it would also be sufficiently technical and detailed for the scientist.

Who Cares About Wildlife? integrates social science theory in order to provide a conceptual structure for understanding and studying human interaction with wildlife. A thorough review of the current literature in conceptual areas, including norms, values, attitudes, emotions, wildlife value orientations, cultural change, and evolutionary forces/inherited tendencies is provided, and the importance of these areas in studying human-wildlife relationships is highlighted. No other book both considers the human relationship with wildlife and provides a theoretical framework for understanding this relationship on the individual, as well as cultural level. Who Cares About Wildlife? will be valuable both to students and to practitioners in wildlife management and conservation, as well those interested in the human relationship with wildlife, natural resources, and the environment.

The relentless exploitation and unsustainable use of wildlife, whether for food, medicine or other uses, is a key concern for conservationists worldwide. Indeed, wildlife conservation and sustainable use have recently become centrepieces in conservation and development research. Assessment, interpretation and ultimate action in a scientific study of exploited species must consider numerous factors: from the biology, habitat requirements and population dynamics of the species in question to the relationships that people have with their environment and the species within it. Any long-term management plan must ensure that people and wildlife can coexist - otherwise it is doomed to failure.
Conservation and Sustainable Use provides a practical and integrated approach to carrying out research on the conservation of exploited species. It is relevant to both tropical and temperate biomes and is applicable to all exploited species, including mammals, fish and plants. It describes both the practical (field) and theoretical (modelling) techniques for obtaining and interpreting information, integrating biological, social, economic and institutional analyses. It also demonstrates how to translate information into effective action through appropriate interventions, from legislation to changing people's attitudes. This is the first time that all these issues have been covered together in a single, practically-orientated volume.
This book will be essential reading for graduate level students and researchers in conservation biology, human ecology, sociology and resource economics. It will also provide an important reference for anyone who is interested in carrying out a scientifically-basedconservation programme for an exploited species, including field biologists, wildlife managers and practitioners in the fields of conservation and international development.

This book comprehensively addresses the economic, social and institutional difficulties in conserving biodiversity and the ecosystem services that it provides. It covers a wide range of issues such as biodiversity, ecosystem services and valuation in the context of diverse ecosystems such as tropical forests, marine areas, wetlands and agricultural landscapes, non-timber forest products, incentives and institutions, payments for ecosystem services, governance, intellectual property rights and the protection of traditional knowledge, management of protected areas, and climate change and biodiversity. It also covers the application of environmental economics and institutional economics to different cases and the use of techniques such as contingent valuation method and game theory. The book spans the globe with case studies drawn from a cross section of regions and continents including the UK, US, Europe, Australia, India, Africa and South America.

It will be the first compilation of studies of biology, ecology and conservation of groupers. Will include the most recent information about worldwide research made on groupers. The contributors will be experienced researchers working on groupers in all the oceans. Will describe real life field studies. Will cover the advanced techniques employed in biological and ecological studies.

This practical handbook describes sampling and laboratory assessment methods for the biodiversity of a number of key functional groups of soil organisms, including insects, earthworms, nematodes, fungi and bacteria. The methods have been assembled and the protocols drafted by a number of scientists associated with the UNEP-GEF funded Conservation and Sustainable Management of Below-Ground Biodiversity project, executed by the Tropical Soil Biodiversity and Fertility (TSBF) institute of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). The methods provide a standardized basis for characterizing soil biodiversity occurring in terrestrial natural and agro-ecosystems in the tropics and current land uses in forest and forest margin areas. The aim is to assess soil biodiversity against current and historic land use practices both at plot and landscape scales and further to identify opportunities for improved sustainable land management through the introduction and/or management of soil biota, thus reducing the need for external inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides. The book does not contain identification keys as such, but there is extensive advice on the handling of specimens and the allocation of organisms to strain or functional group type.Published with TSBF-CIAT.

Many traditional approaches to rural land management are strictly sectoral, with a rigid introspective focus. Consequently the impact of silo-driven change on other land users they can often be overlooked or not appreciated. This book critically reviews why there has yet to be a clear route to upland resource management and provides insight and options for integrated transdisciplinary land management solutions for rural areas, specifically uplands. It considers the problem in order to derive appropriate solutions enhanced by a number of in-depth case studies by resource management professionals and the use of many examples of contemporary good practice from different uplands, organisations, projects and programmes.The overarching approach of the book is to provide a tool kit for those individuals, groups or organisations looking to manage the upland resource for the benefit of all. Readers are provided with a range of practical options to develop their own solutions. The book is written in such a way that readers can dip in and out of sections to plug knowledge gaps or read in its entirety for those experiencing a first foray into the complexities of upland resource management.Increasingly, rural areas are becoming recognised as a wider resource beyond traditional food, fibre and water, leading to inevitable management tensions. Goal setting, vision and strategy development, management planning, aims, objectives and prescription (actions) are considered and some of the new agendas for resource use in uplands which may be worth consideration for individual projects are explored. This comprehensive book deals with the implementation, advantages and disadvantages of a range of traditional and contemporary resource management approaches which are then expanded upon by a range of resource management professionals based on their own experiences. These case studies demonstrate the development of more effective projects and the book concludes by considering how work can be monitored and evaluated before ideas are synthesised for best practice.

Reduce the environmentally negative aspects of industrial agriculture with an ecologically sound philosophy
New Dimensions in Agroecology explores the latest developments in the emerging science of agroecology, focusing on how these new concepts and cutting-edge tools will help minimize the impact of agriculture on the environment and foster the use of sustainable agricultural practices. This book expands your scope of thinking by providing information on current innovative agroecological research and education as well as emerging issues, such as biotechnology and climate change. Prominent specialists from around the world offer a diversity of stimulating perspectives and topics that will benefit agricultural researchers, extension personnel, and upper-level students in agroecology, ecology, and agronomy programs.
In New Dimensions in Agroecology, you will learn why conventional agriculture practices frequently result in environmental problems such as eutrophication at the landscape scale, reduction in soil quality, and decreased biodiversity. This timely tool contributes practical suggestions to design sustainable crop and meat production systems that replace current wasteful and unsustainable industrial agriculture to nourish the world without major damage to the health and quality of our total environment. The book points to future possibilities for research and application with the hope that agroecology becomes the new discipline in agricultural issues rather than just a buzzword.
New Dimensions in Agroecology covers groundbreaking investigations on a wide variety of agriculture and ecology, including: holistic landscape-level approaches the integration of ecological principles into cropping systems the utilization of biodiversity in agriculture new ways of seeing the soil in agrosystems ecological pest management and its extension and much more New Dimensions in Agroecology goes beyond preserving the total sustainability of our agricultural systems, including social, environmental, and economic measures of sustainability in the equation. Generously enhanced with tables, figures, models, and diagrams, this book scrutinizes the current state of affairs in agriculture and presents a better solution. Change will not come easily, but this text is the first step towards a new, environmentally acceptable way.

While biodiversity loss is an ecological phenomenon, it also has further dimensions - political, social and, last but not least, economic. From the economic perspective, the rapid loss of biological diversity can be viewed in two ways. First, the consequence of this deterioration process is a loss of options and an increase in scarcity of the environmental 'good', biodiversity. Second, economic activity and the structure of global and local economic institutions have frequently been identified as the major drivers of biodiversity loss. In economic terms, this constitutes a market failure - market-based economic activities lead to processes which undermine the long-term stability of these very activities. This book provides an ecological economic perspective on the value of diversity in ecosystems. Combining insights from various sub-disciplines of ecology and environmental/ecological economics, the author constructs a conceptual framework which identifies the ways in which biodiversity influences human well-being and offers a novel, unifying perspective on the economic value of biodiversity. This framework demonstrates that biodiversity's economic value mainly results from uncertainty about the future, regarding both supply of and demand for ecosystem services, and interconnections between ecosystems. The book goes on to identify suitable methods for economic valuation of biodiversity and discusses the currently underdeveloped and underused approach of deliberative monetary valuation. Combining a strong theoretical framework with practical examples, this book will be of great interest to students and researchers of ecological economics, ecosystem services, environmental values and environmental and resource economics.