Vegetation Change Analysis User's Manual


Book Description

Approximately 70 percent of all U.S. military training lands are located in arid and semi-arid areas. Training activities in such areas frequently adversely affect vegetation, damaging plants and reducing the resilience of vegetation to recover once disturbed. Fugitive dust resulting from a loss of vegetation creates additional problems for human health, increasing accidents due to decreased visibility, and increasing maintenance costs for roads, vehicles, and equipment. Diagnostic techniques are needed to identify thresholds of sustainable military use. A cooperative effort among U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Defense, and selected university scientists was undertaken to focus on developing new techniques for monitoring and mitigating military impacts in arid lands. This manual focuses on the development of new monitoring techniques that have been implemented at Fort Irwin, California. New mitigation techniques are described in a separate companion manual. This User's Manual is designed to address diagnostic capabilities needed to distinguish between various degrees of sustainable and nonsustainable impacts due to military training and testing and habitat-disturbing activities in desert ecosystems. Techniques described here focus on the use of high-resolution imagery and the application of image-processing techniques developed primarily for medical research. A discussion is provided about the measurement of plant biomass and shrub canopy cover in arid. lands using conventional methods. Both semiquantitative methods and quantitative methods are discussed and reference to current literature is provided. A background about the use of digital imagery to measure vegetation is presented.




Vegetation Description and Data Analysis


Book Description

Vegetation Description and Data Analysis: A PracticalApproach, Second Edition is a fully revised and up-datededition of this key text. The book takes account of recent advancesin the field whilst retaining the original reader-friendly approachto the coverage of vegetation description and multivariate analysisin the context of vegetation data and plant ecology. Since the publication of the hugely popular first edition therehave been significant developments in computer hardware andsoftware, new key journals have been established in the field andscope and application of vegetation description and analysis hasbecome a truly global field. This new edition includes fullcoverage of new developments and technologies. This contemporary and comprehensive edition of this well-known andrespected textbook will prove invaluable to undergraduate andgraduate students in biological sciences, environmental science,geography, botany, agriculture, forestry and biologicalconservation. * Fully international approach * Includes illustrative case studies throughout * Now with new material on: the nature of plant communities;transitional areas between plant communities; induction anddeduction of plant ecology; diversity indices and dominancediversity curves; multivariate analysis in ecology. * Accessible, reader-friendly style * Now with new and improved illustrations







Plant Analysis


Book Description

Plant Analysis: An Interpretation Manual 2nd Edition is an easily accessible compilation of data summarising the range of nutrient concentration limits for crops, pastures, vegetables, fruit trees, vines, ornamentals and forest species. This information is valuable in assessing the effectiveness of fertiliser programs and for monitoring longer term changes in crop nutritional status. New to this edition: *Volume and scope of information accessed from the literature has expanded several-fold. Interpretation criteria for 294 species have been compiled in the tables from more than 1872 published papers. *New chapter on nutrient criteria for forest species. *Includes guidelines for collecting, handling and analysing plant material. An entire chapter is devoted to the identification of nutrient deficiency and toxicity symptoms.







Data Analysis in Vegetation Ecology, 3rd Edition


Book Description

The 3rd edition of this popular textbook introduces the reader to the investigation of vegetation systems with an emphasis on data analysis. The book succinctly illustrates the various paths leading to high quality data suitable for pattern recognition, pattern testing, static and dynamic modelling and model testing including spatial and temporal aspects of ecosystems. Step-by-step introductions using small examples lead to more demanding approaches illustrated by real world examples aimed at explaining interpretations. All data sets and examples described in the book are available online and are written using the freely available statistical package R. This book will be of particular value to beginning graduate students and postdoctoral researchers of vegetation ecology, ecological data analysis, and ecological modelling, and experienced researchers needing a guide to new methods. A completely revised and updated edition of this popular introduction to data analysis in vegetation ecology. Includes practical step-by-step examples using the freely available statistical package R. Complex concepts and operations are explained using clear illustrations and case studies relating to real world phenomena. Emphasizes method selection rather than just giving a set of recipes.




Plant Diversity Patterns and Drivers


Book Description

Biodiversity can provide a series of important ecosystem functions and ecosystem services, which meet the needs of human beings. Plants are the biological group with the highest carbon content on earth, their diversity has attracted increased attention. The interpretation of plant diversity patterns and drivers is crucial for the conservation and utilization of plant resources and is also one of the hot topics in plant science and ecology. There are already many studies on the patterns and drivers of plant diversity, including different diversity dimensions (e.g., taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity) and spatial scales (different plots/sites, watershed, country, continent, and globe). The mechanisms underlying plant diversity patterns are also quite complex. For example, many hypotheses are related to contemporary climate and soil conditions, with temperature, precipitation, and soil nutrient being the most discussed drivers. In addition, paleoclimate and geological events may also have a strong legacy on current plant diversity patterns. Except for these natural factors, many anthropogenic activities, including agriculture, deforestation, grazing, urbanization, and coal mining, are also important drivers of plant diversity. These anthropogenic activities can affect plant diversity patterns not only directly, but also indirectly through their effects on habitat loss and habitat fragmentation. Therefore, the current plant diversity patterns are the result of many interacting factors and need to be interpreted from a more comprehensive perspective. This Research Topic will therefore provide a platform for sufficient communication, aiming to integrate the research from different fields and deepen the understanding of the patterns and drivers of plant diversity. We encourage the submission of theoretical and experimental studies on different plant groups, such as seed plants, ferns, mosses, and algae. Studies based on new methods and technology (such as genomics and drones) are also welcomed. We welcome the following specific topics: • Effects of historical factors (such as paleoclimate, geological events) on plant diversity; • Plant diversity that driven by contemporary climate and anthropogenic activities; • The effect of habitat loss and fragmentation on plant diversity; • New methods of research on the patterns and drivers of plant diversity.




Impact of Climate Change, Land Use and Land Cover, and Socio-economic Dynamics on Landslides


Book Description

This book discusses the impact of climate change, land use and land cover, and socio-economic dynamics on landslides in Asian countries. Scholars recently have brought about a shift in their focus regarding triggering factors for landslides, from rainfall or earthquake to claiming rapid urbanization, extreme population pressure, improper land use planning, illegal hill cutting for settlements and indiscriminate deforestation. This suggests that the occurrence or probabilities of landslides are shaped by both climate-related and non-climate-related anthropogenic factors. Among these issues, land use and land cover change or improper land use planning is one of the key factors. Further climate change shapes the rainfall pattern and intensity in different parts of the world, and consequently rainfall-triggered landslides have increased. These changes cause socio-economic changes. Conversely, socio-economic and lifestyle changes enhance inappropriate land use and climate change. All these changes in land use, climate and socio-economic aspects are dynamics in nature and shape landslide risks in Asian countries, where they are given serious attention by governments, disaster management professionals, researchers and academicians. This book comprises 21 chapters divided into three major sections highlighting the effect of climate change on landslide incidence with the influence on vegetation and socio-economic aspects. The sections address how climate change and extreme events have triggered landslides. The advances in geospatial techniques with the focus on land use and land cover change along with the effect on socio-economic aspects are also explored.




Encyclopedia of Natural Resources - Land - Volume I


Book Description

With unprecedented attention on global change, the current debate revolves around the availability and sustainability of natural resources and how to achieve equilibrium between what society demands from natural environments and what the natural resource base can provide. A full understanding of the range of issues, from the consequences of the changing resource bases to the degradation of ecological integrity and the sustainability of life, is crucial to the process of developing solutions to this complex challenge. Authored by world-class scientists and scholars, The Encyclopedia of Natural Resources provides an authoritative reference on a broad spectrum of topics such as the forcing factors and habitats of life; their histories, current status, and future trends; and their societal connections, economic values, and management. The content presents state-of-the-art science and technology development and perspectives of resource management. Written and designed with a broad audience in mind, the entries clearly elucidate the issues for readers at all levels without sacrificing the scientific rigor required by professionals in the field. Volume I – Land includes 98 entries that cover the topical areas of renewable and nonrenewable natural resources such as forest and vegetative; soil; terrestrial coastal and inland wetlands; landscape structure and function and change; biological diversity; ecosystem services, protected areas, and management; natural resource economics; and resource security and sustainability. Natural resources represent such a broad scope of complex and challenging topics that a reference book must cover a vast number of subjects in order to be titled an encyclopedia. The Encyclopedia of Natural Resources does just that. The topics covered help you face current and future issues in the maintenance of clean air and water as well as the preservation of land resources and native biodiversity. Also Available Online This Taylor & Francis encyclopedia is also available through online subscription, offering a variety of extra benefits for researchers, students, and librarians, including: Citation tracking and alerts Active reference linking Saved searches and marked lists HTML and PDF format options Contact Taylor and Francis for more information or to inquire about subscription options and print/online combination packages. US: (Tel) 1.888.318.2367; (E-mail) [email protected] International: (Tel) +44 (0) 20 7017 6062; (E-mail) [email protected]