Geomatics and Conservation Biology


Book Description

This edited book, composed of chapters written by scholars of the geomatics-based, environmental and biological sciences, examines selected topics from the intersecting fields of geomatics (including remote sensing, geographical information science (GIS), global positioning systems (GPS), mapping and field survey methods) and conservation biology (including ecology and conservation policy), with case studies from West Africa, Canada, India and Malaysia. The focus is on some of the more important issues that dominate current intersections between developments in geomatics technology and those of conservation biology. Chapter One examines the history and themes of geomatics and applications to conservation biology research. Chapter Two presents a case study of geomatics-based research on the vital issue of vulture ecology, extinction and conservation in Central India. Chapter Three examines the relationship between people and elephants in the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary and its surroundings in India, and it creates habitat suitability models from geomatics techniques to assess and predict elephant presence and potential human-elephant conflicts. Chapter Four examines the history and status of remote sensing as an aspect of geomatics, focusing mainly on satellite imagery. Chapter Five looks at development in GIS and takes an example of multidirectional landcover change from the West African savanna. Chapter Six looks at developments in GPS technology, especially concerning applications to the micro-habitats of bird presence and applications to mammal behavior. Chapter Seven looks at the subfield of animal geography, which looks at the subjective behavior of individual animals and the technology used to measure these detailed phenomena. Chapter Eight takes a case study of bird migration and habitat utilization in the swamps of coastal Malaysia. Chapter Nine looks at the utility of dated aerial photographs and supporting field methods in the evaluation of historical landcover change, covering periods before the development of modern imaging techniques and using an example from the West African savanna. This book makes an important contribution to the intersections of geomatics and conservation biology.




The Great Eagles


Book Description

This book examines the current literature and knowledge on the evolution and ecology of all the birds named as eagles, with particular emphasis on the larger species. It also examines the past and current relations between eagles and people, including habitat change and conservation issues. Eagle ecologies and conservation are currently seriously impacted by human activities such as industrialization, urbanization, pollution, deforestation and hunting. Some eagle species have consequently experienced extreme population changes. There are, however, some positive developments. Eagles have a strong, historic bond with human civilization, due to their status as the world’s most charismatic birds. Conservation policies have also been successful in repopulating some ecosystems with breeding eagles. Therefore, despite the complexity of this relationship, there may yet be hope for this unique species group, frequently rated as the kings of birds, and symbolic of human power, ambition, royalty, nationality, and even concepts of God. It is hoped that this book will contribute to the further understanding of these unique and fantastic birds.







Geo-Spatial Analysis of Forest Landscape for Wildlife Management


Book Description

This book presents research on landscape ecology and the relationship between humans and wildlife. It helps readers understand how ecological patterns and processes are interconnected. This research illustrates and proposes (practicable) management strategies toward long-term ecological restoration and mitigation of consequences of conflict. Increasing wildlife activities in localities and forest fringes are an alarming issue. Ecological processes like movement, colonization, extinction and conflict issues depend on the landscape and ecological activities, the movement for example of migratory elephants and their colonization not only affects society but the wildlife and biodiversity too. Strategic management measures can contribute to enriching the biodiversity, habitat quality as well as landscape, while minimizing human-wildlife conflicts. This book describes landscape ecological patterns and processes, habitat dominancy, habitat dependency, suitability, connectivity and corridor selection. To synthesize these patterns and processes, several ecological indices are used. Use of geo-spatial techniques improves future management strategies for similar circumstances, especially, related to forest regeneration and forest restoration. This book provides a concise overview to a wide range of readers including postgraduate students, researcher, academics, landscape planners, decision makers and even local populations. The techniques and management strategies described should help planners to improve forest management, by implementing quality enhancement programs such as plantation area selection and corridor selection.




Biogeochemistry and the Environment


Book Description

Biogeochemistry may be defined as the science that combines biological and chemical perspectives for the examination of the Earth’s surface, including the relations between the biosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. Biogeochemistry is a comparatively recently developed science, that incorporates scientific knowledge and findings, research methodologies, and models linking the biological, chemical, and earth sciences. Therefore, while it is a definitive science with a strong theoretical core, it is also dynamically and broadly interlinked with other sciences. This book examines the complex science of biogeochemistry from a novel perspective, examining its comparatively recent development, while also emphasizing its interlinked relationship with the earth sciences (including the complementary science of geochemistry), the geographical sciences (biogeography, oceanography, geomatics, earth systems science), the biological sciences (ecology, wildlife studies, biological aspects of environmental sciences) and the chemical sciences (including environmental chemistry and pollution). The book covers cutting-edge topics on the science of biogeochemistry, examining its development, structure, interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary relations, and the future of the current complex knowledge systems, especially in the context of technological, developments, and the computer and data fields.




Geoinformatics for Marine and Coastal Management


Book Description

Geoinformatics for Marine and Coastal Management provides a timely and valuable assessment of the current state of the art geoinformatics tools and methods for the management of marine systems. This book focuses on the cutting-edge coverage of a wide spectrum of activities and topics such as GIS-based application of drainage basin analysis, contribution of ontology to marine management, geoinformatics in relation to fisheries management, hydrography, indigenous knowledge systems, and marine law enforcement. The authors present a comprehensive overview of the field of Geoinformatic Applications in Marine Management covering key issues and debates with specific case studies illustrating real-world applications of the GIS technology. This "box of tools" serves as a long-term resource for coastal zone managers, professionals, practitioners, and students alike on the management of oceans and the coastal fringe, promoting the approach of allowing sustainable and integrated use of oceans to maximize opportunities while keeping risks and hazards to a minimum.




Conservation in the 21st Century: Gorillas as a Case Study


Book Description

This volume identifies the primary problems faced in conserving wild populations of gorillas throughout Africa, pinpointing new approaches to solving these problems and outlining the increased role that zoos can play in gorilla conservation. It includes the in-depth expertise of field scientists in a variety of disciplines to discuss current conservation threats, novel approaches to conservation, and potential solutions.




Communities and Conservation


Book Description

A group of distinguished environmentalists analyze and advocate for community-based natural resource management (CBNRM). They offer an overview of this transnational movement and its links between environmental management and social justice agendas. This book will be valuable to instructors, practitioners, and activists in environmental anthropology, justice, and policy, in cultural geography, political ecology, indigenous rights, conservation biology, and community-based cultural resource management.




Biology and Conservation of the European Sturgeon Acipenser sturio L. 1758


Book Description

The book aims at synthesizing our current knowledge of Acipenser sturio and its management. This species, one of the most widespread sturgeon species all over Western Europe ranging from the Black Sea to the Baltic, is now on the verge of extinction. Major aspects of its biology and management, including mismanagement, are provided in a historic perspective. Similarly, the changes in the restoration programs (in situ and ex situ) initiated in France and Germany are presented. As the species occurred in sympatry with Acipenser oxyrinchus in Germany and Poland and very recently in France as well, a brief outlook on restoration-management programs of A. oxyrinchus are also provided for both North America and Northern European countries, namely Germany and Poland. As conservation-restoration actions go beyond scientific issues, non-governmental stakeholders and marine professional fishermen’s organizations have also been asked to contribute, and the key role of a French-German cooperation plan is underlined. A part of the book is devoted to perspectives. Illustrations of the European sturgeon, mainly in photographs, but also in stamps and paintings, are presented.




Basics of Geomatics


Book Description

Geomatics is a neologism, the use of which is becoming increasingly widespread, even if it is not still universally accepted. It includes several disciplines and te- niques for the study of the Earth’s surface and its environments, and computer science plays a decisive role. A more meaningful and appropriate expression is G- spatial Information or GeoInformation. Geo-spatial Information embeds topography in its more modern forms (measurements with electronic instrumentation, sophisticated techniques of data analysis and network compensation, global satellite positioning techniques, laser scanning, etc.), analytical and digital photogrammetry, satellite and airborne remote sensing, numerical cartography, geographical information systems, decision support systems, WebGIS, etc. These specialized elds are intimately interrelated in terms of both the basic science and the results pursued: rigid separation does not allow us to discover several common aspects and the fundamental importance assumed in a search for solutions in the complex survey context. The objective pursued by Mario A. Gomarasca, one that is only apparently modest, is to publish an integrated text on the surveying theme, containing simple and comprehensible concepts relevant to experts in Geo-spatial Information and/or speci cally in one of the disciplines that compose it. At the same time, the book is rigorous and synthetic, describing with precision the main instruments and methods connected to the multiple techniques available today.