Download or read book Floral Diversity of Kachchh Arid Ecosystem A Unique Insight into Xeric Plants written by Dr. Ekta B. Joshi and published by Google Book Publishers. This book was released on with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book “Floral Diversity of Kachchh Arid Ecosystem: A Unique Insight into Xeric Plants” focuses on biodiversity, ecology and taxonomy of plant diversity of altitudinal hill gradient environment viz. Kachchh Arid Ecosystem, Western Gujarat, India, with special emphasis on checklist of some rare, endangered and threatened plants. It encompasses the in-depth information on occurrence and distribution of general vegetation, species richness, frequency, density, abundance, commonness, and rarity of important and significant plant species exist in the region. The core theme of this book is floristic study and altitudinal diversity of hilly plants with special reference to species distribution, population dynamics, and community structure in addition to ethnobotany, ethnomedicine and phytosociology. The book embodies the vast and enormous information about ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal plants used by tribal community of hilly habitats of Kachchh. This book also highlights the phytosociological aspects of grass species along with historical account, population structure, dominance, and dynamics. It summarizes the unique records of some noteworthy plants in relation to status, distribution, age structure, threats faced, etc. Besides, the book is a good repository of field records of some native and endemic plants used by locales as medications or panacea for curing incorrigible ailments. The special feature of this book is field monitoring, assessment and evaluation of native plants using grass-root techniques for survival, sustenance, revival, restoration, and rejuvenation of dwindling plant species of environmental, ecological, and economic importance of arid hill ecosystem.
Download or read book Floristic Study of Arid Ecosystem Ecology and Phytosociology written by Dr. Ekta B. Joshi and published by Google Book Publishers . This book was released on with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book “Floristic Study of Arid Ecosystem: Ecology and Phytosociology” focuses on biodiversity, ecology and taxonomy of plant diversity of altitudinal hill gradient environment viz. Kachchh Arid Ecosystem, Western Gujarat, India, with special emphasis on conservation and management of rare, endangered and threatened (RET) taxa. It encompasses the in-depth information on occurrence and distribution of general vegetation, species richness, frequency, density, abundance, commonness and rarity of important and significant plant species exist in the region. The core theme of this book is floristic study and altitudinal diversity of hilly plants with special reference to species distribution, population dynamics and community structure in addition to ethnobotany, ethnomedicine and phytosociology. The book embodies the vast and enormous information about ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal plants used by tribal community of hilly habitats of Kachchh. This book also highlights the phytosociological aspects of invasive plant species viz. Prosopis julifora, along with historical account, population structure, dominance and dynamics. It summarizes the unique records of RET plants in relation to status, distribution, age structure, threats faced, etc. Besides, the book is a good repository of field records of some native and endemic plants used by locales as medications or panacea for curing incorrigible ailments. The special feature of this book is conservation and management strategies of RET plants using grass-root techniques for survival, sustenance, revival, restoration and rejuvenation of dwindling plant species of environmental, ecological and economic importance of arid hill ecosystem.
Download or read book Faunal Heritage of Rajasthan India written by B.K. Sharma and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-09-14 with total page 661 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first ever monumental and scientific documentation of the faunal wealth of the Indian Desert state of Rajasthan. This volume, the first of two, provides background on Rajasthan and covers species diversity and distribution of fauna. A scholarly contribution to the field of knowledge, it provides novel and vital information on the vertebrate faunal heritage of India’s largest state. Broadly falling under the Indo-Malaya Ecozone, the three major biomes of Rajasthan include deserts and xeric shrublands, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. The corresponding ecoregions to the above biomes are, respectively, the Thar Desert and northwestern thorn scrub forests, the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests, and the Upper Gangtic Plains moist deciduous forests. Contrary to popular belief, the well-known Thar or Great Indian Desert occupies only a part of the state. Rajasthan is diagonally divided by the Aravalli mountain ranges into arid and semi-arid regions. The latter have a spectacular variety of highly diversified and unique yet fragile ecosystems comprising lush green fields, marshes, grasslands, rocky patches and hilly terrains, dense forests, the southern plateau, fresh water wetlands, and salt lakes. Apart from the floral richness, there is faunal abundance from fishes to mammals. In this volume, the various flagship and threatened species are described in the 24 chapters penned by top notch wildlife experts and academics. The world famous heronry, tiger reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and some threat-ridden biodiversity rich areas shall certainly draw the attention of readers from around the world.
Download or read book The Ecology and Management of Wetlands written by Donal D. Hook and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 602 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book contains the proceedings of a symposium held at the College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina, USA, 16-20 June 1986. The seed for this symposium arose from a group of physiologists , soU scientists and biochemists that met in Leningrad, USSR in July 1975 at the 12th Botanical Conference in a Session organized by Professor B.B. Vartepetian. This group and others later conspired to contribute to a book entitled Plant Life in Anaerobic Environments (eds. D. D. Hook and R. M. M. Crawford, Ann Arbor Science, 1978). Several contributors to the book suggested in 1983 that a broad-scoped symposium on wetlands would be useful (a) in facilitating communication among the diverse research groups involved in wetlands research (b) in bringing researchers and managers together and (c) in presenting a com prehensive and balanced coverage on the status of ecology ami management of wetlands from a global perspective. With this encouragement, the senior editor organized a Plan ning Committee that encompassed expertise from many disciplines of wetland scientists and managers. This Committee, with input from their colleagues around the world, organized a symposium that addressed almost every aspect of wetland ecology and management.
Download or read book Desert Plants written by Kishan Gopal Ramawat and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2009-12-16 with total page 508 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Deserts appear very fascinating during our short visits. However, the lives of plants and animals are very dif?cult under the harsh climatic conditions of high tempe- ture and scant water supply in deserts, sometimes associated with high concent- tions of salt. The editor of this book was born and brought up in the Great Indian Desert, and has spent much of his life studying the growth and metabolism of desert plants. It is very charming on a cool summer evening to sit at the top of a sand dune listening only to blowing air and nothing else. It has been my dream to prepare a volume on desert plants encompassing various aspects of desert plant biology. In this book, I have tried to present functional and useful aspects of the vegetation resources of deserts along with scienti?c input aimed at understanding and impr- ing the utility of these plants. The scant vegetation of deserts supports animal life and provides many useful medicines, timber and fuel wood for humans. Therefore, there are chapters devoted to medicinal plants (Chap. 1), halophytes (Chaps. 13, 14), and fruit plants (Chaps. 17, 20). Desert plants have a unique reproductive biology (Chaps. 9–11), well-adapted eco-physiological and anatomical charact- istics (Chap. 7), and specialised metabolism and survival abilities. These plants are dif?cult to propagate and pose many problems to researchers developing biote- nological approaches for their amelioration (Chaps. 18–20).
Download or read book Plants for Arid Lands written by G.E. Wickens and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 458 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Economic plants have been defined by SEPASAT as those plants that are utilised either directly or indirectly for the benefit of Man. Indirect usage includes the needs of Man's livestock and the maintenance of the environment; the benefits may be domestic, commercial or aesthetic. Economic plants constitute a large and so far uncalculated percentage of the quarter of a million higher plants in the World today. However, it has been calculated that 10% (25 000) of these species are now on the verge of extinction and extinction means that a genetic resource that could be of benefit to Man will be lost for ever. Furthermore, for every species lost an estimated 10-30 other dependent organisms are also doomed. Fewer than 1 per cent of the World's plants have been sufficiently well studied for a true evaluation of the potential floral wealth awaiting discovery, not only in the rain forests, which man is now actively destroying at a rate of 20 ha a minute, but also in the very much neglected dry areas of the World.
Download or read book Microbiology of Hot Deserts written by Jean-Baptiste Ramond and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-07-28 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book covers the wider aspects of the microbiology of hot desert soil ecosystems, compiling disparate information from a range of relevant desert soil microbial fields. The reader learns about microbial ecology of the more dominant and possibly most important desert habitats, detailing the phylogenetic and functional diversity of these different habitats as well as their potential role in desert ecosystem ecology. Particular attention is also given to microbial stress adaptation in hot desert soils. Furthermore, it is the first volume in this particular field to cover modern metagenomics technologies that can be applied to studies of all aspects of desert microbial communities. Additionally, the book explores viruses and viral communities, which are among the least studied (and little understood) components of desert soil microbial communities. Particular attention is also given to the roles of desert microbial communities in biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. Through this book the reader discovers how desert microbiology has been at the forefront of Astrobiology and how it may be used conceptually in future terraforming strategies. Desert ecosystems are increasingly coming into focus given the impacts of climate change and desertification trends, making this volume particularly timely. Each of the chapters is authored by leading international researchers and is a must-read for microbial ecologists.
Download or read book Woody Plants Evolution and Distribution Since the Tertiary written by Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 1989-03-31 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Paleobotany has enormously expanded the documentation of fossil plant groups, floras and vegetation types, supporting its conclusions by technically much improved analyses of microfossils (pollen) and anatomical details. An increasing quantity and quality of all these informations from the geosciences is available when we follow the history of the biosphere up to the present. Simultaneously, research from the biosciences on the morphology, ecology, distribution, systematics and evolution of extant vascular plants, and on the ecogeographical differentiation of the vegetation cover of our planet, has made enormous progress. Thus, a synthetic geo- and bioscientific approach becomes more and more feasible and urgent for further advances in the many problems of common concern. A symposium organized by the "Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher LEOPOLDINA", attractive to paleo- and neobotanists, stimulated the discussion between specialists of the two disciplines. The main results of the symposium are now presented in this volume: Sixteen international contributions outline the current knowledge about the historical differentiation and evolution of woody plant groups and forests, covering the whole biosphere. This survey, from the beginning of the Tertiary up to the present, is a first systhesis of relevant data from the geo- and biosciences.
Download or read book Global Biogeochemical Cycles in the Climate System written by Ernst-Detlef Schulze and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2001-08-10 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The interactions of biogeochemical cycles influence and maintain our climate system. Land use and fossil fuel emissions are currently impacting the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur on land, in the atmosphere, and in the oceans. This edited volume brings together 27 scholarly contributions on the state of our knowledge of earth system interactions among the oceans, land, and atmosphere. A unique feature of this treatment is the focus on the paleoclimatic and paleobiotic context for investigating these complex interrelationships. * Eight-page colour insert to highlight the latest research * A unique feature of this treatment is the focus on the paleoclimatic context for investigating these complex interrelationships.
Download or read book Halophytes as a resource for livestock and for rehabilitation of degraded lands written by V. Squires and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Desertification (land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting mainly from adverse human impacts) is the main environmental problem of dry lands, which occupy more than 40 per cent of the total global land area. The phenomenon threatens about 3.6 billion hectares and currently affects the livelihood of about 900 million people. Thl! world is now losing annually about 1.5 million hectares of total irrigated lands (240 million hectares) due mostly to salinization, mainly in drylands. Salt affected soils are widely distributed throughout the arid and semi-arid regions, and particularly severe in China (7 million ha), India (20 million ha), Pakistan (3.2 million ha), USA (5.2 million ha), as well as Near East, southern Europe and elsewhere. Demands on production have increased the pressure on existing productive land and moved the limits of production onto increasingly marginal lands. Wise land-use practices have yet to be developed for such conditions. The Executive Director of UNEP reported to the Governing Council in February 1992 concerning the "Status of Desertification and Implementation of the United Nations Plan of Action to Comtat Desertification (PACD)". The Report concludes that major efforts to implement the PACD had gJne into supporting measures rather than concrete corrective field operations. Little evidence of progrl!ss was found in irrigated croplands, rainfed croplands or rangelands. It was recommended that every piece of land should be used in keeping with its ecological characteristics, natural capabilities and constraints.
Download or read book Equids zebras Asses and Horses written by Patricia Des Roses Moehlman and published by IUCN. This book was released on 2002 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The new Equid Action Plan provides current knowledge on the biology, ecology and conservation status of wild zebras, asses, and horses. It specifies what information is lacking, and prioritizes needed conservation actions. The Action Plan also provides chapters on equid taxonomy, genetics, reproductive biology, and population dynamics. These chapters highlight unsolved issues of taxonomy and genetics. They also provide information and insight into the special demographic and genetic challenges of managing small populations. The chapter on disease provides a review of documented equine disease and epidemiology and focuses on priorities for equid conservation health. The final chapter deals with the importance of developing an assessment methodology that explicitly considers the role of equids in ecosystems and the ecological processes that are necessary for ecosystem viability. The approach of combining ecological field studies and ecosystem modeling should prove useful for the scientific management and conservation of wild equids worldwide. These chapters provide research and conservation practitioners with new information and paradigms.
Download or read book Grasslands and Climate Change written by David J. Gibson and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2019-03-21 with total page 363 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive assessment of the effects of climate change on global grasslands and the mitigating role that ecologists can play.
Download or read book Vegetative Characteristics of Swift Fox Denning and Foraging Sites in Southwestern South Dakota written by Daniel W. Uresk and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 8 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vegetative characteristics of swift fox (Vulpes velox) denning and foraging habitats were studied in southwestern South Dakota. We followed 14 radio-collared foxes over a two-year period and identified 17 den sites and 82 foraging sites. Height-density of vegetation (visual obstruction reading, VOR) was determined on each den and foraging site and on 81 randomly selected sites. Total vegetation VOR was higher (p=0.08) at den sites than on randomly selected sites (11.7±1.4 and 9.5±0.6cm (SE), respectively). Swift foxes used foraging areas with vegetation greater VOR (p=0.01) than that found on randomly selected sites (11.9±0.7 and 9.5±0.6 cm, respectively). Canopy cover for seven major plant species on foraging sites was different than on den sites (p=0.055) but random sites were not different from either foraging or den sites. While previous studies have described swift fox macrohabitats with little vegetative cover (e.g., plowed fields or heavily grazed areas), our study showed that height-density of vegetation is important to these foxes.
Download or read book Sustainable Bioresource Management written by Ratikanta Maiti and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2020-04-21 with total page 527 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new volume emphasizes the drastic quantitative and qualitative transformation of our surrounding environment and looks at bioresource management and the tools needed to manageenvironmental stresses. This unique compilation and interpretation of concrete scientific ventures undertaken by environmental specialists at the global level explores research dedicated to the management of natural resources by controlling biotic and abiotic factors that make the earth vulnerable to these stresses. The chapter authors look at all types of bioresources on earth and their management at times of stress/crisis, focusing on the need for documentation, validation, and recovery of ethnic indigenous knowledge and practices that could have great impact in stress management. The book looks at topics in nature and changing climate management, adaptation, and mitigation, such as the effects of climate change on agriculture and horticulture, on timber harvesting, and on forest resources. Also specifically discussed are crop resources management, seed crops, tree seedlings, soil management, and conservation practices. The volume also includes chapters on animal resources management.
Download or read book Environmental Science written by Y. K. Singh and published by New Age International. This book was released on 2006-12 with total page 10 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Environmental Science is one of the most important areas of research and study in present time and its application in every aspect of life has also increased . Keeping this in view, almost all Indian Universities have introduced it as a compulsory course. This book is intended to suit the needs of graduate and postgraduate students pursuing environmental studies. To save the natural environment, a good and effective understanding of environmental science is needed. Environmental science is a term that has been widely used in recent years and its manifestations can range from environmental awareness learning through complex and expensive environmental study to operational research studies of environmental educations systems.
Download or read book Soil Pollution An Emerging Threat to Agriculture written by Jayanta K. Saha and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-04-05 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book provides reader with a comprehensive up-to-date overview of various aspects of soil pollutants manifestation of toxicity. The book highlights their interactions with soil constituents, their toxicity to agro-ecosystem & human health, methodologies of toxicity assessment along with remediation technologies for the polluted land by citing case studies. It gives special emphasis on scenario of soil pollution threats in developing countries and ways to counteract these in low cost ways which have so far been ignored. It also explicitly highlights the need for soil protection policy and identifies its key considerations after analyzing basic functions of soil and the types of threats perceived. This book will be a useful resource for graduate students and researchers in the field of environmental and agricultural sciences, as well as for personnel involved in environmental impact assessment and policy making.
Download or read book Modern Trends in Applied Terrestrial Ecology written by R.S. Ambasht and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ecology and economics have Greek roots in oikos for "household", logos for "study", and nomics for "management". Thus, ecology and economics should have complemented one another for a proper growth and development without destruction, but, unfortunately, rapid industrialization, lure for fast financial gains, and commercialization activities have led to a widespread surge in pollution load, environmental degradation, habitat destruction, rapid loss ofbiodiversity, sudden rise in rate ofextinction ofmany wildlife and wild relatives of domesticated animals and cultivated cereals and other plants, global climate changes creating global rise in temperature, and CO levels and increased ultraviolet B at ground 2 level. Although these threats to human health have led us to look to ecology for their solutions and guidance for sustainable development without destruction, the industrial and technology houses are looking for alternative methods of development and resource use methods. The two global conferences of the United Nations in 1972 and 1992, and international programs of Man and the Biosphere (MAB), International Biological Program (IBP), International Geosphere, Biosphere program (lGBP), and World Conser vation Union (IUCN), of different commissions, United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) efforts, Ramsar Conventions (for wetlands), and World Wide fund for Nature (WWF) (for nature in general and wildlife in particular) have focused attention of ecologists, naturalists, governments and Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) toward better conservation.
