Download or read book Forest Structure and Composition Changes in a Tropical Montane Cloud Forest Surrounding an Illegal Village in Bale Mountains National Park written by Theresa Ramona Arechiga and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bale Mountains National Park (BMNP) is currently considered the most important conservation area in Ethiopia. BMNP was established over forty years ago to protect Ethiopian endemic fauna and to preserve an array of habitat types including Afroalpine, Afromontane, and the second largest natural humid forest (Harenna forest) left in Ethiopia. In the 1980's and 1990's assertions of a potential seasonal tropical montane cloud forest were made concerning areas in the upper Harenna forest. Despite these claims no additional evidence or research has been provided to verify the presence of a tropical montane cloud forest. Since the initial claims BMNP has faced increasing human and livestock population growth throughout the park including the elevation belt believed to contain the tropical montane cloud forest. This observational study was undertaken in Rira, the largest permanent village in the 2700 m to 3200 m above sea level belt. There were two goals to this research: one, to document rainfall amounts, temperature averages, and provide evidence of forest structure and characteristics consistent with tropical montane cloud forests; second, to identify the strongest detectible gradients affecting current forest structure and composition of herbaceous, shrub, and tree communities. A stationary weather station was installed at BMNP Subheadquarters at 2800 m to collect pertinent weather data. Variable-radius plots and fixed area plots were used along forest resource trails to collect the vegetation data. Nonmetric Multi-dimensional Scaling (NMS) was used to identify important gradients affecting forest structure and composition in the forest surrounding Rira. The vegetation matrix consisted of percent cover for the herbaceous layer, basal area and count for shrubs, basal area and size classification information for the trees, which resulted in a 15 plot x 96 species matrix. Twenty-three environmental and anthropogenic variables were used in a second matrix to identify primary gradients influencing the vegetation structure and composition. Average monthly rainfall in Rira was 673 mm based on 18 months of rainfall data. The overall forest canopy height and physical characteristics are consistent with tropical montane cloud forests. These findings suggest that the upper portion of the Harenna forest should be officially classified as tropical montane cloud forest. The primary gradient affecting forest structure and composition was consistent with anthropogenic disturbance. The variables which were statistically significant covariates included herbaceous layer height, distance to village, and presence of fuel wood collection with Pearson's r (13) = -0.86, -0.84, 0.82, p

Download or read book Changes in Forest Dynamics Along a 2 5 Km Elevation Gradient on the Southeastern Flank of the Peruvian Andes written by William Farfan Rios and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 55 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tropical montane cloud forests are poorly studied botanically, and nearly unstudied ecologically, even for basic stand-level measurements critical for understanding questions ranging from maintenance of diversity to ecosystem services (Budd et al. 2004). The aim of this study was to describe changes in forest structure, dynamics and mode of tree death across 2.5 km elevation gradient in a tropical montane cloud forest in the Andes of southeastern Peru. In 16 1-ha permanent tree plots over a four year interval all stems ([greater than or equal to] 10 cm DBH) were tagged, identified and measured initially, then recensused 2-4 yrs later. Results showed that stem mortality decreased significantly with elevation while recruitment did not, resulting in a significant decrease in stem turnover with elevation. Across all elevations the dominant mode of death was by being uprooted. Deaths due to stem snapping were more frequent at lower elevations while uprooting was greater at higher elevations. Trees dying standing had a non-linear relationship with elevation. This study also gave insight into the effects of elevation on the species trait of wood density, and further tested the hypothesis that wood density was an important predictor of how stems died. Results showed that species wood density increased with elevation and was associated with decreasing stem mortality; in particular the frequency of snapped stems. Overall stem density declined in the four year period due the high rates of stem mortality that were not balanced by recruitment. The high dynamism in low elevations can probably be attributed to changes in species composition and species trait spectra, as well as soil-nutrient relationships. The patterns found in this study lay the groundwork for mechanistic studies of factors controlling forest dynamics in tropical montane sites.

Download or read book Belowground Responses to Elevation in a Tropical Montane Cloud Forest written by Caitlin Irene Looby and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 119 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tropical montane cloud forests (TMCF) are defined by their characteristic cloud cover. This cloud cover endows these forests with unique structural and functional characteristics. However, climate change is reducing cloud cover, and causing warmer temperatures and longer dry periods in TMCF. Studies show that there will be devastating effects on plant and animal species aboveground. But, few studies have investigated soil communities and associated processes in TMCF. The goal of this dissertation was to characterize soil fungal communities and associated properties to determine how they respond to elevation. And in turn, assess how soil fungi and decomposition may respond to projected climate change.In Chapter 1, I characterized soil fungal communities and associated properties along an elevation gradient in a TMCF in Monteverde, Costa Rica. I found that soil properties, fungal communities, and microbial processes varied with elevation and across seasons. In Chapter 2, I simulated the effects of climate change by performing a soil translocation experiment across this same gradient. I found that fungal decomposers and pathogens may increase under warmer, drier conditions. I also found that decomposition increased under these warmer, drier conditions. The results suggest that decomposition may increase, and plants and animals may be exposed to more pathogens. In Chapter 3, I compared canopy and ground soils along two elevation gradients. I also assessed if these two soil types differed in how their properties, fungal communities, and extracellular enzyme activity (EEA) varied with elevation. I found that fungal communities differed between canopy and ground soils. Moreover, canopy soils had greater EEA than ground soils, suggesting that canopy soils have a greater decomposition potential and may contribute greatly to C cycling. Carbon dynamics in canopy soil may also be particularly responsive to climate change even more than we might predict based on observations from ground soil. Collectively, the results of my dissertation provide insights into how the structure and function of TMCF may be altered through changes in the fungal community.

Download or read book Cloud Forest Agenda written by Philip Bubb and published by United Nations Environment Programme. This book was released on 2004 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Cloud Forest Agenda report is designed to stimulate new initiatives and partnerships for the conservation and restoration of tropical cloud forests around the world. It provides global maps of cloud forests, alongside information on their biodiversity and watershed importance, a regional analysis of the threats to cloud forests and discussion on cloud forest conservation and livelihoods. The report concludes with an agenda for action, identifying global to national priorities and opportunities. Publishing Agency: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Download or read book Plant Water Relations in Seasonally Dry Tropical Montane Cloud Forests written by Gregory Rubin Goldsmith and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seasonal changes in water availability have been demonstrated to play a fundamental role in determining plant survival-mortality dynamics in a number of different ecosystems. Tropical montane cloud forests are often considered to be aseasonal environments that do not experience significant water deficits; however, there is growing recognition that many of these rare ecosystems experience one or more dry seasons annually. Moreover, many tropical montane cloud forests are projected to experience decreases in dry season precipitation and increases in dry season temperature as a function of climate change. While the regular presence of clouds may mitigate plant water stress occurring during the dry season, clouds are also projected to decrease in frequency, intensity and cover. At present, little is known about the plant-climate interactions in tropical montane cloud forests. In order to improve our understanding of the effects of climate change on tropical montane cloud forests, I studied how seasonal changes in water availability affect plant functioning using observational and experimental approaches at a number of different scales: In Chapter 1, I present the results from a study on tropical montane cloud forest ecohydrology. Despite longstanding recognition of the unique nature of hydrologic cycling in tropical montane forests, comprehensive and comparative studies remain limited. I studied the intra- and inter-annual variation in the inputs, pools and fluxes of water in a seasonally dry tropical montane cloud forest near Veracruz, Mexico using hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios in water. There was significant seasonal variation in the hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios of precipitation inputs driven by differences in the origin and size of storm events. This variation facilitated the separation of different pools of water, revealing the presence of two separate soil water pools, one highly mobile pool contributing to streams and a second less mobile pool being used by plants. At the peak of the dry season, the predominant deciduous and evergreen tree species were accessing shallow soil water from this second, less mobile pool. The results provide a foundation upon which to better understand the coupling between the hydrology and ecology of tropical montane cloud forests now and given projected scenarios of climate change. In Chapter 2, I present the results from a study on the effects of a sustained decrease in water availability on the growth and physiology of tropical montane cloud forest plant seedlings. Research on the functional response of tropical plants to seasonal changes in water availability has largely focused on tropical lowland ecosystems. I conducted an experimental dry-down of seedlings from four common tropical montane plant species in the genus Ocotea at a common site near Monteverde, Costa Rica. Despite only a small decrease in soil water availability, plants subjected to the experimental dry down demonstrated species-specific reductions in both physiology and growth. The results indicate that water is likely to play a strong role in tropical montane cloud forest plant functioning. In Chapter 3, I present the results from a study on the interactions between clouds and tropical montane cloud forest plants, with a focus on the prevalence and significance of foliar water uptake. Foliar water uptake, the direct uptake of water accumulated on leaf surfaces into leaves, is a common phenomenon in ecosystems that experience frequent fog or cloud immersion, but has not been studied in tropical montane cloud forests. I quantified cloud cover patterns in two neighboring, seasonally dry tropical montane cloud forests near Monteverde, Costa Rica using remote sensing data. I then correlated these patterns with ground-based observations of leaf wetting occurring due to the physical impaction of cloud moisture on leaf surfaces. During the dry season, when rainfall is reduced and leaf wetting due to clouds is the primary source of water in the ecosystem, leaf wetting events resulted in foliar water uptake in all species studied. While all the species demonstrated the capacity to improve their leaf water potential as a result of foliar water uptake, this capacity differed between the two forests and among the species studied within a forest. The results indicate that changes in the frequency, intensity, and duration of cloud cover projected to occur as a function of regional warming will not affect all species or forests equally. In Chapter 4, I present the results from a study on the effects of leaf wetting events and the resultant foliar water uptake on leaf water pressure-volume relations. Research on foliar water uptake has almost exclusively focused on the implications of additional water for leaf water potential and its impacts on photosynthetic performance. However, the study of pressure-volume relations can provide important insights into whether foliar water uptake alters traits responsible for the movement and conservation of water in leaves. I compared the pressure-volume relations of leaves rehydrated through both xylem and foliar water uptake compared to xylem alone in four tropical montane plant species near Monteverde, Costa Rica. Rehydration through both pathways caused inconsistent differences among species; however, one species demonstrated a decrease in the modulus of elasticity and an increase in capacitance that may be a function of differences in leaf anatomy. The results indicate that changes in pressure-volume traits associated with leaf wetting and foliar water uptake may have consequences for plant functioning and suggest that future research should more explicitly consider the role of leaf wetting in plant-water relations. Taken together, these studies suggest that the annual dry season experienced by the tropical montane cloud forests studied herein result in plant water deficits that impact plant functioning. However, these plant water deficits can be mitigated by the presence of clouds. The species-specific nature of many of the results indicate that projected changes in dry season water availability may alter plant survival-mortality dynamics and thus affect the species composition of tropical montane cloud forests in the future.

Download or read book Manejo de reas protegidas en los tr picos written by John Mackinnon and published by IUCN. This book was released on 1986 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Livestock s Long Shadow written by Henning Steinfeld and published by Food & Agriculture Org.. This book was released on 2006 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The assessment builds on the work of the Livestock, Environment and Development (LEAD) Initiative"--Pref.

Download or read book The Conservation Atlas of Tropical Forests written by International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources and published by Macmillan Reference USA. This book was released on 1992 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Africa's forests are being depleted at a faster rate than of any other continent. A major increase in the population growth rate began after World War II and it is now running at an annual rate of 2.9 per cent, resulting in massive demands for agricultural land, water, fuelwood and other products. There is no simple answer to environmental degradation and forest conservation must be part of a broader process of managing the landscape. Here to address this topic is the new Conservation Atlas of Tropical Forests: Africa, the first authoritative reference work on this subject. The second in a series this Conservation Atlas follows the format of the acclaimed Conservation Atlas of Tropical Forests: Asia and the Pacific (1991). Part I describes the issues, history of forests and climate, biological diversity, conservation of large mammals, and the peoples of the forests. Included are discussions of the links between population, environment and agriculture, the timber trade, protected areas system and the future for Africa's forests. Part II of the Atlas is a country by country survey of the forests of Africa. Stunning four-color maps, in a 9 x 12 format, have been compiled from satellite and radar imagery, aerial photography, and the latest information provided by forestry departments and development agencies. Both maps and text have been prepared and reviewed by a broad spectrum of specialists. The Atlas also includes four-color photographs and sketch maps. They represent the best visual portfolio available of Africa's forests today. For anyone interested in environmental issues, geography, forestry, development, economics, and the African region, this Atlas will be an essential resource.

Download or read book The Atlantic Forest written by Marcia C. M. Marques and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-01-13 with total page 527 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Atlantic Forest is one of the 36 hotspots for biodiversity conservation worldwide. It is a unique, large biome (more than 3000 km in latitude; 2500 in longitude), marked by high biodiversity, high degree of endemic species and, at the same time, extremely threatened. Approximately 70% of the Brazilian population lives in the area of this biome, which makes the conflict between biodiversity conservation and the sustainability of the human population a relevant issue. This book aims to cover: 1) the historical characterization and geographic variation of the biome; 2) the distribution of the diversity of some relevant taxa; 3) the main threats to biodiversity, and 4) possible opportunities to ensure the biodiversity conservation, and the economic and social sustainability. Also, it is hoped that this book can be useful for those involved in the development of public policies aimed at the conservation of this important global biome.

Download or read book High Mountain Conservation in a Changing World written by Jordi Catalan and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-08-03 with total page 413 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides case studies and general views of the main processes involved in the ecosystem shifts occurring in the high mountains and analyses the implications for nature conservation. Case studies from the Pyrenees are preponderant, with a comprehensive set of mountain ranges surrounded by highly populated lowland areas also being considered. The introductory and closing chapters will summarise the main challenges that nature conservation may face in mountain areas under the environmental shifting conditions. Further chapters put forward approaches from environmental geography, functional ecology, biogeography, and paleoenvironmental reconstructions. Organisms from microbes to large carnivores, and ecosystems from lakes to forest will be considered. This interdisciplinary book will appeal to researchers in mountain ecosystems, students and nature professionals. This book is open access under a CC BY license.

Download or read book People and Wildlife Conflict or Co existence written by Rosie Woodroffe and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2005-08-25 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Human-wildlife conflict is a major issue in conservation. As people encroach into natural habitats, and as conservation efforts restore wildlife to areas where they may have been absent for generations, contact between people and wild animals is growing. Some species, even the beautiful and endangered, can have serious impacts on human lives and livelihoods. Tigers kill people, elephants destroy crops and African wild dogs devastate sheep herds left unattended. Historically, people have responded to these threats by killing wildlife wherever possible, and this has led to the endangerment of many species that are difficult neighbours. The urgent need to conserve such species, however, demands coexistence of people and endangered wildlife. This book presents a variety of solutions to human-wildlife conflicts, including novel and traditional farming practices, offsetting the costs of wildlife damage through hunting and tourism, and the development of local and national policies.

Download or read book Biodiversity in Sub Saharan Africa and Its Islands written by S. N. Stuart and published by IUCN. This book was released on 1990 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Biodiversity and Human Health written by Francesca Grifo and published by Island Press. This book was released on 1997-02-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The implications of biodiversity loss for the global environment have been widely discussed, but only recently has attention been paid to its direct and serious effects on human health. Biodiversity loss affects the spread of human diseases, causes a loss of medical models, diminishes the supplies of raw materials for drug discovery and biotechnology, and threatens food production and water quality. Biodiversity and Human Health brings together leading thinkers on the global environment and biomedicine to explore the human health consequences of the loss of biological diversity. Based on a two-day conference sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Smithsonian Institution, the book opens a dialogue among experts from the fields of public health, biology, epidemiology, botany, ecology, demography, and pharmacology on this vital but often neglected concern. Contributors discuss the uses and significance of biodiversity to the practice of medicine today, and develop strategies for conservation of these critical resources. Topics examined include: the causes and consequences of biodiversity loss emerging infectious diseases and the loss of biodiversity the significance and use of both prescription and herbal biodiversity-derived remedies indigenous and local peoples and their health care systems sustainable use of biodiversity for medicine an agenda for the future In addition to the editors, contributors include Anthony Artuso, Byron Bailey, Jensa Bell, Bhaswati Bhattacharya, Michael Boyd, Mary S. Campbell, Eric Chivian, Paul Cox, Gordon Cragg, Andrew Dobson, Kate Duffy-Mazan, Robert Engelman, Paul Epstein, Alexandra S. Fairfield, John Grupenhoff, Daniel Janzen, Catherine A. Laughin, Katy Moran, Robert McCaleb, Thomas Mays, David Newman, Charles Peters, Walter Reid, and John Vandermeer. The book provides a common framework for physicians and biomedical researchers who wish to learn more about environmental concerns, and for members of the environmental community who desire a greater understanding of biomedical issues.

Download or read book Human Wildlife Interactions written by Beatrice Frank and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2019-05-02 with total page 479 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents solutions to turn conflict into tolerance and coexistence, with an emphasis on the human dimensions of human-wildlife interactions.

Download or read book African Antelope Database 1998 written by Rod East and published by IUCN. This book was released on 1999 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although most antelope species still exist in large numbers in sub-Saharan Africa (some in hundreds of thousands), up to three-quarters of the species are in decline. Threats to their survival arise from the rapid growth of human and livestock populations, with consequent degradation and destruction of natural habitats, and excessive offtake by meat hunters. In addition, some parts of Africa are mow almost completely devoid of large wild animals because of uncontrolled slaughter during recent civil wars. This report presents the information currently held by the IUCN/SSC Antelope Specialist Group on the conservation status of each antelope species (and selected subspecies) in sub-Saharan Africa. Key areas have been identified for the conservation of representative antelope communities. While external donors make the greatest contributions to the conservation of antelopes, greater recognition of wildlife conservation in national and regional development plans is often a critically important requirement.

Download or read book Microchiropteran Bats written by Anthony Michael Hutson and published by IUCN. This book was released on 2001 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Rabbits Hares and Pikas written by Joseph A. Chapman and published by IUCN. This book was released on 1990 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Action Plan provides an overview of the state of knowledge about all species of lagomorphs, provides a contemporary framework about their importance to humans and the world’s ecosystems, reviews their status on a worldwide scale, and makes recommendations for conservation action to prevent the extinction of any lagomorph species and to allow their populations to recover to safe and production levels.