Download or read book Human and Climate Impacts on Tropical Andean Ecosystems written by Joseph James Williams and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Tropical Forest Ecosystems written by Adam Markham and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-11-11 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Climate change represents one of the most alarming long-term threats to ecosystems the world over. This new collection of papers provides, for the first time, an overview of the potentially serious impact that climate change may have on tropical forests. The authors, a multi-disciplinary group of leading experts in climatology, forestry, ecology and conservation biology, present a state-of-knowledge snapshot of how tropical forests are likely to react to the changes being wrought on our planet's atmosphere and climate. Tropical forests represent extraordinary harbours for biological diversity, and yet as deforestation and degradation continue apace, they are under greater pressure from human impacts than ever before. Climate change adds yet another threat to these valuable ecosystems, and this volume demonstrates just how significant a problem this may really be. The authors identify certain types of forest, including tropical montane cloud forest that may be particularly vulnerable. They also show the strong likelihood of global warming aggravating problems in already fragmented forest areas.
Download or read book Tropical Rainforest Responses to Climatic Change written by Mark B. Bush and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007 with total page 427 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The goal of this book is to provide a current overview of the impacts of climate change on tropical forests, to investigate past, present, and future climatic influences on the ecosystems with the highest biodiversity on the planet.Tropical Rainforest Responses to Climatic Change will be the first book to examine how tropical rain forest ecology is altered by climate change, rather than simply seeing how plant communities were altered. Shifting the emphasis onto ecological processes e.g. how diversity is structured by climate and the subsequent impact on tropical forest ecology, provides the reader with a more comprehensive coverage. A major theme of this book that emerges progressively is the interaction between humans, climate and forest ecology. While numerous books have appeared dealing with forest fragmentation and conservation, none have explicitly explored the long term occupation of tropical systems, the influence of fire and the future climatic effects of deforestation, coupled with anthropogenic emissions. Incorporating modelling of past and future systems paves the way for a discussion of conservation from a climatic perspective, rather than the usual plea to stop logging.
Download or read book Tropical Rainforest Responses to Climatic Change written by Mark Bush and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-08-17 with total page 483 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This updated and expanded second edition of a much lauded work provides a current overview of the impacts of climate change on tropical forests. The authors also investigate past, present and future climatic influences on the ecosystems with the highest biodiversity on the planet. Tropical Rainforest Responses to Climatic Change, Second Edition, looks at how tropical rain forest ecology is altered by climate change, rather than simply seeing how plant communities were altered. Shifting the emphasis on to ecological processes, e.g. how diversity is structured by climate and the subsequent impact on tropical forest ecology, provides the reader with a more comprehensive coverage. A major theme of the book is the interaction between humans, climate and forest ecology. The authors, all foremost experts in their fields, explore the long term occupation of tropical systems, the influence of fire and the future climatic effects of deforestation, together with anthropogenic emissions. Incorporating modelling of past and future systems paves the way for a discussion of conservation from a climatic perspective, rather than the usual plea to stop logging. This second edition provides an updated text in this rapidly evolving field. The existing chapters are revised and updated and two entirely new chapters deal with Central America and the effect of fire on wet forest systems. In the first new chapter, the paleoclimate and ecological record from Central America (Lozano, Correa, Bush) is discussed, while the other deals with the impact of fire on tropical ecosystems. It is hoped that Jonathon Overpeck, who has been centrally involved in the 2007 and 2010 IPCC reports, will provide a Foreword to the book.
Download or read book Andean Hydrology written by Diego A. Rivera and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2018-01-29 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes the ecosystem of the Andean watersheds, covering the Californian valley, tropical Andes, and southern Andes. Case studies of the new methods and techniques used for hydrological research in the Andes are provided, and sustainability issues pertaining to Andean water resources are discussed in the context of climate change, social and economic issues, and public policy. Furthermore, the impact of economic development on the Andean ecosystem, specifically the effect on the water cycle and the water-energy-food nexus, are examined.
Download or read book The Regional Impacts of Climate Change written by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Working Group II. and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1998 with total page 532 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cambridge, UK : Cambridge University Press, 1998.
Download or read book P ramo written by Henrik Balslev and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume, developed from Papers given at a discussion meeting in June of 1991, describes the unique flora and fauna of paramo, a high altitude Andean grassland ecosystem. The paramos are a rich, botanically diverse range of habitats of vital importance both to the local economy and as a major catchment area for water for many of the region's cities and great rivers. This book focuses on the activities of man in grazing, cutting, buring, and cultivating this fragile region. Important new research from Mexico, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru is brought together for the first time to provide an essential reference for both those interested in Central and South American ecology and the conservation and proper use of those ecosystems. * a little-studied habitat of growing importance Describes a rich and fragile environment under human threat First book devoted to this habitat
Download or read book Biodiversity and Climate Change written by Thomas E. Lovejoy and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2019-01-01 with total page 414 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An essential, up-to-date look at the critical interactions between biological diversity and climate change that will serve as an immediate call to action The physical and biological impacts of climate change are dramatic and broad-ranging. People who care about the planet and manage natural resources urgently need a synthesis of our rapidly growing understanding of these issues. In this all-new sequel to the 2005 volume Climate Change and Biodiversity, leading experts in the field summarize observed changes, assess what the future holds, and offer suggested responses. From extinction risk to ocean acidification, from the future of the Amazon to changes in ecosystem services, and from geoengineering to the power of ecosystem restoration, this book captures the sweep of climate change transformation of the biosphere.
Download or read book Human Adaptability Student Economy Edition written by Emilio Moran and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-10-03 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book focuses on mechanisms of human adaptability. It integrates findings from ecology, physiology, social anthropology, and geography around a set of problems or constraints posed by human habitats.
Download or read book Central Andean Vegetation Response to Rapid Paleoclimate Changes written by Nicole Alana Sublette Mosblech and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 484 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A key question for biologists, conservationists and resource planners is how Andean forests will respond to predicted climate extremes within the current century. Unfortunately, little is understood regarding past extreme climate events in the Central Andes and the response of Andean plant communities to them. Do vegetational changes arise from sudden changes in climate, or can they occur after a period of steady, incremental change, when a climatic threshold is exceeded? These predictions were tested in the tropical Andes, one of the richest regions of biodiversity on the planet. The study spanned the Late Pleistocene (c. 94 thousand years ago, or ka) to modern time. The potential causes of rapid vegetational change obtained from the fossil pollen of lake sediments compared with the indices of climate change measured in the isotopic content of stalagmites. As humans have become an important factor in the Andean forest landscape in the last several millennia, their impact on the response of Andean forest communities to climate and the likelihood of abrupt ecological change was also studied. A new [delta]18O record from the western Amazon (-3.02°, -78.14°, 980 meters above sea level or masl) revealed significant climatic oscillations within the aseasonal region of the Amazon Basin from c. 94-6 ka. A second cave stalagmite record from the eastern Andes (-5.70°, -77.90°, 1920 masl) revealed relative climatic stability buffered by long-term cloud presence from c. 17 ka to the present. Both isotopic records revealed variations in precipitation and South American Summer Monsoon conditions driven by precessional isolation. The records also revealed finer-scale variability and abrupt events primarily driven by the North Atlantic, which were manifested within the tropics via latitudinal shifts in the Intertropical Convergence Zone. An abrupt, wet-climate event was identified within the southern Neotropics at c. 13 ka, which may have been related to the Antarctic climatic oscillations just prior to the Younger Dryas. A rapid shift toward sustained Andean aridity at c. 11 ka was also observed in other isotopic records. The response of vegetation to climate and human actions was investigated via fossil pollen and charcoal recovered from three ancient lakes. Ecological variability within cloud forests of northern Peru responded to the fluctuations in El Niño Southern Oscillation activity. The oldest fossil pollen evidence of maize agriculture within Andean cloud forests was identified c. 3.2 ka. Changing precipitation conditions appeared to change the human use at all lake sites, prompting switches in staple crops and contributing to the establishment of agroforestry c. 1.2 ka. Comparisons of high-resolution, independently-dated paleoclimate and paleoecological records indicated that, for at least the last 15 ka, Andean forests responded quickly to abrupt, large climate events. In each case, the ecological response was non-linear and longer lasting than the underlying climate event, requiring nearly twice as long as the climate event to return to an approximate equilibrium with environmental conditions in the absence of human disturbance. No abrupt shifts in Andean forest communities were observed in response to gradual climatic changes. Regional coherence of paleoecological shifts within southern Ecuador and both northern and southern Peru clearly indicated human control over Andean mid-elevational landscapes in the late Holocene by c. 4 ka. Humans impacted the local forest communities by disrupting the natural cycle of climatic change and the ecological responses. As a consequence, Andean forests have displayed a clear compositional shift which are presently dominated by taxa well-adapted to disturbance and fire. Increased external stressors, including greater fire frequencies, have reduced the resilience of montane forests, making abrupt change to smaller-magnitude climate events more probable than in the past.
Download or read book Gradients in a Tropical Mountain Ecosystem of Ecuador written by Erwin Beck and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2008-01-24 with total page 525 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fascinating work that provides a wealth of information on one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems. This is the result of investigations by almost 30 groups of researchers from various disciplines. They performed ecosystem analyses following two gradients: an altitudinal gradient and a gradient of land use intensity and ecosystem regeneration following human use. Based on these analyses, this volume discusses these findings in a huge variety of subject areas.
Download or read book Climate Change on Mountains written by Olivier Dangles and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-10-28 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The world is warming up rapidly and this change is most noticeable in mountains with already observable consequences on flora and fauna. This book presents concepts, methodologies and major achievements of recent research in climate change ecology in mountains by placing this research in a historical perspective, that of travelers and naturalists of the Romantic era, and first of all Alexander von Humboldt. There is now a renewed interest, both in academia and beyond, in Humboldt, his writings and his view of nature. But how can we actually make use of his writings? How can we put his philosophy into practice? How can we still learn from past scientific figures and do a better science today? In this book, the author presents how it is possible to succeed in modern science by returning to sources, by renewing the tradition of past polymaths such as Humboldt, and by having a fully humanistic approach in science. He illustrates his point based on his 15-year experience in the study of the ecological effects of climate change in the tropical Andes, showing how he has incorporated approaches from other disciplines, from different branches of science, from history and the arts to achieve a more comprehensive view of his scientific field. Alongside hard data, discoveries by past naturalists build our understanding of the world but appealing to our emotions makes us want to understand it. In the author’s view this is a productive and enjoyable way of doing science that speaks to our humanity and also increases our knowledge about nature. This academic cross-over book appeals to a broad audience of students, scientists or, supported by attractive illustrations, to anyone interested in the adventure or making of science, but not necessarily with a scientific background.
Download or read book Tropical Glaciers written by Georg Kaser and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Glaciers in the tropics and their environmental consequences.
Download or read book Ecosystem and Species Adaptations in the Andean Amazonian Region written by Ana Sabogal and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-11-30 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book focuses on ecosystems and species adaptations in the unique Peruvian Andean-Amazonian region. The presence of the Andes as the backbone is the cause of the huge ecosystem diversity and biodiversity of species that characterize the Andean-Amazonian ecosystems. The complex orography of Peru as results of the Andes presence in its tropical setting favors the occurrence of local climatic features that provide diverse environmental conditions for multiple, unique plant and animal species, many of them endemic to the Andes. The book will introduce the reader to the climatic history and geography of the Peruvian Andes and the Peruvian Natural Areas Protection system focusing on the Manu and Northwest biosphere reserves given their relevant ecological importance as well as the relationship between them and the local population. Important global topics like urbanization, deglaciation and global warming will be analyzed and discussed due to their impact in the Andes-Amazon ecosystems. Finally, the traditional land-use systems, agrobiodiversity and agrodiversity in Peru are present and linked with the climate change adaptations.
Download or read book Up in Smoke written by and published by Oxfam. This book was released on 2006 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The third report from the Working Group on Climate Change and development considering the threat from climate change to the environment and human development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Download or read book Ecosystem Services Biodiversity and Environmental Change in a Tropical Mountain Ecosystem of South Ecuador written by Jörg Bendix and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-07-09 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An interdisciplinary research unit consisting of 30 teams in the natural, economic and social sciences analyzed biodiversity and ecosystem services of a mountain rainforest ecosystem in the hotspot of the tropical Andes, with special reference to past, current and future environmental changes. The group assessed ecosystem services using data from ecological field and scenario-driven model experiments, and with the help of comparative field surveys of the natural forest and its anthropogenic replacement system for agriculture. The book offers insights into the impacts of environmental change on various service categories mentioned in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005): cultural, regulating, supporting and provisioning ecosystem services. Examples focus on biodiversity of plants and animals including trophic networks, and abiotic/biotic parameters such as soils, regional climate, water, nutrient and sediment cycles. The types of threats considered include land use and climate changes, as well as atmospheric fertilization. In terms of regulating and provisioning services, the emphasis is primarily on water regulation and supply as well as climate regulation and carbon sequestration. With regard to provisioning services, the synthesis of the book provides science-based recommendations for a sustainable land use portfolio including several options such as forestry, pasture management and the practices of indigenous peoples. In closing, the authors show how they integrated the local society by pursuing capacity building in compliance with the CBD-ABS (Convention on Biological Diversity - Access and Benefit Sharing), in the form of education and knowledge transfer for application.
Download or read book Andean Hydrology written by Diego A. Rivera and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2021-03-31 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes the ecosystem of the Andean watersheds, covering the Californian valley, tropical Andes, and southern Andes. Case studies of the new methods and techniques used for hydrological research in the Andes are provided, and sustainability issues pertaining to Andean water resources are discussed in the context of climate change, social and economic issues, and public policy. Furthermore, the impact of economic development on the Andean ecosystem, specifically the effect on the water cycle and the water-energy-food nexus, are examined.
