Download or read book The Study of Seasonal Composition and Dynamics of Wetland Ecosystems and Wintering Bird Habitat at Poyang Lake PR China Using Object based Image Analysis and Field Observations written by Iryna Dronova and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world which support critical ecological services and high biological diversity yet are vulnerable to climate change and human activities. Despite their tremendous economic and ecological value, substantial uncertainty still exists about wetland ecosystem function, habitats and response to natural and anthropogenic stressors worldwide. This uncertainty is further aggravated by constrained field access and surface heterogeneity which limit the accuracy of wetland analyses from remote sensing images. In this thesis, I investigated the capabilities of satellite remote sensing with medium spatial resolution and object-based image analysis (OBIA) methods to elucidate seasonal composition and dynamics of wetland ecosystems and indicators of habitat for wintering waterbirds in a large conservation hotspot of Poyang Lake, PR China. I first examined changes in major wetland cover types during the low water period when Poyang Lake provides habitat to large numbers of migratory birds from the East Asian pathway. I used OBIA to map and analyze the transitions among water, vegetation, mudflat and sand classes from four 32-m Beijing-1 microsatellite images between late fall 2007 and early spring 2008. This analysis revealed that, while transitions among wetland classes were strongly associated with precipitation and flood-driven hydrological variation, the overall dynamics were a more complex interplay of vegetation phenology, disturbance and post-flood exposure. Remote sensing signals of environmental processes were more effectively captured by changes in fuzzy memberships to each class per location than by changes in spatial extents of the best-matching classes alone. The highest uncertainty in the image analysis corresponded to transitional wetland states at the end of the major flood recession in November and to heterogeneous mudflat areas at the land-water interface during the whole study period. Results suggest seasonally exposed mudflat features as important targets for future research due to heterogeneity and uncertainty of their composition, variable spatial distribution and sensitivity to hydrological dynamics. I further explored the potential of OBIA to overcome the limitations of the traditional pixel-based image classification methods in characterizing Poyang Lake plant functional types (PFTs) from the medium-resolution Landsat satellite data. I assessed the sensitivity in PFT classification accuracy to image object scale, machine-learning classification method and hierarchical level of vegetation classes determined from ecological functional traits of the locally dominant plant species. Both the overall and class-specific accuracy values were higher at coarser object scales compared to near-pixel levels, regardless of the machine-learning algorithm, with the overall accuracy exceeding 85-90%. However, more narrowly defined PFT classes differed in their highest-accuracy object scale values due to their unique patch structure, ecology of the dominant species and disturbance agents. To improve classification agreement between different levels of vegetation type hierarchy and reduce the uncertainty, future analyses should integrate spectral and geometric properties of vegetation patches with species' functional ecological traits. In periodically flooded wetlands such as Poyang Lake, rapid short-term surface dynamics and frequent inundation may constrain detection of directional long-term effects of climate change, succession or alien species invasions. To address this challenge, I proposed to classify Poyang Lake wetlands into "dynamic cover types" (DCTs) representing short-term ecological regimes shaped by phenology, disturbance and inundation, instead of static classes. I defined and mapped Poyang Lake DCTs for one flood cycle (late summer 2007-late spring 2008) from combined time series of medium-resolution multi-spectral and radar imagery. I further assessed sensitivity of DCTs to hydrological and climatic variation by comparing results with a hypothetical change scenario of a warmer wetter spring simulated by substituting spring 2008 input images with 2007 ones. This analysis identified the major steps in seasonal wetland change driven by flooding and vegetation phenology and spatial differences in change schedules across the heterogeneous study area. Comparison of DCTs from the actual flood season with the hypothetical scenario revealed both directional class shifts away from expanding permanent water and more complex location-specific redistributions of vegetation types and mudflats. These outcomes imply that changes in flooding may have non-uniform effects on different ecosystems and habitats and call for a thorough investigation of the future change scenarios for this landscape. The possibility to disentangle short-term ecological "regimes" from longer-term landscape changes via DCT framework suggests a promising research strategy for landscape ecosystem modeling, conservation and ecosystem management. Following the assessments of Poyang Lake dynamics in the low water season, I further examined which landscape characteristics of the permanent sub-lakes and their 500-m neighborhoods extracted from 30-m Landsat satellite imagery could explain non-uniform spatial distribution of waterbird diversity and abundance in the ground bird survey of December 2006. I hypothesized that the indicators of habitat size, spectral greenness, spectral and geometric patch heterogeneity would be positively associated with bird diversity and abundance, while the proportions of cover types approximating human disturbance would be negatively related to response variables. In the best-fit regression models selected using the Akaike Information Criterion, on average higher bird diversity and abundance were associated with larger sub-lake size, higher spectral greenness of emergent grassland and lower spectral greenness of mudflat as well as lower proportion of flooded/aquatic vegetation. At the same time, predictive performance of the best-fit models was penalized by large amounts of unexplained variation and inconsistencies among bird survey and remote sensing data from another year. Significant spatial autocorrelation in linear regression models raised concerns about missing predictor variables and the utility of sub-lakes as spatial units for diversity analysis, but it also suggested new hypotheses on spatial ecological interactions in bird community variables and habitat characteristics among sub-lakes. Research challenges identified in this study suggest that future monitoring programs should take more rigorous steps to standardize the protocols of bird surveys and improve spatial and temporal frequency of both bird and habitat observations. Rapid short-term surface variation and problematic field access will likely continue to limit remote sensing-based analyses of Poyang Lake wetlands and their habitats by traditional, static-class approaches. Using "dynamic" classes representing characteristic wetland transitions and disturbance regimes may provide more ecologically informative targets for management, conservation and modeling of ecosystem change. Object-based image analysis is a potentially powerful and promising approach to enhance classification accuracy of remote sensing data and ecologically informative interpretations of complex, heterogeneous wetland surfaces such as the study area. However, this methodology should be developed further to allow for more automated optimization of landscape object properties to capture vegetation patch structure and quantitatively assess propagation of the uncertainty among different spatial scales of the analysis. Finally, future studies should explore new ways of overcoming the limitations of problematic field access and frequent cloudiness obstructing the view of remote sensors by more rigorous utilization of in situ wireless sensors to record environmental conditions and surface composition and by introducing airborne lake-wide imaging programs for periods of prolonged cloudiness.
Download or read book Ecological Study of Wetlands and Waterbirds at Poyang Lake written by and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The World s Largest Wetlands written by Lauchlan H. Fraser and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2009-08-10 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the past century approximately fifty percent of the world's wetlands have been destroyed, largely due to human activities. Increased human population has lead to shrinkage of wetland areas, and data show that as they shrink, their important functions decline. Reduced wetland area causes more flooding in Spring, less available water during drought, greater risk of water pollution, and less food production and reduced carbon storage. Much of the remaining pristine wetland systems are found in the world's largest wetlands, and yet these areas have received surprisingly little scientific research or attention. This volume presents the views of leading experts on each of the world's largest wetland systems. Here, this international team of authors share their understanding of the ecological dynamics of large wetlands and their significance, and emphasise their need of conservation.
Download or read book Remote Sensing of Wetlands written by Ralph W. Tiner and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2015-03-23 with total page 574 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Effectively Manage Wetland Resources Using the Best Available Remote Sensing TechniquesUtilizing top scientists in the wetland classification and mapping field, Remote Sensing of Wetlands: Applications and Advances covers the rapidly changing landscape of wetlands and describes the latest advances in remote sensing that have taken place over the pa
Download or read book Encyclopedia of Climate and Weather written by Dr. Stephen H. Schneider and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2011-06-09 with total page 1478 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This three-volume A-to-Z compendium consists of over 300 entries written by a team of leading international scholars and researchers working in the field. Authoritative and up-to-date, the encyclopedia covers the processes that produce our weather, important scientific concepts, the history of ideas underlying the atmospheric sciences, biographical accounts of those who have made significant contributions to climatology and meteorology and particular weather events, from extreme tropical cyclones and tornadoes to local winds.
Download or read book Climatic Change and Global Warming of Inland Waters written by Charles R. Goldman and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2012-11-20 with total page 481 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Effects of global warming on the physical, chemical, ecological structure and function and biodiversity of freshwater ecosystems are not well understood and there are many opinions on how to adapt aquatic environments to global warming in order to minimize the negative effects of climate change. Climatic Change and Global Warming of Inland Waters presents a synthesis of the latest research on a whole range of inland water habitats – lakes, running water, wetlands – and offers novel and timely suggestions for future research, monitoring and adaptation strategies. A global approach, offered in this book, encompasses systems from the arctic to the Antarctic, including warm-water systems in the tropics and subtropics and presents a unique and useful source for all those looking for contemporary case studies and presentation of the latest research findings and discussion of mitigation and adaptation throughout the world. Edited by three of the leading limnologists in the field this book represents the latest developments with a focus not only on the impact of climate change on freshwater ecosystems but also offers a framework and suggestions for future management strategies and how these can be implemented in the future. Limnologists, Climate change biologists, fresh water ecologists, palaeoclimatologists and students taking relevant courses within the earth and environmental sciences will find this book invaluable. The book will also be of interest to planners, catchment managers and engineers looking for solutions to broader environmental problems but who need to consider freshwater ecology.
Download or read book Eutrophication causes consequences and control written by Abid A. Ansari and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2010-10-17 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Eutrophication continues to be a major global challenge to water quality scientists. The global demand on water resources due to population increases, economic development, and emerging energy development schemes has created new environmental challenges to global sustainability. Eutrophication, causes, consequences, and control provides a current account of many important aspects of the processes of natural and accelerated eutrophication in major aquatic ecosystems around the world. The connections between accelerated eutrophication and climate change, chemical contamination of surface waters, and major environmental and ecological impacts on aquatic ecosystems are discussed. Water quality changes typical of eutrophication events in major climate zones including temperate, tropical, subtropical, and arid regions are included along with current approaches to treat and control increased eutrophication around the world. The book provides many useful new insights to address the challenges of global increases in eutrophication and the increasing threats to biodiversity and water quality.
Download or read book Ecology and Conservation of Estuarine Ecosystems written by Renzo Perissinotto and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2013-05-16 with total page 515 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: St Lucia is the world's oldest protected estuary and Africa's largest estuarine system. It is also the centerpiece of South Africa's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, and has been a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance since 1986. Knowledge of its biodiversity, geological origins, hydrology, hydrodynamics and the long history of management is unique in the world. However, the impact of global change has culminated in unprecedented challenges for the conservation and management of the St Lucia system, leading to the recent initiation of a project in support of its rehabilitation and long-term sustainability. This timely volume provides a unique source of information on the functioning and management of the estuary for researchers, students and environmental managers. The insights and experiences described build on over 60 years of study and management at the site and will serve as a valuable model for similar estuaries around the world.
Download or read book Environmental Conservation Clean Water Air Soil CleanWAS written by Muhammad Aqeel Ashraf and published by IWA Publishing. This book was released on 2017-02-15 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As we embark into the 21st century, we need to address new challenges ranging from population growth, climate change, and depletion of natural resources to providing better health care, food security and peace to humankind, while at the same time protecting natural ecosystems that provide the services which allow life to flourish on Earth. To meet those challenges, profound changes are required in the way that societies conduct their everyday affairs, ways that will lead to better preservation, protection and sustainable management of natural resources with long lasting impacts. The aim of CleanWAS 2016 is to provide productive opportunities for academics and practitioners from interdisciplinary fields of Environmental Sciences to meet, share and bring expertise and ideas in related disciplines. The CleanWAS conference was first organized in the year 2012. It is an annual event organised by the International Water, Air and Soil Conservation society (INWASCON) and is supported by various Malaysian (UKM, UMS, UIAM) and Chinese universities (CUG, NKU, SYSU).
Download or read book Hindu Kush Himalaya Watersheds Downhill Landscape Ecology and Conservation Perspectives written by Ganga Ram Regmi and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-05-04 with total page 890 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes the myriad components of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya (HKH) region. The contributors elaborate on challenges, failures, and successes in efforts to conserve the HKH, its indigenous plants and animals, and the watershed that runs from the very roof of the planet via world-rivers to marine estuaries, supporting a human population of some two billion people. Readers will learn how the landforms, animal species and humans of this globally fascinating region are connected, and understand why runoff from snow and ice in the world’s tallest mountains is vital to inhabitants far downstream. The book comprises forty-five chapters organized in five parts. The first section, Landscapes, introduces the mountainous watersheds of the HKH, its weather systems, forests, and the 18 major rivers whose headwaters are here. The second part explores concepts, cultures, and religions, including ethnobiology and indigenous regimes, two thousand years of religious tradition, and the history of scientific and research expeditions. Part Three discusses policy, wildlife conservation management, habitat and biodiversity data, as well as the interaction of animals and humans. The fourth part examines the consequences of development and globalization, from hydrodams, to roads and railroads, to poaching and illegal wildlife trade. This section includes studies of animal species including river dolphins, woodpeckers and hornbills, langurs, snow leopards and more. The concluding section offers perspectives and templates for conservation, sustainability and stability in the HKH, including citizen-science projects and a future challenged by climate change, growing human population, and global conservation decay. A large assemblage of field and landscape photos, combined with eye-witness accounts, presents a 50-year local and wider perspective on the HKH. Also included are advanced digital topics: data sharing, open access, metadata, web portal databases, geographic information systems (GIS) software and machine learning, and data mining concepts all relevant to a modern scientific understanding and sustainable management of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region. This work is written for scholars, landscape ecologists, naturalists and researchers alike, and it can be especially well-suited for those readers who want to learn in a more holistic fashion about the latest conservation issues.
Download or read book Biological Diversity Current Status and Conservation Policies written by Vinod Kumar and published by Agro Environ Media, Publication Cell of AESA, Agriculture and Environmental Science Academy,. This book was released on 2021-10-25 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The present book has been designed to bind prime knowledge of climate change-induced impacts on various aspects of our environment and its biological diversity. The book also contains updated information, methods and tools for the monitoring and conservation of impacted biological diversity.
Download or read book Rural Sustainability written by Qing Tian and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-05-22 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume applies the science of complexity to study coupled human-environment systems (CHES) and integrates ideas from the social sciences of climate change into a study of rural development amid flooding and urbanization in the Poyang Lake Region (PLR) of China. Author Qing Tian operationalizes the concept of sustainability and provides useful scientific analyses for sustainable development in less developed rural areas that are vulnerable to climatic hazards. The book uses a new sustainability framework that is centered on the concept of well-being to study rural development in PLR. The PLR study includes three major analyses: (1) a regional assessment of human well-being; (2) an empirical analysis of rural livelihoods; and (3) an agent-based computer model used to explore future rural development. These analyses provide a meaningful view of human development in the Poyang Lake Region and illustrate some of the complex local- and macro-level processes that shape the livelihoods of rural households in the dynamic process of urbanization. They generate useful insights about how government policy might effectively improve the well-being of rural households and promote sustainable development amid social, economic, and environmental changes. This case study has broader implications. Rural populations in the developing world are disproportionally affected by extreme climate events and climate change. Furthermore, the livelihoods of rural households in the developing world are increasingly under the influences of macro-level forces amid urbanization and globalization. This case study demonstrates that rural development policies must consider broader development dynamics at the national (and even global) level, as well as specific local social and environmental contexts. By treating climate as one of many factors that affect development in such places, we can provide policy recommendations that synergistically promote development and reduce climatic impacts and therefore facilitate mainstreaming climate adaptation into development.
Download or read book Aerial Photographs and Satellite Images written by and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Alte Donau Successful Restoration and Sustainable Management written by Martin T. Dokulil and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-01-09 with total page 407 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here we report on a 25-year long-term sequence of measures to return a deteriorated recreational urban lake, Alte Donau in Vienna to acceptable water quality. Metropolitan waters require focused ecosystem management plans and intensive in-lake efforts. We explored physico-chemical conditions, food web from viruses to fish and water birds, the sediments, the littoral zone and the catchment, management and urban planning, and global warming. Several restoration techniques were tested and critically evaluated. The final management plan was based on bi-stable theory. During the recovery phase, numerous surplus adjustments had to be implemented to secure sustainable achievement.
Download or read book Animals Through Chinese History written by Roel Sterckx and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2019 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This innovative collection opens a door into the rich history of animals in China. This title is also available as Open Access.
Download or read book Cranes of the World written by Paul A. Johnsgard and published by . This book was released on 1983 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Road Ecology written by Richard T.T. Forman and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A central goal of transportation is the delivery of safe and efficient services with minimal environmental impact. In practice, though, human mobility has flourished while nature has suffered. Awareness of the environmental impacts of roads is increasing, yet information remains scarce for those interested in studying, understanding, or minimizing the ecological effects of roads and vehicles. Road Ecology addresses that shortcoming by elevating previously localized and fragmented knowledge into a broad and inclusive framework for understanding and developing solutions. The book brings together fourteen leading ecologists and transportation experts to articulate state-of-the-science road ecology principles, and presents specific examples that demonstrate the application of those principles. Diverse theories, concepts, and models in the new field of road ecology are integrated to establish a coherent framework for transportation policy, planning, and projects. Topics examined include: foundations of road ecology roads, vehicles, and transportation planning vegetation and roadsides wildlife populations and mitigation water, sediment, and chemical flows aquatic ecosystems wind, noise, and atmospheric effects road networks and landscape fragmentation Road Ecology links ecological theories and concepts with transportation planning, engineering, and travel behavior. With more than 100 illustrations and examples from around the world, it is an indispensable and pioneering work for anyone involved with transportation, including practitioners and planners in state and province transportation departments, federal agencies, and nongovernmental organizations. The book also opens up an important new research frontier for ecologists.
