Download or read book Development and Application of Hierarchical Models for Monitoring Avian Soundscapes Populations and Communities written by Jeffrey W. Doser and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 89 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Climate change, land use change, and other anthropogenic pressures are increasing species extinctions, phenology shifts, and drastic population declines. Avian populations and communities are particularly vulnerable to global change given their mobile and migratory life history strategies. Avian abundance has drastically declined throughout North America over several decades, which is compounded by phenological shifts in breeding periods and migratory patterns. Informed management and conservation of avian populations and communities requires large-scale monitoring programs, as well as associated inferential tools to provide statistically robust inference using multiple data sources. In this dissertation, I develop a suite of hierarchical modeling approaches to understand avian soundscapes, populations, and communities. I leverage a hierarchical Bayesian modeling framework, which is ideally suited for complex wildlife data with numerous types of observation error and dependencies among data points. In Chapter 1, I provide a brief overview of avian monitoring approaches and their associated statistical analysis frameworks. In Chapters 2 and 3, I develop hierarchical models for the analysis of complex avian soundscape data, and apply these approaches to two case studies. In Chapter 2, I apply a two-stage hierarchical beta regression model to quantify the relationship between anthropogenic and biological sounds in avian soundscapes in western New York. In Chapter 3, I use a multivariate linear mixed model to assess disturbance impacts of a shelterwood logging on avian soundscapes in northern Michigan. In Chapter 4, I develop a multi-region, multi-species abundance model to quantify trends of avian species and communities using point count data across a network of National Parks in the northeastern US. In Chapters 5 and 6, I use a model-based data integration approach to yield improved inference on avian population and communities. In Chapter 5, I integrate automated acoustic recording data with point count data to estimate avian abundance, which I apply to a case study on the Eastern Wood Pewee (Contopus virens) in a National Historical Park in Vermont. In Chapter 6, I develop an integrated community occupancy model that combines multiple types of detection-nondetection data for inference on species-specific and community level occurrence dynamics, which I use to assess occurrence dynamics of a foliage-gleaning bird community in New Hampshire. These results exhibit the value of hierarchical models to partition ecological data into distinct observation and ecological components for improved inference on avian population and community dynamics. Future work should continue to leverage complex data sources within hierarchical modeling frameworks to address pressing conservation and management questions on avian populations, communities, and the ecosystem services they provide.
Download or read book Ecoacoustics written by Almo Farina and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2017-07-24 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The sounds produced by geophonic, biophonic and technophonic sources are relevant to the function of natural and human modified ecosystems. Passive recording is one of the most non-invasive technologies as its use avoids human intrusion during acoustic surveys and facilitates the accumulation of huge amounts of acoustical data. For the first time, this book collates and reviews the science behind ecoaucostics; illustrating the principles, methods and applications of this exciting new field. Topics covered in this comprehensive volume include; the assessment of biodiversity based on sounds emanating from a variety of environments the best technologies and methods necessary to investigate environmental sounds implications for climate change and urban systems the relationship between landscape ecology and ecoacoustics the conservation of soundscapes and the social value of ecoacoustics areas of potential future research. An invaluable resource for scholars, researchers and students, Ecoacoustics: The Ecological Role of Sounds provides an unrivalled set of ideas, tools and references based on the current state of the field.
Download or read book Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity written by Ronald Heyer and published by Smithsonian Institution. This book was released on 2014-12-16 with total page 537 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity is the first book to provide comprehensive coverage of standard methods for biodiversity sampling of amphibians, with information on analyzing and using data that will interest biologists in general. In this manual, nearly fifty herpetologists recommend ten standard sampling procedures for measuring and monitoring amphibian and many other populations. The contributors discuss each procedure, along with the circumstances for its appropriate use. In addition, they provide a detailed protocol for each procedure's implementation, a list of necessary equipment and personnel, and suggestions for analyzing the data. The data obtained using these standard methods are comparable across sites and through time and, as a result, are extremely useful for making decisions about habitat protection, sustained use, and restoration—decisions that are particularly relevant for threatened amphibian populations.
Download or read book Soundscape Ecology written by Almo Farina and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-10-28 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Soundscape Ecology represents a new branch of ecology and it is the result of the integration of different disciplines like Landscape ecology, Bioacoustics, Acoustic ecology, Biosemiotics, etc. The soundscape that is the object of this discipline, is defined as the acoustic context resulting from natural and human originated sounds and it is considered a relevant environmental proxy for animal and human life. With Soundscape Ecology Almo Farina means to offer a new cultural tool to investigate a partially explored component of the environmental complexity. For this he intends to set the principles of this new discipline, to delineate the epistemic domain in which to develop new ideas and theories and to describe the necessary integration with all the other ecological/environmental disciplines. The book is organized in ten chapters. The first two chapters delineate principles and theory of soundscape ecology. Chapters three and four describe the bioacoustic and communication theories. Chapter five is devoted to the human dimension of soundscape. Chapters six to eight regard the major sonic patterns like noise, choruses and vibrations. Chapter nine is devoted to the methods in soundscape ecology and finally chapter ten describes the application of the soundscape analysis.
Download or read book Applied Hierarchical Modeling in Ecology Analysis of Distribution Abundance and Species Richness in R and BUGS written by Marc Kéry and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2020-10-10 with total page 822 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Applied Hierarchical Modeling in Ecology: Analysis of Distribution, Abundance and Species Richness in R and BUGS, Volume Two: Dynamic and Advanced Models provides a synthesis of the state-of-the-art in hierarchical models for plant and animal distribution, also focusing on the complex and more advanced models currently available. The book explains all procedures in the context of hierarchical models that represent a unified approach to ecological research, thus taking the reader from design, through data collection, and into analyses using a very powerful way of synthesizing data. - Makes ecological modeling accessible to people who are struggling to use complex or advanced modeling programs - Synthesizes current ecological models and explains how they are inter-connected - Contains numerous examples throughout the book, walking the reading through scenarios with both real and simulated data - Provides an ideal resource for ecologists working in R software and in BUGS software for more flexible Bayesian analyses
Download or read book Bayesian Models written by N. Thompson Hobbs and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2015-08-04 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bayesian modeling has become an indispensable tool for ecological research because it is uniquely suited to deal with complexity in a statistically coherent way. This textbook provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the latest Bayesian methods—in language ecologists can understand. Unlike other books on the subject, this one emphasizes the principles behind the computations, giving ecologists a big-picture understanding of how to implement this powerful statistical approach. Bayesian Models is an essential primer for non-statisticians. It begins with a definition of probability and develops a step-by-step sequence of connected ideas, including basic distribution theory, network diagrams, hierarchical models, Markov chain Monte Carlo, and inference from single and multiple models. This unique book places less emphasis on computer coding, favoring instead a concise presentation of the mathematical statistics needed to understand how and why Bayesian analysis works. It also explains how to write out properly formulated hierarchical Bayesian models and use them in computing, research papers, and proposals. This primer enables ecologists to understand the statistical principles behind Bayesian modeling and apply them to research, teaching, policy, and management. Presents the mathematical and statistical foundations of Bayesian modeling in language accessible to non-statisticians Covers basic distribution theory, network diagrams, hierarchical models, Markov chain Monte Carlo, and more Deemphasizes computer coding in favor of basic principles Explains how to write out properly factored statistical expressions representing Bayesian models
Download or read book The Ecology of Large Herbivores in South and Southeast Asia written by Farshid Ahrestani and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-04-02 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Large terrestrial mammalian herbivores play critical roles in ecosystems by acting as regulators of energy and nutrient cycles, modulators of plant community composition and grassland-woodland transitions, agents of seed dispersal, and as prey for large carnivores. Though large herbivores represent a prominent component of mammalian assemblages throughout South and Southeast Asia, little is known about their roles in ecosystems in the region. This volume presents, for the first time, a collection of studies on the ecology of the rich and diverse large herbivore assemblages of South and Southeast Asia. Prepared by experts on herbivores of the region, it covers a comprehensive range of topics, including their evolutionary history, behavioural, nutritional, and population ecology, patterns of diversity across environmental gradients, roles as seed dispersers and regulators of plant growth, community compositions, and their conservation in the face of hunting and global change.
Download or read book Ecology and Conservation of Birds in Urban Environments written by Enrique Murgui and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-02-10 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides syntheses of ecological theories and overarching patterns of urban bird ecology that have only recently become available. The numerous habitats represented in this book ranges from rows of trees in wooded alleys, to wastelands and remnants of natural habitats encapsulated in the urban matrix. Authored by leading scientists in this emergent field, the chapters explore how the characteristics of the habitat in urban environments influence bird communities and populations at multiple levels of ecological organization and at different spatial and temporal scales, and how this information should be incorporated in urban planning to achieve an effective conservation of bird fauna in urban environments. Birds are among the most conspicuous and fascinating residents of urban neighborhoods and provide urban citizens with everyday wildlife contact all over the world. However, present urbanization trends are rapidly depleting their habitats, and thus knowledge of urban bird ecology is urgently needed if birds are to thrive in cities. The book is unique in its inclusion of examples from all continents (except Antarctica) in an effort to arrive at a more holistic perspective. Among other issues, the individual chapters address the censusing of birds in urban green spaces; the relationship between bird communities and the structure of urban green spaces; the role of exotic plant species as food sources for urban bird fauna; the influence of artificial light and pollutants on bird fauna; trends in long-term urban bird research, and transdisciplinary studies on bird sounds and their effects on humans. Several chapters investigate how our current knowledge of the ecology of urban bird fauna should be applied in order to achieve better management of urban habitats so as to achieve conservation of species or even increase species diversity. The book also provides a forward-looking summary on potential research directions. As such, it provides a valuable resource for urban ecologists, urban ecology students, landscape architects, city planners, decision makers and anyone with an interest in urban ornithology and bird conservation. Moreover, it provides a comprehensive overview for researchers in the fields of ecology and conservation of urban bird fauna.
Download or read book Principles and Methods in Landscape Ecology written by Almo Farina and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2008-01-22 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Landscape ecology is an integrative and multi-disciplinary science and Principles and Methods in Landscape Ecology reconciles the geological, botanical, zoological and human perspectives. In particular ,new paradigms and theories such as percolation, metapopulation, hierarchies, source-sink models have been integrated in this last edition with the recent theories on bio-complexity, information and cognitive sciences. Methods for studying landscape ecology are covered including spatial geometry models and remote sensing in order to create confidence toward techniques and approaches that require a high experience and long-time dedication. Principles and Methods in Landscape Ecology is a textbook useful to present the landscape in a multi-vision perspective for undergraduate and graduate students of biology, ecology, geography, forestry, agronomy, landscape architecture and planning. Sociology, economics, history, archaeology, anthropology, ecological psychology are some sciences that can benefit of the holistic vision offered by this texbook.
Download or read book Statistical Ecology written by Linda J. Young and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-04-17 with total page 581 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Covering a wide range of disciplines, this book explains the formulae, techniques, and methods used in field ecology. By providing an awareness of the statistical foundation for existing methods, the book will make biologists more aware of the strengths and possible weaknesses of procedures employed, and statisticians more appreciative of the needs of the field ecologist. Unique to this book is a focus on ecological data for single-species populations, from sampling through modeling. Examples come from real situations in pest management, forestry, wildlife biology, plant protection, and environmental studies, as well as from classical ecology. All those using this book will acquire a strong foundation in the statistical methods of modern ecological research. This textbook is for late undergraduate and graduate students, and for professionals.
Download or read book Computational Bioacoustics written by Todor Ganchev and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2017-06-26 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers an overview of some recent advances in the Computational Bioacoustics methods and technology. In the focus of discussion is the pursuit of scalability, which would facilitate real-world applications of different scope and purpose, such as wildlife monitoring, biodiversity assessment, pest population control, and monitoring the spread of disease transmitting mosquitoes. The various tasks of Computational Bioacoustics are described and a wide range of audio parameterization and recognition tasks related to the automated recognition of species and sound events is discussed. Many of the Computational Bioacoustics methods were originally developed for the needs of speech, audio, or image processing, and afterwards were adapted to the requirements of automated acoustic recognition of species, or were elaborated further to address the challenges of real-world operation in 24/7 mode. The interested reader is encouraged to follow the numerous references and links to web resources for further information and insights. This book is addressed to Software Engineers, IT experts, Computer Science researchers, Bioacousticians, and other practitioners concerned with the creation of new tools and services, aimed at enhancing the technological support to Computational Bioacoustics applications.
Download or read book Communicating Protected Areas written by Denise Hamú and published by IUCN. This book was released on 2004 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Protected areas operate within complex ecological and social systems, presenting challenges that cannot be resolved by technical solution alone. Achieving the management objectives of protected areas requires a social approach in which strategic communication is a key instrument. This publication explores the often underestimated potential of communication, sharing valuable experiences from protected areas across the world, drawing on papers presented at the Vth IUCN World Parks Congress, 2003 and others.
Download or read book Why Birds Matter written by Çagan H. Sekercioglu and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2016-08-24 with total page 398 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For over one hundred years, ornithologists and amateur birders have jointly campaigned for the conservation of bird species, documenting not only birds’ beauty and extraordinary diversity, but also their importance to ecosystems worldwide. But while these avian enthusiasts have noted that birds eat fruit, carrion, and pests; spread seed and fertilizer; and pollinate plants, among other services, they have rarely asked what birds are worth in economic terms. In Why Birds Matter, an international collection of ornithologists, botanists, ecologists, conservation biologists, and environmental economists seeks to quantify avian ecosystem services—the myriad benefits that birds provide to humans. The first book to approach ecosystem services from an ornithological perspective, Why Birds Matter asks what economic value we can ascribe to those services, if any, and how this value should inform conservation. Chapters explore the role of birds in such important ecological dynamics as scavenging, nutrient cycling, food chains, and plant-animal interactions—all seen through the lens of human well-being—to show that quantifying avian ecosystem services is crucial when formulating contemporary conservation strategies. Both elucidating challenges and providing examples of specific ecosystem valuations and guidance for calculation, the contributors propose that in order to advance avian conservation, we need to appeal not only to hearts and minds, but also to wallets.
Download or read book Geographic Citizen Science Design written by Artemis Skarlatidou and published by UCL Press. This book was released on 2021-02-04 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Little did Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and other ‘gentlemen scientists’ know, when they were making their scientific discoveries, that some centuries later they would inspire a new field of scientific practice and innovation, called citizen science. The current growth and availability of citizen science projects and relevant applications to support citizen involvement is massive; every citizen has an opportunity to become a scientist and contribute to a scientific discipline, without having any professional qualifications. With geographic interfaces being the common approach to support collection, analysis and dissemination of data contributed by participants, ‘geographic citizen science’ is being approached from different angles. Geographic Citizen Science Design takes an anthropological and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) stance to provide the theoretical and methodological foundations to support the design, development and evaluation of citizen science projects and their user-friendly applications. Through a careful selection of case studies in the urban and non-urban contexts of the Global North and South, the chapters provide insights into the design and interaction barriers, as well as on the lessons learned from the engagement of a diverse set of participants; for example, literate and non-literate people with a range of technical skills, and with different cultural backgrounds. Looking at the field through the lenses of specific case studies, the book captures the current state of the art in research and development of geographic citizen science and provides critical insight to inform technological innovation and future research in this area.
Download or read book Spaces Speak Are You Listening written by Barry Blesser and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2009-09-18 with total page 453 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How we experience space by listening: the concepts of aural architecture, with examples ranging from Gothic cathedrals to surround sound home theater. We experience spaces not only by seeing but also by listening. We can navigate a room in the dark, and "hear" the emptiness of a house without furniture. Our experience of music in a concert hall depends on whether we sit in the front row or under the balcony. The unique acoustics of religious spaces acquire symbolic meaning. Social relationships are strongly influenced by the way that space changes sound. In Spaces Speak, Are You Listening?, Barry Blesser and Linda-Ruth Salter examine auditory spatial awareness: experiencing space by attentive listening. Every environment has an aural architecture.The audible attributes of physical space have always contributed to the fabric of human culture, as demonstrated by prehistoric multimedia cave paintings, classical Greek open-air theaters, Gothic cathedrals, acoustic geography of French villages, modern music reproduction, and virtual spaces in home theaters. Auditory spatial awareness is a prism that reveals a culture's attitudes toward hearing and space. Some listeners can learn to "see" objects with their ears, but even without training, we can all hear spatial geometry such as an open door or low ceiling. Integrating contributions from a wide range of disciplines—including architecture, music, acoustics, evolution, anthropology, cognitive psychology, audio engineering, and many others—Spaces Speak, Are You Listening? establishes the concepts and language of aural architecture. These concepts provide an interdisciplinary guide for anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of how space enhances our well-being. Aural architecture is not the exclusive domain of specialists. Accidentally or intentionally, we all function as aural architects.
Download or read book Learning to Think Spatially written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2005-02-03 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learning to Think Spatially examines how spatial thinking might be incorporated into existing standards-based instruction across the school curriculum. Spatial thinking must be recognized as a fundamental part of Kâ€"12 education and as an integrator and a facilitator for problem solving across the curriculum. With advances in computing technologies and the increasing availability of geospatial data, spatial thinking will play a significant role in the information-based economy of the twenty-first century. Using appropriately designed support systems tailored to the Kâ€"12 context, spatial thinking can be taught formally to all students. A geographic information system (GIS) offers one example of a high-technology support system that can enable students and teachers to practice and apply spatial thinking in many areas of the curriculum.
Download or read book To Life written by Linda Weintraub and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2012-09-01 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This title documents the burgeoning eco art movement from A to Z, presenting a panorama of artistic responses to environmental concerns, from Ant Farms anti-consumer antics in the 1970s to Marina Zurkows 2007 animation that anticipates the havoc wreaked upon the planet by global warming.
