Download or read book Ecological Connectivity Adult Animal Movement and Climate Change written by Sarah K. Friesen and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Marine protected areas (MPAs) are important conservation tools that can support the resilience of marine ecosystems. Many countries, including Canada, have committed to protecting at least 10% of their marine areas under the Convention on Biological Diversity's Aichi Target 11, which includes connectivity as a key aspect. Connectivity, the movement of individuals among habitats, can enhance population stability and resilience within and among MPAs. This thesis aimed to understand regional spatial patterns of marine ecological connectivity, specifically through the mechanism of adult movement, and how these patterns may be affected by climate change. I used the Northern Shelf Bioregion in British Columbia, Canada, as a case study for four objectives: (1) evaluate potential connectivity via adult movement for the entire bioregion, using habitat proxies for distinct ecological communities; (2) assess potential connectivity via adult movement among existing and potential MPAs, using the same habitat proxies; (3) model potential connectivity via adult movement among marine protected areas for two focal species (Metacarcinus magister and Sebastolobus alascanus) and predict how this interconnectedness may shift based on projected ocean temperature changes; and (4) contribute the results of these analyses to the MPA technical team's ongoing planning process so that connectivity may be considered in the implementation of a new MPA network in the bioregion. This thesis developed an approach to assess and design MPA networks that maximize inferred connectivity within habitat types for adult movement when ecological data are limited. It applied least-cost theory and circuit theory to model MPA suitability and interconnectedness, finding that these are projected to decrease for Sebastolobus alascanus but increase for Metacarcinus magister. I showcased some methods that may be used in MPA design and evaluation, with lessons for other contexts. Importantly, this thesis informed an ongoing MPA planning process, enabling ecological connectivity to be considered in the establishment of a new MPA network in the bioregion. Overall, this work provided examples for incorporating connectivity and climate change into MPA design, highlighting what is possible even when data are limited.

Download or read book The Ecology and Conservation of Animal Movement in Changing Land and Seascapes written by Briana Abrahms and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Anthropogenic habitat fragmentation is a primary driver of species endangerment across the globe and has compounding effects on species diversity and ecosystem function. While efforts to enhance habitat connectivity are therefore essential to protecting biodiversity, a fundamental behavioral and ecological understanding of animal movement is first needed to successfully protect species movements. Understanding the role of behavior in determining animal movement patterns is essential to conservation planning, yet the extent to which an animal's behavioral state (e.g. foraging, dispersing) influences its movements and resource selection has largely been ignored as part of conservation planning efforts. Further, because empirical studies of animal movement are most-often site- and species-specific, the processes underlying observed movement patterns are not well understood across taxa. This dissertation seeks to elucidate the processes that shape animal movements to advance the biological grounding of connectivity science and inform conservation efforts. A systematic review of connectivity studies employing resource selection analysis examined how researchers have incorporated animal behavior into connectivity planning, and highlighted promising approaches for identifying wildlife corridors. The review revealed that most of the research done to date has superficially considered all animal location data as representative of resource selection patterns, despite recognition that an animal's behavioral state can be an important component of space use. Those studies in the review that validated connectivity predictions with independent movement data indicate that general patterns of resource selection are not always a suitable proxy for movement preference during dispersal, and failure to recognize this distinction may have important consequences for species-specific efforts to preserve habitat connectivity. Using high-resolution GPS and activity data from African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), an Endangered species highly sensitive to habitat fragmentation, resource selection and responses to roads were measured across three behavioral states identified from activity data (hunting, resting, and traveling). The response of wild dogs to roads varied markedly with both the behavioral and landscape contexts in which roads were encountered, ranging between strong selection for and avoidance of roads depending on behavioral state. A comparison of these outputs to a full model that did not parse for behavior revealed that these patterns were not evident when all movement data were considered together in the full model. This study indicates that including behavioral information in resource selection models is critical to understanding wildlife responses to landscape features and suggests that successful application of resource selection analyses to conservation planning requires explicit examination of the behavioral contexts in which movement occurs. The effects of behaviorally-mediated patterns of resource selection were then applied in a habitat connectivity modeling context. To illustrate the importance of behavioral information in connectivity assessments, behavior-specific predictions of connectivity were tested against long-distance dispersal movements of African wild dogs. Findings demonstrated that including only directed-movement behavior when measuring resource selection reveals far more accurate patterns of habitat connectivity than a model measuring resource selection independent of behavioral state. Results of this work suggest that connectivity studies that rely on resource selection analysis alone may be insufficient to target movement pathways and corridors for protection. This research highlights the value of incorporating animal behavior into connectivity planning. To examine how basic movement processes scale up to produce emergent patterns for multiple species, movement data from over a dozen marine and terrestrial vertebrate species spanning three taxonomic classes, continents and orders of magnitude in body size were compared with computer-simulated idealized movement paths. This comparative approach revealed that similar movement patterns and properties recur in highly dissimilar ecological systems, and showed that a simple set of metrics can reliably classify broad-scale movement patterns such as migration, nomadism, and territoriality in disparate taxa. This classification system can be applied to inform predictions in multiple areas of ecological research, such as how an individual or species' movement classification influences its response to climate change or its invasion potential in an exotic environment. In addition, this work provides researchers with a standardized set of movement metrics for expediently analyzing animal trajectories over time to detect any changes in movement pattern that may be indicative of environmental change. Taken together, the body of work presented in this dissertation provides new approaches for researchers and practitioners to understand the ecology and conservation of animal movement, and in particular for measuring wildlife responses to widespread habitat alteration. Given limited conservation resources and rapidly changing environments, these contributions mark a key step in developing effective strategies to preserve critical wildlife movement processes.

Download or read book The Ecology of Animal Movement written by Ian Richard Swingland and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1983 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Twelve original essays written by people who have done some serious thinking about animal movements. Just about all animals (and numerous plants) move about in one way or another, so the questions with which the authors deal are useful for scientists studying diverse organisms...Useful to numerous zoologists and some botanists as well as to advanced undergraduate and graduate students."--Choice

Download or read book Ecological Connectivity among Tropical Coastal Ecosystems written by Ivan Nagelkerken and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2009-09-23 with total page 617 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and coral reefs are circumtropical ecosystems that are highly productive, and provide many important biological functions and economic services. These ecosystems cover large surface areas in the shallow tropical coastal seascape but have suffered from serious human degradation, especially in the last few decades. Part of their diversity, productivity, and functioning seems to be based on their juxtaposition. Especially in the last decade significant advances have been made on new insights into their ecological connectivity. This authoritative book provides a first-time comprehensive review of the major ecological interactions across tropical marine ecosystems that result from the mutual exchange of nutrients, organic matter, fish, and crustaceans. A group of leading authors from around the world reviews the patterns and underlying mechanisms of important biogeochemical and biological linkages among tropical coastal ecosystems in 15 chapters. Included are chapters that review cutting-edge tools to study and quantify these linkages, the importance of such linkages for fisheries, and how tropical ecosystems should be conserved and managed for sustainable use by future generations. The book uses examples from all over the world and provides an up-to-date review of the latest published literature. This book is a ‘must read’ for professionals working on the conservation, management, and ecology of mangrove, seagrass and coral reef ecosystems.

Download or read book Connectivity Conservation written by Kevin R. Crooks and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2006-11-02 with total page 675 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the biggest threats to the survival of many plant and animal species is the destruction or fragmentation of their natural habitats. The conservation of landscape connections, where animals, plants, and ecological processes can move freely from one habitat to another, is therefore an essential part of any new conservation or environmental protection plan. In practice, however, maintaining, creating, and protecting connectivity in our increasingly dissected world is a daunting challenge. This fascinating volume provides a synthesis on the current status and literature of connectivity conservation research and implementation. It shows the challenges involved in applying existing knowledge to real-world examples and highlights areas in need of further study. Containing contributions from leading scientists and practitioners, this topical and thought-provoking volume will be essential reading for graduate students, researchers, and practitioners working in conservation biology and natural resource management.

Download or read book World Seas An Environmental Evaluation written by Charles Sheppard and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2018-09-07 with total page 668 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: World Seas: An Environmental Evaluation, Second Edition, Volume Three: Ecological Issues and Environmental Impacts covers global issues relating to our seas, including a biological description of the coast and continental shelf waters, the development and use of the coast, landfills and their effects, pollutant discharges over time, the effects of over-fishing, and the management methods and techniques used to ensure continued ecosystem functioning. The relative importance of water-borne and airborne routes differ in different parts of the world is explored, along with extensive coverage of major habitats and species groups, governmental, education and legal issues, fisheries effects, remote sensing, climate change and management. This book is an invaluable, worldwide reference source for students and researchers concerned with marine environmental science, fisheries, oceanography and engineering and coastal zone development. Provides scientific reviews of regional issues, empowering managers and policymakers to make progress in under-resourced countries and regions Covers environmental issues arising from the human use of both the sea and its watershed Presents informed commentary on major trends, problems and successes, and recommendations for the future

Download or read book Animal Movement in a Changing World written by Tristan Nunez and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Animal movement influences ecological and biogeographical dynamics, and studying it reveals helpful insights at a time when anthropogenic activities have accelerated rates of climatic and land cover change. This dissertation addresses three fundamental questions in ecology and biogeography linked to the movement and distribution of animals. First, how do animal movements affect their environments? Second, how do the effects of land use change interact with atmospheric climate change to alter species distributions? Third, how do organisms track their climatic niches through time and space? Each question is addressed with a separate study, each generating methods and results with implications for future academic work, management, and conservation. In the first study, I tracked the daily movements of the common hippopotamus, Hippopotamus amphibius, a megaherbivore that transports nutrient-rich biomass between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. I developed a spatially explicit biomass transfer model that relates rates of ingestion and egestion to movement behavior states derived from the movement data. The biomass transfer model revealed the process by which H. amphibius generates patterned landscapes of nutrient removal and deposition hotspots. In addition, the model generated maps of these nutrient transfer landscapes, making it possible to explore the spatial dynamics of nutrient transfers, and showing that the amount of biomass transferred reaches levels equivalent to rates of aboveground net primary productivity. In addition to revealing the influences of H. amphibius on ecosystem ecology, this study also provided metrics of home range size, habitat use, and movement behavior useful for conservation planning. The first study provides a method for nutrient transfer mapping which could be applied to many other species, and leverages increasing quantities of high-resolution movement tracking data to map transfers of nutrients across landscapes. This can help predict the landscape-scale ecological changes resulting from the loss of animal movements that provide nutrient transfers. The approach can also be used to map other material transport dynamics, such as animal-transported seed dispersal or the movement of persistent organic pollutants. In the second study, I used species distribution modeling to identify the interacting effects of climate and land use change on the distribution of H. amphibius. Hydrologic change is likely to result from ongoing shifts from rain-fed to irrigated agriculture across much of sub-Saharan Africa, where H. amphibius occurs. A lack of spatial data on hydrology, especially data temporally consistent with atmospheric climate datasets, has made it difficult to build species distribution models for semiaquatic species, such as H. amphibius, which are physiologically dependent on surface water. I overcame this challenge by coupling a simple hydrologic model to scenarios of land use and climate change, identifying potential effects on H. amphibius distributions. I found that increased levels of streamflow abstraction from irrigation will lead to much greater declines in H. amphibius habitat suitability than arise from scenarios of climate change alone. I also contrasted predictions of H. amphibius distributions that incorporated only atmospheric climate variables to predictions that also incorporated hydrologic variables, and found significant improvements in model performance when hydrology was incorporated. The second study provides support for using predictive variables with strong mechanistic links to the physiology or ecology of the focal species when building species distribution models. The study also outlines a way to generate surfaces of key hydrologic variables from the climate surfaces commonly used for species distribution modeling. These surfaces have the potential to greatly improve forecasts generated by other semiaquatic species distribution models. From a conservation perspective, the second study highlights the potential for substantial losses of H. amphibius habitat across Africa as a result of increases in irrigation development. Other semiaquatic species in the region, as well as those dependent on the keystone ecological role of H. amphibius and its nutrient-transporting movements, may be similarly affected. In the third study, I explored the role of movement in shaping species distributions in variable climates. Climatic variability at multiple time scales causes suitable climatic conditions to shift across geographic space. Recent scholarship has proposed that two species traits, the ability to colonize suitable locations, referred to as dispersal, and the ability to continue to occupy an area with unsuitable conditions, referred to as persistence, facilitate niche tracking, the process by which species follow suitable conditions moving through geographic space. By developing a model that simulates niche tracking through historically observed patterns of temporal and spatial variability, I quantified how different dispersal and persistence abilities affect niche tracking potential. I found that both dispersal and persistence facilitate niche tracking, and that small increases in persistence ability result in surprisingly large increases in niche tracking potential. The third study makes two main contributions to ecological niche theory and distribution modeling. The first contribution is to extend niche theory to explicitly address niche tracking, enabling the spatially and temporally explicit mapping of niche tracking dynamics on real landscapes. The second contribution is to quantify the effects on niche tracking potential of increasing persistence and dispersal abilities across real climate surfaces. The results suggest that climate adaptation actions should focus not just on the ability of species to move in response to climate change, but also on their ability to persist through periods of unsuitable conditions.

Download or read book Corridor Ecology Second Edition written by Jodi A. Hilty and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2019-04-23 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Migrating wildlife species across the globe face a dire predicament as their traditional migratory routes are cut off by human encroachment. Forced into smaller and smaller patches of habitat, they must compete more aggressively for dwindling food resources and territory. This is more than just an unfortunate side effect of human progress. As key species populations dwindle, ecosystems are losing resilience and face collapse, and along with them, the ecosystem services we depend on. Healthy ecosystems need healthy wildlife populations. One possible answer? Wildlife corridors that connect fragmented landscapes. This new and expanded second edition of Corridor Ecology: Linking Landscapes for Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Adaptation captures the many advances in the field over the past ten years. It builds on concepts presented in the first edition on the importance and practical details of maintaining and restoring land connectivity. New to this edition is a guest-edited chapter on ecological connectivity in oceans, including a detailed discussion on pelagic marine corridors and how coastal corridors can provide critical connectivity between marine protected areas. Another new chapter considers the effects of climate change on habitat and offers recommendations on designing effective corridors as landscapes change with shifting climate conditions. The book also includes a discussion of corridors in the air for migrating flying species, from birds to bats, butterflies, and even plant propagules—a concept so new that a term to describe it has yet to be coined. All chapters are thoroughly revised and updated. Practitioners as well as serious scholars of landscape ecology and the science of protecting biodiversity will find this new edition of corridor ecology science an indispensable resource.

Download or read book Animal Social Networks written by Dr. Jens Krause and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2015 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The scientific study of networks - computer, social, and biological - has received an enormous amount of interest in recent years. However, the network approach has been applied to the field of animal behaviour relatively late compared to many other biological disciplines. Understanding social network structure is of great importance for biologists since the structural characteristics of any network will affect its constituent members and influence a range of diverse behaviours. These include finding and choosing a sexual partner, developing and maintaining cooperative relationships, and engaging in foraging and anti-predator behavior. This novel text provides an overview of the insights that network analysis has provided into major biological processes, and how it has enhanced our understanding of the social organisation of several important taxonomic groups. It brings together researchers from a wide range of disciplines with the aim of providing both an overview of the power of the network approach for understanding patterns and process in animal populations, as well as outlining how current methodological constraints and challenges can be overcome. Animal Social Networks is principally aimed at graduate level students and researchers in the fields of ecology, zoology, animal behaviour, and evolutionary biology but will also be of interest to social scientists.

Download or read book Flexibility in the Migration Strategies of Animals written by Nathan R. Senner and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2020-06-29 with total page 426 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Treatise on Estuarine and Coastal Science written by and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2012-03-06 with total page 4604 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The study of estuaries and coasts has seen enormous growth in recent years, since changes in these areas have a large effect on the food chain, as well as on the physics and chemistry of the ocean. As the coasts and river banks around the world become more densely populated, the pressure on these ecosystems intensifies, putting a new focus on environmental, socio-economic and policy issues. Written by a team of international expert scientists, under the guidance of Chief Editors Eric Wolanski and Donald McClusky, the Treatise on Estuarine and Coastal Science, Ten Volume Set examines topics in depth, and aims to provide a comprehensive scientific resource for all professionals and students in the area of estuarine and coastal science Most up-to-date reference for system-based coastal and estuarine science and management, from the inland watershed to the ocean shelf Chief editors have assembled a world-class team of volume editors and contributing authors Approach focuses on the physical, biological, chemistry, ecosystem, human, ecological and economics processes, to show how to best use multidisciplinary science to ensure earth's sustainability Provides a comprehensive scientific resource for all professionals and students in the area of estuarine and coastal science Features up-to-date chapters covering a full range of topics

Download or read book Forests of Iran written by Khosro Sagheb Talebi and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-10-22 with total page 157 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The work describes the general ecological aspects of Iran as well as West and Central Asia in the introduction. The book includes three chapters, each describing the climate, geology and soil characteristics, vegetation and forest types, site demands of the main tree species and the ecogram of them, management and socio-economic issues of three different phytogeographical regions, mainly the Hyrcanian, Irano-Turanian, and Saharo-Sindian. Each chapter contains a table for introducing the English and Botanical names of the plant species mentioned in the chapter. The information presented in this book is based on personal experiences and results of research projects of the authors, as well as experiences of other forest scientists in Iran. The references are given at the end of each chapter separately. The book contains 10 tables, 37 black and white and 55 color pictures.

Download or read book Animal Movement Across Scales written by Lars-Anders Hansson and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2014-08-21 with total page 517 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Movement, dispersal, and migration on land, in the air, and in water, are pervading features of animal life. They are performed by a huge variety of organisms, from the smallest protozoans to the largest whales, and can extend over widely different distance scales, from the microscopic to global. Integrating the study of movement, dispersal, and migration is crucial for a detailed understanding of the spatial scale of adaptation, and for analysing the consequences of landscape and climate change as well as of invasive species. This novel book adopts a broad, cross-taxonomic approach to animal movement across both temporal and spatial scales, addressing how and why animals move, and in what ways they differ in their locomotion and navigation performance. Written by an integrated team of leading researchers, the book synthesizes our current knowledge of the genetics of movement, including gene flow and local adaptations, whilst providing a future perspective on how patterns of animal migration may change over time together with their potential evolutionary consequences. Novel technologies for tracking the movement of organisms across scales are also discussed, ranging from satellite devices for tracking global migrations to nanotechnology that can follow animals only a millimetre in size. Animal Movement Across Scales is particularly suitable for graduate level students taking courses in spatial animal ecology, animal migration, and 'movement ecology', as well as providing a source of fresh ideas and opinions for those already active within the field. It will also be of interest and use to a broader audience of professional biologists interested in animal movements and migrations.

Download or read book Connectivity Conservation and the Great Eastern Ranges Corridor written by Brendan Mackey and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 62 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "There has been increasing interest over recent years in the concept of connectivity at a continental scale, particularly as a response to improving the resilience of our biodiversity and ecosystems to the anticipated impacts of climate change. In 2006, the Environment Heritage and Protection Council (EPHC) considered the issue of a possible continental-scale corridor extending along Australia's great eastern ranges from Victoria through NSW to Atherton in Queensland. The EPHC established an Interstate Agency Working Group (Alps to Atherton Connectivity Conservation Working Group) ... This report's main aim is to review the scientific basis for the connectivity conservation approach that underpins the proposal for Australia?s first continental-scale connectivity conservation corridor from the Australian Alps to the Atherton Tablelands and beyond"--Preface.

Download or read book Linkages in the Landscape written by Andrew F. Bennett and published by IUCN. This book was released on 2003 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The loss and fragmentation of natural habitats is one of the major issues in wildlife management and conservation. Habitat "corridors" are sometimes proposed as an important element within a conservation strategy. Examples are given of corridors both as pathways and as habitats in their own right. Includes detailed reviews of principles relevant to the design and management of corridors, their place in regional approaches to conservation planning, and recommendations for research and management.

Download or read book Movement and Connectivity of Large Pelagic Sharks written by Mark Meekan and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2023-09-08 with total page 349 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Corridor Ecology written by Jodi A. Hilty and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2012-02-13 with total page 345 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Corridor Ecology presents guidelines that combine conservation science and practical experience for maintaining, enhancing, and creating connectivity between natural areas with an overarching goal of conserving biodiversity. It offers an objective, carefully interpreted review of the issues and is a one-of-a-kind resource for scientists, landscape architects, planners, land managers, decision-makers, and all those working to protect and restore landscapes and species diversity.