Download or read book Modeling the Effects of Precipitation on Salamander Demography for Conservation Planning written by Jillian Sloper Howard and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Integrative conservation recognizes that conservation of natural resources is a complex process because most, if not all, systems are coupled human and natural systems. Conservation planning requires conceptual tools that transcend disciplines and understanding of the ecological and human aspects of a system. For example, Southern Appalachia is a region of exceptional biodiversity which provides a number of ecosystem services within and across the broader southeastern United States. It is also a rapidly exurbanizing landscape with associated cultural and social pressures and is expected to experience significant climate change in the future. A key issue in this region is increasing residential development on steep mountain slopes and how it will impact social and economic development, public safety, and the integrity of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. In order for communities to conserve and manage their natural systems, we need rigorous models to identify and prioritize areas of high current and future suitability for sensitive taxa. However, for many of those species, we lack the rigorous demographic data needed for such models. At the same time, we must have an understanding of local stakeholder perspectives and values regarding issues like steep slope development that may affect conservation priorities. In this dissertation, I address these needs in the context of salamander ecology and conservation. First, I conducted a literature review to assess current knowledge of demographic rates available for parameterizing models of population dynamics for direct-developing North American salamanders in the family Plethodontidae. I determined that some rates, such as clutch size and frequency are well-documented and reasonably transferrable across species, but there are very few published estimates of survival, and nearly half of those published rates may not be realistic despite being estimated from field data. I found that there were few expected patterns in estimated survival rates among methodologies or environments that could be used to predict variation in survival among taxa and contexts from published studies. Next, I developed a Bayesian model for an eight-year robust design, capture-mark-recapture dataset of Plethodon in the Coweeta Basin in western North Carolina to estimate salamander survival rates and their sensitivity to precipitation. I used several hundred observations of live and preserved mature female salamanders to develop a novel algorithm to estimate final clutch size from ovarian follicle counts made at different points in the female reproductive cycle. I also used N-mixture models of repeated counts of salamanders across a spatial precipitation gradient to estimate size-class specific abundance and reproductive rates as a function of mean annual precipitation. I used the survival and reproductive rate estimates to project salamander population growth across the extent of the Coweeta Basin and Macon County, North Carolina, under current [past 30 years] climate and future drought frequency and severity scenarios. Model projections suggest that only a small proportion of the region likely supports consistent positive salamander population growth. Many areas occupied by salamanders likely have limited abundance and depend on limited source habitats such as coves to support local salamander populations. Finally, I used archival research, targeted interviews and participatory mapping to identify the primary concerns of stakeholders in Macon County regarding the regional environment and forest land use. I found that people are generally concerned about steep slope development, but their primary focus is on the economic impacts and regulation of development, not on its ecological impacts. These local priorities differ from the foci of scientists working in the region who are primarily concerned with impacts of steep slope development on biodiversity and natural resources. Nonetheless, while artifacts suggest a non-ecological focus on steep slope development, participants in the mapping study consistently placed conservation land use priorities at higher elevations than development priorities, suggesting some intrinsic connection between steep slopes and conservation. A combined, spatially-explicit map of stakeholder land use priorities and projected salamander population growth rates identified consistencies between areas people prioritized for conservation and areas likely to sustain salamander populations under current and future precipitation scenarios.
Download or read book Contributions of Behavior and Physiology to Conservation Biology written by Susan C. Walls and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2020-03-30 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
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 Models for Planning Wildlife Conservation in Large Landscapes written by Joshua Millspaugh and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2011-04-28 with total page 736 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A single-resource volume of information on the most current and effective techniques of wildlife modeling, Models for Planning Wildlife Conservation in Large Landscapes is appropriate for students and researchers alike. The unique blend of conceptual, methodological, and application chapters discusses research, applications and concepts of modeling and presents new ideas and strategies for wildlife habitat models used in conservation planning. The book makes important contributions to wildlife conservation of animals in several ways: (1) it highlights historical and contemporary advancements in the development of wildlife habitat models and their implementation in conservation planning; (2) it provides practical advice for the ecologist conducting such studies; and (3) it supplies directions for future research including new strategies for successful studies.Intended to provide a recipe for successful development of wildlife habitat models and their implementation in conservation planning, the book could be used in studying wildlife habitat models, conservation planning, and management techniques. Additionally it may be a supplemental text in courses dealing with quantitative assessment of wildlife populations. Additionally, the length of the book would be ideal for graduate student seminar course.Using wildlife habitat models in conservation planning is of considerable interest to wildlife biologists. With ever tightening budgets for wildlife research and planning activities, there is a growing need to use computer methods. Use of simulation models represents the single best alternative. However, it is imperative that these techniques be described in a single source. Moreover, biologists should be made aware of alternative modeling techniques. It is also important that practical guidance be provided to biologists along with a demonstration of utility of these procedures. Currently there is little guidance in the wildlife or natural resource planning literature on how best to incorporate wildlife planning activities, particularly community-based approaches. Now is the perfect time for a synthestic publication that clearly outlines the concepts and available methods, and illustrates them. Only single resource book of information not only on various wildlife modeling techniques, but also with practical guidance on the demonstrated utility of each based on real-world conditions. Provides concepts, methods and applications for wildlife ecologists and others within a GIS context. Written by a team of subject-area experts
Download or read book Hybrid Solutions for the Modelling of Complex Environmental Systems written by Christian E. Vincenot and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2017-01-11 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Systems studied in environmental science, due to their structure and the heterogeneity of the entities composing them, often exhibit complex dynamics that can only be captured by hybrid modeling approaches. While several concurrent definitions of “hybrid modeling” can be found in the literature, it is defined here broadly as the approach consisting in coupling existing modelling paradigms to achieve a more accurate or efficient representation of systems. The need for hybrid models generally arises from the necessity to overcome the limitation of a single modeling technique in terms of structural flexibility, capabilities, or computational efficiency. This book brings together experts in the field of hybrid modelling to demonstrate how this approach can address the challenge of representing the complexity of natural systems. Chapters cover applied examples as well as modeling methodology.
Download or read book Comal County Regional Habitat Conservation Plan written by and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Effects of Agricultural Conservation Practices on Fish and Wildlife written by National Agricultural Library (U.S.) and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The bibliography is a guide to recent scientific literature covering effects of agricultural conservation practices on fish and wildlife. The citations listed here provide information on how conservation programs and practices designed to improve fish and wildlife habitat, as well as those intended for other purposes (e.g., water quality improvement), affect various aquatic and terrestrial fauna"--Abstract.
Download or read book Interpretation and Implications of Variability in Ecological Systems written by Robert Klinger and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2024-07-22 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Numerous hypotheses have been proposed to explain the dynamics in abundance of individual species, how species interact, how communities assemble, and how interactions between biotic and abiotic processes shape ecosystem stability. Many if not most of these hypotheses find some degree of support, but often only within relatively narrow spatial and temporal ranges. This is because conditions vary over time and from place to place, and so the strength and extent of processes that were the focus of a given a hypothesis become altered by other forces. Ecologists have confronted variability from two perspectives; conceptual and statistical. Conceptually, spatial and temporal variability are now recognized as being scale dependent and hierarchical. Statistically, there are many models that ecologists readily use that account for the hierarchical and scale-dependence of variability present in many datasets. But linking the two perspectives into a meaningful understanding of what variability means in real systems has been much less successful. For example, it is common to see studies where the fixed effects of a generalized linear mixed model are reported, but very often random effects are completely ignored or, at best, given scant attention. The likelihood of this being a significant problem increases greatly in what are rapidly becoming more common studies that utilize datasets spanning long temporal and/or large spatial scales, or when extreme and often unpredictable events (gray and black swans) occur.
Download or read book The Biology of Plethodontid Salamanders written by Richard C. Bruce and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2000-04-30 with total page 506 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume offers a state-of-the-art overview of plethodontid salamanders. Readers will find the best current understanding of many aspects of the evolution, systematics, development, morphology, life history, ecology, and field methodology of these animals.
Download or read book Hays County Regional Habitat Conservation Plan written by and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book NiSource Gas Transmission and Storage Inc Multi species Habitat Conservation Plan Application for Incidental Take Permit written by and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 1406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Authorization of Incidental Take and Implementation of Fruit Growers Supply Company s Multi Species Habitat Conservation Plan written by and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 706 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Amphibian Conservation written by Rebecca K. Smith and published by Pelagic Publishing Ltd. This book was released on 2014-05-16 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Amphibian Conservation is the fourth in the series of Synopses of Conservation Evidence, linked to the online resource www.ConservationEvidence.com. This synopsis is part of the Conservation Evidence project and provides a useful resource for conservationists. It forms part of a series designed to promote a more evidence-based approach to biodiversity conservation. Others in the series include bee, bird, farmland and bat conservation and many others are in preparation. Approximately 32% of the 7,164+ amphibian species are currently threatened with extinction and at least 43% of species are declining. Despite this, until recently amphibians and their conservation had received little attention. Although work is now being carried out to conserve many species, often it is not adequately documented. This book brings together and summarises the available scientific evidence and experience relevant to the practical conservation of amphibians. The authors consulted an international group of amphibian experts and conservationists to produce a thorough summary of what is known, or not known, about the effectiveness of amphibian conservation actions across the world. "The book is packed with literature summaries and citations; a veritable information goldmine for graduate students and researchers. It also admirably provides decision makers with a well-researched resource of proven interventions that can be employed to stem/reverse the decline of amphibian populations." -John G Palis, Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society
Download or read book Watershed Hydrology written by Vijay P. Singh and published by Allied Publishers. This book was released on 2003 with total page 588 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Ecological Models and Data in R written by Benjamin M. Bolker and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2008-07-21 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduction and background; Exploratory data analysis and graphics; Deterministic functions for ecological modeling; Probability and stochastic distributions for ecological modeling; Stochatsic simulation and power analysis; Likelihood and all that; Optimization and all that; Likelihood examples; Standar statistics revisited; Modeling variance; Dynamic models.
Download or read book Advances in Reintroduction Biology of Australian and New Zealand Fauna written by Doug Armstrong and published by CSIRO PUBLISHING. This book was released on 2015-05-15 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The publication of Reintroduction Biology of Australian and New Zealand Fauna nearly 20 years ago introduced the new science of ‘reintroduction biology’. Since then, there have been vast changes in our understanding of the process of reintroductions and other conservation-driven translocations, and corresponding changes in regulatory frameworks governing translocations. Advances in Reintroduction Biology of Australian and New Zealand Fauna is a timely review of our understanding of translocation from an Australasian perspective, ensuring translocation becomes an increasingly effective conservation management strategy in the future. Written by experts, including reintroduction practitioners, researchers and policy makers, the book includes extensive practical advice and example case studies, identifies emerging themes and suggests future directions. Topics include: key questions in reintroduction biology; population establishment; prey naivety; disease management; dispersal; the roles of trials and experiments; modelling projections; assisted colonisation; population interchange; genetic diversity; disease management; metapopulation dynamics; reintroduced species as ecological engineers; the contributions of sanctuary networks and zoos; and extensive insights from reintroduction programs. This book is aimed at conservation practitioners and researchers, as well as conservation management agencies and NGOs. Although it is based on Australasian examples, it will be of interest globally due to synergies with reintroduction programs throughout the world.
Download or read book Ecology written by Charles J. Krebs and published by Benjamin-Cummings Publishing Company. This book was released on 2001 with total page 695 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This best-selling majors ecology book continues to present ecology as a series of problems for readers to critically analyze. No other text presents analytical, quantitative, and statistical ecological information in an equally accessible style. Reflecting the way ecologists actually practice, the book emphasizes the role of experiments in testing ecological ideas and discusses many contemporary and controversial problems related to distribution and abundance. Throughout the book, Krebs thoroughly explains the application of mathematical concepts in ecology while reinforcing these concepts with research references, examples, and interesting end-of-chapter review questions. Thoroughly updated with new examples and references, the book now features a new full-color design and is accompanied by an art CD-ROM for instructors. The field package also includes The Ecology Action Guide, a guide that encourages readers to be environmentally responsible citizens, and a subscription to The Ecology Place (www.ecologyplace.com), a web site and CD-ROM that enables users to become virtual field ecologists by performing experiments such as estimating the number of mice on an imaginary island or restoring prairie land in Iowa. For college instructors and students.
