Search results

Land cover is a key variable in monitoring applications and new processing technologies made deriving this information easier. Yet, classification algorithms remain dependent on samples collected on the field and field campaigns are limited by financial, infrastructural and political boundaries. Here, animal tracking data could be an asset. Looking at the land cover dependencies of animal behaviour, we can obtain land cover samples over places that are difficult to access. Following this premise, we evaluated the potential of animal movement data to map land cover. Specifically, we used 13 White Storks (Cicona cicona) individuals of the same population to map agriculture within three test regions distributed along their migratory track. The White Stork has adapted to foraging over agricultural lands, making it an ideal source of samples to map this land use. We applied a presence-absence modelling approach over a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series and validated our classifications, with high-resolution land cover information. Our results suggest White Stork movement is useful to map agriculture, however, we identified some limitations. We achieved high accuracies (F1-scores > 0.8) for two test regions, but observed poor results over one region. This can be explained by differences in land management practices. The animals preferred agriculture in every test region, but our data showed a biased distribution of training samples between irrigated and non-irrigated land. When both options occurred, the animals disregarded non-irrigated land leading to its misclassification as non-agriculture. Additionally, we found difference between the GPS observation dates and the harvest times for non-irrigated crops. Given the White Stork takes advantage of managed land to search for prey, the inactivity of these fields was the likely culprit of their underrepresentation. Including more species attracted to agriculture - with other land-use dependencies and observation times - can contribute to better results in similar applications.

Long ago when people still lived in caves-perhaps at the same time when they developed habits that were different from those of other animals- humans began to practice ecology. They became keen observers of nature through such basic and instinctive actions as tracking both large wild animals and small prey, discerning edible plants from poisonous ones, and noting the time of year when different plants could be gathered. From necessity and inherent curiosity, humans began to learn about the relationships between living things and the environment. As the field of ecology grew, its focus went beyond the simple cataloging of living things in the world. Ecologists also became interested in understanding how living things function and how they interrelate with one another and with the environment-to explain that peculiar element that makes the Earth unique: life. We will begin by learning what ecology is and what it is not. (At times the word has been used incorrectly as a synonym for environmental protection.) Later, we will look at how living things are classified, before moving into the study of the environments in which they live: the land, water, and air.

Updated for 2013, Ecology is one title in the Britannica Illustrated Science Library Series. Long ago when people still lived in caves-perhaps at the same time when they developed habits that were different from those of other animals- humans began to practice ecology. They became keen observers of nature through such basic and instinctive actions as tracking both large wild animals and small prey, discerning edible plants from poisonous ones, and noting the time of year when different plants could be gathered. From necessity and inherent curiosity, humans began to learn about the relationships between living things and the environment. As the field of ecology grew, its focus went beyond the simple cataloging of living things in the world. Ecologists also became interested in understanding how living things function and how they interrelate with one another and with the environment-to explain that peculiar element that makes the Earth unique: life. We will begin by learning what ecology is and what it is not. (At times the word has been used incorrectly as a synonym for environmental protection.) Later, we will look at how living things are classified, before moving into the study of the environments in which they live: the land, water, and air.

Describes the ecology of Australian deserts and how desert-dwelling plants and animals succeed.

The Pasoh Forest Reserve in Malaysia is one of the most species-rich ecological systems on our planet. Since the 1970s it has been the site of intensive research on lowland tropical rain forest across a diverse range of disciplines including ecology, forestry, meteorology, and hydrology. Research has focused on biodiversity and sustainable management of tropical rain forests as well as the role of tropical rain forests in maintaining global climate and carbon sinks. This book compiles diverse studies of the ecology and natural history of the Pasoh Forest Reserve and focuses on six areas: Physical settings and environment; Vegetation structure, diversity, and dynamics; Plant population and functional biology; Animal ecology and biodiversity; Plant-animal interactions; and Anthropogenic impacts and forest management. This book is of interest to tropical forest researchers worldwide in ecology, conservation biology, taxonomy, and forestry

Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- Symbols -- Natural History -- Census -- Life Tables -- Genetics -- Quantitative Genetics -- Part I Introduction -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 A Brief History -- 1.2 From Register to Management -- 1.3 Population Management Triangle -- 1.4 Exploring Studbooks -- 1.4.1 Natural History -- 1.4.2 Census -- 1.4.3 Life Tables -- 1.4.4 Genetic Analyses -- 1.5 Conservation Data -- 1.6 More Topics -- References -- 2 Studbooks and Software -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Studbook Examples -- 2.2.1 Red Crowned Crane Grus japonensis -- 2.2.2 African Wild Dog Lycaon pictus -- 2.2.3 Red Panda Ailurus fulgens -- 2.2.4 European Wolverine Gulo gulo gulo -- 2.2.5 Snow Leopard Uncia uncia -- 2.2.6 Californian Sea Lion Zalophus californianus -- 2.2.7 Bongo Tragelaphus eurycerus -- 2.2.8 Blesbok Damalisicus pygargus phillipsi -- 2.3 Software Tools -- 2.3.1 Population Management Library -- References -- Part II Demographic Analyses -- 3 Natural History -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Lifespan and Longevity -- 3.2.1 Estimated Dates -- 3.2.2 Longevity -- 3.2.2.1 Artefacts -- 3.2.2.2 Data Truncation -- 3.2.3 Pathologist's View -- 3.2.4 History and Husbandry -- 3.2.5 Early Life Stages -- 3.2.6 Differences Between Sexes -- 3.3 Reproductive Lifespan -- 3.3.1 Age at First Reproduction -- 3.3.2 Artefacts -- 3.4 Litter Size -- 3.4.1 Assessing Litter Size -- 3.4.2 Date Range in Litter/Clutch Size -- 3.5 Seasonality -- 3.5.1 Mean Date -- 3.5.2 Seasonality in Births -- 3.5.2.1 Sex at Birth -- 3.5.2.2 Premature Births -- 3.5.2.3 Latitude -- 3.5.2.4 Photoperiod -- 3.5.3 Seasonality in Deaths -- 3.6 Inter-Birth Interval -- 3.6.1 Management Effects -- 3.6.2 Egg-Laying Species -- References -- 4 Census Analysis -- 4.1 Counting Animals -- 4.2 Census Date -- 4.3 Census -- 4.4 Population Growth -- 4.5 Sex-Ratio -- References -- 5 Births, Deaths and Migration

AbstractThere is growing concern globally about the inhumane treatment of 'pest' animals, including rodents, and about the ecological consequences of rodenticides, notably the poisoning of non-target wildlife like raptors and scavengers. Recent contestation between Environmental Health (EH) officials in Khayelitsha, Cape Town's largest African township, and the National Council for Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) illustrates the tension that can arise between innovative ecologically-focused strategies and existing legislation and animal protection practices. In 2013/14 EH officials introduced a job-creation project to trap and drown rats, describing it as 'humane' because it avoided poison thereby posing no danger to wildlife such as owls. The NSPCA, however, halted the project, arguing that drowning was both inhumane and illegal. Death by poison is also inhumane but the South Africa's Animals Protection Act (1962) allows it (and trapping and hunting) to be used against 'pests'/'vermin'. The NSPCA, which has never challenged the Act for allowing the inhumane treatment of these animals, used it to trump local preferences. A representative survey from Khayelitsha showed that there was some support for an NSPCA-like position (14% thought that drowning was cruel and that workers should not be allowed to trap and drown rats) but that the majority (70%) indicated that they were both concerned about the poisoning of non-target animals and supported the continuation of the trapping and drowning project. This was not a contestation over whether animals should be protected, but over how to do this, and which animals to include.

While the original objective of environmental education (EE) and education for sustainable development (ESD) acquired an awareness of the natural world and its current plight, animal welfare (AW), animal rights (AR), and deep ecology (DE) have often been absent within EE and ESD. AW and AR focus their attention on individual animals, while the DE perspective recognizes the intrinsic value of the environment. In this article, we shall discuss how the integration of these three approaches within EE/ESD can and should be improved, with particular reference to the ethical underpinnings of educational scholarship and practice. This article will argue that these three positions are well placed to enhance the democratic practices of EE/ESD through the adoption of an inclusive pluralism that embraces representation of non-human species and recognizes their interests.

The book is the only scientific monograph dealing with coccinellids (i.e. ladybirds), a group of beetles which are beneficial predators of aphids, scale insects and mites, and are also one of the most popular insects. This volume is an updated and modified version of Biology of Coccinellidae (1973) 250 pp. Due to a vast increase in information, the book has become more voluminous (xvi + 464 pp. comprising 133 tables, 95 figures, 11 plates, 1692 references). While the information goes into enough detail for a researcher or university teacher, the book should also be easily readable for the naturalist who is interested in the background behind the observed phenomena. Extension agriculture specialists will find a friendly guide to the use of coccinellids in integrated pest management and biological control. The authors hope that the volume will thus help to make our environment safer both for humans and animals

AbstractAnimal liberationists generally pay little attention to the suffering of animals in the wild, and it is arguable that this is a significant proportion of the total amount of animal suffering. We examine a range of different responses of animal liberationists to the issue of non-anthropogenic suffering, but find none of them entirely satisfactory. Responses that lead logically to the conclusion that anthropogenic suffering should be eliminated can apply equally logically to the suffering of animals in the wild. On the other hand, the solution of micro-managing habitats to prevent suffering is counter-intuitive, and on closer examination eliminates the intrinsic value of animals' lives. On balance, the approach that we favour is acceptance of the intrinsic value of individual animal lives, extending this from either individual human lives (as accepted predominantly by theists), or from biodiversity, species and ecosystems (as currently accepted by ecocentric philosophies). We also suggest that the combination of animal liberation and environmentalism only really makes sense in the context of a belief in the redeemable qualities of nature, as expressed in quasi-Hindu terms or in terms of some Biblical animal liberationist worldviews.