Academic literature on the topic 'Cloud forests conservation'

Forest inventories play an important role in enabling informed decisions to be made for the management and conservation of forest resources; however, the process of collecting inventory information is laborious. Despite advancements in mapping technologies allowing forests to be digitized in finer granularity than ever before, it is still common for forest measurements to be collected using simple tools such as calipers, measuring tapes, and hypsometers. Dense understory vegetation and complex forest structures can present substantial challenges to point cloud processing tools, often leading to erroneous measurements, and making them of less utility in complex forests. To address this challenge, this research demonstrates an effective deep learning approach for semantically segmenting high-resolution forest point clouds from multiple different sensing systems in diverse forest conditions. Seven diverse point cloud datasets were manually segmented to train and evaluate this model, resulting in per-class segmentation accuracies of Terrain: 95.92%, Vegetation: 96.02%, Coarse Woody Debris: 54.98%, and Stem: 96.09%. By exploiting the segmented point cloud, we also present a method of extracting a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) from such segmented point clouds. This approach was applied to a set of six point clouds that were made publicly available as part of a benchmarking study to evaluate the DTM performance. The mean DTM error was 0.04 m relative to the reference with 99.9% completeness. These approaches serve as useful steps toward a fully automated and reliable measurement extraction tool, agnostic to the sensing technology used or the complexity of the forest, provided that the point cloud has sufficient coverage and accuracy. Ongoing work will see these models incorporated into a fully automated forest measurement tool for the extraction of structural metrics for applications in forestry, conservation, and research.

<p>Species composition, diversity, structure and microclimate were compared in two edge type of montane cloud forest (FF, edges with pine forest and FS, secondary shrubland) within a forest-edge-exterior gradient at Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve (Jalisco, Mexico). The cloud forest presented higher richness (126 species, 52 interior habitat specifi c) than pine forests (84) and shrublands (71). Richness and diversity were similar in FF, but species replacement was higher in FS. Density, diameter structure, basal area and canopy cover were major in FF than in FS. Microclimatic and soil condition, was gradual in FF edges and abrupt in FS edges. Tree species of the cloud forests (high density of seedlings and saplings &lt;5 cm diameter breast height) are colonizing the understory of adjacent pine forests, whereas in shrublands their establishment appears to be limited by competition with shrubs and herbaceous species and microclimatic conditions. Our results highlight the importance of considering edge type contrast in conservation and restoration of cloud forest in forest landscapes.</p>

The protection of natural areas is considered an essential strategy for environment conservation. The objective of this work was to determine the level of vulnerability, considering the characterization and identification of the risk zones and ecological protection of the Pagaibamba Protection Forest (PPF, Peru). To determine the vulnerable areas, Landsat ETM satellite images, topographic, geological, ecological, and vegetation cover maps were used. Geological, physiographic, edaphological, vegetation cover, and land use potential characteristics, were analyzed. Three Ecological Protection and Risk Zones were identified, with the largest extension of the PPF corresponding to lands of very high and high vulnerability and high ecological risk, which include >85% of Protected Natural Areas (PNA) and 54% of the Buffer Zone (BZ). Moderate risk areas represent 30% of the Buffer Zone (BZ) and 13% of the PNA, and the low-risk areas (represent 15% of the BZ and 2% of the PNA). Biogeographically, the PPF was related to the Cloudy Montane Forests Ecoregion of the Andes Mountains, standing out the Tropical Montane Cloud Forest (TMCF) and the Tropical Lower Montane Cloud Forest (TLMCF). These forests are a global conservation priority due to their great biodiversity, high level of endemicity of flora and fauna, and the crucial hydrological function they fulfill.

The extension of montane cloud forests in western Mexico is threatened by several disturbances that limit their extension. In this study we aim to assess the contribution of birds and bats in the dispersal and colonization of cloud–forest plants in contiguous surface–burned pine forests. We sampled seed rain and sapling establishment over one year in two surface–burned sites, which differed in the size of their closest cloud forest patch. A total of 17 plant species were found, most of which were late–successional trees, shrubs and climbers. Distance influenced the seed rain of only one dispersed taxon (Solanum sp.) and had no effect on the sapling distribution of this or other plants. In turn, marked differences were found between sites, with more seeds dispersed and higher sapling density in the site that was next to the larger cloud forest patch. The role of long–distance dispersers and the existence of seed banks before fire could explain the little importance of distance from seed source on seed dispersal and sapling distribution. Nevertheless, dispersal by birds and bats before or after fire facilitates the regeneration and conservation of cloud forests in disturbed areas formerly occupied by other habitats.

Abstract This study details two unique methods to quantify cloud-immersion statistics for tropical montane cloud forests (TMCFs). The first technique uses a new algorithm for determining cloud-base height using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) cloud products, and the second method uses numerical atmospheric simulation along with geostationary satellite data. Cloud-immersion statistics are determined using MODIS data for March 2003 over the study region consisting of Costa Rica, southern Nicaragua, and northern Panama. Comparison with known locations of cloud forests in northern Costa Rica shows that the MODIS-derived cloud-immersion maps successfully identify known cloud-forest locations in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) database. Large connected regions of cloud immersion are observed in regions in which the trade wind flow is directly impinging upon the mountain slopes; in areas in which the flow is parallel to the slopes, a fractured spatial distribution of TMCFs is observed. Comparisons of the MODIS-derived cloud-immersion map with the model output show that the MODIS product successfully captures the important cloud-immersion patterns in the Monteverde region of Costa Rica. The areal extent of cloud immersion is at a maximum during morning hours and at a minimum during the afternoon, before increasing again in the evening. Cloud-immersion frequencies generally increase with increasing elevation and tend to be higher on the Caribbean Sea side of the mountains. This study shows that the MODIS data may be used successfully to map the biogeography of cloud forests and to quantify cloud immersion over cloud-forest locations.

Amphibians of the Mexican Cloud Forest have a great diversity but are highly threatened. Forest endemisms are useful for recognizing biodiversity hotspots; furthermore, the interaction of historical and current events has generated areas of endemism that can be used for biological conservation in forest fragments; therefore, their identification is an essential part of the management and planning of biological conservation. Thus, our objective was to identify areas of endemism in the cloud forests of Mexico through the analysis of geographical distribution of 126 species of amphibians, as well as their conservation status to obtain information that supports the selection of priority areas for conservation. For this, the endemicity analysis method was used with three spatial scales, 1°×1°, 0.5°×0.5° and 0.25°×0.25° (lat/long), to achieve more complete results and avoid visual overrepresentation of areas of endemism. Seventeen consensus areas distributed in four of the five provinces of the Mexican Transition Zone were identified. The province of the Sierra Madre del Sur exhibited the highest amount of endemism areas, followed by the Sierra Madre Oriental, the East of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, and the Altos de Chiapas. Results indicate that the endemic areas of the Sierra Madre Oriental and Sierra Madre del Sur provinces are composed of amphibians included in the IUCN red list and the Official Mexican Standard NOM-059. Thus, the small areas of endemism in eastern and western Sierra Madre del Sur, nested within larger ones may be used to increase the protected areas of cloud forests in Mexico.

Three new species of Ficus are described and illustrated. F. nebulosilvana which is restricted to the cloud forest of western Andes in Colombia and Ecuador, F. palmarensis which is restricted to the cloud forests of Chocó in Colombia, and F. plectonervata which is distributed from the central biogeographic region of Chocó in Colombia to Costa Rica. Species conservation assessments are presented and the taxonomic relationships of the new species and etymology are discussed.

In this study, we document the distribution, current knowledge, and conservation of twenty-six tree species of gymnosperms (four species) and angiosperms (twenty-two species) characteristic of the Mexican cloud forests and most endemic to Mexico. Many species are threatened and included in international and national Red Data List, such as the IUCN, and the Mexican Official Norm (NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010). Distribution maps of these 26 species were generated based on information from herbarium specimens, specialized literature, web databases, and our own field surveys. All records were displayed on a map of the Mexican territory divided into grid cells of 15 × 20 min of latitude/longitude (a spatial resolution of approximately 27.75 km × 36.75 km) to obtain the richness patterns. Additionally, these records were displayed on the map of the current Mexican System of Natural Protected Areas (NPAs) to evaluate their representativeness in these areas of in situ conservation. We also include information on populations and the habitat status of these tree species in some Mexican locations. Most species studied here require particular policies for their conservation due to the problems affecting their natural populations and habitat. Our results indicate that three species are not represented in the Mexican System of NPAs and that some are underrepresented.

A total of 26 crustose calicioid lichens and fungi were found in Tanzania. Most of them belong to a group of species with wide distributions in cool areas of both hemispheres and occasional occurrence in high mountains at low latitudes. In Tanzania calicioids mainly occur in the middle and upper forest zones and their niches are found on the bark of old trees and on lignum, most of them restricted to mountain cloud forests. Calicioids are rare and often red-listed, and are also bioindicators of long forest continuity. Consequently, they form an important biota in mountain cloud forests and deserve attention in the context of preserving biodiversity and developing conservation policies. One new species, Chaenothecopsis kilimanjaroensis, is described. Chaenotheca hispidula and Pyrgillus cambodiensis are reported as new to Africa and Calicium lenticulare and Chaenothecopsis debilis are reported as new to Tanzania.

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As Florestas Tropicais são ecossistemas altamente diversos, que apresentam grande vulnerabilidade devido a um complexo conjunto de fatores, que variam de acordo com a região. Mais da metade da cobertura global das florestas tropicais úmidas já foi convertida através de ações antrópicas e a área remanescente encontra-se amplamente fragmentada. As Florestas Nebulares da região Neotropical estão entre as mais desconhecidas e ameaçadas de todas as vegetações florestais dos trópicos. No Brasil, as Florestas Nebulares possuem uma importante representatividade na Serra da Mantiqueira, uma cordilheira de montanhas que faz parte da Floresta Atlântica, estendendo-se desde o Planalto de Caldas e o Planalto de Campos do Jordão, até o Planalto do Caparaó, na divisa entre Minas Gerais e o Espírito Santo, com uma área aproximada de 13.176 km². Trabalhos com descrições florísticas e estruturais na Serra da Mantiqueira, são relativamente poucos em comparação com sua ampla extensão, e apesar de sua importância florística e ecológica, ela ainda é pouco conhecida. Dentre as formações florestais menos conhecidas, estão as Nanoflorestas Nebulares, bem como suas relações com as variações ambientais locais e a forma como essas variáveis proporcionam modificações florísticas nessa fitofisionomia. Os aspectos que envolvem as Nanoflorestas Nebulares relacionam-se com o fato de sua imersão na camada de nuvens e com o ciclo hidrológico local. Ocorrem em cinturões de altitude estreitos, em sulcos do relevo montanhoso ou em picos de montanha, com a distribuição de espécies semelhante a arquipélagos. Buscando ampliar o conhecimento sobre as formações florestais de altitude da Serra da Mantiqueira, este estudo foi desenvolvido com os objetivos de (1) avaliar a composição florística das Nanoflorestas Nebulares e a contribuição dos elementos de distribuição tropical e temperados nessa fitofisionomia e (2) analisar e descrever a composição, riqueza e diversidade de espécies, assim como a estrutura fitossociológica do componente arbustivo-arbóreo de trechos de Nanoflorestas Nebulares localizados em diferentes cotas altitudinais no Parque Estadual do Ibitipoca (PEIB), localizado no estado de Minas Gerais, no domínio da Mata Atlântica, Serra da Mantiqueira, Região Sudeste do Brasil. A hipótese ecológica que norteou este trabalho é que há a ocorrência de de significativas variações florísticas e estruturais da vegetação arbórea ao longo do gradiente altitudinal. No Capítulo I, foi avaliada a composição florística das Nanoflorestas Nebulares do PEIB e realizou-se análises de fitogeografia.Para o levantamento, foram realizadas 12 campanhas de campo mensais, durante um ano, para coleta de material botânico, com duração de três dias cada, em diferentes áreas de Nanoflorestas Nebulares do PEIB. Para as análises de fitogeografia, os gêneros foram classificados em sete grupos fitogeográficos delimitados com base nos seus centros atuais de diversidade. A distribuição geográfica das espécies foi baseada na consulta à literatura e em sites especializados. Foram encontradas 371 espécies, 209 gêneros e 73 famílias de fanerógamas. As famílias de maior riqueza foram Orchidaceae (84 spp.), Asteraceae (39 spp.) e Melastomataceae (21 spp). Os gêneros com maior riqueza foram Leandra (09 spp.), Epidendrum (09 spp.), Pleurothallis (09 spp.), Mikania (07 spp.) e Miconia (07 spp). O hábito arbóreo foi predominante, com 103 espécies (27,7%), seguido por 83 arbustivas (22,3%), 82 ervas epífitas (22%), 80 ervas terrestres (21,5%) e 23 lianas (6,5%). Os gêneros com distribuição tropical representaram 86,5%, enquanto os elementos temperados representaram 13,5% do total. No Capítulo II foi descrita a estrutura florestal das Nanoflorestas Nebulares do PEIB. Foram definidas cinco cotas altitudinais variando de 1300 m a 1600 m s.n.m. Em cada cota foram alocadas aleatoriamente 10 parcelas de 10 m x 20 m, totalizando 2.000 m² (0,2 ha) por cota e amostra total de 10.000 m² (1,0 ha). No interior das parcelas foram amostrados todos os indivíduos arbóreos com diâmetro à altura do peito (DAP, medido a 1,30 m acima do solo) maior ou igual a 5,0 cm. A descrição da estrutura de cada comunidade foi realizada com base em parâmetros fitossociológicos. A diversidade de espécies foi analisada pelo índice de diversidade de Shannon (H’) e a equabilidade de Pielou (J’). As cotas altitudinais foram comparadas através dos parâmetros fitossociológicos, diversidade, índices de similaridade de Jaccard e Bray-Curtis associados a dendrogramas e análise de ordenação através da Análise de Correspondência Distendida (DCA). A análise de similaridade One-way ANOSIM foi realizada para testar estatisticamente a diferença espacial na composição de espécies. Para a área total, foram amostrados 2303 indivíduos vivos, distribuídos em 147 espécies, pertencentes a 37 famílias botânicas. Dentre as famílias de maior riqueza estão Myrtaceae (29 spp.), Lauraceae (12 spp.), Melastomataceae (10 spp.), Rubiaceae e Sapindaceae (08 spp. cada). O valor do índice de Shannon (H’) para a área total (1 ha) foi 4,06 nats.ind-1, e o de equabilidade de Pielou (J’) foi de 0,81. Maiores similaridades foram encontradas entre cotas mais próximas. A DCA e os dendrogramas demonstraram a presença de um gradiente com forte substituição de espécies entre as cotas altitudinais. A premissa inicial de que as comunidades arbóreas das Nanoflorestas Nebulares do PEIB apresentam variações florísticas e/ou estruturais em reposta às diferenças de gradientes altitudinais foi confirmada pelos resultados apresentados.
Tropical Forests are highly diverse ecosystems, which are highly vulnerable due to a complex set of factors, which vary by region. More than half of the global coverage of the tropical rainforests has been converted through anthropic actions and the remaining area is largely fragmented. Cloud Forests of the Neotropical region are among the most unknown and endangered of all tropical forest vegetation. In Brazil, the Cloud Forests have an important representation in the Serra da Mantiqueira, a mountain complex that forms part of the Atlantic Forest, extending from the Planalto de Caldas and the Campos do Jordão Planalto, to the Planalto of Caparaó, on the border between Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, with an approximate area of 13.176 km². Work with floristic and structural descriptions in the Serra da Mantiqueira, are relatively few compared to its wide extent, and despite its floristic and ecological importance, it is still little known. Among the least known forest formations are the Dwarf Cloud Forests, as well as their relationship with local environmental variations and the way these variables provide floristic modifications in this phytophysiognomy. The aspects that involve the Dwarf Cloud Forests are related to the fact of their immersion in the cloud layer and with the local hydrological cycle. They occur in narrow altitude belts, in ridges of mountainous relief or in mountain peaks, with the distribution of species similar to archipelagos. Aiming to increase knowledge about the altitude formations of the Serra da Mantiqueira, this study was developed with the objectives of (1) to know the floristic composition of the Dwarf Cloud Forests and the contribution of the elements of tropical and temperate distribution in this phytophysiognomy, and (2) to analyze and to describe the composition, richness and diversity of species, as well as the phytosociological structure of the Dwarf Cloud Forests shrub-tree component of sections located in different altitudinal gradients in the of Ibitipoca State Park (ISP), located in Minas Gerais State, Forest Atantic domain, Serra da Mantiqueira, Southeast Region of Brazil. The ecological hypothesis that guided this work is that there are significant floristic and structural variations of the tree vegetation along the altitudinal gradient. In Chapter I, the floristic composition of the Dwarf Cloud Forests of the ISP was evaluated and phytogeography analyzes were performed. In order to carry out the survey, 12 field campaigns monthly, for one year, were carried out to collect botanical material, lasting three days each, in different areas of the ISP Dwarf Cloud Forests. For the phytogeography analyzes, the genera were classified into seven phytogeographic groups delimited based on their current diversity centers. The geographic distribution of the species was based on the consultation of the literature and specialized sites. We found 371 species, 209 genera and 73 families of phanerogams. The richest families were Orchidaceae (84 spp.), Asteraceae (39 spp.) and Melastomataceae (21 spp). The genera with the greatest wealth were Leandra (09 spp.), Epidendrum (09 spp.), Pleurothallis (09 spp.), Mikania (07 spp.) and Miconia (07 spp). The arboreal habit was predominant with 103 species (27,7%), followed by 83 shrubs (22,3%), 82 epiphytic herbs (22%), 80 terrestrial herbs (21,5%) and 23 lianas (6,5%). The genera with tropical distribution represent 86,5%, while the temperate elements represent 13,5% of the total. In Chapter II the forest structure of the Dwarf Cloud Forests of the ISP was described. Five altitudinal levels were defined ranging from 1300 m to 1600 m s.n.m. In each level 10 plots of 10 m x 20 m were randomly allocated, totaling 2.000 m² (0,2 ha) per level and a total sample of 10.000 m² (1,0 ha). In the interior of the plots were sampled all trees with diameter at breast height (DBH, measured at 1,30 m above the ground) greater or equal to 5,0 cm. The description of the structure of each community was carried out based on phytosociological parameters. The diversity of species was analyzed by the Shannon diversity index (H') and the Pielou equability (J'). The altitudinal levels were compared through the phytosociological parameters, diversity, Jaccard and Bray-Curtis similarity indices associated with dendrograms and ordering analysis through Distended Correspondence Analysis (DCA). ANOSIM One-way similarity analysis was performed to statistically test the spatial difference in species composition. For the total area, 2303 living individuals were sampled, distributed in 147 species, belonging to 37 botanical families. Among the richest families are Myrtaceae (29 spp.), Lauraceae (12 spp.), Melastomataceae (10 spp.), Rubiaceae and Sapindaceae (08 spp each). The value of the Shannon index (H') for the total area (1 ha) was 4,06 nats.ind-1, and the Pielou equability (J') was 0,81. Larger similarities were found between closer levels. DCA and dendrograms demonstrated the presence of a gradient with strong species substitution between altitudinal levels. The initial premise that ISP Dwarf Cloud Forests arboreal communities present floristic and / or structural variations in response to differences in altitude gradients was confirmed by the results presented.

This research explores differences in environmental worldviews and connections to the land globally and more specifically in a case study of NGOs working in the Ecuadorian Cloud Forest. The aims of this project are to investigate different environmental worldviews expressed between western NGOs and non western local NGOs and to pose these questions 1) what environmental worldviews and ethics are at play in addressing conservation globally and specifically in the Cloud Forest of Ecuador? 2) How do these worldviews influence models for conservation? 3) How do locally-run projects differ from foreign NGOs in addressing the combined needs of the environment and the people in Ecuador? I work to establish a framework for comparing the environmental worldviews of foreign environmental NGOs that of local NGOs, by researching environmental worldviews around the world as influenced by culture, society, history and religion. By using research on case studies done by Jim Igoe, Carolyn Merchant, John Schelhas and Max Pfeffer, I explore the dominant Western worldview of conservation and how its introduction of the National Park model has impacted local communities globally. By comparing this Western worldview of conservation via preservation in National Parks to the nonwestern worldview of integrative models for conservation, I hope to establish a framework for how looking at conservation from the perspective of local communities may prove more beneficial to the future of conservation projects globally. This case study centers around four main community-based conservation projects in the Ecuadorian Cloud Forest and asks how their grassroots operations differ from the Ecuadorian National Park system in their efforts to educate and support local communities. This project proposes to dissect these projects designed by local and foreign NGOs to see how they are shaped by their environmental worldviews and whether that worldview includes just the needs of the environment or takes into account the needs of the people as well. This is done through a combination of participant observation and semi-structured open-ended interviews. All data in this ethnography is qualitative and draws on three bodies of literature that serve as frames or approaches to this topic: environmental worldviews, political ecology, and environmental justice. By using these three approaches I show that the environment and ultimately efforts for conservation do not exist within a vacuum but rather lay within a broader context of beliefs, society, and history.
Graduation date: 2012

Monteverde is renowned among tropical biologists, conservationists, and ecotourists for its cloud forests, quetzals, and Golden Toads. These forest ecosystems have been preserved while many other rain forests in Latin America have been destroyed for agriculture, wood products, and development. Initially, the area was preserved because it was nearly inaccessible; it remains protected because of dedicated efforts by local inhabitants, the development of effective grassroots organizations, and funds and expertise from the international scientific and conservation communities. In this chapter I document the development and contributions of grassroots conservation organizations that promote conservation practices and thinking. Four organizations preserved forested areas that now constitute the Monteverde Reserve Complex (see Fig. 1.7): (a) Bosqueterno, a reserve and organization formed by the Quaker settlers to protect their watershed; (b) the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve (MCFP) managed by the San José-based Tropical Science Center (TSC); (c) Bosque Eterno de los Niños (Children’s Eternal Forest; BEN), whose land was acquired by the Monteverde Conservation League (MCL); and (d) the Santa Elena High School Cloud Forest Reserve (SER) established by the local high school (colegio). Other activities discussed in this chapter are efforts to (1) protect reserve areas, (2) protect forest fragments outside the reserves and create corridors to link forested areas, (3) reforest and rehabilitate damaged land, (4) develop environmental education at all levels, (5) develop complementarity and cooperation among organizations, and (6) establish projects in sustainable development. These topics are linked with the growth of scientific knowledge and the development of ecotourism in the zone. The thesis of this chapter is that conservation organizations emerged as a series of responses to newly perceived environmental needs and opportunities. I identify successes and failures of conservation efforts by organizations in the Monteverde Zone and the factors responsible for them, analyze problems that have been or need to be resolved, and determine the extent to which institutional developments in the Monteverde Zone may serve as models in conservation and sustainable development for other areas.

Arthropods (e.g., insects, spiders, mites, crustaceans) are the most diverse group of organisms in the biosphere. Several families of insects (e.g., staphylinid beetles, ichneumonid wasps) contain more species than all vertebrates combined. Most arthropods do not yet have scientific names. Little is known about the life histories of most species. The insects of Costa Rica and neighboring Panama have received more attention than any other tropical region of comparable size, but it is mainly limited to species descriptions and distribution records. I and colleagues who have contributed subsections throughout this chapter draw upon the published studies from Monteverde, but no attempt has been made to list all insect species reported from Monteverde. This chapter differs from others in that some contributors focus on tropical cloud forests in general rather than on only Monteverde. The justification is that for most insects, altitude is the single most important factor determining distribution. Most species show widespread geographic distributions but restricted altitudinal distributions. One intensively sampled cloud forest in Costa Rica is Zurqui de Moravia (1600 m), from which considerable information is drawn for this chapter. We have included most of the insect groups that have been studied in Monteverde: spittlebugs, treehoppers, rove beetles, scarab beetles, longhorn beetles, butterflies, social wasps, ants, and bees. Major orders of insects not included from this chapter are mayflies, cockroaches, termites, earwigs, barklice, thrips, and lacewings. Termites and other social insects are less prominent in cloud forests than in lowland forests. Spiders are the only noninsect arthropods included; the information is from a cloud forest at a similar elevation in Colombia. Cloud forests are defined here as forests higher than 1200 m. Our knowledge of cloud forest arthropods is so fragmentary that generalizations are premature. This chapter provides preliminary information on natural history to stimulate entomologists to consider cloud forests as distinct from lowland rain forests. We include practical information on the conservation of cloud forest arthropods, many of which are vital components of the ecosystem.

People have altered the naturally forested areas of the tropical Andes for natural resources and as places for settlements. The forests collectively represent a global biodiversity hotspot, with many unique species. Environmental gradients are abrupt, with dramatic changes in temperature regimes with altitude, but also with switches in humidity from dry to pluvial. Along the >3000 m altitudinal gradient, there are zones where cooling air can form persistent fogs, leading to cloud forests that have moisture-dependent species and low stature trees, which nevertheless provide important ecosystem services. The relatively cool temperatures and steep slopes at higher elevations often discourage human colonization today, but some sites include archaeological sites, suggesting that current land use may not be prescriptive of the past. Nonexclusive factors may include past climate change, enclaves with drier microenvironments, transhumance, and use of multiple ecological zones. Given a long history of Andean landscapes with people, it is important to put conservation and sustainability goals into a larger context, including data on the timing and locations of settlements, and conceptual models of human influences on Andean forests.

Abstract The lichen flora of mainland Ecuador is still insufficiently known. For the purposes of collecting material, four expeditions were undertaken during the period 1972-1985. The herbarium at GB now comprisesc. 10 000 lichen specimens from Ecuador, of which the majority are epiphytic macrolichens. About 160 genera have been identified so far. The collecting work was concentrated in the Andes, particularly in forests between 1000 and 4000 m altitude. The lower montane rainforest (800-2500 m), the cloud forest (2500-3400 m), and the grass paramo (3400-4000 m) are especially rich in lichens. The most important macrolichen genera of these zones are: Sticta, Leptogium, Erioderma, Lobaria, Usnea, Coccocarpia, Pseudocyphellaria, Everniastrum, Hypotrachyna, Heterodermia, and Parmotrema. It is premature to present a detailed survey of the phytogeography of the area. Apart from cosmopolitan taxa, the lichen flora of Ecuador includes neotropical, pantropical, American-African, circum-Pacific, and southern, and northern temperate elements. Examples of lichens found in some selected habitats are given and many lichens are recorded here for the first time from Ecuador.

In the face of escalating environmental challenges, smart solutions are essential for promoting sustainable living. This research paper examines the pivotal role of Internet of Things (IoT) applications in environmental monitoring, emphasizing how IoT technologies contribute to the creation of a more sustainable and resilient environment. By interlinking sensors, devices, and analytics platforms, IoT systems facilitate real-time monitoring and management of environmental parameters, offering a proactive approach to ecological conservation. The paper explores various IoT-based applications, from urban air quality sensors to remote forest fire detection, highlighting their capacity to gather precise data and trigger timely responses to environmental threats. The integration of IoT with cloud computing and AI is also discussed, showcasing advanced predictive capabilities that allow for preemptive actions in environmental protection. Case studies from around the globe provide insight into practical implementations and the tangible impact of IoT in environmental monitoring. The challenges associated with large-scale deployment, such as data security, energy consumption of IoT devices, and the digital divide, are critically analyzed. The paper concludes by emphasizing the transformative potential of IoT applications in driving sustainability, advocating for their widespread adoption as a means to enhance environmental stewardship and support the transition to greener living practices.

In the north of the Durán canton, is located the hill called "Peñón del Rio", a natural elevation suitable for the development of agricultural and livestock activities, surrounded by rivers and streams that also harbor a dense amount of vegetative species. Archeological remains such as ceramics and burial pits from different cultures of the area were also found. The dry forest is one of the most threatened ecosystems and it is estimated that between 60% and 75% of it has disappeared. On the other hand, the sector is being seriously affected by the extraction of stone material, causing great damage to its ecosystem, to this is added the psychological and health damages caused by the noise, the trembling caused by the implosions executed, and the cloud of dust raised by the passage of heavy machinery; and finally, the high crime rate by which it is affected due to its abandonment. The purpose of this study is to develop a partial plan proposal, in which environmental and arqueological conservation areas of this natural elevation are determined to promote the preservation of the native flora avoiding the loss of identity of the vegetation, as well as the historical importance of the area, potentiating its tourist value, for which, through the observation technique and the handling of field cards, the identification of the plant species of the sector and the diagnosis of the affectation by the excavation of the stone material were carried out. In addition, georeferenced information on the trails and rest areas was collected with the help of Geographic Information Systems. To complement the study, qualitative research instruments were used to determine strategies for the conservation of green areas and the archaeological importance of the hill. As a result, a proposal was made for the location of walking trails, viewpoints and other rest areas, establishing their conservation and reforestation areas. In conclusion, the observed findings show historical roots of the Durán canton and even pre-Hispanic roots at the Latin American level, and the design of trails and rest areas, potentiate the tourist value of this natural elevation.

Numerous socio-economic activities depend on the seasonal rainfall and groundwater recharge cycle across the Central American Isthmus. Population growth and unregulated land use changes resulted in extensive surface water pollution and a large dependency on groundwater resources. This chapter uses stable isotope variations in rainfall, surface water, and groundwater of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras to develop a regionalized rainfall isoscape, isotopic lapse rates, spatial-temporal isotopic variations, and air mass back trajectories determining potential mean recharge elevations, moisture circulation patterns, and surface water-groundwater interactions. Intra-seasonal rainfall modes resulted in two isotopically depleted incursions (W-shaped isotopic pattern) during the wet season and two enriched pulses during the Mid-Summer Drought and the months of the strongest trade winds. Notable isotopic sub-cloud fractionation and near-surface secondary evaporation were identified as common denominators within the Central American Dry Corridor. Groundwater and surface water isotope ratios depicted the strong orographic separation into the Caribbean and Pacific domains, mainly induced by the governing moisture transport from the Caribbean Sea, complex rainfall producing systems across the N-S mountain range, and the subsequent mixing with local evapotranspiration, and, to a lesser degree, the eastern Pacific Ocean fluxes. Groundwater recharge was characterized by a) depleted recharge in highland areas (72.3%), b) rapid recharge via preferential flow paths (13.1%), and enriched recharge due to near-surface secondary fractionation (14.6%). Median recharge elevation ranged from 1,104 to 1,979 m a.s.l. These results are intended to enhance forest conservation practices, inform water protection regulations, and facilitate water security and sustainability planning in the Central American Isthmus.