Academic literature on the topic 'Degree Discipline: Ecology and Biodiversity'
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Journal articles on the topic "Degree Discipline: Ecology and Biodiversity"
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Ortega-Rubio, Alfredo, Elizabeth Olmos-Martínez, and María Carmen Blázquez. "Socioecology and Biodiversity Conservation." Diversity 13, no. 9 (September 16, 2021): 442. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d13090442.
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The discipline of Socioecological Systems (SES) was conceptualized in 1998 with the intention of understanding the effects of human activities on natural ecosystems by analyzing resilience in local resource management systems [...]
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Dubynin, Alexander. "Conservation Biology as an Academic Discipline: Novosibirsk State University’s Master’s Degree Program Experience." BIO Web of Conferences 38 (2021): 00027. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/bioconf/20213800027.
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A reduction in the planet’s biodiversity requires an active response by politicians, environmental activists, and scientists. Modern biological education should provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to solve complex tasks targeted at preserving and restoring vulnerable species habitats and ecosystems. Students study conservation biology at many universities around the world with this as their goal. For the first time in Russia, a Master’s Conservation Biology course for biology students was developed and tested at Novosibirsk State University. This primer course (108 hours) includes lectures, discussions, excursions, elements of gamification, combines auditorium and online classes, uses social networks for additional communication with students, and experienced practitioners. The course has been highly rated by students and can be expanded to include a larger audience.
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Margules, Chris. "EDITORIAL : A research priority for biodiversity conservation." Taprobanica 10, no. 2 (November 22, 2021): 80–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.47605/tapro.v10i2.255.
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Conservation biology emerged as a scientific discipline in the mid-1980s with the explicit practical goal of conserving species and habitats. The term ‘biodiversity’ was coined soon after, apparently at some time during the organization of the September 1986 National Forum on Biodiversity held by the US National Academy of Sciences and the Smithsonian Institution. The science of conservation biology was quickly taken up. Journals proliferated and textbooks soon followed. Laboratories within university biology and ecology departments specialized in conservation biology. Along with a great many other young biologists and ecologists, I climbed the moral high ground and set about research to help change the future by discovering how to protect biodiversity.
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Dean, Bill B. "Integrated Cropping Systems—A Multi-discipline Degree." HortScience 31, no. 4 (August 1996): 568a—568. http://dx.doi.org/10.21273/hortsci.31.4.568a.
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Washington State Univ. Tri-Cities offers a new agricultural degree program titled Integrated Cropping Systems. It is intended to provide a basic education on the fundamentals of crop production and the environmental context in which crops are grown. Courses are offered at the upper division level to interface with the lower division courses offered at local community colleges. The curriculum is composed of courses in environmental science, ecology and conservation as well as crop growth and development, crop nutrition, plant pathology integrated pest management and others. Students need to meet the same requirements as those at other Washington State Univ. campuses in regards to the general education requirements. The purpose of the Integrated Cropping Systems program is to provide an educational opportunity for agricultural professionals and others in the region who are unable to commute or move to the main campus location. The curriculum provides the background needed for such occupations as grower/producer, crop scouting, sales representative and other entry level agricultural professions. It will supply credits toward certification through the American Registry of Certified Professional Agricultural Consultants (ARCPACS). Integrated Cropping Systems is a unique agricultural curriculum designed to help agriculturists integrate their production practices into the local ecosystem in a way that the environment does not incur damage. It emphasizes the use of environmentally conscience decisionmaking processes and sound resource ethics. The program will graduate individuals who have heightened awareness of the impact agricultural practices have on the ecosystem in which they are conducted.
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Frank, Uri, and Ofer Mokady. "Coral biodiversity and evolution: recent molecular contributions." Canadian Journal of Zoology 80, no. 10 (October 1, 2002): 1723–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z02-131.
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Tropical reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems. Corals, as the most prominent members and framework builders of these communities, deserve special attention, especially in light of the recent decline of coral reefs worldwide. The diversity of corals at various levels has been the subject of many studies, and has traditionally been investigated using morphological characters. This approach has proved insufficient, owing to several ecological and life-history traits of corals. The use of molecular/biochemical approaches has been propelling this discipline forward at an ever-increasing rate for the past decade or so. Reticulate evolution in corals, which has challenged traditional views on the ecology, evolution, and biodiversity of these organisms, is only one example of the results of molecular studies supporting the development of new concepts. We review recent literature reporting studies of the biodiversity, ecology, and evolution of corals in which molecular methods have been employed. We anticipate that in the coming years, an increasing number of studies in molecular biology will generate new and exciting ideas regarding the biology of corals.
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Alroy, John. "Global databases will yield reliable measures of global biodiversity." Paleobiology 29, no. 1 (2003): 26–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1666/0094-8373(2003)029<0026:gdwyrm>2.0.co;2.
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For decades, paleobiologists have treated global diversity estimation as a straightforward problem (Miller 2000): count up the known higher taxa in each geological time interval, make a diversity curve, and go straight ahead to analyzing and interpreting the trends. However, global diversity curves recently have come under attack from all sides. Some researchers argue that although traditional curves are strongly affected by sampling biases (e.g., Smith 2001; Peters and Foote 2002), these biases can be corrected by assembling large, locality-level databases with detailed contextual information (Alroy et al. 2001). Others point to the large gap between true total global richness and the meager head counts the fossil record has to offer, and conclude that workers should focus exclusively on local and regional diversity (Jackson and Johnson 2001). Here I argue that although further fieldwork surely is needed, understanding global diversity in the short term remains a tractable goal—as long as we move quickly to build a discipline-wide, globally extensive paleontological database.
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Granjou, Céline, and Jeremy Walker. "Promises that Matter: Reconfiguring Ecology in the Ecotrons." Science & Technology Studies 29, no. 3 (September 14, 2016): 49–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.23987/sts.58844.
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Ecotrons are large instruments designed to produce experimentally valid knowledge through the controlled manipulation of enclosed, simplifed ecosystems. Situating the ecotrons within a select genealogy of artificial biospheres, and drawing on interviews with key researchers engaged in the conception and recent construction of two ecotrons in France, we propose to think through ecotrons as promissory and anticipatory infrastructures that materialize a profound reconfiguration of ecologists’ roles within wider civilizational narratives. Ecotrons encapsulate ecologists’ ambitions to practice a ‘hard’ science, recognized by international environmental and science policy forums: they were integral to rise of the sub-discipline of functional ecology which underpins the policy discourse of ‘ecosystem services’. Combining patterns of controlled experimentation with live simulations of future environmental conditions anticipated in climate change scenarios, and thus materialise a reorientation of the vocation of ecology: to secure the resilience of those ‘ecosystem services’ deemed critical to social life. Originally tasked with assessing the effects of biodiversity loss on to the productivity and stability of ecosystems, ecotron research is increasingly focused on microbial ecosystems, and takes place within a terminology resolutely optimistic about the possibilities of ecological engineering, to the exclusion of earlier concerns with mass extinction. Keywords: ecotrons, functional ecology, infrastructure, biodiversity, anticipation, global warming
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Gill, G. N., N. Chowdhury, and N. Srivastava. "Biodiversity and the Indian Judiciary: Tracing the Trajectory." BRICS Law Journal 8, no. 2 (July 25, 2021): 10–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.21684/2412-2343-2021-8-2-10-40.
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The Covid-19 narrative spotlights the necessity to conserve biological diversity (biodiversity) including ecosystems and wildlife. Biodiversity problems are global, and associated governance issues range beyond geographical and spatial boundaries. The globalisation and internationalisation of biodiversity concerns have resulted in the emergence of biodiversity legal frameworks designed to conserve and sustainably use our planet’s biological resources. As an “organic and evolving discipline,” biodiversity laws are increasingly important and affect the Earth’s natural systems that support human life. The article analyses the judicial space that makes, interprets and enforces laws that conserve and support the sustainable use of biodiversity. The proactive, creative judiciary, acting as amicus environment, has produced a major shift in the Indian environmental landscape. The use of public interest litigation (PIL) in both environmental and biodiversity matters is welcomed by the senior judiciary (Supreme Court and High Courts) and also by the specialised environmental tribunal, National Green Tribunal (NGT). The terminological reach of the popular descriptive words, environment, nature and ecology, on occasions including biodiversity, introduced matters litigated in the courts and tribunal. The combination of legal, scientific, and technical expertise in the three judicial fora recognize and consider conservation and protection of biodiversity as an inextricable part of life. The article follows the chronological path of biodiversity litigation, i.e. pre 1992–2002; then 2002–2010 and finally 2010–2020 and examines significant aspects of the three decades of biodiversity litigation.
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Zibtseva, Olha. "Tree Species Biodiversity in Small Ukrainian Towns." Ekológia (Bratislava) 41, no. 2 (June 1, 2022): 161–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/eko-2022-0017.
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Abstract Biodiversity is one of the important indicators of ecosystem sustainability, which is less studied in relation to urban areas, particularly Ukraine, and even more so in small towns. Taking the example of three small Ukrainian towns, the biodiversity of tree species is compared in the article. The studied small towns are located in two geographic zones, mixed forests (Polissya) and forest-steppe, and administratively, in Chernihiv and Kyiv regions. An inventory of trees in the residential area of Ukrainka, in the central streets of Novhorod-Siverskyi, as well as in the central part and all streets of Vyshhorod was conducted. Thus, the species richness of trees both between the studied towns and between its central part and the whole territory of the town was compared. The species structure of tree plantings in terms of richness, diversity, dominance, alignment, and similarity was assessed. The obtained results were subjected to cluster and correlation analysis. It was found that the greatest diversity is characteristic for the dendroflora of the whole territory of Vyshhorod, which is the fastest growing town, located closest to the capital. The dendrofloras of small towns were quite similar to each other. The values of similarity indices varied in a wide range: Jacquard’s index from 0.26 to 0.56 and Sørensen index from 0.41 to 0.66. The lowest degree of similarity was found with the dendroflora of the most distant Novgorod-Siverskyi town. Mainly the urban plantings require enrichment of the tree species composition, taking into account their resistance to anthropogenic impacts and climate change.
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J. Hobbs, Richard. "Landscape ecology and conservation: moving from description to application." Pacific Conservation Biology 1, no. 3 (1994): 170. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc940170.
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The focus of conservation biology has been predominantly the study of single species, and conservation management and legislation has been directed mostly at the species level. Increasingly, however, there has been a recognition that ecosystems and landscapes need to be considered, since they form the physical and biotic context within which species exist. Increased emphasis on the landscape scale suggests that the emerging discipline of landscape ecology might have much to offer conservation biology. Landscape ecology is still a young science with no well-defined theoretical framework and little rigorous quantitative methodology. It aims to study patterns, processes and changes at the scale of hectares to square kilometers. Its focus on the pattern and dynamics of ecosystems or patches within a landscape offers much which is of relevance to conservation biology. Topics such as disturbance, patch dynamics, metapopulation dynamics, landscape flows, connectivity and fragmentation all have relevance to the conservation of biodiversity in natural, altered and rapidly changing systems. The papers in this issue provide a cross section of Australian research into landscape ecology which is of relevance to conservation biology. Methodological, theoretical and practical aspects are covered. I suggest that effective conservation of biodiversity will be achieved only if the landscape context is taken into account.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic "Degree Discipline: Ecology and Biodiversity"
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Hasenbank, Marc. "Egg laying on patchy resources and the importance of spatial scale : a thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Ecology & Biodiversity /." ResearchArchive@Victoria e-Thesis, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10063/1152.
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Bennik, Rebecca Marie. "The effects of honeybees on the biodiversity of manuka patches : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Ecology, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand." Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1269.
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Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are important pollinators of many plant species and are employed globally for crop and honey production. However, little is known about the effects of this species on native pollinator and plant species in areas to which they have been introduced; and previous research has not been able to reach a general consensus as to the type of impact honeybees have on pollination systems. In addition to the effects of exotic pollinators, the loss and fragmentation of natural habitats is also of major concern to the continuing diversity of pollinators and plant populations. Here, the impact of honeybee density on other pollinator guilds, and levels of remaining pollen and nectar standing crop among 18 patches of the New Zealand native shrub – manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) is examined at three different regions within the North Island. The same sites were also used to test the reproductive capabilities of manuka and subsequent pollen limitation among patches. A further 11 sites were utilised to examine biodiversity via intercept and pitfall traps within manuka patches, and the patch variables driving taxa composition. Large fly (Diptera = 5 mm) abundance was negatively correlated with honeybee abundance and instances of physical disturbance of large flies by honeybees were observed. There was no significant correlation between honeybee abundance and other pollinator guilds. Nectar was a limiting resource for both honeybees and large flies, whereas, pollen was not a limiting resource among any of the major pollinating insect guilds. Pollination treatments revealed that manuka is partially self-compatible, but relies more heavily on cross pollination for higher yields of capsule and seed set. Pollen limitation did not occur significantly at any of the sites. A total of 159 Coleoptera, 125 Diptera, 131 Hymenoptera morphospecies, and 50 other groups of taxa from various orders were collected among sites. Invertebrate richness was higher at lower altitudes and litter invertebrate richness was significantly higher with an increase in the proportion of manuka cover. There were distinct differences in taxa composition between the three regions, with plant community composition and altitude the most significant factors. Patch size also played a part, but a lack of overall variation in patch sizes may understate the effect this has on insect composition. Overall, honeybees are competing for nectar resources and displacing large flies as a consequence; however, capsule and seed set among manuka patches did not significantly suffer as a consequence. Regional variation in patch characteristics such as altitude, plant community composition, patch size, proportion manuka cover, and plant evenness appear to be influencing insect composition found within manuka patches to varying degrees. Further investigation into the impact of patch size and patch connectivity is also warranted.
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Schnitzler, Franz-Rudolf. "Hymenopteran parasitoid diversity & tri-trophic interactions : the effects of habitat fragmentation in Wellington, New Zealand : a thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Ecology and Biodiversity /." ResearchArchive@Victoria e-Thesis, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10063/536.
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Reid, Clio. "Exploration-avoidance and an anthropogenic toxin (lead Pb) in a wild parrot (kea: Nestor notabilis) : a thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Ecology and Biodiversity /." ResearchArchive@Victoria e-Thesis, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10063/897.
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Greenep, Helen. "Urban ecology in Christchurch : a reconciliation ecology approach to enhancing native biodiversity on urban greyfields : a thesis in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Lincoln University /." 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1924.
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Pawson, S. M. "Effects of landscape heterogeneity and clearfell harvest size on beetle (Coleoptera) biodiversity in plantation forests : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University of Canterbury /." 2006. http://library.canterbury.ac.nz/etd/adt-NZCU20061204.091827.
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Macdonald, Fraser. "Parks, people, and power : the social effects of protecting the Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve in eastern Nigeria : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Anthropology in the University of Canterbury /." 2007. http://library.canterbury.ac.nz/etd/adt-NZCU20071106.114121.
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Seabrook-Davison, Mark Nicholas Hawdon. "An evaluation of the conservation of New Zealand's threatened biodiversity : management, species recovery and legislation : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Ecology at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand." 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1246.
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Content removed from thesis due to copyright restrictions: Seabrook-Davison, M. N. H., Weihong, J. J. & Brunton, D. H. (2010). "Survey of New Zealand Department of Conservation staff involved in the management and recovery of threatened species." Biological Conservation, 143: 212-219. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2009.10.005. Seabrook-Davison, M. N. H., Ji, W. & Brunton, D. H. (in press). "New Zealand lacks comprehensive threatened species legislation -- comparison with legislation in Australia and the USA." Pacific Conservation Biology, 16.It is only recently that New Zealand wildlife managers have become aware of both the taxonomic range of New Zealand’ indigenous biodiversity and the number of species threatened with extinction. The entire New Zealand archipelago has been described as a biodiversity hotspot; a term with both negative and positive connotations as although its biodiversity is unique and diverse, it has lost three quarters of its primary vegetation and much of its remaining endemic biota is in decline. This thesis evaluated aspects of New Zealand’s approach to the management of biodiversity with an emphasis on methods used in the recovery of threatened species. Possible solutions are presented that New Zealand could investigate to improve the delivery of species recovery. A survey was conducted amongst Department of Conservation (DOC) staff to investigate management tools available to them. Results suggest that inadequate resources, staff shortages and an overwhelming workload have resulted in a failure to achieve comprehensive recovery of threatened species. A review of New Zealand wildlife conservation legislation and a comparison with the USA Endangered Species Act 1973 and Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, suggests that a lack of dedicated threatened species legislation is hindering the effective recovery of New Zealand’s threatened species. The thesis concludes that New Zealand has the advantage of a large conservation estate but lacks an integrated national management approach to the conservation of its biodiversity. Considerable improvement of the management and recovery of threatened species can be achieved with the enacting of dedicated threatened species legislation. Keywords: Threatened species, biodiversity, biodiversity hotspot, conservation, management, recovery plans, recovery groups, Department of Conservation, legislation, threat classification system, listing, ecological function, ecosystem services, staff survey, New Zealand
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Barr, Benjamin Philip. "Spatial ecology, habitat use, and the impacts of rats on chevron skinks (Oligosoma homalonotum) on Great Barrier Island : a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Conservation Biology, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand." 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1210.
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The chevron skink (Oligosoma homalonotum) is one of the largest, yet least observed skink species in New Zealand. The species was thought to have once been widespread in Northern New Zealand, however currently it is only found on Great Barrier and Little Barrier Islands. Great Barrier Island is the apparent stronghold for the species although it appears to be in decline there, despite a net increase in habitat. Recent studies have increased the understanding of the general ecology of the species, however little is known about the threats to the survival of this species. This study had two main objectives; the first was to establish if rats are a threat to chevron skinks, and the second was to increase current knowledge of the species ecology. The research was undertaken in an area of extensive rodent control (Glenfern Sanctuary) and an adjacent unmanaged reserve in Port Fitzroy, on Great Barrier Island in 2008. The first objective of this study involved confirming that rat densities in the treatment (Glenfern Sanctuary) were sufficiently different to allow meaningful comparisons of chevron skink population characteristics between sites. This was achieved by determining absolute rat densities using Zippin’s removal method at four sites, and correlating these with a relative abundance measure (tracking rates) to give confidence in the observed trends. Rat densities were high (1.94 - 3.00 rats ha-1) in the control, and low (0.00 and 0.06 rats ha-1) in the treatment sites, and these correlated well with tracking rates. In light of these clear differences between the treatment and control, the population structure and condition of chevron skinks were compared between sites. The population structure showed erosion of juvenile and sub-adult size categories, which indicated differences in vulnerabilities between size categories. Physical evidence of failed rat predation was also observed in adult skinks in the unmanaged control, which confirmed that rats were interacting with chevron skinks. Although the adults survived the attacks they suffered injuries including eye damage, punctures, cuts and tail loss. Smaller skinks would be unlikely to survive such attacks due to the severity and scale of the injuries, supporting the assertions of the population structure that smaller skinks may be more vulnerable than adults. The extent of tail loss was converted to a condition index to determine if failed rat predation was more widespread in the population, than was observed by conspicuous injuries. This condition index (body-tail condition index) was stable through all size categories in the treatment, but significantly reduced in adults in the unmanaged sites. That there was no reduction in the condition of smaller skinks in the unmanaged control sites despite high rat densities suggests that interactions between rats and smaller skinks are fatal, and thus not represented in the data. Nine chevron skinks were radio-tracked to determine habitat use, home range and ranging behaviour. Habitat use of chevron skinks was similar to a previous study and demonstrated that trees, crevices and logs were important refuge sites. Chevron skinks were more likely to be found at sites with trees, crevices and debris dams. Chevron skink home ranges indicated that adults moved further away from streams than previously anticipated at this time of year, and skinks demonstrated site fidelity. There was also overlap in home ranges between individuals, and skinks with overlapping home ranges shared common refuges. During flooding events, chevron skinks exhibited an arboreal response that appears to be a behaviour specific to stream associated animals, which allows them to avoid being taken by floodwaters.
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Richardson, Kate Mackinnon. "Reintroducing hihi (Notiomystis cincta) to the New Zealand mainland : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Ecology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand." 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1316.
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This thesis investigated the potential for establishing a self-sustaining population of an endangered forest bird, the hihi (Notiomystis cincta) on the New Zealand mainland, and the factors that may influence this. Previous reintroduction attempts, mostly to offshore islands, have met with limited success, or been dependent on ongoing management. However, future conservation measures for hihi aim to reintroduce populations to the mature forest found on the mainland that hihi may be best adapted to. Such reintroductions come with new challenges for hihi conservation. The first reintroduction of hihi to this environment occurred with two releases of hihi from Tiritiri Matangi Island to “Ark in the Park”, a predator-controlled site in Auckland’s Waitakere Ranges, in February and June 2007. This study reports on the survival and dispersal of hihi following these releases, using radio transmitters for post-release monitoring, and also gives information on the vulnerability of hihi to predators, and foraging behaviour at this site. In terms of survivorship, birds released in February had higher apparent survival than those released in June, but this may have been due to higher dispersal in June. Birds released under a “delayed-release” strategy had lower long-term survival than those released immediately. There was some evidence that transmitters may have had an impact on dispersal and behaviour, but there was no evidence that transmitters reduced survival. Individuals in better condition were more likely to disperse further in the first week postrelease, but it was not possible to examine the relationship between condition and survival. Clutch size and hatching date were the two most influential factors found to affect individual condition in juvenile hihi from Tiritiri Matangi Island. It may be possible to use this information when selecting individuals for future translocations, but the impact on the source population should first be investigated, as well as the relationship between condition and survival. The failure of previous hihi reintroductions has in part been attributed to a lack of diversity of natural food in regenerating forest, and all successfully reintroduced populations to date rely on supplementary food. However, little is known about how the diet of hihi changes at different life stages, between the sexes, by season and in different habitats. In this study, such information was provided for the first time for hihi using stable isotope analysis. I found evidence for dietary shifts across different life stages (nestling, fledgling, juvenile and adult), between the sexes, and in different habitats (regenerating forest vs mature forest), and I showed that diet may be one of the proximate factors influencing individual condition.
Books on the topic "Degree Discipline: Ecology and Biodiversity"
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Mittelbach, Gary G., and Brian J. McGill. Community Ecology. Oxford University Press, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198835851.001.0001.
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Community Ecology provides a broad, up-to-date coverage of ecological concepts at the community level and is suitable for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and ecological researchers. The field of community ecology has undergone a transformation in recent years, from a discipline largely focused on processes occurring within a local area to a discipline encompassing a much richer domain of study, including the linkages between communities separated in space (metacommunity dynamics), niche and neutral theory, the interplay between ecology and evolution (eco-evolutionary dynamics), and the influence of historical and regional processes in shaping patterns of biodiversity. To fully understand these new developments, however, students continue to need a strong foundation in the study of species interactions, and how these interactions are assembled into community modules and ecological networks. Trait-based assembly rules are presented as another approach to understanding community assembly, especially for real-world communities that may contain hundreds of species. This new edition fulfils the book’s original aims, both as a much-needed up-to-date and accessible introduction to modern community ecology, and in identifying the important questions that are yet to be answered. This research-driven textbook introduces state-of-the-art community ecology to a new generation of students, adopting reasoned and balanced perspectives on as-yet-unresolved issues. Pictures and graphics throughout the text allow students to visualize advanced concepts.
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Horning, Ned, Julie A. Robinson, Eleanor J. Sterling, Woody Turner, and Sacha Spector. Remote Sensing for Ecology and Conservation. Oxford University Press, 2010. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199219940.001.0001.
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The work of conservation biology has grown from local studies of single species into a discipline concerned with mapping and managing biodiversity on a global scale. Remote sensing, using satellite and aerial imaging to measure and map the environment, increasingly provides a vital tool for effective collection of the information needed to research and set policy for conservation priorities. The perceived complexities of remotely sensed data and analyses have tended to discourage scientists and managers from using this valuable resource. This text focuses on making remote sensing tools accessible to a larger audience of non-specialists, highlighting strengths and limitations while emphasizing the ways that remotely sensed data can be captured and used, especially for evaluating human impacts on ecological systems.
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Veech, Joseph A. Habitat Ecology and Analysis. Oxford University Press, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198829287.001.0001.
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Habitat is crucial to the survival and reproduction of individual organisms as well as persistence of populations. As such, species-habitat relationships have long been studied, particularly in the field of wildlife ecology and to a lesser extent in the more encompassing discipline of ecology. The habitat requirements of a species largely determine its spatial distribution and abundance in nature. One way to recognize and appreciate the over-riding importance of habitat is to consider that a young organism must find and settle into the appropriate type of habitat as one of the first challenges of life. This process can be cast in a probabilistic framework and used to better understand the mechanisms behind habitat preferences and selection. There are at least six distinctly different statistical approaches to conducting a habitat analysis – that is, identifying and quantifying the environmental variables that a species most strongly associates with. These are (1) comparison among group means (e.g., ANOVA), (2) multiple linear regression, (3) multiple logistic regression, (4) classification and regression trees, (5) multivariate techniques (Principal Components Analysis and Discriminant Function Analysis), and (6) occupancy modelling. Each of these is lucidly explained and demonstrated by application to a hypothetical dataset. The strengths and weaknesses of each method are discussed. Given the ongoing biodiversity crisis largely caused by habitat destruction, there is a crucial and general need to better characterize and understand the habitat requirements of many different species, particularly those that are threatened and endangered.
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Stern, Rowena, Wootton Marianne, and Claudia Castellani. Introduction to Taxonomy. Oxford University Press, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199233267.003.0011.
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This chapter provides a general introduction to taxonomy. Taxonomy is the scientific discipline of describing, delimiting, and naming organisms. It is the foundation of biodiversity science, and taxonomic identification underpins studies of ecology, physiology, conservation, evolution, and more recently environmental policy, as issues and new legislation regarding sustainable management of our oceans have come to the forefront. Being able to identify and recognize planktonic organisms is key to both the protection and the sustainable management of marine resources.
Book chapters on the topic "Degree Discipline: Ecology and Biodiversity"
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Waide, Robert, and Peter M. Groffman. "Unified Framework II Ecosystem Processes: A Link Between Species and Landscape Diversity." In Biodiversity in Drylands. Oxford University Press, 2005. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195139853.003.0019.
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The discipline of ecology can be subdivided into several subdisciplines, including community, ecosystem, and landscape ecology. While all the subdisciplines are important to the study of biodiversity, there is great variation in the extent to which their contributions have been analyzed. For example, the role of community ecology in biodiversity studies is well established. In community ecology, the entities of study are species that differ in their properties and generate a web of interactions that, in turn, organize the species into a community. Similar to community ecology, the contribution of landscape ecology to biodiversity is apparent. The entities of study, definable “patches,” are tangible. They differ in their properties and generate a web of interactions that organize the patches into a landscape mosaic. In contrast to community and landscape ecology, the role of ecosystem ecology in biodiversity is less apparent. In ecosystem ecology, it often is not clear what the entities are, and how they are organized. To the extent that ecosystem ecology focuses on energy flow and nutrient cycling, we can define fundamental entities as compartments and vectors in models that depict the flows of water, energy, and nutrients through communities. If we apply diversity criteria to these entities, we can use the term ecosystem diversity to refer to the number of compartments and vectors, the differences among them in type and size, and their organization in promoting energy flow or nutrient cycling. To our knowledge, ecosystem scientists have not yet developed criteria for ecosystem diversity similar to those used for species and landscape diversity. There has been some use of the term “ecosystem diversity” to refer to a diversity of ecosystems, implying a variety of habitats, landscapes, or biomes. As discussed above, we suggest that to define the role of ecosystem ecology in biodiversity studies, the approach should be to study the relationships among species, landscape, and ecosystem diversities (chapters 1 and 13). However, since the concept of ecosystem diversity awaits further development, we adopt a different approach for understanding the role of ecosystem science in biodiversity studies. In this chapter, we examine relationships among ecosystem processes, species diversity, and landscape diversity.
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Izza Ab Ghani, Nurul, Wardah Arifin, and Ahmad Ismail. "Conservation Genetics for Managing Biodiversity." In Protected Area Management - Recent Advances. IntechOpen, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.101872.
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Conservation genetics is a field derived from a combination of evolution, ecology, behaviour, and genetics. It is an applied discipline of crisis-oriented science of biodiversity resource management that is highlighted when the world realizes the increasing anthropogenic impact and natural populations are declining towards species extinction. It helps to understand and explain the importance of evolutionary factors — mutations, non-random mating, gene flow, genetic drift, and natural selection — for the survival of populations/species that justify the need for prudent biodiversity management. The four justifications for maintaining prudent biodiversity are the economic value of bioresources, ecosystem services, esthetics, and rights of living organisms to exist ensure functioning community and ecosystem services. Hence, conservation genetics must be an essential part of policies and programs in wildlife and biodiversity management.
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Bascompte, Jordi, and Antonio Ferrera. "A structural theory of mutualistic networks." In Theoretical Ecology, 93–115. Oxford University Press, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198824282.003.0007.
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Mutualistic interactions among free-living species have shaped much of biodiversity on Earth. Ironically, however, mutualism has not been prominently featured in theoretical ecology. Recent efforts have tried to fill this gap by assessing to what degree the structure of plant-animal mutualistic networks affects species persistence. Here, we review this growing literature emphasizing how different papers relate to each other and to what extent their conclusions depend on particular assumptions. A central concept in this effort is that of structural stability. While main approaches in theoretical ecology focus on local dynamical stability, structural stability shifts the question to how large is the range of parameter values compatible with the stable coexistence of all species. This structural approach has shown that mutualism has to be understood as a balance to competition and that network architecture should be seen as affected by both stability and feasibility constraints. Constraints on the dynamical stability of these communities set up a maximum mutualistic strength. Constraints on their feasibility tend to push interaction strength near this limit and select for a nested architecture. These results, however, assume similar interspecific competition amongst species and very small mutualistic strength. Future work should thus explore the consequences of relaxing these constraints.
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Gurung, Subhankar, and Arun Chettri. "Threat to Citrus in a Global Pollinator Decline Scenario: Current Understanding of Its Pollination Requirements and Future Directions." In Plant Reproductive Ecology - Recent Advances. IntechOpen, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.101159.
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Pollinators are vital for world biodiversity and their contribution to agricultural productivity is immense. Pollinators are globally declining with reports such as colony collapse being documented. Citrus exhibits a varying degree of pollination requirements due to its vast cultivars being developed all the time. The article intends to understand the breeding system of a few commercially important Citrus groups and discern its dependency on pollination services. The threat related to pollinator decline to the Citrus industry is measured not only by its reliance on pollinators but also the requirement of the consumers and manufacturers who mostly seek seedless varieties. Therefore, the threat can be tackled by developing high-quality seedless varieties where pollination requirement is absent. Although the importance of pollinators on several self-incompatible varieties cannot be negated, the impact of pollinator decline on its production will entirely depend upon the demand of the market.
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Foufopoulos, Johannes, Gary A. Wobeser, and Hamish McCallum. "Conservation Biology and Parasitism." In Infectious Disease Ecology and Conservation, 3–25. Oxford University Press, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199583508.003.0001.
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Disease ecology and conservation biology are two disciplines that, despite their apparent differences, are directly relevant to each other. Biological diversity—the focus of the discipline of conservation biology—is unequivocally affected by the presence of parasites and pathogenic organisms. For example, an increasing number of taxa are being endangered by emerging diseases—the first section of this chapter discusses the various ways in which this endangerment takes place. Conversely, mounting evidence suggests that high levels of species diversity protect natural communities against devastating epidemics. At the same time, parasitic organisms themselves constitute a significant component, and perhaps the majority, of the world’s biological richness. Similar to the rest of the planet’s biodiversity, they are increasingly endangered by human activities. As our understanding of the role that parasites play in the working of natural ecosystems has grown, so has the realization that their disappearance can have wide-ranging implications for ecosystem function. The last section of this chapter focuses on the new subdiscipline of parasite conservation, detailing first the present understanding of the important ecosystem services provided by parasites and pathogens, and second the processes through which parasitic organisms are becoming endangered.
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Horning, Ned, Julie A. Robinson, Eleanor J. Sterling, Woody Turner, and Sacha Spector. "Disturbances: fires and floods." In Remote Sensing for Ecology and Conservation. Oxford University Press, 2010. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199219940.003.0016.
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From space, much of Indonesia appeared to be on fire. One of the strongest El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events of the twentieth century had generated drought conditions in the fall of 1997 and early 1998. These conditions, probably in concert with the impacts of logging, resulted in what has been called the largest fire disaster ever observed (Siegert et al. 2001). The powerful 1997–8 ENSO also led to extensive fires in Amazonia. The humid tropics, home to Earth’s greatest concentrations of biodiversity, had long been thought to be fire resistant due to high-moisture levels in the leaf litter and the humidity of the understory. The massive fires of 1997–8 increased our understanding of the complex interactions between fire and humid tropical forests. Since the late 1990s, a new synthesis has emerged linking ENSO events, drought, logging, and fire in the wet tropics. This synthesis has sought to understand the impacts of these phenomena on tropical environments and also explain the role humans play in tropical fires and fire impacts. Remote sensing has been an important tool in forging this new synthesis of understanding. For example, NOAA’s workhorse AVHRR sensor, the SeaWiFS sensor, and NASA’s TOMS instrument were among the satellite tools available to provide imagery of the dramatic events of 1997–8. In this chapter, we discuss the potential for remote sensing to detect, monitor, and increase our understanding of certain disturbance mechanisms affecting ecosystems. We focus on fires and floods, adding shorter sections at the end on two other drivers of disturbance, volcanoes and dams. A key challenge lies in understanding the degree to which logging, even selective logging, is interacting with periodic droughts to drive fires in humid forests. Are humid tropical forests essentially immune to fire unless disturbed by human logging, or have they always been subject to climate-induced droughts and subsequent fires? The answer is crucial in determining our impact on these great storehouses of biodiversity and holds major implications for forest management. Part of the answer lies in looking backward in time.
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Sezerel, Hakan, and Cihan Kaymaz. "Is Sustaniable Tourism a Leverage FOR Economic Development?" In Emerging Economic Models for Global Sustainability and Social Development, 46–64. IGI Global, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-5787-6.ch003.
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Does development mean employment and social welfare, or the natural environment, ecosystem, and biodiversity? The answer to this question is sought worldwide while trying to solve the dichotomy between ecological sustainability and the development sustainability. The authors observe a series of pursuits under the names of ecological tourism, environmentally friendly tourism, and socially responsible tourism that emerge in order to overcome this dichotomy in the tourism discipline. They all merge around the common idea of offering a framework that examines economic activities for this dilemma. Meanwhile, this chapter examines the pursuits within the scope of sustainable tourism based on the assumptions of principal ecological approaches (e.g., environment protection, shallow ecology, deep ecology, and social ecology) and determines the position of sustainable tourism within these ecological approaches. It is deduced that sustainable tourism is actually sustainable at very low levels from the perspective of ecological sustainability.
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Horning, Ned, Julie A. Robinson, Eleanor J. Sterling, Woody Turner, and Sacha Spector. "Introduction: Why ecologists and conservation biologists use remote sensing." In Remote Sensing for Ecology and Conservation. Oxford University Press, 2010. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199219940.003.0007.
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This chapter addresses a question that we hope occurs to many ecologists and conservation biologists: How can remotely sensed data and methods support the conservation of biological diversity? We highlight the contributions remote sensing technologies make toward advancing our understanding of Earth and its varied biomes. You can use this information for applications ranging from researching habitat use by species to making decisions on how best to manage a protected area. The chapter starts off with an overview of the motivation behind this book and a description of the intended audience. We present a broad array of applications of remote sensing technologies in the field of conservation biology and conclude with a brief summary of the remaining chapters of this book. Our overarching goal in publishing this book is to increase awareness about, and use of, remotely sensed data and methods in conservation biology and ecology. The objective of this book is to make remote sensing tools accessible so that ecologists and conservation biologists can assess the tools they need, have enough information to recognize effective uses and abuses of remote sensing, and know when to try to use the tools themselves versus when to solicit help from others. The broadest definition of remote sensing refers to measuring a particular quality (such as the intensity of light reflected) of a feature without being in physical contact with the feature itself. The magnitude of objects observed can range from the microscopic to the astronomic. In this book, however, we will limit our definition of remote sensing to measurements acquired from either airborne or orbiting platforms, with the features of interest located on or just above the surface of the Earth. Furthermore, we will focus primarily on remotely sensed data recorded in an image format since these are the data most commonly used in biodiversity conservation applications. Conservation biology has grown from local and regional studies of single species into a discipline concerned with the complex interactions of species and their environment at global, regional, and local scales as well as across scales.
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Machalaba, Catherine, Cristina Romanelli, and Peter Stoett. "Global Environmental Change and Emerging Infectious Diseases." In Healthcare Policy and Reform, 38–71. IGI Global, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-6915-2.ch003.
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The prediction of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) and the avoidance of their tremendous social and economic costs is contingent on the identification of their most likely drivers. It is argued that the drivers of global environmental change (and climate change as both a driver and an impact) are often the drivers of EIDs; and that the two overlap to such a strong degree that targeting these drivers is sound epidemiological policy. Several drivers overlap with the leading causes of biodiversity loss, providing opportunities for health and biodiversity sectors to generate synergies at local and global levels. This chapter provides a primer on EID ecology, reviews underlying drivers and mechanisms that facilitate pathogen spillover and spread, provides suggested policy and practice-based actions toward the prevention of EIDs in the context of environmental change, and identifies knowledge gaps for the purpose of further research.
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Machalaba, Catherine, Cristina Romanelli, and Peter Stoett. "Global Environmental Change and Emerging Infectious Diseases." In Examining the Role of Environmental Change on Emerging Infectious Diseases and Pandemics, 24–67. IGI Global, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-0553-2.ch002.
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The prediction of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) and the avoidance of their tremendous social and economic costs is contingent on the identification of their most likely drivers. It is argued that the drivers of global environmental change (and climate change as both a driver and an impact) are often the drivers of EIDs; and that the two overlap to such a strong degree that targeting these drivers is sound epidemiological policy. Several drivers overlap with the leading causes of biodiversity loss, providing opportunities for health and biodiversity sectors to generate synergies at local and global levels. This chapter provides a primer on EID ecology, reviews underlying drivers and mechanisms that facilitate pathogen spillover and spread, provides suggested policy and practice-based actions toward the prevention of EIDs in the context of environmental change, and identifies knowledge gaps for the purpose of further research.
Conference papers on the topic "Degree Discipline: Ecology and Biodiversity"
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Robinson, Stefanie L., and Jennifer A. Mangold. "Implementing Engineering and Sustainability Curriculum in K-12 Education." In ASME 2013 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/imece2013-66693.
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Introducing students to engineering concepts in early education is critical, as literature has shown that students’ degree of comfort and acceptance of science and technology is developed very early on in their education. While introducing engineering as a potential profession in K-12 classrooms has its own merits, it has also proven itself to be useful as a teaching tool. Engineering can lend itself to concepts that can engage students in critical thinking, problem solving, as well as the development of math and science skills. In engineering higher education there has been an increased focus on industrial ecology and sustainability in order to help students understand the environmental and social context within today’s society. The authors of this paper discuss the importance of these attributes when introducing engineering to K-12 students. Engineering and sustainability are not two mutually exclusive concepts, but sustainability should be considered throughout the practice of the engineering discipline. The ADEPT (Applied Design Engineering Project Teams) program at the University of California, Berkeley was established to design and deploy a standards-based engineering curriculum for middle schools and high schools (grades 6–12) designed to integrate mathematics and science concepts in applied engineering projects, inspire secondary students, and strengthen the classroom experience of current and future faculty in math, science, and engineering. This paper discusses the importance of introducing engineering and sustainability in K-12 classrooms. Example modules that were developed through the ADEPT program are presented as well as a set of recommendations that were designed as a guideline for educators to incorporate engineering and sustainability in K-12 classrooms. While the module discussed here was designed for middle school students, the curriculum and criteria recommended can be adapted to primary and secondary education programs.