Mapping the Diversity of Nature

The diversity of life is displayed by a diversity the biodiversity elements. These unique of structural and functional elements. Many approaches are usually tailored to the region of aspects of this diversity are critical for main the world where the scientists' work is focused. taining the healthy functioning of biological This book presents accounts of many tech systems both within short and long time scales. niques that are currently being used in different Some highly diverse features of nature arise parts of the globe by conservation scientists. simply from the heterogeneous patterns that Many different techniques are necessary to comprise the web of nature. Many of these handle the differences in data types and data features contribute to the beauty and quality of coverages that occur across the globe. Also, a life. Humans do not yet understand enough variety of mapping approaches are needed about the complexity of nature to distinguish today to strengthen the many diverse critical those elements that act to support natural conservation objectives. These objectives include vitality from those elements that contribute the identification of the distribution patterns exclusively to our experience of beauty and for a species or habitat type and the placement quality in life. of protected area boundaries.

Autorentext

Ronald I. Miller was Senior Officer in the Species Mapping Section of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, UK, and is now New England Gap Analysis Research Consultant, Amherst Massachusetts, having also worked for the World Bank and the Nature Conservancy.

Klappentext

This book presents up-to-date biological species mapping techniques that are being used in many different parts of the world by those at the forefront of conservation and development activities. It brings together for the first time some of the most pre-eminent participants in this exciting area. It presents details of the harnessing of new technologies being used in different parts of the world to map biological diversity such as aerophotography, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and modern methods of field survey. These techniques are being increasingly used by international development agencies and organizations, international and national conservation programmes, conservation scientists and planners worldwide.

Inhalt
One Introduction.- 1 Setting the scene.- Two A Medley of Contexts for Mapping Species Data.- 2 Mapping for monographs: Baselines for resource development.- 3 Mapping the elements of biodiversity: The rare species of Madagascar.- 4 Modeling vertebrate distributions for Gap Analysis.- Three A Conceptual Context for Biodiversity Mapping.- 5 Hierarchical representations of species distributions using maps, images and sighting data.- Four Mapping Migratory Species Distribution Patterns.- 6 Remote-sensing assessment of tropical habitat availability for a nearctic migrant: The wood thrush.- Five Using Maps for the Conservation of Large Mammals Around the Globe.- 7 Keeping elephants on the map: Case studies of the application of GIS for conservation Frances Michelmore.- 8 Designing protected areas for giant pandas in China.- Six Mapping the Global Distributions of Species.- 9 Mapping the distributions of restricted-range birds to identify global conservation priorities.- 10 Mapping and GIS analysis of the global distribution of coral reef fishes on an equal-area grid.- Seven A Continental Conservation Monitoring Program.- 11 Linking plant species information to continental biodiversity inventory, climate modeling and environmental monitoring.- Eight Possibilities for the Future.- 12 Possibilities for the future.- Appendix A Glossary.- Appendix B List of acronyms.