Monitoring Ecological Change

Front Cover
Cambridge University Press, 2005 M08 18
The state of ecosystems, biological communities and species are continuously changing as a result of both natural processes and the activities of humans. In order to detect and understand these changes, effective ecological monitoring programmes are required. This book offers an introduction to the topic and provides both a rationale for monitoring and a practical guide to the techniques available. Written in a nontechnical style, the book covers the relevance and growth of ecological monitoring, the organizations and programmes involved, the science of ecological monitoring and an assessment of methods in practice, including many examples from monitoring programmes around the world. Building on the success of the first edition, this edition has been fully revised and updated with two additional chapters covering the relevance of monitoring to the reporting of the state of the environment, and the growth of community based ecological monitoring.

From inside the book

Contents

Ecological monitoring
1
Environmental monitoring programmes and organizations
29
State of the environment reporting and ecological monitoring
76
Biological spatial scales in ecological monitoring
114
Biological indicators and indices
152
Diversity and similarity indices
191
Planning and designing ecological monitoring
220
Communitybased ecological monitoring
249
Ecological monitoring of species and biological communities
274
Ecological monitoring and environmental impact assessments
320
The 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity
346
References
366
Index
388
Copyright

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Page 346 - The objectives of this convention, to be pursued in accordance with its relevant provisions, are the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies, taking into account all rights over those resources and to technologies, and by appropriate funding.
Page 364 - Convention shall enter into force on the ninetieth day after the date of deposit of the thirtieth instrument of ratification, acceptance approval or accession.
Page 350 - ... respect, preserve and maintain knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and promote their wider application with the approval and involvement of the holders of such knowledge, innovations and practices...
Page 347 - Sustainable use' means the use of components of biological diversity in a way and at a rate that does not lead to the long-term decline of biological diversity, thereby maintaining its potential to meet the needs and aspirations of present and future generations.

About the author (2005)

Ian Spellerberg is Professor of Nature Conservation at Lincoln University, New Zealand and Director of the University's Isaac Centre for Nature Conservation.

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