scholarly journals Survey of the terrestrial habitats and vegetation of Shetland, 1974 – a framework for long term ecological monitoring

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 827-857
Author(s):  
C. M. Wood ◽  
R. G. H. Bunce
Keyword(s):  
Natural Environment ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Oil Industry ◽  
Ecological Monitoring ◽  
Robust Methods ◽  
Ecological Changes ◽  
Terrestrial Habitats ◽  
Environmental Monitoring Programme

Abstract. A survey of the natural environment was undertaken in Shetland in 1974, after concern was expressed that large scale development from the new oil industry could threaten the natural features of the islands. A framework was constructed by the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology on which to select samples for the survey. The vegetation and habitat data that were collected, along with the sampling framework, have recently been made public via the following DOIs: doi:10.5285/06fc0b8c-cc4a-4ea8-b4be-f8bd7ee25342 (Terrestrial habitat, vegetation and soil data from Shetland, 1974) and doi:10.5285/f1b3179e-b446-473d-a5fb-4166668da146 (Land Classification of Shetland 1974). In addition to providing valuable information about the state of the natural environment of Shetland, the repeatable and statistically robust methods developed in the survey were used to underpin the Countryside Survey, Great Britain's national long-term integrated environmental monitoring programme. The demonstration of the effectiveness of the methodology indicates that a repeat of the survey would yield statistics about ecological changes in the islands, such as those arising from the impacts of the oil industry. Currently no such figures are available although there is much information on the sociological impacts, as well as changes in agriculture.

scholarly journals Survey of the terrestrial habitats and vegetation of Shetland, 1974 – a framework for long-term ecological monitoring

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire M. Wood ◽  
Robert G. H. Bunce
Keyword(s):  
Natural Environment ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Oil Industry ◽  
Ecological Monitoring ◽  
Robust Methods ◽  
Ecological Changes ◽  
Terrestrial Habitats ◽  
Environmental Monitoring Programme

Abstract. A survey of the natural environment was undertaken in Shetland in 1974, after concern was expressed that large-scale development from the new oil industry could threaten the natural features of the islands. A framework was constructed by the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology on which to select samples for the survey. The vegetation and habitat data that were collected, along with the sampling framework, have recently been made public via the following doi:10.5285/06fc0b8c-cc4a-4ea8-b4be-f8bd7ee25342 (Terrestrial habitat, vegetation and soil data from Shetland, 1974) and doi:10.5285/f1b3179e-b446-473d-a5fb-4166668da146 (Land Classification of Shetland 1974). In addition to providing valuable information about the state of the natural environment of Shetland, the repeatable and statistically robust methods developed in the survey were used to underpin the Countryside Survey, Great Britain's national long-term integrated environmental monitoring programme. The demonstration of the effectiveness of the methodology indicates that a repeat of the Shetland survey would yield statistics about ecological changes in the islands, such as those arising from the impacts of the oil industry, a range of socio-economic impacts, and perhaps climate change. Currently no such figures are available, although there is much information on the sociological impacts, as well as changes in agriculture.

scholarly journals The phytosociology of the Vermaaks, Marnewicks and Buffelsklip valleys of the Kammanassie Nature Reserve, Western Cape

Koedoe ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Cleaver ◽  
L.R. Brown ◽  
G.J. Bredenkamp
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Groundwater Abstraction ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Vegetation Surveys ◽  
Baseline Information

Long-term conservation ecosystems require a broader understanding of the ecological processes involved. Because ecosystems react differently to different management practices, it is important that a description and classification of the vegetation of an area are completed. A vegetation survey of the valley areas of the Kammanassie Nature Reserve was undertaken as part of a larger research project to assess the environmental impacts of large-scale groundwater abstraction from Table Mountain Group aquifers on ecosystems in the reserve. From a TWFNSPAN classification, refined by Braun-Blanquet procedures, 21 plant communities, which can be grouped into 13 major groups, were identified. A classification and description of these communities, as well as a vegetation map of the different areas are presented. Associated gradients in habitat w ere identified by using an ordination algorithm (DECORANA). The diagnostic species as well as the prominent and less conspicuous species of the tree, shrub, forb and grass strata are outlined. The study also resulted in a total number of 481 species being identified and the discovery of a new Erica species. These vegetation surveys and descriptions provide baseline information for management purposes and that allows monitoring as well as similar surveys to be conducted in future.

High-Resolution Climatic Analysis and Southwest Biogeography

Science ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 232 (4746) ◽  
pp. 27-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
RONALD P. NEILSON
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Ecological Monitoring ◽  
American Southwest ◽  
Photosynthetic Pathway ◽  
Desert Shrubs ◽  
The North ◽  
High Frequency Variability ◽  
Effect Relation ◽  
Effect Hypothesis

Meteorologists and climatologists have produced significant new data on the fluid dynamics of the atmosphere, thus allowing biologists to examine more closely the cause-effect relation between the large-scale structure of the atmosphere and the dominant patterns of global biogeography. The inability to characterize the high-frequency variability of the weather has constrained such efforts. A method that allows year-to-year patterns of weather variability to be characterized in the contexts of global warming and cooling trends is applied in a combined analysis of long-term monthly weather records and data from an ecological monitoring project in southern New Mexico. The analysis suggests a cause-effect hypothesis of recent desertification in the North American Southwest. The links between the atmosphere and the biosphere are based on the fundamentally different responses to specific weather regimes of semidesert grasses with a C4photosynthetic pathway and desert shrubs with a C3photosynthetic pathway. The hypothesis appears to be of sufficient generality to explain the complex, but well-documented, floristic changes that have occurred in the same region since the last glacial maximum.

scholarly journals A multiscale view of the Phanerozoic fossil record reveals the three major biotic transitions

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexis Rojas ◽  
Joaquin Calatayud ◽  
Michał Kowalewski ◽  
Magnus Neuman ◽  
Martin Rosvall
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Record ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Multilayer Network ◽  
Biotic Crisis ◽  
The Past ◽  
Empirical Estimates ◽  
Multiscale Dynamics ◽  
Ecological Changes ◽  
Fossil Data

AbstractThe hypothesis of the Great Evolutionary Faunas is a foundational concept of macroevolutionary research postulating that three global mega-assemblages have dominated Phanerozoic oceans following abrupt biotic transitions. Empirical estimates of this large-scale pattern depend on several methodological decisions and are based on approaches unable to capture multiscale dynamics of the underlying Earth-Life System. Combining a multilayer network representation of fossil data with a multilevel clustering that eliminates the subjectivity inherent to distance-based approaches, we demonstrate that Phanerozoic oceans sequentially harbored four global benthic mega-assemblages. Shifts in dominance patterns among these global marine mega-assemblages were abrupt (end-Cambrian 494 Ma; end-Permian 252 Ma) or protracted (mid-Cretaceous 129 Ma), and represent the three major biotic transitions in Earth’s history. Our findings suggest that gradual ecological changes associated with the Mesozoic Marine Revolution triggered a protracted biotic transition comparable in magnitude to the end-Permian transition initiated by the most severe biotic crisis of the past 500 million years. Overall, our study supports the notion that both long-term ecological changes and major geological events have played crucial roles in shaping the mega-assemblages that dominated Phanerozoic oceans.

Price stabilisation will encourage US shale sector M&A

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Oil Prices ◽  
Oil Industry ◽  
Short Cycle ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Companies ◽  
Price Stabilisation ◽  
The Us ◽  
Increased Activity

Significance The current oil industry downturn has not led to the same sort of industry mega-mergers that previous down cycles have produced. However, as oil prices stabilise at 45-50 dollars per barrel and a return to 30-dollar oil looks less likely, the strongest US shale producers are initiating deals that position them to take advantage of the price recovery. Impacts Despite the broader industry downturn, the US shale sector remains an attractive long-term investment for many investors. Large-scale megaprojects are likely to fall out of favour as companies shift spending to smaller short-cycle investments, such as shale. Oilfield service companies will benefit from increased activity as stronger companies buy up weaker drillers.

scholarly journals What made the June 2013 flood in Germany an exceptional event? A hydro-meteorological evaluation

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 309-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Schröter ◽  
M. Kunz ◽  
F. Elmer ◽  
B. Mühr ◽  
B. Merz
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Meteorological Factors ◽  
Precipitation Anomaly ◽  
Extreme Value Statistics ◽  
National Scale ◽  
High Return ◽  
Key Drivers ◽  
Summer Flood

Abstract. The summer flood of 2013 set a new record for large-scale floods in Germany for at least the last 60 years. In this paper we analyse the key hydro-meteorological factors using extreme value statistics as well as aggregated severity indices. For the long-term classification of the recent flood we draw comparisons to a set of past large-scale flood events in Germany, notably the high-impact summer floods from August 2002 and July 1954. Our analysis shows that the combination of extreme initial wetness at the national scale – caused by a pronounced precipitation anomaly in the month of May 2013 – and strong, but not extraordinary event precipitation were the key drivers for this exceptional flood event. This provides additional insights into the importance of catchment wetness for high return period floods on a large scale. The database compiled and the methodological developments provide a consistent framework for the rapid evaluation of future floods.

Results of an International Plankton Investigation on the River Rhine

1994 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 9-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. (G.) M. J. Tubbing ◽  
W. Admiraal ◽  
D. Backhaus ◽  
G. Friedrich ◽  
E. D. de Ruyter van Steveninck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Ecological Monitoring ◽  
Lake Constance ◽  
River Rhine ◽  
The North ◽  
Action Programme ◽  
Long Term Trends ◽  
Sparse Population

Quantitative plankton observations have been carried out in the River Rhine from Lake Constance to the North Sea as part of an ecological monitoring programme, initiated to provide a baseline for evaluating measures taken under the “Rhine Action Programme”. The phyto- and Zooplankton monitoring, carried out in 1990 is the first concerted programme covering the 1000 km long reach of the river below Lake Constance. Seasonal observations at 20 fixed stations along the river were carried out by different institutes; this required calibration of methods. In the upper Rhine the sparse population of phyto-plankton (< 5 µg chlorophyll-a l-1) was dominated by various groups of algae, i.e. Cryptop-hyceae, Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae and Cyanophyceae. Downstream, the phyto-plankton density increased gradually, while Bacillariophyceae tended to dominate. The high densities found in the lower R. Rhine represented only a few species of centric Bacillariophyceae and Chlorophyceae. The dense blooms of phytoplankton in the lower R. Rhine are triggered by the input of phytoplankton from the upper reaches and tributaries, and are stimulated by large inputs of nutrients. These blooms are accompanied by blooms of Zooplankton, especially rotifers, Dreissena polymorpha larvae and, in the lower Rhine, nauplii larvae. The species composition and biomass of plankton in the R. Rhine vary strongly during the year but also between years, as indicated for the period 1980-1990. However, the information at the species level needs further elaboration to allow interpretation of long-term trends. Notably, the input by tributaries should be included. To assess these long-term trends we recommend supplementing the large-scale biological inventory, as planned for the years 1995 and 2000, with plankton observations in the years between and investigating the relationship between the benthic and pelagic communities of the river.

scholarly journals Triumph of the Commons: Sustainable Community Practices on Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 12118
Author(s):  
Robert J. DiNapoli ◽  
Carl P. Lipo ◽  
Terry L. Hunt
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
18Th Century ◽  
Tragedy Of The Commons ◽  
Easter Island ◽  
Rapa Nui ◽  
Ecological Changes ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Commons ◽  
Past Land Use

The history of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) has long been framed as a parable for how societies can fail catastrophically due to the selfish actions of individuals and a failure to wisely manage common-pool resources. While originating in the interpretations made by 18th-century visitors to the island, 20th-century scholars recast this narrative as a “tragedy of the commons,” assuming that past populations were unsustainable and selfishly overexploited the limited resources on the island. This narrative, however, is now at odds with a range of archaeological, ethnohistoric, and environmental evidence. Here, we argue that while Rapa Nui did experience large-scale deforestation and ecological changes, these must be contextualized given past land-use practices on the island. We provide a synthesis of this evidence, showing that Rapa Nui populations were sustainable and avoided a tragedy of the commons through a variety of community practices. We discuss this evidence in the context of Elinor Ostrom’s “core design principles” for sustainable communities and argue that Rapa Nui provides a model for long-term sustainability.

Effective Ecological Monitoring

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
David B Lindenmayer ◽  
Gene E Likens
Keyword(s):  
Natural Environment ◽  
Ecological Monitoring ◽  
Monitoring Programs ◽  
Collective Experience ◽  
Long Term Monitoring ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
Term Monitoring

Long-term monitoring programs are fundamental to understanding the natural environment and effectively tackling major environmental problems. Yet they are often done very poorly and ineffectively. Effective Ecological Monitoring describes what makes successful and unsuccessful long-term monitoring programs. Short and to the point, it illustrates key aspects with case studies and examples. It is based on the collective experience of running long-term research and monitoring programs of the two authors – experience which spans more than 70 years. The book first outlines why long-term monitoring is important, then discusses why long-term monitoring programs often fail. The authors then highlight what makes good and effective monitoring. These good and bad aspects of long-term monitoring programs are further illustrated in the fourth chapter of the book. The final chapter sums up the future of long-term monitoring programs and how to make them better, more effective and better targeted.

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