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The most up-to-date and comprehensive photographic field guide to Madagascar's mammals.The island of Madagascar is home to one of the most remarkable assemblages of mammals on earth, thanks to millions of years of isolation, and no other island or place on earth boasts such a combination of species richness and endemism. Field Guide to Mammals of Madagascar describes all native species found on the island, including bats, tenrecs, mice and lemurs, as well as a small number of introduced, non-native species. Detailed species accounts cover description and identification, habitat and distribution, behaviour and where to see; a detailed distribution map for each species is also included. Supporting chapters cover the island's regions and habitats, threats to mammals, conservation and important mammal watching sites. The book is fully illustrated throughout with exceptional, high-quality photography, including species rarely photographed previously.

In 2000, the American Mathematical Society published a biography of Professor Stephen Smale, who had recently retired from a prestigious career at the University of California, Berkeley. But in retirement, Professor Smale has continued his academic pursuits through the present day, resulting in numerous additional publications and honors in the past 20+ years.As part of the CityU Legacy Series, this book documents Professor Smale's time at City University of Hong Kong, during his first appointment as a Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Mathematics from 1995-2001 as well as when he returned from 2009-2016. It also covers colorful and adventurous aspects of his life, including his impressive mineral collection and intrepid sailing and hiking trips to exotic locales. So that readers can experience the full extent of Professor Smale's notable life and work, the previous biography about him is included to provide a complete picture of this renowned scholar of international influence.

Biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate due to anthropogenic activities around the world. This book is the second volume in the new series Biodiversity Hotspots of the World, which highlights the 36 hotspot regions of the world, regions that have been designated as reaping maximum benefit from preservation efforts. This series is our humble attempt to document these hotspots as a conservation and preservation measure.The concise volumes in this series focus on the most interesting and important properties of these hotspots, covering physiography and climatology; vegetation and forest types; amphibian and reptile biodiversity; genetic diversity of crops, plants, fishes, butterflies, insects, birds, mammals, angiosperms, and gymnosperms; and much more. And of course, the unique threats and conservation efforts for the areas are addressed as well.The Himalayan Mountains are the highest mountain range in the world and include Mount Everest as well as eight other highest peaks of the world. While it is difficult to document the biodiversity of this inhospitable terrain, we do know that out of the 9,000 different species of plants recorded in the area, 3,500 plants are endemic to the Eastern Himalaya region. Anthropogenic activities including deforestation, fragmentation of habitats, pollution, high population, climate change, and poaching of wildlife pose serious threats to the biodiversity of the region. The highlands have exceptionally rich biodiversity, high endemism, and over 160 globally threatened species, including the densest population of Bengal tigers and the three largest herbivores on the continent: the Asian elephant, greater one-horned rhinoceros, and wild water buffalo. The region boasts the world's richest counts of alpine flora within its temperate broad-leaved forests, with a total of 10,000 species of plants.This volume, Biodiversity Hotspot of the Himalayas, as well as the other volumes in this series, will be essential resources for researchers and practitioners in the fields of conservation biology, ecology, and evolution as the series concisely records the existing biodiversity of these hotspots of the world.

This book is the first comprehensive account of large-scale ecosystems (biomes) of Southern Africa (defined as area south of the Kunene and Zambezi Rivers). It addresses the diversity of biomes in one of the most biodiverse regions of the world, comprising South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, southern part of Mozambique, Eswatini, and Lesotho. It has adopted a novel, hierarchical biome-classification approach. The biomes at four levels of complexity are identified, described, and mapped using modern GIS-assisted mapping technology. The structure of the book and its comprehensive nature makes this product of prime interest to teachers and students of all tertiary education levels as well as to scientists in the fields of ecology, biodiversity science, and bioclimatology. It is poised to serve as a major reference book and handbook for the users in these scientific fields.

Earth's climate is changing. This book investigates the scientific, environmental, social, political, and economic aspects of climate change. It enables students to reach an informed opinion and encourages active engagement in finding solutions. It begins with a strong introduction to the scientific factors that drive natural and anthropogenic climate change and expands over three chapters to explore the impact of greenhouse gases on the distribution of solar energy across land, sea, ice, and air. The author examines geologically ancient climates in order to highlight possible future scenarios, and case studies from around the world highlight the impact of climate change on the physical and human environment. The final chapters investigate how society can respond to the challenges of climate change and overcome the political, social, and economic factors that are barriers to progress, focusing on the role of energy policy, fiscal policy, and risk assessment as a means to stimulate discussion about science, society, and the role of the media. Science is the foundation of any solution, but to turn this knowledge into action requires the application of a broad set of skills that are rooted in the liberal arts experience such as critical thinking, analytical thinking, problem solving, and communication.This textbook will be an essential resource for students taking courses in environmental geography, climate change, natural hazards, climatology, and meteorology.

The book provides an overview relevant to various biological mechanisms that regulate carbon exchanges between the major components and their response to climate change. Climate change has a significant impact on people's lives, energy demand, food security, etc. The soil microbial ecology is vital for assessing terrestrial and aquatic carbon cycles and climate feedback. However, the primary concern is the complexity of the soil microbial community and its severely affected functions due to the climate and other global changes. Global warming comprises an assessment of the dynamic interactions and feedback between microbes, plants, and their physical environment due to climate change. The book will address the need to use a multifactor experimental approach to understand how soil microorganisms and their activities adapt to climate change and the implications of carbon cycle feedback. The most pressing concern is a clearer understanding of the biological factors that regulate carbon exchanges between land, oceans, and the atmosphere and how these exchanges will respond to climate change via climate–ecosystem feedbacks, which could augment or quell regional and global climate change. Terrestrial ecosystems play an important role in climate feedback as they produce and absorb greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides. They also strongly contribute to storing enormous amounts of carbon in living vegetation and soils, rendering them a significant global carbon sink. If climate change projections are realistic, such a rapid increase in carbon loss from soil could exacerbate the soil carbon cycle feedback. The book will determine the role of microbial feedback in regulating soil-land-atmosphere carbon exchange under changing climatic conditions at the regional and global levels. The current book will also focus on recent research designed to use beneficial microbes such as plant growth-promoting microorganisms, fungi, endophytic microbes, and others to improve understanding of the interaction and their potential role in promoting advanced management for sustainable agricultural solutions. Understanding the influence on the native microbiome, such as the distribution of methanogens and methanotrophs, nutritional content, microbial biomass, and other factors, is becoming increasingly crucial to establishing climate-resilient agriculture.

The interest in primates, from lemurs to gorillas, has never been greater. Primatologists are continually finding evidence in the behavior and ecology of our closest genetic relatives that sheds light on human origins. So, just who are these 520+ species of complex and intelligent mammals inhabiting the Neotropics, Africa, Madagascar, and Asia? The Natural History of Primates provides the most current information on wild primates from experts who have studied them in their natural environments. This volume provides up-to-date facts and figures on how groups of social primates interact with each other and the plants and other animal species in their ecosystems: what they eat, which predators might eat them, how males and females seek mates, how infants are raised, and myriad other fascinating details about their visual and vocal communication, their ability to craft and use tools, and the varieties of locomotion they employ. As human populations continue to expand into the rainforests, savannas, and woodlands where nonhuman primates dwell, the preservation of these species becomes ever more important. The Natural History of Primates is unique in its emphasis on the conservation status of primate species and its ample discussions of how humans and nonhuman primates can coexist in the twenty-first century.

'This book contains a compilation of offered papers presented at the main congress of the XX International Grassland Congress held in University College Dublin, Ireland from 26 June to 1 July, 2005. It is complemented by six other books arising from the XX IGC as listed on the back cover: the book of invited papers from the main congress and five books containing the proceedings of five satellite workshops held immediately after the main congress at locations in the UK and Ireland (Aberystwyth, Belfast, Cork, Glasgow and Oxford). The workshops were designed to facilitate more in-depth presentations and discussions on more specialised topics of worldwide significance. The main congress brought together scientists from many disciplines, policy makers, consultants and producers involved directly in grass production and utilisation, as well as people in associated industries. They discussed issues around the theme of the congress, Grasslands : a Global Resource. The congress programme was organised around three main thematic areas: Efficient Production from Grassland Grassland and the Environment Delivering the Benefits from Grassland'

This volume explores the South Brazilian grasslands, a unique complex of ecosystems in Brazil. Despite high biodiversity and many important ecosystem services, their biodiversity and conservation are neglected, both nationally, and globally. This book provides a state-of-the-art synthesis of knowledge on the biodiversity and its drivers in South Brazilian grasslands and associated ecosystems. Further, the book discusses conservation challenges and options, as well as management strategies that help to maintain the region's uniqueness. The chapters present information on biodiversity and ecological features of the region, and put this information into the context of historical and current human land uses, allowing for links to global discussions of conservation and sustainable development. Altogether, the book contains 20 chapters organized in four sections. The book is directed at researchers, students and professionals working with biodiversity and sustainable development in southern Brazil, as well as to the international scientific and conservation community interested in grasslands and associated ecosystems, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions.

This is the first comprehensive and critical evaluation of the biome (large-scale, functional biotic communities) patterns in the Southern Hemisphere. Revising the Heinrich Walter's zonobiome system for the Southern Hemisphere appeared as necessary because of the bioclimatic imbalance between the Hemispheres. This revision resulted in formulation of a new zonobiome system, considering the geographic peculiarities of both Hemispheres, hence creating a new, powerful tool of global nature-resource survey and conservation. The system has a potential to attract the interest of the global climate modeling community as the concept of biome (and associated hierarchical system) has a strong functional focus. All zonal biomes of the Southern Hemisphere are featured, and the major challenges we face in understanding their origins, structure, and functioning are discussed. The book contains a wealth of original data resulting from collation of bioclimatic data and vegetation mapping.

The succulent species of the families of subclass Rosidae are presented by alphabet of families, genera, and species, with comprehensive listings of synonyms added at all levels. Detailed descriptions are given for all accepted taxa, together with data on the distribution and typification, and references to the most important literature. Where necessary, information on ecology, ethnobotany, history, etc. is added, and in many places, proposed relationships are critically discussed.The volume covers the succulents from the families Anacardiacae, Begoniaceae, Bixaceae, Brassicaceae, Burseraceae, Capparaceae, Caricaceae, Clusiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Francoaceae, Geraniaceae, Malvaceae, Melastomataceae, Meliaceae, Moraceae, Moringaceae, Oxalidaceae, Passifloraceae, Sapindaceae, Tropaeolaceae, Urticaceae, Vitaceae and Zygophyllaceae.

This Scientific Bibliography of the “Far Northern Drakensberg” is a continuation by the Afromontane Research Unit of the University of the Free State (ARU) to document published and other similar works on the mountains of the summer rainfall area of South Africa. It follows “A Scientific Bibliography of the Drakensberg, Maloti and Adjacent Lowlands” which was published in 2020 (Moffett 2020), and which covered the area between the North-Eastern Cape and the North-Eastern Free State. The current work extends this northward by including articles and publications dating back to 1875 (E.Cohen, on the Lydenburg goldfields) reaching as far as the Wolkberg and Woodbush near Tzaneen in Limpopo Province. Figure 1 shows the boundary of the area covered, and although referred to as the Far Northern Drakensberg in this work, it is identical to that described as the LMEE, Limpopo, Mpumalanga & Eswatini Escarpment by Clarke et al (2022). Although slightly separate from the “lower” escarpment, the mountainous Barberton and adjacent Eswatini area, as well as the Leolo Mountains in eastern Sekhukhuneland are also included. Details on how the boundary in figure 1 was determined are given in Clark et al (2022). Bibliographies on two further ranges in the summer rainfall area, viz. the Magaliesberg in Gauteng province and the Soutpansberg in Limpopo province are to be the subject of future compilations.

Every society aspires to be prosperous. It also endeavors to minimize the side effects of economic growth. This book entitled The Economics of Optimal Growth Pathways addresses numerous trade-offs faced by society to achieve prosperity and explores the best possible growth pathways. The theories explored in this book serve as a springboard to better understand key challenges and aspects of the economy, including food security, land use, forest and resource management, capital markets and interest rates, oil and gas extraction, fish and marine resources, saving and investment, and climate change.This book elucidates the concept of optimal economic growth pathways while addressing the challenges faced in natural resources and life on the planet. It will be relevant to students and researchers interested in resource and environmental economics.

The most up-to-date and comprehensive handbook to the region's mammals, illustrated with exceptional photography.Madagascar is home to one of the most remarkable assemblages of mammals on earth. Millions of years of isolation has resulted in the evolution of a suite of species that are exceptional for two major reasons. Firstly, every native non-volant species (approximately 210 species) is endemic. No other island or place on earth boasts such a combination of species richness and endemism. And secondly, these mammals have evolved an extraordinary diversity of body forms and lifestyles often displaying significant convergence with forms elsewhere but also at times evolving utterly unique features.Handbook of the Mammals of Madagascar describes all 217 native species, including bats, tenrecs, mice and lemurs, and a small number of introduced, non-native species. Species accounts are subdivided into sections covering description and identification, habitat and distribution (including distribution maps), behaviour and where to see. Over the past 15 years, major advances in research have been made into the island's mammal fauna and species accounts include all the latest information. Supporting chapters cover the island's regions and habitats, threats to mammals, conservation and important mammal watching sites. There is also a section covering the bizarre extinct mammal fauna.Throughout, the book is illustrated with exceptional, high-quality photography, often featuring species rarely photographed previously.

Bring the diversity and drama of the bird world to life with this encyclopedic new edition.A must-have for every avian enthusiast, this catalogue showcases thousands of bird species pictured in their native environment. Shot by photographers around the globe, the vivid images are accompanied by in-depth introductions to all 40 of the world's newly reclassified bird orders. Compiled by a team of experts and revised by BirdLife International, Bird provides the most up to date and comprehensive photographic tour of the wondrous world of birds. Dive in and you will find: -A bird by bird catalogue of more than 1,280 species, each with a description, data file, and distribution map-An introduction describing bird biology in beautiful visual detail. -Feature spreads showcasing the planet's most impressive sites for birdwatching -Photographic essays that display the best in bird photography Discover the world of the skies!Unrivaled in scope for a single-volume reference work, Bird's photographic catalogue features species from hummingbirds to monkey-eating eagles, organised in taxonomic order. Immerse yourself in the life of birds; read about their migrations, anatomy, feeding and breeding. All this, and special features on the world's most sought after bird watching locations, make this'A must-have reference for every bird enthusiast'- BBC Wildlife Magazine.Whether you're an avian expert who knows your Accipitriformes (birds of prey) from your Falconiformes (falcons and caracaras), or are simply a nature lover wanting to learn more, you won't find a more detailed or comprehensive photographic bird book than this. What's new? After a major reclassification of all birds, this new edition is the only guide currently in print covering the new system of 40 bird orders and 140+ families, including an updated catalogue with newly discovered species. Reviewed by the experts at BirdLife International, you can be sure that you are getting the latest knowledge of bird biology and classification.

This book introduces an innovative approach to sustainable and regenerative mountain development. Transdisciplinary to biophysical and biocultural scales, it provides answers to the'what, when, how, why, and where'that researchers question on mountains, including the most challenging: So What! Forwarding thinking in its treatment of core subjects, this decolonial, non-hegemonic volume inaugurates the Series with contributions of seasoned montologists, and invites the reader to an engaging excursion to ascend the rugged topography of paradigms, with the scaffolding hike of ambitious curiosity typical of mountain explorers.Chapter 8 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

A marvelously illustrated reference to the natural wonders of one of the most spectacular places on earthSeparated from Africa's mainland for tens of millions of years, Madagascar has evolved a breathtaking wealth of biodiversity, becoming home to thousands of species found nowhere else on the planet. The New Natural History of Madagascar provides the most comprehensive, up-to-date synthesis available of this island nation's priceless biological treasures. Now fully revised and expanded, this beautifully illustrated compendium features contributions by more than 600 globally renowned experts who cover the history of scientific exploration in Madagascar, as well as the island's geology and soils, climate, forest ecology, human ecology, marine and coastal ecosystems, plants, invertebrates, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. This invaluable two-volume reference also includes detailed discussions of conservation efforts in Madagascar that showcase several successful protected area programs that can serve as models for threatened ecosystems throughout the world.Provides the most comprehensive overview of Madagascar's rich natural historyCoedited by 18 different specialistsFeatures hundreds of new contributions by world-class expertsIncludes hundreds of new illustrationsCovers a broad array of topics, from geology and climate to animals, plants, and marine lifeSheds light on newly discovered species and draws on the latest scienceAn essential resource for anyone interested in Madagascar or tropical ecosystems in general, from biologists and conservationists to ecotourists and armchair naturalists

This edited volume provides the historical and geological background, as well as the details pertaining to the morphology and morphometric assessments, of a singular human cranial specimen from the Late Pleistocene discovered in Hofmeyr, South Africa. The chapters are divided into 4 main sections. Section 1 discusses the discovery and historical context of the skull, while section 2 addresses its geological and geochronological contexts through dating and stable isotope analyses. Section 3 details the general morphological and morphometric analyses (description, 3-D reconstruction, morphological comparisons), and section 4 details the specific morphological analyses performed (inner ear, dentition, endocranial morphology and size). The volume will be of interest to professional and student paleoanthropologists interested in the later phases of human evolution.

The idea of socioecosystems answers the growing need to understand, in the context of the Anthropocene, how adaptive processes interact, and how that interplay results in the coevolution of living beings. Studying socioecosystems means taking into account the diversity of temporal and physical scales in order to grasp how ecological, social and economic forces are interwoven. Based on these drivers, the complex dynamics that determine the habitability of the Earth emerge. This book analyzes, through concrete cases from regional socioecosystems on several continents, how research action has provided answers to problems related to agriculture, health and the conservation of biodiversity. It demonstrates that these undertakings could not have succeeded without the combined efforts of the communities of living beings and objects, the community of knowledge and the communities of action. These examples are accompanied by a reflection on the conditions that make it possible to bring this research to completion.

This textbook provides a broad introduction to the relationship between climate change, economics, and climate policy for young readers and future generations. It highlights the problem of intergenerational gaps and burden sharing on climate change. Taking on major contentious issues of today, it is rich with behavioural strategies and real life experiences which are explained in an accessible and engaging way. A diverse range of topics are covered, including farm animals of Sub-Sahara, Latin American rainforests, Indian monsoon agriculture, tropical cyclones in Bangladesh, sublime grasslands, energy revolutions, hydroelectric dams of China, backstop technologies, ocean exchanges with the atmosphere, mass extinction of species, commercial fisheries, infectious diseases and pandemics, and a climate policy big deal. Climate Change and Economics: Engaging with Future Generations with Action Plans aims to engage with young readers and offer action plans for activists. It is relevant to students interested in environmental economics and environmental science.

The Flora Zambesiaca series provides comprehensive descriptive accounts of the flowering plants and ferns native and naturalized in Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and the Caprivi Strip. Volume 7 Part 3 completes the Apocynaceae in its entirety.

This volume is a compendium of selected plant species of ethnobotanical value to the highland communities of popular Southeast Asia. “Traditional” knowledge held by local communities on their resources is always in flux and adapting to a quickly changing environment. New plants find their entry into the local pharmacopoeias, while existing ones maybe removed. Likewise, various local communities might find the same plant useful for completely different purposes. While compiling information on the species, authors have taken great care to ensure that the dynamic nature of ethnobotanical knowledge is represented adequately. Special emphasis has also been given to cultural value of species to the local communities in the region. The field (and thus the market) of ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology has grown considerably in recent years. Student interest is on the rise, attendance at professional conferences has grown steadily, and the number of professionals calling themselves ethnobotanists has increased significantly (the various societies (Society for Economic Botany, International Society of Ethnopharmacology, Society of Ethnobiology, International Society for Ethnobiology, and many regional and national societies in the field currently have thousands of members). The objective of this new Major Reference Work on Ethnobotany of Mountain Regions of Southeast Asia is to take advantage of the increasing international interest and scholarship on highland landscapes and communities. While ethnobotanical studies are now available from many regions of the world, no comprehensive encyclopedic volume on the highlands of popular SE Asia is available in the market. We include the best and latest research on a full range of descriptive, methodological, theoretical, and applied research on the most important plants for the region. Scholars in plant sciences worldwide will also be interested in the dedicated website for this volume and its dynamic content.

The definitive guide to the birds of Chile.With its diverse range of habitats, Chile is one of the top birding destinations in South America and supports an interesting range of breeding and visiting birds, including the Chilean Tinamou, Juan Fernandez Firecrown and a number of other endemic species.This comprehensive field guide covers all of the species recorded in Chile, including vagrants; all are illustrated in superb detail, and feature every major plumage variation. Concise species accounts describe key identification features, status, range, habitat and voice, and accurate distribution maps are also provided for every species.Together, these elements make this the best field guide to the birds of this fascinating and beautiful region, and an indispensable (and pocket-friendly) addition to the visiting birder's backpack.

This book informs about knowledge gain in soil and land degradation to reduce or prevent it for meeting the mission of the Sustainable Developments Goals of the United Nations. Essence, extent, monitoring methods and implications for ecosystem functioning of main soil degradation types are characterized in overview chapters and case studies. Challenges, approaches and data towards identification of degradation in the frame of improving functionality, health and multiple ecosystem services of soil are demonstrated in the studies of international expert teams. The book consists of five parts, containing 5–12 single chapters each and 36 in total. Parts are explaining (I) Concepts and Indicators, (II) Soil Erosion and Compaction, (III) Soil Contamination, (IV) Soil Carbon and Fertility Monitoring and (V) Soil Survey and Mapping of Degradation The primary audience of this book are scientists of different disciplines, decision-makers, farmers and further informed people dealing with sustainable management of soil and land.

This book describes the alarming condition of agriculture in the Anthropocene, when the ethical conception of agriculture as a service of common utility for both society and environment has progressively been marginalized. The ethical utility of agriculture has been sidetracked with the increasing industrialisation of society, the involvement of agriculture in the business-as-usual economy, and the consequential environmental and societal impacts it has had. Thus, re-establishing a meaningful bridge between ethics and agriculture is necessary. A relatively new science (ecology) with both a new epistemological tool (that of the ecosystem concept), and a unique narrative of sustainable development, can help bridge this gap. This book focuses on ethics as a lever for raising scientific, technical, social, economic and political solutions to adopt in agriculture as a model of symbiotic relationships between man and nature. It provides a detailed discussion of the ecological intensification practices in order to maximize ecological and ethical services, wherein agroecosystems will follow.

This book celebrates the relaunch of the African Pollen Database, presents state-of-the-art of modern and ancient pollen data from sub-Saharan Africa, and promotes Open Access science. Pollen grains are powerful tools for the study of past vegetation dynamics because they preserve well within sedimentary deposits and have a huge diversity in ornamentation that allows different taxa to be determined. The reconstruction of past vegetation from the examination of ancient pollen records thus can be used to characterize the nature of past landscapes (e.g. abundance of forests vs. grasslands), provide insights into changes in biodiversity, and gain empirical evidence of vegetation response to climatic change and human activity. In this, the 35th Volume of'Palaeoecology of Africa', we bring together new data and extensive synthetic reviews to provide novel insights into the relationships between human evolution, human activity, climate change and vegetation dynamics during the Quaternary, the last 2.6 million years. Current and ongoing climate and land-use change is exerting pressure on modern vegetation formations and threatening the livelihoods and wellbeing of many peoples in Africa. In this book the focus is on the Quaternary because it is during this geological period that the modern vegetation formations developed into their current configurations against a backdrop of high magnitude global climate change (glacial-interglacial cycles), human evolution, and a growing human land-use footprint. In this book the latest information is presented and collated from around the African continent to parameterize past vegetation states, identify the drivers of vegetation change, and assess the vegetation resilience to change. To achieve this research from two broad themes are covered: (i) the present is the key to the past (i.e. studies which improve our understanding of modern environments so that we can better interpret evidence from the past), and (ii) the past is the key to the future (i.e. studies which unlock information on how and why vegetation changed in the past so one can better anticipate trajectories of future change). This Open Access book will provide a strong foundation for future research exploring past ecological, environmental and climatic change within Africa and the surrounding islands. The book is organized regionally (covering western, eastern, central, and southern Africa) and it contains specialized articles focused on particular topics (such as modern pollen-vegetation relationships and fire as a driver of vegetation change), as well as regional and pan-African syntheses drawing together decades of research to assess key scientific questions (including the role of climate in driving vegetation change and the role of vegetation change in human evolution). These articles will be useful to students and teachers from high school to the highest level of university who are interested in the origins and dynamics of vegetation in Africa. Furthermore, it is also meant to provide societally relevant information that can act as an inspiration for the development of sustainable management practices for the future.

Many people are only familiar with Rwanda through the lens of the genocide that took place in this country in 1994 that made international headlines. However, that tragic chapter in the nation's history isn't the whole story of life in Rwanda. Readers are able to gain a clearer understanding of the Rwandan genocide as well as other pivotal moments that shaped this African country into what it is today. They're introduced to the natural wonders, arts, and people who fill its borders through detailed text, full-color photographs, and engaging features such as recipes and maps.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the patterns of biodiversity in various neotropical ecosystems, as well as a discussion on their historical biogeographies and underlying diversification processes. All chapters were written by prominent researchers in the fields of tropical biology, molecular ecology, climatology, paleoecology, and geography, producing an outstanding collection of essays, synthetic analyses, and novel investigations that describe and improve our understanding of the biodiversity of this unique region. With chapters on the Amazon and Caribbean forests, the Atlantic rainforests, the Andes, the Cerrado savannahs, the Caatinga drylands, the Chaco, and Mesoamerica – along with broad taxonomic coverage – this book summarizes a wide range of hypotheses, views, and methods concerning the processes and mechanisms of neotropical diversification. The range of perspectives presented makes the book a truly comprehensive, state-of-the-art publication on the topic,which will fascinate both scientists and general readers alike.

The ultimate field guide to the birds of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.With a range of habitats from mountain forests and wetland basins to the great, sweeping savannas, East Africa is one of the world's great wildlife travel destinations, and it has an avifauna of staggering diversity to match. This includes many regional endemics and scarcities, some of which have very small and vulnerable ranges, plus a host of Palearctic visitors in the northern winter.This comprehensive field guide describes and illustrates 1,448 species, including all the resident, migrant, and vagrant birds of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. Featuring 289 colour plates with more than 3,500 images, it depicts all the plumages and major races likely to be encountered. The species accounts are accompanied by accurate distribution maps, while the introductory sections include information on conservation and maps of important bird areas in the region.Now in its second edition, this book is an indispensable guide for the visiting birdwatcher. It is also a vital tool for those engaged in work to conserve and study the avifauna of the region. Birds of East Africa is a true must-have for anyone birding in the region.

A comprehensive guide to the birds of Kenya and adjoining Northern Tanzania.Kenya is one of the world's great wildlife travel destinations, with a diverse and very large avifauna to accompany the big cats and large herbivores. This book, covering both Kenya and adjacent parts of northern Tanzania, covers all 1089 bird species known from the region, including vagrants.The plates are packed with illustrations that cover all plumages and major races likely to be encountered in the region. Concise species text describes identification, status, range, habits and voice, with range maps for all residents and regular migrants.This authoritative book represents both an indispensable guide for the visiting birder, and an important tool for those engaged in work to conserve and study the avifauna of this part of Africa.

Volume II of a comprehensive two-volume identification set – the ultimate guide to birds of the region.Covering every species, including vagrants, found in Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, the magnificent Birds of Northern South America represents one of the greatest ornithological publications of the 21st century. In this volume dedicated to the Robin Restall's detailed and comprehensive colour plates, the more than 2,300 species discussed in Volume I are accurately depicted in a total of nearly 6,400 images, illustrating every distinct plumage of every species and subspecies, and highlighting key identification features. Concise caption text appears on the plates, and distribution maps appear opposite the plates. More detailed text covering geographical variation, identification, status, habitat, voice and taxonomy is found in the first volume of the set.This authoritative book is not only an indispensable guide to the visiting birder, but also a vital tool for those engaged in work to conserve and study the avifauna of this region, which is of such importance to both resident species and those which pass through on migration. A landmark publication, Birds of Northern South America remains the standard work on the stunningly diverse birds of the region.

This is the fifth volume in the Birds of Africa series, covering the rich avifauna of the world's second largest continent. Volume V treats the thrushes, warblers and flycatchers.Universally recognised as by far the most authoritative work ever published on the subject, The Birds of Africa is a superb multi-contributor reference work, with encyclopaedic species texts, stunning paintings of all species and numerous subspecies, hundreds of informative line drawings, detailed range maps, and extensive bibliographies.Each volume contains an Introduction that brings the reader up to date with the latest developments in African ornithology, including the evolution and biogeography of African birds. Diagnoses of the families and genera, often with superspecies maps, are followed by the comprehensive species accounts themselves. These include descriptions of range and status, field characters, voice, general habits, food, and breeding habits. Full bibliographies, acoustic references, and indexes complete this scholarly work of reference.This fifth volume in the series deals comprehensively with the true thrushes, Old World warblers, Old World flycatchers, paradise-flycatchers, monarchs, shrike-flycatchers, wattle-eyes and batises. The editors and artists have worked closely with other authors - all acknowledged experts in their field - to produce a superb reference in which comprehensive texts on every species are complemented by accurate and detailed paintings and drawings of the birds themselves.

This is the second volume in the Birds of Africa series, covering the rich avifauna of the world's second largest continent. Volume II treats five orders, from gamebirds to pigeons.Universally recognised as by far the most authoritative work ever published on the subject, The Birds of Africa is a superb multi-contributor reference work, with encyclopaedic species texts, stunning paintings of all species and numerous subspecies, hundreds of informative line drawings, detailed range maps, and extensive bibliographies.Each volume contains an Introduction that brings the reader up to date with the latest developments in African ornithology, including the evolution and biogeography of African birds. Diagnoses of the families and genera, often with superspecies maps, are followed by the comprehensive species accounts themselves. These include descriptions of range and status, field characters, voice, general habits, food, and breeding habits. Full bibliographies, acoustic references, and indexes complete this scholarly work of reference.This second volume in the series deals comprehensively with the guineafowl, francolins, buttonquails, rails, cranes, finfoot, bustards, jacanas, painted-snipe, Crab Plover, oystercatchers, stilits and avocets, thick-knees, coursers and pratincoles, plovers and lapwings, sandpipers and allies, skuas, gulls, terns, skimmers, auks, sandgrouse and pigeons.The editors and artists have worked closely with other authors - all acknowledged experts in their field - to produce a superb reference in which comprehensive texts on every species are complemented by accurate and detailed paintings and drawings of the birds themselves.

This is the seventh volume in the Birds of Africa series, looking at the rich avifauna of the world's second largest continent.Universally recognised as by far the most authoritative work ever published on the subject, The Birds of Africa is a superb multi-contributor reference work, with encyclopaedic species texts, stunning paintings of all species and numerous subspecies, hundreds of informative line drawings, detailed range maps, and extensive bibliographies. Each volume contains an Introduction that brings the reader up to date with the latest developments in African ornithology, including the evolution and biogeography of African birds. Diagnoses of the families and genera, often with superspecies maps, are followed by the comprehensive species accounts themselves. These include descriptions of range and status, field characters, voice, general habits, food, and breeding habits. Full bibliographies, acoustic references, and indexes complete this scholarly work of reference.This seventh volume in the series deals comprehensively with 309 species. These comprise all the seed-eating families, from sparrows to buntings and including weavers, widowbirds, whydahs and waxbills. The editors and artists have worked closely with other authors - all acknowledged experts in their field - to produce a superb reference in which comprehensive texts on every species are complemented by accurate and detailed paintings and drawings of the birds themselves.

Australia's varied grasslands have suffered massive losses and changes since European settlement, and those changes continue under increasingly intensive human pressures for development and agricultural production. The values of native grasslands for conservation of endemic native biodiversity, both flora and fauna, have led to strong interests in the protection of remaining fragments, especially near urban centres, and documentation of the insects and other inhabitants of grasslands spanning tropical to cool temperate parts of the country. Attention to conservation of grassland insects in Australia is relatively recent, but it is increasingly apparent that grasslands harbour many localised and ecologically specialised endemic species. Their conservation necessarily advances from very incomplete documentation, and draws heavily on lessons from the far better-documented grasslands elsewhere, most notably in the northern hemisphere, and undertaken over far longer periods.From those cases, and the extensive background to grassland management to harmonise conservation with production and amenity values through honing use of processes such as grazing, mowing and fire, the needs and priorities for Australia can become clearer, together with needs for grassland restoration at a variety of scales. This book is a broad overview of conservation needs of grassland insects in Australia, drawing on the background provided elsewhere in the world on the responses to disturbances, and the ecological importance, of some key insect groups (notably Orthoptera, Hemiptera and Lepidoptera) to suggest how insect conservation in native, pastoral and urban grasslands may be advanced. The substantial references given for each chapter facilitate entry for non-entomologist grassland managers and stewards to appreciate the diversity and importance of Australia's grassland insects, their vulnerabilities to changes, and the possibilities for conserving them and the wider ecological roles in which they participate.

In popular discourse, tropical forests are synonymous with'nature'and'wilderness'; battlegrounds between apparently pristine floral, faunal, and human communities, and the unrelenting industrial and urban powers of the modern world. It is rarely publicly understood that the extent of human adaptation to, and alteration of, tropical forest environments extends across archaeological, historical, and anthropological timescales. This book is the first attempt to bring together evidence for the nature of human interactions with tropical forests on a global scale, from the emergence of hominins in the tropical forests of Africa to modern conservation issues. Following a review of the natural history and variability of tropical forest ecosystems, this book takes a tour of human, and human ancestor, occupation and use of tropical forest environments through time. Far from being pristine, primordial ecosystems, this book illustrates how our species has inhabited and modified tropical forests from the earliest stages of its evolution. While agricultural strategies and vast urban networks emerged in tropical forests long prior to the arrival of European colonial powers and later industrialization, this should not be taken as justification for the massive deforestation and biodiversity threats imposed on tropical forest ecosystems in the 21st century. Rather, such a long-term perspective highlights the ongoing challenges of sustainability faced by forager, agricultural, and urban societies in these environments, setting the stage for more integrated approaches to conservation and policy-making, and the protection of millennia of ecological and cultural heritage bound up in these habitats.

The Encyclopedia of Geology organizes researchers from around the world in geology and related disciplines and maintains an up-to-date reference work for readers worldwide.

With the scenic village of Clarens located on the western edge of the Maloti-Drakensberg, the Clarens Village Conservancy offers a taste of biodiversity quite special to this region: it forms an area of overlap between western arid elements, moist eastern elements, Afromontane elements, and Drakensberg alpine elements. As such, there is a treat for adventurers around every corner in this rugged environment. Thanks to active and well-managed civic organisations such as the Clarens Village Conservancy, this natural heritage will not go unappreciated. We are truly privileged to live and work in this environment, and hope that this Field Guide will inspire many visitors to come to marvel at our mountains and its treasures. - Dr Ralph Clark Director: Afromontane Research Unit, Qwaqwa Campus, University of the Free State Honorary Life Member: iVungu River Conservancy (KZN)

A comprehensive book on basic processes of soil C dynamics and the underlying factors and causes which determine the technical and economic potential of soil C sequestration. The book provides information on the dynamics of both inorganic (lithogenic and pedogenic carbonates) and organic C (labile, intermediate and passive). It describes different types of agroecosystems, and lists questions at the end of each chapter to stimulate thinking and promote academic dialogue. Each chapter has a bibliography containing up-to-date references on the current research, and provides the state-of-the-knowledge while also identifying the knowledge gaps for future research. The critical need for restoring C stocks in world soils is discussed in terms of provisioning of essential ecosystem services (food security, carbon sequestration, water quality and renewability, and biodiversity). It is of interest to students, scientists, and policy makers.

The family containing grasses and bamboos, Poaceae, includes an estimated 12,000 species. Grasses and bamboos have always been a central pillar of people's lives, providing rice, maize, sugarcane, and bread wheat for humans and livestock. Despite their importance, Madagascar's grasses are still poorly known. This guide provides a practical means of identifying these beautiful and interesting plants at the generic level, featuring 144 grasses described with life size color photographs.

Effects of Forage Feeding on Milk: Bioactive Compounds and Flavor collates the research related to biologically active compounds associated with chain fresh/preserved temperate forages, the dairy animal, and cow´s, goat´s, and ewe´s milk and milk products. Comprised of six chapters, this book begins by presenting a brief overview of components of the chain – the forage, the milking animal, and milk. The book then addresses desirable and detrimental compounds by providing an expansive description of each compound's chemical nature, methods of analytical determination, biological properties and effects on humans, factors affecting level in forage, effects of ensiling and haymaking, processes within the animal, content in milk and milk products, and health evaluation. The book also outlines volatiles affecting the flavor of milk and milk products, and includes a conclusion and numerous relevant references for further reading. - Summarizes the research related to biologically active compounds associated with milk and milk products - Presents an overview of chain forage related to milking animal milk - Explores desirable and detrimental compounds - Outlines volatiles affecting the flavor of milk and milk products - Includes relevant references for further reading

On August 31, 1915, a Texas posse lynched five “horse thieves.” One of them, it turned out, was General Pascual Orozco Jr., military hero of the Mexican Revolution. Was he a desperado or a hero? Orozco's death proved as controversial as his storied life, a career of mysterious contradictions that Raymond Caballero puzzles out in this book. A long-overdue biography of a significant but little-known and less understood figure of Mexican history, Orozco tells the full story of this revolutionary's meteoric rise and ignominious descent, including the purposely obscured circumstances of his death at the hands of a lone, murderous lawman. That story—of an unknown muleteer of Northwest Chihuahua who became the revolution's most important military leader, a national hero and idol, only to turn on his former revolutionary ally Francisco Madero—is one of the most compelling narratives of early-twentieth-century Mexican history. Without Orozco's leadership, Madero would likely have never deposed dictator Porfirio Díaz. And yet Orozco soon joined Madero's hated assassin, the new dictator, Victoriano Huerta, and espoused progressive reforms while fighting on behalf of reactionaries. Whereas other historians have struggled to make sense of this contradictory record, Caballero brings to light Orozco's bizarre appointment of an unknown con man to administer his rebellion, a man whose background and character, once revealed, explain many of Orozco's previously baffling actions. The book also delves into the peculiar history of Orozco's homeland, offering new insight into why Northwest Chihuahua, of all places in Mexico, produced the revolution's military leadership, in particular a champion like Pascual Orozco. From the circumstances of his ascent, to revelations about his treachery, to the true details of his death, Orozco at last emerges, through Caballero's account, in all his complexity and significance.

The book presents the current state and good practices of national forest inventories in monitoring wood resources and demonstrates pathways for harmonisation and improved common reporting. Beyond a general overview over availability and use of wood resources in different countries, it provides a unique collection of original contributions from national forest inventory experts with in-depth descriptions of current NFI methods in assessing wood availability and wood use in European countries, and selected countries from America and Asia.The main topics are national definitions and improvements in common reporting of forests available for wood supply, stem quality and assortments, estimation of change including growth and drain, and tree resources outside forest land. The book is a must-have for everyone who is contributing to national forest inventories either methodologically or operatively, for people who want or need to understand national forest inventory provided data and information on the availability of wood resources. By providing profound knowledge it is a valuable basis for scientists involved in scenario modelling and analysing effects of climate change, as well as individuals in private organisations and public administrations promoting the sustainable use of natural resources and the potential of green economy.

This volume comprises a selection of essays by scholars from a variety of disciplines that discuss the exchange relationship between Africa and the wider Indian Ocean world (IOW), a macro-region running from East Africa to China, from early times to about 1300 CE. The rationale for regarding this macro-region as a “world” is the central significance of the monsoon system which facilitated the early emergence of long-distance trans-IOW maritime exchange of commodities, peoples, plants, animals, technologies and ideas.

Ongoing climate change necessitates advances in our understanding of the interrelationships between climate, landscape-shaping processes and human activity over long time periods, especially in areas that are already climatically stressed. This volume presents new ideas on macroscale landscape evolution; mountain, fluvial and aeolian processes; and environments in southern Africa, a key region in the story of human evolution during the last two million years. Interdisciplinary in scope, it brings together an international team of experts to synthesise the latest research and understanding of landscape-human relationships in this region. It incorporates results from the emerging fields of geoarchaeology and cultural landscapes and utilises the latest data and analytical techniques. A key reference for researchers studying hominid evolution, geoarchaeology and environmental change, it provides a benchmark study of southern African landscape evolution during the Quaternary. It will also appeal to professionals and policymakers with interests in future human-landscape evolution in southern Africa.

A highly regarded academic and former policy analyst and consultant charts the forty-year history of neoliberalism, environmental governance, and resource rights in Madagascar Since the 1970s, the U.S. Agency for International Development has spent millions of dollars to preserve Madagascar's rich biological diversity. Yet its habitats are still in decline. Studying forty years of policy making in multiple sites, Catherine Corson reveals how blaming impoverished Malagasy farmers for Madagascar's environmental decline has avoided challenging other drivers of deforestation, such as the logging and mining industries. In this important ethnographic study, Corson reveals how Madagascar's environmental program reflects the transformation of global environmental governance under neoliberalism.

This book is a pioneer attempt to bring forward the first synthesis on the most diverse and threatened mountain top vegetation of South America, the rupestrian grasslands. It brings to light the state of the art information on this ecosystem geology, soil formation and distribution, environmental filters that lead to biodiversity, species interactions and their fine tuned adaptations to survive the harsh mountain environment. The human dimensions of the rupestrian grassland are also addressed, including the anthropogenic threats that may irreversibly impact biodiversity and ecosystem services. The book also highlights the ongoing studies on ecological restoration and first attempt to model the impacts of climate change on its speciose biota.

The ultimate field guide to birds of Madagascar, the Seychelles, Comoros and Mascarene Islands.The Malagasy region contains one of the most extraordinary concentrations of biodiversity in the world, and a diverse avifauna rich with exciting endemic taxa; birds such as vangas, mesites and asities live nowhere else. This guide covers the whole of the Malagasy region, which comprises both Madagascar and the various islands and archipelagos of the Indian Ocean including the Seychelles, Comoros and Mascarenes – Mauritius, Réunion and Rodrigues – all of which host their own endemics and large seabird colonies.Every species in the region is covered in full detail, with a colour distibution map for resident and migrant birds. All species are illustrated on a spectacular series of 124 colour plates by leading bird artists John Gale and Brian Small, with concise species text opposite the plates. The species are arranged to keep the key species of the various archipelagos together in sections.This major work of is a stunning combination of scholarship and beauty. Authoritative yet pocket-friendly, it's an essential addition to the backpack of any visiting naturalist or birdwatcher, anywhere in the region.

The vast savannas and great migrations of the Serengeti conjure impressions of a harmonious and balanced ecosystem. But in reality, the history of the Serengeti is rife with battles between human and non-human nature. In the 1890s and several times since, the cattle virus rinderpest—at last vanquished in 2008—devastated both domesticated and wild ungulate populations, as well as the lives of humans and other animals who depended on them. In the 1920s, tourists armed with the world's most expensive hunting gear filled the grasslands. And in recent years, violence in Tanzania has threatened one of the most successful long-term ecological research centers in history. Serengeti IV, the latest installment in a long-standing series on the region's ecology and biodiversity, explores the role of our species as a source of both discord and balance in Serengeti ecosystem dynamics. Through chapters charting the complexities of infectious disease transmission across populations, agricultural expansion, and the many challenges of managing this ecosystem today, this book shows how the people and landscapes surrounding crucial protected areas like Serengeti National Park can and must contribute to Serengeti conservation. In order to succeed, conservation efforts must also focus on the welfare of indigenous peoples, allowing them both to sustain their agricultural practices and to benefit from the natural resources provided by protected areas—an undertaking that will require the strengthening of government and education systems and, as such, will present one of the greatest conservation challenges of the next century.