Including threats in spatial conservation prioritization helps identify areas for conservation actions where biodiversity is at imminent risk of extinction. At the global level, an important limitation when identifying spatial priorities for conservation actions is the lack of information on the spatial distribution of threats. Here, we identify spatial conservation priorities under three promi...

extended abstractintroductionin recent years, several studies around the world have shown that land use has a strong impact on water quality, and significant correlations exist between water quality parameters and land use types. generally land use types have adverse impacts on water quality, so positive relationships exist between percentages of these land use types and concentrations of water ...

An intensive investigation was conducted to study the distribution of trace metals in surface soils of Hong Kong and to assess the soil environmental quality. From results of cluster analysis, and comparisons among soil types and areas, it is clearly shown that increases in trace metal concentrations in the soils were generally extensive and obvious in urban and orchard soils, less so in vegeta...

Sudden oak death (caused by Phytophthora ramorum) is currently having a dramatic impact on the flow of ecosystem services provided by trees and forests in California. Timber species in California are not thought to be at risk of mortality from this pathogen and, consequently, economic impacts accrue to non-market values of trees such as aesthetics, shading, and the knowledge that healthy forest...

We analyzed how land-use patterns and changes in urbanization influence reported rabid raccoons in Georgia from 2006 - 2010.  Using Geographical Information Systems and rabies surveillance data, multivariate analysis was conducted on 15 land-use variables that included natural topography, agricultural development, and urbanization to model positive raccoon rabies cases while controlling for pot...

2 Wildlife biologist, George Whittell Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, Monterey County SPCA, Monterey, California; Senior Associate, Philip Williams & Associates, San Francisco. Abstract: Avian abundance and diversity were measured at 5 sites in the riparian zone of the Carmel River, selected to represent different conditions of riparian vegetation, in the spring of 1983. Vegetation varied from ...

Forest fires cost millions of dollars in damages and claim many human lives every year. Apart from preventive measures, early detection and suppression of fires is the only way to minimize the damages and casualties. We present the design and evaluation of a wireless sensor network for early detection of forest fires. We first present the key aspects in modeling forest fires. We do this by anal...

forest roads are directions in natural habitats that used to transport wood products, secondary forest products and recreation. constructing forest roads causes trees clearing with specified width thus lead to direct or indirect changes in forest ecosystems and forest environment. this study aims to assess the changes of diversity and richness indices in main and secondary forest roads in a par...

security is one of the most important human needs. researchers believe that the need for security has a strong and close relationship with the physical characteristics of the environment and people’s satisfaction. to study the relationship between security and environmental (physical and social) satisfaction, ‘’cpted’’ approach and its principals in design and environmental planning and urban l...