Tennessee GIS Data and Resources: Agriculture, Forestry & Wildlife

Beer Places: the Microgeographies of Craft Beer by Daina Cheyenne Harvey (Editor); Ellis Jones (Editor); Nathaniel G. Chapman (Editor) Beer Places is, most essentially, a road map for craft beer, taking readers to various locales to discover the beverage's deep connections to place. At another level, Beer Places is an academic analysis of these geographical ties. Collected into sections that address authenticity and revitalization, politics and economics, and collectivity and collaboration, this book blends new research with a series of "postcards": informal conversations and first-person dispatches from the field that transport readers to the spots where pints are shared, networks forged, and spaces defined. With insight from social scientists, beer bloggers, travel writers, and food entrepreneurs who recount their experiences of taprooms, breweries, and bottle shops from North Carolina to Zimbabwe, Beer Places reveals differences in the craft beer scene across multiple geographies. Situating craft beer as an emerging and important component of food studies, the essays in this volume attest to the singular power of craft beer to connect people and places.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (uas) Manual: a Guide to Collecting and Processing UAS Data for Agriculture Applications by Jose L. Landivar; Francisco M. Gaona; Mahendra Bhandari; Juan A. Landivar A Guide to Collecting and Processing UAS Data for Agriculture Applications

ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online Applications in Water and Environmental Sciences by William Bajjali This textbook serves as a practical guide for undergraduate and graduate students in geology, hydrology, ecology, and environmental sciences, teaching them applied GIS techniques. Presented as a step-by-step tutorial across seventeen chapters, the book starts with the fundamentals of GIS and progresses to real-life examples from geology and water resources. The focus is on ESRI's ArcGIS Pro, covering various tools for spatial, geostatistical, network, and 3-D analysis. Additionally, it explores ArcGIS Online and working with web apps like Web Map, StoryMaps, and GEO App. GIS applications, especially in water and environmental problem-solving, are rapidly growing worldwide. The demand for GIS experts utilizing spatial analysis in environmental science remains high. This textbook equips users with the necessary knowledge to become effective mappers and spatial analysts in the fields of environment, geosciences, and water resources, employing the latest state-of-the-art methodology. Each chapter provides exercises and supplementary materials available for download on SpringerLink, along with additional links for further learning opportunities.

The Treeline: the Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth by Ben Rawlence Winner of the 2023 Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism "Original and readable." ―Financial Times' Best Environmental Books of 2022 "Superb, inspiring." ―Winner, National Academies of Science Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications "Illuminating." --Silver Medalist, National Outdoor Book Awards Longlisted for the American Library Association's 2023 Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist, 2023 Banff Mountain Book Competition Finalist, 2023 Dayton Literary Peace Prize In the tradition of Elizabeth Kolbert and Barry Lopez, a powerful, poetic and deeply absorbing account of the "lung" at the top of the world. For the last fifty years, the trees of the boreal forest have been moving north. Ben Rawlence's The Treeline takes us along this critical frontier of our warming planet from Norway to Siberia, Alaska to Greenland, Canada to Sweden to meet the scientists, residents and trees confronting huge geological changes. Only the hardest species survive at these latitudes including the ice-loving Dahurian larch of Siberia, the antiseptic Spruce that purifies our atmosphere, the Downy birch conquering Scandinavia, the healing Balsam poplar that Native Americans use as a cure-all and the noble Scots Pine that lives longer when surrounded by its family. It is a journey of wonder and awe at the incredible creativity and resilience of these species and the mysterious workings of the forest upon which we rely for the air we breathe. Blending reportage with the latest science, The Treeline is a story of what might soon be the last forest left and what that means for the future of all life on earth.

National Audubon Society Trees of North America: the Complete Identification Reference to Trees with Full-color Photographs Displaying Leaf Shape, Bark, Flowers and Fruit; Updated Range Maps; and Conservation Status by National Audubon Society Updated for the first time in decades, this unparalleled reference work is the most comprehensive and authoritative guide to the trees of North America and now includes the latest information on conservation status and the effects of climate change--from thecreators of the world's most trusted field guides,a go-to source for millions of nature lovers " Makes it easier than ever to figure out which trees are in your yard or are along the trail while you're hiking. Every nature lover needs this guide." -Portland Book Review This handsome volume is the result of a collaboration among leading scientists, scholars, taxonomic and field experts, photo editors, and designers. An indispensable reference, it covers more than 540 species, with nearly 2,500 full-color photographs--including images of the bark, fruit, and flowers, as well as photos that illustrate leaf shape and seasonal color changes. For ease of use, the book includes a glossary, a robust index, and a ribbon marker, and is arranged according to the latest Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification system-with trees sorted by taxonomic orders and grouped by family, so that related species are presented together. Readers will appreciate the crisp detail of the photographs; range maps (reflecting the impact of climate change); physical descriptions; and information on fruit, habitat, uses, and similar species. The guide includes an important new category on conservation status and essays by leading scholars who provide holistic insights into the world of trees. Whether putting a name to the towering conifers spotted along a hike or getting to know the trees that grow in the backyard, readers will come to rely on this work of remarkable breadth, depth, and elegance. It is a must-have reference for the library of any nature lover, and is poised to become the number one guide in the field.

Our National Forests : stories from America's most important public lands by Greg M. Peters "An inspiring reminder of the incredible resource that is our public lands." --Brendan Leonard, author of The Camping Life and Surviving the Great Outdoors   Across 193 million acres of forests, mountains, deserts, watersheds, and grasslands, national forests provide a multitude of uses as diverse as America itself. They welcome 170 million visitors each year to hike, bike, paddle, ski, fish, and hunt. But "the people's lands" offer more than just recreation. Lost habitats are recovered, timber is harvested, and endangered wildlife is protected as part of the Forest Service's enduring mission.   In Our National Forests, Greg Peters gives an inside look at America's most important public lands and the people committed to protecting them and ensuring access for all. From the Forest Service growing millions of seedlings in the West each year, to their efforts to save the hellbender salamander in Appalachia, the story spans the breadth of the country and its diverse ecology. And people are at the center, whether the dedicated Forest Service members or the everyday citizens who support and tend to the protected lands near their homes.   This complete look at America's national forests--their triumphs, challenges, controversies, and vital programs--is a must-read for everyone interested in the history of America's most important public lands.  

An Introduction to R for Spatial Analysis and Mapping by Chris Brunsdon; Lex Comber This is a new edition of the accessible and student-friendly ′how to′ for anyone using R for the first time, for use in spatial statistical analysis, geocomputation and digital mapping. The authors, once again, take readers from 'zero to hero', updating the now standard text to further enable practical R applications in GIS, spatial analyses, spatial statistics, web-scraping and more. Revised and updated, each chapter includes: example data and commands to explore hands-on; scripts and coding to exemplify specific functionality; self-contained exercises for students to work through; embedded code within the descriptive text.   The new edition includes detailed discussion of new and emerging packages within R like sf, ggplot, tmap, making it the go to introduction for all researchers collecting and using data with location attached. This is the introduction to the use of R for spatial statistical analysis, geocomputation, and GIS for all researchers - regardless of discipline - collecting and using data with location attached.        

Satellite Remote Sensing and the Management of Natural Resources by Nathalie Pettorelli The ability to anticipate the impacts of global environmental changes on natural resources is fundamental to designing appropriate and optimised adaptation and mitigation strategies. However, this requires the scientific community to have access to reliable, large-scale information onspatio-temporal changes in the distribution of abiotic conditions and on the distribution, structure, composition, and functioning of ecosystems.Satellite remote sensing can provide access to some of this fundamental data by offering repeatable, standardised, and verifiable information that is directly relevant to the monitoring and management of our natural capital. This book demonstrates how ecological knowledge and satellite-basedinformation can be effectively combined to address a wide array of current natural resource management needs. By focusing on concrete applied examples in both the marine and terrestrial realms, it will help pave the way for developing enhanced levels of collaboration between the ecological andremote sensing communities, as well as shaping their future research directions.Satellite Remote Sensing and the Management of Natural Resources is primarily aimed at ecologists and remote sensing specialists, as well as policy makers and practitioners in the fields of conservation biology, biodiversity monitoring, and natural resource management.

Soils and Civilizations: Unearthing Soil's Role in History by Neal Eash (Editor) Introduction to Soils & Civilizations introduces students to soil management and its importance to the stability and sustainability of civilizations. This text examines how the application of soil-science fundamentals and adequate land-use planning could have alleviated some of history's land-use disasters, including the period in the 1930s of severe, prolonged drought and extreme soil erosion known as the 'Dust Bowl.' Throughout history, major civilizations failed as soil productivity diminished as a result of deforestation and abuse of marginal lands--processes that continue today. This anthology brings together the global perspectives of the foremost researchers in the field, including both classic and contemporary selections. After reading Introduction to Soils & Civilizations, students will be able to describe the factors contributing to accelerated soil erosion rates and explain the relationship between soil degradation and the fall of historic and prehistoric civilizations. Biography Dr. Neal Eash is an associate professor in the Biosystems Engineering & Soil Science Department at the University of Tennessee. His research focuses on soil fertility and carbon cycling in farming systems. He conducts ongoing no-till research in Lesotho and Mozambique, and he continues to farm his own 160-acre farm in Ohio using only no-till methods. Dr. Eash worked as an agricultural extensionist in Botswana, Africa, and collected soil samples for his M.S. degree that studied the effects of 1,500 years of near-continuous agriculture in the Colca Valley, Peru. Dr. Eash has written more than 60 publications, including one textbook and more than 30 refereed publications and he serves as an Associate Editor of Agronomy Journal.

LiDAR Technologies and Systems by Paul F. McManamon LiDAR is one of many active sensor technologies that uses electromagnetic radiation. Operating in the optical and infrared wavelengths, it is similar to more-familiar passive EO/IR sensor technology. It is also similar to radar in that it uses reflected electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sensor. LiDAR is commonly used for making high-resolution maps and has applications in geodesy, geomatics, archaeology, geography, geology, geomorphology, seismology, forestry, atmospheric physics, laser guidance, airborne laser swath mapping, and laser altimetry. It is also being used for control and navigation of some autonomous cars. The first part of LiDAR Technologies and Systems introduces LiDAR and its history, and then covers the LiDAR range equation and the link budget (how much signal a LiDAR must emit in order to get a certain number of reflected photons back), as well as the rich phenomenology of LiDAR, which results in a diverse array of LiDAR types. The middle chapters discuss the components of a LiDAR system, including laser sources and modulators, LiDAR receivers, beam-steering approaches, and LiDAR processing. The last part covers testing, performance metrics, and significant applications, including how to build systems for some of the more popular applications.

An Introduction to Integrating QGIS and R for Spatial Analysis by Colin D. MacLeod; Ross MacLeod This workbook is a companion volume to GIS For Biologists: A Practical Introduction For Undergraduates. It is designed to augment the information on using GIS in biological research provided in that book, as a result, it assumes that the reader already as some level of familiarity with GIS. In addition, it has been specially written based around free-to-access, open source software. Specifically, it uses two such packages, QGIS for the GIS-based components, and R for statistical analyses. Working with both of these packages, rather than just one or other, allows you to make the most of the specialist tools available within each of them. It contains five exercises which demonstrate how to integrate QGIS and R to allow you to conduct high quality spatial analyses by accessing and combining the powerful mapping, data layer creation, editing and processing tools from QGIS and the equally powerful analytical tools from R. These exercises are based around data from a real biological field study and include: creating a GIS project to process your data and create a map suitable for publication; creating environmental raster data layers; linking environmental data to biological data and creating graphs from the resulting data set; and running statistical analyses (GLMs and GAMs) to investigate spatial relationships in this combined data set. Working through these five exercises will help the user obtain experience in integrating QGIS and R for spatial analysis, and provide them with the confidence to apply these skills to their own research. These exercises are presented in the same easy-to-follow flow diagram-based format used in GIS For Biologists: A Practical Introduction For Undergraduates. They are accompanied by images which show the user how their spatial analysis project should look as they progress through the exercises, allowing them to compare their own work to the expected results. The PSLS series of books uses Task-Oriented Learning (TOL) to teach the practical application of research skills to the life sciences. This involves demonstrating how these skills can be used in the specific circumstances in which they are likely to be required rather than concentrating on teaching theoretical frameworks or on teaching skills in a generic or abstract manner. By seeing how the similar processes are used to achieve a variety of different goals within a specific field, it becomes easier for the reader to identify the general rules behind the practical application of these processes and, therefore, to transfer them to novel situations they may encounter in the future.

An Introduction to Species Distribution Modelling (SDM) Using QGIS and R by Colin D. MacLeod This workbook is a companion volume to GIS For Biologists: A Practical Introduction For Undergraduates. It is designed to augment the information on using GIS in biological research provided in that book, as a result, it assumes that the reader already as some level of familiarity with GIS. In addition, it has been specially written based around free-to-access, open source software. Specifically, it uses two such packages, QGIS for the GIS-based components, and R for statistical analyses. Working with both of these packages, rather than just one or other, allows you to make the most of the specialist tools available within each of them. It contains five exercises which will introduce you to the basic spatial processing and analytical techniques required to create a biologically meaningful species distribution model (SDM). Taken together, these exercises allow you to work through an example of an SDM from processing your survey data and making raster data layers of environmental variables to constructing an SDM, visualising its predicted spatial distribution and validating its predictive ability. The exercises are designed to be followed in the order they are presented, and work with a specific data set which can be downloaded from an accompanying webpage. Working through these five exercises will help the user obtain experience in creating SDM using QGIS and R, and provide them with the confidence to apply these skills to their own research. These exercises are presented in the same easy-to-follow flow diagram-based format used in GIS For Biologists: A Practical Introduction For Undergraduates. They are accompanied by images which show the user how their GIS project should look as they progress through the exercises, allowing them to compare their own work to the expected results. The PSLS series of books uses Task-Oriented Learning (TOL) to teach the practical application of research skills to the life sciences. This involves demonstrating how these skills can be used in the specific circumstances in which they are likely to be required rather than concentrating on teaching theoretical frameworks or on teaching skills in a generic or abstract manner. By seeing how the similar processes are used to achieve a variety of different goals within a specific field, it becomes easier for the reader to identify the general rules behind the practical application of these processes and, therefore, to transfer them to novel situations they may encounter in the future.

Handbook of Research on Smart Farming Technologies for Sustainable Agricultural Development by Ramesh C. Poonia (Editor); Xiao-Zhi Gao (Editor); Linesh Raja (Editor); Sugam Sharma (Editor); Sonali Vyas (Editor) In order to meet food needs, farmers need to integrate the latest technologies enabling them to make more informed decisions. Smart Farming Technologies for Sustainable Agricultural Development provides innovative insights into the latest farming advancements in terms of informatics and communication. The content within this publication represents the work of topics such as sensor systems, wireless communication, and the integration of the Internet of Things in agriculture-related processes. It is a vital reference source for farmers, academicians, researchers, government agencies, technology developers, and graduate-level students seeking current research on smart farming technologies.

Precision conservation : geospatial techniques for agricultural and natural resources conservation by Jorge A. Delgado Soil erosion modeling and conservation planning / James C. Ascough II, Dennis C. Flanagan, John Tatarko, Mark A. Nearing, Holm Kipka -- Nitrogen component in nonpoint source pollution models / Yongping Yuan, Ronald Bingner, Henrique Momm -- GPS, GIS, guidance, and variable rate technologies for conservation management / John Fulton, Matthew Darr -- Identifying riparian zones best suited to installation of saturated buffers : a preliminary multi-watershed assessment / Mark Tomer, D.B. Jaynes, Sarah Porter, David E. James, T.M. Isenhart -- Vegetative filters / Mike Dosskey, Surendran Neelakantan, Tommy Mueller, Zeyuan Qiu -- Identifying and characterizing ravines with GIS terrain attributes for precision conservation / David J. Mulla, S. Belmont -- Grassed waterways / Peter Fiener, Karl Auerswald -- Terraces / Allen Thompson, Ken Sudduth -- Elements of precision manure management / Peter J.A. Kleinman, Anthony R. Buda, Andrew N. Sharpley, Raj Khosla -- Irrigation management / David L. Bjorneberg, Robert G. Evans, E. John Sadler -- GIS and GPS applications for planning, design, and management of drainage systems / Vinayak S. Shedekar, Larry C. Brown -- Calculating soil organic turnover at different landscape position in precision conservation / David E. Clay, Jiyul Chang, Graig Reicks, Sharon A. Clay, Cheryl Reese -- Precision conservation for biofuel production / Indrajeet Chaubey, Cibin Raj, Qingyu Feng -- Precision conservation to enhance wildlife benefits in agricultural landscapes / Mark D. McConnell, L. Wes Burger, Jr. -- Precision conservation and water quality markets / Ali Saleh, Edward Osei -- Field- and farm-scale assessment of soil greenhouse gas mitigation using COMET-farm / Keith Paustian, Mark Easter, Kevin Brown, Adam Chambers, Marlen Eve, Adriane Huber, Ernie Marx, Mark Layer, Matt Sterner, Ben Sutton, Amy Swan, Crystal Toureene, Sobha Verlayudhan, Steve Williams -- Precision conservation and precision regulation / G.F. Sassenrath, J.A. Delgado.

LiDAR remote sensing and applications by Pinliang Dong; Qi Chen Ideal for both undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of geography, forestry, ecology, geographic information science, remote sensing, and photogrammetric engineering, LiDAR Remote Sensing and Applications expertly joins LiDAR principles, data processing basics, applications, and hands-on practices in one comprehensive source. The LiDAR data within this book is collected from 27 areas in the United States, Brazil, Canada, Ghana, and Haiti and includes 183 figures created to introduce the concepts, methods, and applications in a clear context. It provides 11 step-by-step projects predominately based on Esri¿s ArcGIS software to support seamless integration of LiDAR products and other GIS data. The first six projects are for basic LiDAR data visualization and processing and the other five cover more advanced topics: from mapping gaps in mangrove forests in Everglades National Park, Florida to generating trend surfaces for rock layers in Raplee Ridge, Utah. Features Offers a comprehensive overview of LiDAR technology with numerous applications in geography, forestry and earth science Gives necessary theoretical foundations from all pertinent subject matter areas Uses case studies and best practices to point readers to tools and resources Provides a synthesis of ongoing research in the area of LiDAR remote sensing technology Includes carefully selected illustrations and data from the authors' research projects Before every project in the book, a link is provided for users to download data

National Individual Tree Species Atlas by Agriculture Dept. Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team This reference volume covers each tree species in the United States and precisely where each species is likely to grow or not grow. This illustrated work will benefit silviculturists, foresters, geneticists, researchers, botanists, wildlife habitat biologists, landscape ecologists-essentially anyone involved in natural resources management, monitoring impacts of climate change, or visiting America's forests and landscapes.

Soil Resources and Its Mapping Through Geostatistics Using R and QGIS by Priyabrata Santra; Mahesh Kumar; Navraten Panwar This book will provide an exposure to recent developments in the field of geostatistical modeling, spatial variability of soil resources, and preparation of digital soil maps using R and QGIS and potential application of it in agricultural resource management. Specifically following major areas are covered in the book.

Where the animals go : tracking wildlife with technology in 50 maps and graphics by James Cheshire; Oliver Uberti For thousands of years, tracking animals meant following footprints. Now satellites, drones, camera traps, cellphone networks, and accelerometers reveal the natural world as never before. Where the Animals Go is the first book to offer a comprehensive, data-driven portrait of how creatures like ants, otters, owls, turtles, and sharks navigate the world. Based on pioneering research by scientists at the forefront of the animal-tracking revolution, James Cheshire and Oliver Uberti's stunning, four-color charts and maps tell fascinating stories of animal behavior. These astonishing infographics explain how warblers detect incoming storms using sonic vibrations, how baboons make decisions, and why storks prefer garbage dumps to wild forage; they follow pythons racing through the Everglades, a lovelorn wolf traversing the Alps, and humpback whales visiting undersea mountains. Where the Animals Go is a triumph of technology, data science, and design, bringing broad perspective and intimate detail to our understanding of the animal kingdom.

American farms, American food : a geography of agriculture and food production in the United States by John C. Hudson; Christopher R. Laingen American Farms, American Food bridges the gap between agricultural production and food studies allowing readers to learn about both subjects up close and in detail. Beyond that, the book provides background on the domestication, breeding, and development of crop plants and livestock that have become the food we eat. Themes such as the family farm, local food production, organic agriculture, genetically modified crops, food imports, and commodity exports are developed in nine separate chapters. The chapters treat specific crops or livestock types from the point of view of both production and consumption, highlighting the changes that have taken place in both farming strategies and food preferences over the years.

Mammals of Great Smoky Mountains National Park by Donald W. Linzey Visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park are likely to see a variety of wildlife, from the small and difficult to observe to the large and spectacular. A wide assortment of animals-- salamanders, turtles, lizards, snakes, birds, deer, and bears--inhabit the park. Mammals of Great Smoky Mountains National Park focuses on the park's fur-bearing animals that nurse their young. The first edition of Mammals of Great Smoky Mountains National Park was published in 1971, and significant changes have transpired in the past forty-five years: new species have been discovered in the park, reintroductions--some successful and one unsuccessful--have occurred, and a number of taxonomic revisions have taken place. This updated edition contains accounts of seventy-two of the park's mammals, including opossums, shrews, moles, bats, rabbits, rodents, wolves, raccoons, pumas, and other carnivores and deer and elk. Donald W. Linzey, who began working in the park in 1963, draws on his extensive research background and combines it with the notes of Arthur Stupka, former chief naturalist and park biologist, and many others who have contributed to knowledge of the mammals in the park. Several new features have been added to the third edition, including the origins of genus and species names, photographs of new species, and skull drawings of some species, which illustrate distinct features. To honor the park's Cherokee heritage, the Cherokee names for many mammals are now given along with their English names. Written for laymen and biologists alike, Linzey discusses the distribution, habitat, food habits, predation, and reproductive habits of mammals ranging from the pigmy shrew to the conspicuous black bear. DONALD W. LINZEY, a professor of biology at Wytheville Community College in Wytheville, Virginia for twenty-four years, is currently a faculty member in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. Among many other books, he is the author of A Natural History Guide to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Conserving America's National Parks by Scott Abella Conserving America's National Parks shares the status of conservation challenges and successes in America's 408 national parks. Rising sea levels, collapses of coral reefs, loss of wildlife species, droughts, severe fires, non-native species, and climate change are among the many challenges defining contemporary conservation at the 100-year centennial of the National Park Service in 2016. However, thrilling outcomes of active conservation projects, such as the largest removal of river dams in U.S. history, provide hope for the future of parks. Written for readers with diverse backgrounds, Conserving America's National Parks is richly illustrated with 247 photos, maps, and sketches and supported by over 350 scientific literature citations. Conserving America's National Parks is unprecedented in its scope of conservation stories unfolding in America's national parks.Further information, including additional examples of the book's graphics and the author's contact information for discounts and bulk orders, is available on the book's website:https://sites.google.com/site/conservingnationalparks/

GIS FOR BIOLOGISTS : A PRACTICAL INTRODUCTION FOR UNDERGRADUATES by Colin D. MacLeod This book provides a user-friendly and practical introduction for undergraduates to the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in biological research. Unlike most other books about using GIS, this information is specifically presented in a biological context and it is divided into two sections. The first section provides just enough background information to allow the novice biological GIS user to get started with GIS without getting too bogged down in the theory behind it or making some of the most common mistakes made by beginners. It covers areas such as what GIS is, why GIS is useful in biology, the basics of GIS, common concepts and terms in GIS, how data are contained in a GIS, useful information about what to think about before starting a GIS project and how to break down and translate ecological tasks into the language of GIS. This information is all provided in easy-to-read and non-technical language, with specific reference to its application in biological research. The second section, which constitutes the main body of the book, consists of six practical exercises accompanied by detailed instruction sets. The first four exercises introduce the novice biological GIS user to basic, but important, GIS skills, such as making a map, creating new feature data layers, creating raster data layers and joining together data from different data layers. The final two consist of case studies of how GIS can be used to answer real biological research questions. Each of these exercises represents a stand-alone GIS lesson which can be completed either on its own or as part of a practical session for an undergraduate class. In addition, each exercise focuses on a different area of biology, such as tropical ornithology, epidemiology, marine biology and rainforest ecology, and on a different part of the world, including the Amazon rainforest, a Scottish field station, Mount Mabu in northern Mozambique, the North Atlantic Ocean and the USA. Instructions for each exercise are provided for both the leading commercial GIS package (ESRI's ArcGIS(R) 10.3 software) and the leading freely available open-source GIS software (QGIS 2.8.3, also known as Quantum GIS), meaning that this book can be used to learn, or teach, how to use of GIS in biological research, regardless of the availability of commercial software licences. Taken together, the two sections of this book provide the perfect primer to show undergraduates, and other novice GIS users, how useful GIS can be in biological research, why it is rapidly becoming a key skill in many areas of biology, and how start in using it. The PSLS series of books uses Task-Oriented Learning (TOL) to teach the practical application of research skills to the life sciences. This involves demonstrating how these skills can be used in the specific circumstances in which they are likely to be required, rather than concentrating on teaching theoretical frameworks or on teaching skills in a generic or abstract manner. By seeing how the similar processes are used to achieve a variety of different goals within a specific field, it becomes easier for the reader to identify the general rules behind the practical application of these processes and, therefore, to transfer them to novel situations they may encounter in the future.

The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index by Nathalie Pettorelli There has been a recent surge of interest in remote sensing and its use in ecology and conservation but this is the first book to focus explicitly on the NDVI (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index), a simple numerical indicator and powerful tool that can be used to assess spatio-temporalchanges in green vegetation. The NDVI opens the possibility of addressing questions on scales inaccessible to ground-based methods alone; it is mostly freely available with global coverage over several decades.This novel text provides an authoritative overview of the principles and possible applications of the NDVI in ecology, environmental and wildlife management, and conservation. NDVI data can provide valuable information about temporal and spatial changes in vegetation distribution, productivity, anddynamics; allowing monitoring of habitat degradation and fragmentation, or assessment of the ecological effects of climatic disasters such as drought or fire. The NDVI has also provided ecologists with a promising way to couple vegetation with animal distribution, abundance, movement, survival andreproductive parameters.Over the last few decades, numerous studies have highlighted the potential key role of satellite data and the NDVI in macroecology, plant ecology, animal population dynamics, environmental monitoring, habitat selection and habitat use studies, and paleoecology. The chapters are organised around twosections: the first detailing vegetation indices and the NDVI, the principles behind the NDVI, its correlation with climate, the available NDVI datasets, and the possible complications and errors associated with the use of this satellite-based vegetation index. The second section discusses thepossible applications of the NDVI in ecology, environmental and wildlife management, and conservation.This practical handbook is suitable for terrestrial ecologists and conservation biologists working with remote sensing tools. It will also be of relevance and use to both graduate students in the biological and ecological sciences and specialists in the fields of conservation biology, biodiversitymonitoring, and natural resource management.

Forests for the People: the Story of America's Eastern National Forests by Christopher Johnson; David Govatski Forests for the People tells one of the most extraordinary stories of environmental protection in our nation's history: how  a diverse coalition of citizens, organizations, and business and political leaders worked to create a system of national forests in the Eastern United States. It offers an insightful and wide-ranging look at the actions leading to the passage of the Weeks Act in 1911--landmark legislation that established a system of well-managed forests in the East, the South, and the Great Lakes region--along with case studies that consider some of the key challenges facing eastern forests today.   The book begins by looking at destructive practices widely used by the timber industry in the late 1800s and early 1900s, including extensive clearcutting followed by forest fire that devastated entire landscapes. The authors explain how this led to the birth of a new conservation movement that began simultaneously in the Southern Appalachians and New England, and describe the subsequent protection of forests in New England (New Hampshire and the White Mountains); the Great Lakes region (Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota), and the Southern Appalachians.    Following this historical background, the authors offer eight case studies that examine critical issues facing the eastern national forests today, including timber harvesting, the use of fire, wilderness protection, endangered wildlife, oil shale drilling, invasive species, and development surrounding national park borders.   Forests for the People is the only book to fully describe the history of the Weeks Act and the creation of the eastern national forests and to use case studies to illustrate current management issues facing these treasured landscapes. It is an important new work for anyone interested in the past or future of forests and forestry in the United States.

The CABI Encyclopedia of Forest Trees by CABI The CABI Encyclopedia of Forest Trees provides an extensive overview of 300 of the world's most important forest trees. Tropical, subtropical, temperate and boreal trees of major economic importance are included, covering tree species used in agroforestry practices around the world. Many of the species covered are considered to be 'multipurpose' trees with uses extending beyond timber alone; the land uses such as watershed protection or provision of windbreaks, and non-wood uses such as the production of medicines, resins, food and forage, are also listed. Comprehensive information is presented on each tree's importance, with a summary of the main characteristics of the species, its potential for agroforestry use and any disadvantages it possesses. The tree's botanical features such as habit, stem form, foliage, inflorescence, flower and fruit characters and phenology are covered in detail with over 70 colour plate pictures to aid identification. Also included are specific sections devoted to pests and diseases, distribution and silvicultural characteristics and practices, including seed sowing, nursery care, planting, thinning, and harvesting. In addition to the wealth of information detailed, based on datasheets from CABI's Forestry Compendium, selected references for further reading are provided for each entry, making this book an essential reference work for forestry students, researchers and practitioners.

Global Forest Monitoring from Earth Observation by Frederic Achard (Editor); Matthew C. Hansen (Editor) Forests provide a large range of beneficial services, including tangible ones such as timber and recreation, and intangible services such as climate regulation, biodiversity, and watershed protection. On the other hand, forests can also be considered roadblocks to progress that occupy space more productively used for agriculture, making consideration of their regulating services crucial for balancing land use and forest loss. Monitoring forest cover and loss is critical for obtaining the data necessary to help define what is needed to maintain the varying forest service requirements in different parts of the world. There is an increasing need for timely and accurate forest change information, and consequently a greater interest in monitoring those changes. Global Forest Monitoring from Earth Observation covers the very recent developments undertaken for monitoring forest areas from global to national levels using Earth observation satellite data. It describes operational tools and systems for monitoring forest ecosystems, discussing why and how researchers currently use remotely sensed data to study forest cover and loss over large areas. The book introduces the role of forests in providing ecosystem services and the need for monitoring their change over time, followed by an overview of the use of earth observation data to support forest monitoring. It discusses general methodological differences, including wall-to-wall mapping and sampling approaches, as well as data availability. This book provides excellent coverage of the research and applications of forest monitoring, indicator mapping at coarse spatial resolution, sample-based assessments, and wall-to-wall mapping at medium spatial resolution using optical remote sensing datasets, such as MODIS and Landsat. It examines the use of radar imagery in forest monitoring and presents a number of operational systems, from Brazil¿s PRODES and DETER products to Australia¿s NCAS system. Written by leading global experts in the field, this book offers a launch point for future advances in satellite-based monitoring of global forest resources. It gives readers a deeper understanding of global forest monitoring methods and shows how state-of-the-art technologies may soon provide key data for creating more balanced policies.

GIS applications in agriculture. Volume two, Nutrient management for energy efficiency by David Clay (Editor); John F. Shanahan (Editor) We are entering a new era in production agronomics. Agricultural scientists the world over call for the development of techniques that simultaneously increase soil carbon storage and reduce agriculture¿s energy use. In response, site-specific or precision agriculture has become the focus and direction for the three motivating forces that are changing agriculture today: the expanding capacity of personal computers, the molecular biology revolution, and the recent developments in information technology such as the increasing use of geographical information systems (GIS). Using mathematics, technology, and creativity, GIS Applications in Agriculture, Volume Two: Nutrient Management for Energy Efficiency examines the development of nutrient management practices that help producers improve their profitability and energy efficiency. Throughout the book, chapters demonstrate how complex mathematical and spatial modeling approaches can provide the basis for much of our present and certainly our future management practices. Highlighting recent successes and the nuts and bolts associated with implementing the proposed techniques, the book covers energy efficiency calculations, techniques for overcoming yield-limiting factors, soil information collection and analysis, and remote sensing for improving management decisions. It describes the development of an economically optimum site-specific corn plant population equation based on an experiment containing many field sites, the estimation of soil productivity and energy efficiency using online data sources, and the assessment and implementation of site-specific carbon and water management systems, analyzing energy efficiency of compost and manures. Emphasizing the mathematics that will enable producers to make full use of the technological advances made during the 21st century, GIS Applications in Agriculture, Volume Two holds the key to the successful, sustainable, and efficient production of food to feed the ever increasing world population.

GIS applications in agriculture. Volume three, Invasive species by Sharon A. Clay While many "alien" plant and animal species are purposefully introduced into new areas as ornamentals, livestock, crops, and even pets, these species can escape into other areas and threaten agricultural and native ecosystems causing economic and environmental harm, or harm to human health. Increasingly, scientists are using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to track and manage the invaders, mitigate the potential rate of spread and level of impact, and protect the native economy and ecosystem. Beginning with an introduction to the use of GIS technology to capture, store, analyze, manage, and present data, GIS Applications in Agriculture, Volume Three: Invasive Species examines five relevant categories of geographic information including dispersal and transport, prediction and forecasting, mapping of current infestations, maps for management and control tactics, and impact assessment and method of control. It address GIS for studying the population ecology of a new species, niche requirements for species success, and the monitoring and control of several different species including Australian examples of intentionally introduced invasive species, insects and other animals that may also vector a disease, and invasive weed management from prediction to management. Chapters cover maps and imageries available on various Web sites and provide step-by-step tutorials or case studies that allow manipulation of datasets featured on the accompanying CD-ROM to make maps, perform statistical analyses, and predict future problems. It offers hands-on experience with a variety of software programs that create interactive queries (user-created searches), analyze spatial information, edit data and maps, and present the results of these operations in several different formats. Some of the programs are freeware, others are not, but each can be used to integrate, edit, share, and display geographic information. Color figures are also available on the CD-ROM.

Mapping Forestry by Peter Eredics (Editor) Mapping Forestry describes how geographic information system (GIS) software supports the business of forestry in today's era of economic changes, increased global competition, and diminishing resources. In twenty scenarios from the United States, Germany, Brazil, Romania, Finland, and Cambodia, foresters share how they use GIS to manage commercial operations and sustainable stewardship. Forest managers tell how computer-generated maps and GIS analysis help them determine the best places to build roads, whether logging in a particular area is commercially feasible, which fire-damaged areas should be restored first, and more. Mapping Forestry contains 20 chapters of full-color maps, featuring detailed descriptions of the types of GIS analysis that they represent, making it an excellent tool for forestry professionals.

The Forests of Great Smoky Mountains National Park: a Naturalist's Guide to Understanding and Identifying Southern Appalachian Forest Types by Dan D. Williams; Lauren Williams (Editor); Jennifer Williams (Editor); Walter L. Cook (Editor); Scott A. Merkle (Editor); Robert O. Teskey (Assisted by); Lindsay Boring (Assisted by); Tom Remaley (Assisted by); James Richards (Cover Design by) Four important factors have shaped the forests of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the world's stellar example of southern Appalachian forests. These factors are elevation, landform, forest succession and exotic tree pests. This book explains how to identify and understand the Park's forests based these factors. Elevation and landform are defined and summarized in the Forest Finder, a graphical representation of the 15 major southern Appalachian forest types found in the Park. You can use the Forest Finder to identify forests when you visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park and surrounding national forests. Each forest type is described in detail, as are most of the major trees of the southern Appalachians. Also included are instructions on downloading and interpreting free topographic maps that contain the elevation and land shape information used as inputs to the Forest Finder.Southern Appalachian forest succession is clearly explained, and the reader is shown how to interpret changes in forest succession brought about by land clearing and logging operations in the Park. The associated tree table shows shade tolerance ratings, canopy position and moisture preference for major southern Appalachian trees and shrubs. Important exotic tree pests are described, including the chestnut blight and the hemlock wooly adelgid, as well as their drastic effect on the Park's forests.Along the way the reader learns how to sample the forest using skills like pacing, measuring tree diameter, estimating tree age, determining successional stage and identifying major southern Appalachian tree species.The book directs readers to a web site where free large scale, full color versions of all maps and graphs in the book can be downloaded.

Remote sensing of vegetation : principles, techniques, and applications by Hamlyn G. Jones; Robin A. Vaughan Remote sensing is becoming an increasingly important tool for agriculturalists, ecologists, and land managers for the study of Earth's agricultural and natural vegetation, and can be applied to further our understanding of key environmental issues, including climate change and ecosystemmanagement.This timely introduction offers an accessible yet rigorous treatment of the basics of remote sensing at all scales, illustrating its practical application to the study of vegetation. Despite a quantitative approach, the advanced mathematics and complex models common in modern remote sensingliterature is demystified through clear explanations that emphasise the key underlying principles, and the core physical aspects are explained in the biological context of vegetation and its adaptation to its specific environment.Various techniques and instruments are addressed, making this a valuable source of reference, and the advantages and disadvantages of these are further illustrated through worked examples and case studies.* Rigorous physical and mathematical principles presented in a way readily understood by those without a strong mathematical background* Boxes throughout summarize key information and concepts* The student is directed to carefully chosen further reading articles, allowing them to explore key topics in more detailOnline Resource CentreThe Online Resource Centre to accompany Remote Sensing of Vegetation features:For Students:* Links to useful websitesFor lecturers:* Figures from the book in electronic format, ready to download

Recent advances in remote sensing and geoinformation processing for land degradation assessment by Dave Hill Land degradation and desertification are amongst the most severe threats to human welfare and the environment, as they affect the livelihoods of some 2 billion people in the world's drylands, and they are directly connected to pressing global environmental problems, such as the loss of biological diversity or global climate change. Strategies to combat these processes and mitigate their effects at the land-management and policy level require spatially explicit, up-to-date information, which can be provided based on remote sensing data and using geoinformation processing techniques. Recent Advances in Remote Sensing and Geoinformation Processing for Land Degradation Assessmentintroduces the current state of the art in this field and provides an overview of both conceptual and technological advances of the recent past. With a specific focus on desertification and land degradation, the volume covers the assessment of related biophysical indicators, as well as complementary qualitative information at different spatial and temporal scales. It is shown how remote sensing data may be utilized in the context of assessing and monitoring affected ecosystems and how this information may be assimilated into integrated interpretation and modelling concepts. In addition, different case studies are provided to demonstrate the implementation of these methods in the frame of different local settings. The volume will be of interest to scientists and students working at the interface of ecosystem services, land degradation/desertification, spatial ecology, remote sensing and spatial modelling, as well as to land managers and policy makers.

Here be dragons : how the study of animal and plant distributions revolutionized our views of life and Earth by Dennis McCarthy Why do we find polar bears only in the Arctic and penguins only in the Antarctic? Why do oceanic islands often have many types of birds but no large native mammals?As Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace travelled across distant lands studying the wildlife they both noticed that the distribution of plants and animals formed striking patterns - patterns that held strong clues to the past of the planet.The study of the spatial distribution of living things is known as biogeography. It is a field that could be said to have begun with Darwin and Wallace. In this lively book, Denis McCarthy tells the story of biogeography, from the 19th century to its growth into a major field of interdisciplinaryresearch in the present day. It is a story that encompasses two great, insightful theories that were to provide the explanations to the strange patterns of life across the world - evolution, and plate tectonics.We find animals and plants where we do because, over time, the continents have moved, separating and coalescing in a long, slow dance; because sea levels have risen, cutting off one bit of land from another, and fallen, creating land bridges; because new and barren volcanic islands have risen upfrom the sea; and because animals and plants vary greatly in their ability to travel, and separation has caused the formation of new species. The story of biogeography is the story of how life has responded and has in turn altered the ever changing Earth. It is a narrative that includes manyfascinating tales - of pygmy mammoths and elephant birds; of changing landscapes; of radical ideas by bold young scientists first dismissed and later, with vastly growing evidence, widely accepted. The story is not yet done: there are still questions to be answered and biogeography is a lively areaof research and debate. But our view of the planet has been changed profoundly by biogeography and its related fields: the emerging understanding is of a deeply interconnected system in which life and physical forces interact dynamically in space and time.

GIS Applications in Agriculture by Francis J. Pierce (Editor); David Clay (Editor) The increased efficiency and profitability that the proper application of technology can provide has made precision agriculture the hottest developing area within traditional agriculture. The first single-source volume to cover GIS applications in agronomy, GIS Applications in Agricultureexamines ways that this powerful technology can help farmers produce a greater abundance of crops with more efficiency and at lower costs. Each chapter describes the nature of a problem, examines the purpose and scope of a GIS application, presents the methods used to develop the application, and then goes on to provide results and offer a conclusion as well as supporting information. When appropriate, the chapters present the underlying statistical approach for the GIS software that is used.  Applicable data sets and color maps produced by use of GIS are included for download at the CRC webiste. Concentrating more on the approach and less on the specific software, the authors describe the methods used to develop an application and discuss limitations to the algorithms and the programming code used. They then summarize the application in terms of what it does, how it works, its limitations, and its potential uses. The book provides a toolkit for the acquisition, management, and analysis of spatial data throughout the agriculture value chain. he authors describe the methods used to develop an application and discuss limitations to the algorithms and the programming code used. They then summarize the application in terms of what it does, how it works, its limitations, and its potential uses. The book provides a toolkit for the acquisition, management, and analysis of spatial data throughout the agriculture value chain.

Geology and Plant Life : the effects of landforms and rock types on plants by Arthur R. Kruckeberg Before any other influences began to fashion life and its lavish diversity, geological events created the initial environments--both physical and chemical--for the evolutionary drama that followed. Drawing on case histories from around the world, Arthur Kruckeberg demonstrates the role of landforms and rock types in producing the unique geographical distributions of plants and in stimulating evolutionary diversification. His examples range throughout the rich and heterogeneous tapestry of the earth's surface: the dramatic variations of mountainous topography, the undulating ground and crevices of level limestone karst, and the subtle realm of sand dunes. He describes the ongoing evolutionary consequences of the geology-plant interface and the often underestimated role of geology in shaping climate. Kruckeberg explores the fundamental connection between plants and geology, including the historical roots of geobotany, the reciprocal relations between geology and other environmental influences, geomorphology and its connection with plant life, lithology as a potent selective agent for plants, and the physical and biological influences of soils. Special emphasis is given to the responses of plants to exceptional rock types and their soils--serpentines, limestones, and other azonal (exceptional) substrates. Edaphic ecology, especially of serpentines, has been his specialty for years. Kruckeberg's research fills a significant gap in the field of environmental science by connecting the conventionally separated disciplines of the physical and biological sciences. Geology and Plant Life is the result of more than forty years of research into the question of why certain plants grow on certain soils and certain terrain structures, and what happens when this relationship is disrupted by human agents. It will be useful to a wide spectrum of professionals in the natural sciences: plant ecologists, paleobiologists, climatologists, soil scientists, geologists, geographers, and conservation scientists, as well as serious amateurs in natural history.

Book of Aerial Stereo Photographs: an Introduction to Geology, Geography, Conservation, Forestry, and Surveying Using Stereo Photographs by Harold R. Wanless The 92 stereo photographs of prominent landmarks around the country—Mt. Rainier in WA, Grand Teton in WY, Monument Valley in AZ—were taken using aerial photography. Use the book to study landforms, rock structures, vegetation, soils, wind action, stream erosion, volcanic features, effect of glaciation and more, including many cultural features. Each picture has a description of the region, and the prominent features are keyed to the index grid system. Stereoscope glasses (listed separately as AP5264) are needed to view the images in three dimensions. 92 pages, 8½" × 11", spiral-bound.

An Appalachian Tragedy: Air Pollution and Tree Death in the Eastern Forests of North America by Charles E. Little All along the Appalachian Mountains, from Maine to Georgia, trees are dying. Spruce and fir are dead along the ridges, the butternut is nearly extinct, and hemlocks are in a desperate struggle for life. Weakened by decades of air pollution that have brought acid rain, deadly smog, and excess nitrogen, and by cell-destroying ultraviolet rays from a thinning ozone layer, the magnificent Appalachian forests are no longer able to fight off the bugs, blights, and bad weather that afflict forests everywhere. Instead, in these mountains, the trees are dying in unprecedented numbers -- with death and decline affecting virtually all species in every part of the range. Yet relatively few people are aware of this ecological calamity in the making, due in large part to the efforts of the forest products industry, and their advocates in government, to downplay the crisis by manipulating statistics and confusing the issue. With stunning full-color photography and an impassioned text, An Appalachian Tragedy sets the record straight. Drawing on the talents of a noted photojournalist and a distinguished group of writers, this powerful book documents the damage that has already been done and warns of the fearful consequences for the future.

Forester's Guide to Aerial Photo Interpretation by Gene Avery Excerpt from Forester's Guide to Aerial Photo InterpretationThis guide is intended as a practical reference on techniques of aerial photo interpretation in forest inventory. It'is written for the forester with a casual knowledge of aerial photography. No attempt is made to cover complex subjects like topographic mapping or operation of expensive stereo-plotting instruments. Although single prints are occasionally useful, emphasis is on ste r e o s c 0pi c interpretation of vertical aerial photog raphs available from various agencies of the U. S. Department of Agriculture (usda). Southern forest conditions are stressed, but the basic techniques are applicable in most of the United States.With a minimum of training, the forester can use photos to de termine bearings and distances, identify broad forest types, and measure areas. Additional experience will enable him to improve the efficiency of timber cruising by distributing field samples on the basis of photo classifications. In some instances, he may even be able to estimate timber volumes directly from the photographs.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Atlas of United States Trees by Elbert L. Little Jr v. 1. Conifers and important hardwoods, by E.L. Little, Jr.--v. 2. Alaska trees and common shrubs, by L.A. Viereck and E.L. Little, Jr.--v. 3. Minor western hardwoods, by E.L. Little, Jr. (1314) --v. 4. Minor eastern hardwoods, by E.L. Little, Jr. (--v. 5. Florida, by E.L. Little, Jr.--v. 6. Supplement, by E.L. Little, Jr.

Diversity and Geography of Cultivated Plants by Karl Hammer (Editor); Miguel Ángel Esquivel Pérez (Editor); Chunlin Long (Editor) This book presents information on cultivated plants located within 12 different regions throughout the world. The content introduces cultural evolution and species richness in cultivated plants, considering domestication assessments, which make it possible to obtain a deeper insight into the diversity of these plants. Cultivated plants are evolutionary connected to man, human action for nature and culture is necessary to secure the basis for future existence of humanity. Cultivated plants are included in this compilation, plants are grown for food, food additives, fodder, medicine, fiber, seasoning or as green manure crops, shade trees or hedge shrubs. The large number of commodity groups characterize the number of interactions between man and plants. The aim of this book is to bring together an actualized list of cultivated plants. It was necessary to organize, store and analyze gathered data during the exploration and collection missions, as well as those resulting from the ethnobotanical, archaeological and genomics studies. The book presents essayistic introductions; short data on areas of distribution and cultivation areas; the use of the plant; the history and descent of the plant; and citations of common names as a part of the cultural evolution of mankind. Where necessary, the content explores "gene sources" as plants for different breeding purposes including resistance, quality, yield improvement and weeds.

A Natural History Guide to Great Smoky Mountains National Park by Donald W. Linzey The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of America?s most beautiful and popular national parks. Located in the southern Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, it is home to more than 100,000 species of plants and animals. Already the most extensive volume available on the park's natural history, this second edition of Donald W. Linzey's Natural History Guide to Great Smoky Mountains National Park updates the wildlife story of the park including the successful reintroduction of peregrine falcons, otters, elk, and four species of fishes along with a discussion of the unsuccessful reintroduction of red wolves.  Linzey also discusses the park's resilience following the Chimney Tops 2 fire and its uncertain future due to climate change, invasive species, and  the impact that civilization is playing in altering the area's landscape. Written from the perspective of a naturalist who has spent over fifty years conducting research in the park, this volume not only discusses the park?s plant and animal life but also explores the impact that civilization has played in altering the area?s landscape. Linzey draws from a deep reservoir of research, including the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory, a concentrated effort to determine all species within a given area within a short time frame. His book provides a thorough overview of everything a visitor to the park would need to know, without complex jargon. Both casual readers and those more interested in the ecology of the Great Smoky Mountains will find this book an enlightening and educational guide.

Following the bend : how to read a river and understand its nature by Ellen Wohl An engaging and thought-provoking introduction to river science When we look at a river, either up close or while flying over a river valley, what are we really seeing? Following the Bend takes readers on a majestic journey by water to find answers, along the way shedding light on the key concepts of modern river science, from hydrology and water chemistry to stream and wetland ecology. In this accessible and uniquely personal book, Ellen Wohl explains how to "read" a river, blending the latest science with her own personal experiences as a geologist and naturalist who has worked on rivers for more than three decades. She charts how water travels through the hydrologic cycle around the globe and downstream to distribute energy, move sediment, and shape river channels, and how living organisms adapt to life in flowing water to create vibrant river ecosystems. Wohl looks at the role of disturbances such as floods and droughts and discusses how geologists interpret the sedimentary records of past river processes. She illustrates how river networks interact with Earth's surface and considers issues for rivers in the future, such as progressive drying, river restoration, and advocating for the legal personhood of a river to maintain its distinctive spirit, identity, and integrity. Sharing a new understanding of how rivers function as both physical systems and ecosystems, Following the Bend enables us to observe rivers with fresh eyes and more fully appreciate the beauty, vibrancy, and complexity of our planet's vital waterways.

Landscape Heritage of the World with Google Earth by Andrew Goudie The rationale of this book is to provide carefully selected images from Google Earth, to discuss what they show, and to provide references to the heritage sites portrayed so that readers can go deeper if they wish. Taking examples from all over the world, this book aims to demonstrate their value for understanding heritage landscapes and for appreciating their aesthetics. It is organised around different types of landscape and the processes that created them, rather than regionally or on the basis of age. It includes a large number of archaeological sites that have been designated as UNESC0 World Heritage Sites. Google Earth has proved to be important for demonstrating some of the threats that major sites have been exposed to, including during recent wars in the Middle East.  The landscapes discussed are those of Water Management, Agricultural Management, War, Burial, Mines, Quarries and Salterns, Cities and Settlements, Tells, Theatres, Amphitheatres, and Hippodromes, Churches, Temples, Pagodas, and Mosques, and Geoglyphs.

Be Expert with Map & Compass : the complete orienteering handbook by Carina Elgin; Bjorn Kjellstrom The classic map and compass navigation guide, updated with new features and tips Be Expert with Map and Compass is a popular, easy-to-use orienteering handbook that has been helping people find their way for more than 70 years. This new edition contains a variety of updates on the essentials of map reading, with new photos and stories included throughout. In this refreshed, modern take on the classic outdoor navigation guide, readers will learn: How to read a map, map symbols, traveling by map and compass alone or by map and compass together, finding bearings, sketching maps, and traveling in the wilderness Compass design basics, how to test your compass skills, understand declination, and special uses of your compass in fishing and hunting Competitive orienteering basics, with information on how to organize an orienteering event and prepare the course beforehand The Fourth Edition of Be Expert with Map and Compass remains the book of choice for professional outdoorsmen, novice orienteers, and outdoor organizations as well as teachers, scout leaders, recreational hikers, hunters, and others around the world seeking to feel more comfortable in the wilderness.

Major uses of the land in the United States, 2017 by Winters-Michaud, Clayton The United States has a total land area of 2.26 billion acres. In 2017, the major uses of land were grass- land pasture and rangeland at 659 million acres (29 percent of the U.S. total), forest-use land at 622 million acres (28 percent), cropland at 390 million acres (17 percent), special uses (primarily parks and wildlife areas) at 318 million acres (14 percent), miscellaneous other uses (such as wetlands, tundra, and unproductive woodlands) at 197 million acres (9 percent), and urban land at 74 million acres (3 percent). This study presents findings from the most recent (2017) inventory of U.S. major land uses, drawing on data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and various other sources. The data sources are collected for each State to estimate the use of several broad classes and subclasses of agricultural and nonagricultural land over time. National and regional trends in land use are discussed using earlier major land-use estimates dating back to 1945.

Working Beyond Borders: GIS for Geospatial Collaboration by Jill Saligoe-Simmel (Editor); Maria Jordan (Editor) In today's world, organizations face a multitude of problems that require an unprecedented need for tools to share information and work better together. In Working Beyond Borders: GIS for Geospatial Collaboration, see how government, industries, and others, are using location intelligence and GIS to interconnect people across jurisdictions and sectors, to respond to some of our most critical issues, such as climate change, sustainable development, racial equity, emergency management, conservation, and public health and safety. Readers will also see how organizations are integrating geospatial infrastructure to improve efficiency, drive innovation, and empower every day decision-making in communities around the world. Edited by Jill Saligoe-Simmel and Maria Jordan Applying GIS  The Applying GIS series explains how to become a spatial thinker with ideas and strategies for building location intelligence into your profession, industry, or discipline. Each book is divided into relevant topic areas that include real-life case studies that will inspire new ways to solve complex problems.

Fieldwork Handbook: a Practical Guide on the Go by Marika Vertzonis Make your work in the field more efficient and productive with the how-to of location intelligence. A biologist in a rain forest making observations on indigenous frogs, an engineer maintaining utility equipment, or a citizen scientist taking water samples from a creek are all doing fieldwork. Their work is anchored by location. No matter what electronic tools they take into the field, they all take a notebook or a guidebook. As you head into the field along with all your equipment, be sure to include this practical fieldwork guide. Fieldwork Handbook gives you tips, best practices, and activities that make your work in the field more productive and successful. No matter how you use location intelligence in the field, you can up your game with this book and improve your experience. Covering preparation, equipment, workflows, and data, this book will teach you how to Organize and reconcile field data Effectively coordinate and dispatch field resources Refine fieldwork workflows Sync the office with the field Author and Esri product engineer Marika Vertzonis learned about geospatial technology in the field, and she knows what you need to know. This handbook is your friend in the field.

Urban Food Mapping: Making Visible the Edible City by Katrin Bohn (Editor); Mikey Tomkins (Editor) With cities becoming so vast, so entangled and perhaps so critically unsustainable, there is an urgent need for clarity around the subject of how we feed ourselves as an urban species. Urban food mapping becomes the tool to investigate the spatial relationships, gaps, scales and systems that underlie and generate what, where and how we eat, highlighting current and potential ways to (re)connect with our diet, ourselves and our environments. Richly explored, using over 200 mapping images in 25 selected chapters, this book identifies urban food mapping as a distinct activity and area of research that enables a more nuanced way of understanding the multiple issues facing contemporary urbanism and the manyfold roles food spaces play within it. The authors of this multidisciplinary volume extend their approaches to place making, storytelling, in-depth observation and imagining liveable futures and engagement around food systems, thereby providing a comprehensive picture of our daily food flows and intrastructures. Their images and essays combine theoretical, methodological and practical analysis and applications to examine food through innovative map-making that empowers communities and inspires food planning authorities. This first book to systematise urban food mapping showcases and bridges disciplinary boundaries to make theoretical concepts as well as practical experiences and issues accessible and attractive to a wide audience, from the activist to the academic, the professional and the amateur. It will be of interest to those involved in the all-important work around food cultures, food security, urban agriculture, land rights, environmental planning and design who wish to create a more beautiful, equitable and sustainable urban environment.

Global Forest Visualization: From Green Marbles to Storyworlds by Lynda C. Olman; Birgit Schneider This book project examines global forest monitoring as a means to understand the promises and problems of global visualization for climate management.

Novel Approach to Sustainable Temperate Horticulture by Gulzar Ahmad Nayik In the current scenario, marked by a continual improvement in living standards, it becomes imperative to boost the productivity as well as the efficiency of agriculture, especially horticulture, which holds the potential for significant economic prosperity aligning with Sustainable Development Goal number 8, "Decent Work and Economic Growth". Modern technological interventions, such as geospatial technology and geographic information system (GIS) technology, can be harnessed to yield effective results in addressing challenges and providing enhanced decision support, particularly in the planning of horticultural resource management. Cultivation and production of fresh produce face several challenges, including prolonged juvenile phases and reproductive cycles with extended breeding periods, creating bottlenecks in the process. The evolving trends in biotechnology offer promising solutions for improving the selection of desirable traits. Biotechnological techniques aimed at improving fruit efficiency encompass tissue culture, induction of genetic variability, germplasm conservation, and molecular breeding/genomics. These methods involve the study of genetic diversity, DNA fingerprinting, and Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) analysis for marker-assisted selection. Over the past few decades, the global population has consistently risen, raising concerns about the ability of the current food system to adequately feed the anticipated 10 billion people in the next 30 years. While this challenge is deemed achievable, certain changes in both food production and consumption systems are essential to ensure sustainability, reduce food loss and waste, and contribute to a global shift toward healthier and more sustainable diets. Implementing sustainable models of crop production represents a significant undertaking. To address the growing food demand amid deteriorating production environments, there is a need for promising technologies and effective management options to enhance productivity. This book is poised to be a valuable resource for horticultural scientists operating in universities, government agencies, and research centers, offering insights into achieving sustainable cultivation practices for fruits. It stands out as the first of its kind, providing in-depth knowledge on environmentally friendly methods for cultivating temperate fruit crops, to reduce harmful emissions and pollution. This book will delve into the application of geographic information system (GIS) for estimating horticulture area expansion and crop yield. Additionally, it will encompass recent biotechnological interventions in horticulture, circular agriculture models, and emerging non-thermal food preservation techniques as significant components. Features: Aims to provide a comprehensive and integrated overview of current techno-statistical techniques employed in horticulture, delving into the associated livelihood benefits derived from the practice. Explores the novel geographical trends to identify the site suitability indices of several temperate fruits. Offers a comprehensive and integrated exploration of recent trends in biotechnological approaches aimed at enhancing food production, quality, and safety.

Advances in Geospatial Technologies for Natural Resource Management by Ravi Shankar Dwivedi Timely and reliable information on natural resources, regarding their potential and limitations, is a prerequisite for sustainable development. Geospatial technologies offer immense potential in providing such information in a timely and cost-effective manner. Using orbital sensors data in conjunction with airborne and proximal sensors data to generate information on soils and agricultural resources, forests, mineral resources, fossil fuel, wetlands, water resources, and marine resources, this book focuses on the advancements in technologies applicable to managing these resources. It addresses global issues like climate change and land degradation neutrality and introduces spatial data infrastructure (SDI) as a mechanism for sharing geospatial data. This book also provides an in-depth discussion on drones, crowdsourcing, cloud computing, Internet of Things, machine learning, and their applications. FEATURES Contains a comprehensive resource on the latest developments in geospatial technologies and their use in monitoring natural resources, productivity mapping, and modeling Explains the geo-computation methods and online algorithm developments Includes clear guidance on how best to use geospatial data for various applications Discusses case studies from a variety of fields and current trends in the management of natural resources Provides future scenarios concerning platforms, sensors, data analysis, and interpretation techniques This book is written for remote sensing and GIS professionals in environmental institutions and government who are involved in natural resource management projects. Senior undergraduate and graduate-level students in Earth sciences, geography, or environmental management can also use this text for supplementary reading.

QGIS for Ecologists: An Introduction to Mapping for Ecological Surveys by Stephanie Miles This book teaches the basic stages of mapping for ecological projects. It uses QGIS, an open source system, as this is the most accessible platform to produce maps for reports. The book guides the beginner mapmaker through production of maps for the day-to-day projects of ecologists working in consultancy. If you don't know where to start or how to use QGIS, this is the practical guide for you. There is no jargon, just everything you require to create the desired maps and to extract from them all the information that you'll need for reporting. You will learn how to create several different sorts of maps frequently employed in ecological reports: - basic survey map - aerial imagery survey map - designated sites map - desk-study map - protected species map - habitats map As a part of this you will also discover how to download third-party maps and datasets, create your own data, geo-reference images and import GPX files into QGIS. Weblinks allow access to downloadable data for use in producing the maps described. The book also includes workflows that you can emulate for your own projects, ensuring that it will remain a helpful tool long after you have completed all the exercises. Ideal for those working in ecological consultancy and conservation, as well as students with an understanding of ecology and surveying but no background or training in QGIS, this handy book will also be a great help to those needing to refresh their GIS skills and/or looking for workflows to follow.

Remote Sensing Handbook, Volume I: Sensors, Data Normalization, Harmonization, Cloud Computing, and Accuracies by Prasad S. Thenkabail (Editor) Volume I of the Six Volume Remote Sensing Handbook, Second Edition, is focused on satellites and sensors including radar, light detection and ranging (LiDAR), microwave, hyperspectral, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and their applications. It discusses data normalization and harmonization, accuracies, and uncertainties of remote sensing products, global navigation satellite system (GNSS) theory and practice, crowdsourcing, cloud computing environments, Google Earth Engine, and remote sensing and space law. This thoroughly revised and updated volume draws on the expertise of a diverse array of leading international authorities in remote sensing and provides an essential resource for researchers at all levels interested in using remote sensing. It integrates discussions of remote sensing principles, data, methods, development, applications, and scientific and social context. FEATURES Provides the most up-to-date comprehensive coverage of remote sensing science. Discusses and analyzes data from old and new generations of satellites and sensors. Provides comprehensive methods and approaches for remote sensing data normalization, standardization, and harmonization. Includes numerous case studies on advances and applications at local, regional, and global scales. Introduces advanced methods in remote sensing such as machine learning, cloud computing, and AI. Highlights scientific achievements over the last decade and provides guidance for future developments. This volume is an excellent resource for the entire remote sensing and GIS community. Academics, researchers, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as practitioners, decision-makers, and policymakers, will benefit from the expertise of the professionals featured in this book, and their extensive knowledge of new and emerging trends.

Remote Sensing Handbook, Volume II: Image Processing, Change Detection, GIS, and Spatial Data Analysis by Prasad S. Thenkabail (Editor) Volume II of the Six Volume Remote Sensing Handbook, Second Edition, is focused on digital image processing including image classification methods in land cover and land use. It discusses object-based segmentation and pixel-based image processing algorithms, change detection techniques, and image classification for a wide array of applications including land use/land cover, croplands, urban studies, processing hyperspectral remote sensing data, thermal imagery, light detection and ranging (LiDAR), geoprocessing workflows, frontiers of GIScience, and future pathways. This thoroughly revised and updated volume draws on the expertise of a diverse array of leading international authorities in remote sensing and provides an essential resource for researchers at all levels interested in using remote sensing. It integrates discussions of remote sensing principles, data, methods, development, applications, and scientific and social context. Features Provides the most up-to-date comprehensive coverage of digital image processing. Highlights object-based image analysis (OBIA) and pixel-based classification methods and techniques of digital image processing. Demonstrates practical examples of image processing for a myriad of applications such as land use/land cover, croplands, and urban. Establishes image processing using different types of remote sensing data that includes multispectral, radar, LiDAR, thermal, and hyperspectral. Highlights change detection, geoprocessing, and GIScience. This volume is an excellent resource for the entire remote sensing and GIS community. Academics, researchers, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as practitioners, decision makers, and policymakers, will benefit from the expertise of the professionals featured in this book, and their extensive knowledge of new and emerging trends.

Remote Sensing Handbook, Volume III: Agriculture, Food Security, Rangelands, Vegetation, Phenology, and Soils by Prasad S. Thenkabail (Editor) Volume III of the Six Volume Remote Sensing Handbook, Second Edition, is focused on agriculture; food security; vegetation; phenology; rangelands; soils; and global biomass modeling, mapping, and monitoring using multi-sensor remote sensing. It discusses the application of remote sensing in agriculture systems analysis, phenology, cropland mapping and modeling, terrestrial vegetation studies, physically based models, food and water security, precision farming, crop residues, global view of rangelands, and soils. This thoroughly revised and updated volume draws on the expertise of a diverse array of leading international authorities in remote sensing and provides an essential resource for researchers at all levels interested in using remote sensing. It integrates discussions of remote sensing principles, data, methods, development, applications, and scientific and social context. FEATURES Provides the most up-to-date comprehensive coverage of remote sensing science in agriculture, vegetation, and soil studies. Discusses and analyzes data from old and new generations of satellites and sensors spread across 60 years. Provides comprehensive assessment of modeling, mapping, and monitoring agricultural crops, vegetation, and soils from wide array of sensors, methods, and techniques. Includes numerous case studies on advances and applications at local, regional, and global scales. Introduces advanced methods in remote sensing such as machine learning, cloud computing, and AI. Highlights scientific achievements over the last decade and provides guidance for future developments. This volume is an excellent resource for the entire remote sensing and GIS community. Academics, researchers, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as practitioners, decision makers, and policymakers, will benefit from the expertise of the professionals featured in this book, and their extensive knowledge of new and emerging trends.

Remote Sensing Handbook, Volume IV: Forests, Biodiversity, Ecology, LULC, and Carbon by Prasad S. Thenkabail (Editor) Volume IV of the Six Volume Remote Sensing Handbook, Second Edition, is focused on the use of remote sensing in forestry, biodiversity, ecology, land use and land cover, and global terrestrial carbon mapping and monitoring. It discusses remote sensing studies of multi-scale habitat modeling, forest informatics, tree and stand height studies, land cover and land use (LCLU) change mapping, forest biomass and carbon modeling and mapping, and advanced image analysis methods and advances in land remote sensing using optical, radar, LiDAR, and hyperspectral remote sensing. This thoroughly revised and updated volume draws on the expertise of a diverse array of leading international authorities in remote sensing and provides an essential resource for researchers at all levels interested in using remote sensing. It integrates discussions of remote sensing principles, data, methods, development, applications, and scientific and social context. FEATURES Provides the most up-to-date comprehensive coverage of remote sensing science for forests, biodiversity, land cover and land use change (LCLUC), biomass, and carbon. Discusses and analyzes data from old and new generations of satellites and sensors spread across 60 years. Extensive forestry, LCLUC studies, biomass, and carbon using optical, radar, LiDAR, and hyperspectral data. Includes numerous case studies on advances and applications at local, regional, and global scales. Introduces advanced methods in remote sensing such as machine learning, cloud computing, and AI. Highlights scientific achievements over the last decade and provides guidance for future developments. This volume is an excellent resource for the entire remote sensing and GIS community. Academics, researchers, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as practitioners, decision makers, and policymakers, will benefit from the expertise of the professionals featured in this book and their extensive knowledge of new and emerging trends.

Remote Sensing Handbook, Volume V: Water, Hydrology, Floods, Snow and Ice, Wetlands, and Water Productivity by Prasad S. Thenkabail (Editor) Volume V of theSix Volume Remote Sensing Handbook, Second Edition, is focused on the use of remote sensing technologies for studying water resources, including groundwater, floods, snow and ice, and wetlands. It discusses water productivity studies from Earth observation data characterization and modeling, mapping their successes and challenges. Chapters include remote sensing of surface water hydrology; quantitative geomorphology; river basin studies; floods; wetlands, including mangroves and river deltas; groundwater studies; crop water use or actual evapotranspiration modeling and mapping; and snow and ice mapping. This thoroughly revised and updated volume draws on the expertise of a diverse array of leading international authorities in remote sensing and provides an essential resource for researchers at all levels interested in using remote sensing. It integrates discussions of remote sensing principles, data, methods, development, applications, and scientific and social context. FEATURES Provides the most up-to-date comprehensive coverage of remote sensing science for water resources, including wetlands, floods, snow, and ice. Provides comprehensive assessments of crop water use and crop water productivity modeling and mapping, including evapotranspiration studies. Discusses and analyzes data from old and new generations of satellites and sensors spread across 60 years. Includes numerous case studies on advances and applications at local, regional, and global scales. Introduces advanced methods in remote sensing, such as machine learning, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence (AI). Highlights scientific achievements over the last decade and provides guidance for future developments. This volume is an excellent resource for the entire remote sensing and GIS community. Academics, researchers, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as practitioners, decision makers, and policymakers, will benefit from the expertise of the professionals featured in this book and their extensive knowledge of new and emerging trends.

Remote Sensing Handbook, Volume VI: Droughts, Disasters, Pollution, and Urban Mapping by Prasad S. Thenkabail (Editor) Volume VI of the Six Volume Remote Sensing Handbook, Second Edition, is focused on the use of remote sensing in the assessment and monitoring of droughts, dry lands, biomass burning, disasters such as volcanoes and fires, and urban studies and nightlights. It discusses land degradation assessment and monitoring, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and pollution from nightlights in megacities. Chapters include remote sensing of agricultural droughts, including US drought monitoring, dryland studies, coal fires, biomass burning and GHG emissions, volcanoes, humanitarian disasters, smart cities, and night lights mapping. This thoroughly revised and updated volume draws on the expertise of a diverse array of leading international authorities in remote sensing and provides an essential resource for researchers at all levels interested in using remote sensing. It integrates discussions of remote sensing principles, data, methods, development, applications, and scientific and social context. FEATURES Provides the most up-to-date comprehensive coverage of remote sensing science for droughts, disasters, and GHG emissions. Discusses and analyzes data from old and new generations of sensors. Highlights remote sensing of agricultural droughts, humanitarian and natural disasters, and GHG emissions from coal and stubble burning. Includes numerous case studies on advances and applications at local, regional, and global scales. Introduces advanced methods in remote sensing, such as machine learning, cloud computing, and AI. Highlights scientific achievements over the last decade and provides guidance for future developments. This volume is an excellent resource for the entire remote sensing and GIS community. Academics, researchers, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as practitioners, decision makers, and policymakers, will benefit from the expertise of the professionals featured in this book and their extensive knowledge of new and emerging trends.

Geoinformatics : an emerging approach for sustainable crop production and food security by Vishnu D. Rajput; Abhishek Singh; Tatiana M. Minkina; Anil Kumar Singh; N. P. Singh "Geoinformatics is a cutting-edge tool that develops and uses information science technology that can have far-reaching implications that include boosting agricultural output, increasing food supply, and reducing hunger-related problems in poor and developing countries. This new book, Geoinformatics: An Emerging Approach for Sustainable Crop Production and Food Security, highlights the many applications of geoinformatics in agriculture, mainly its potential to improve agricultural systems and environmental issues through innovative, eco-friendly approaches. The book is divided into seven sections. Part I contains foundational material on the field of geoinformatics. Part II discusses the role of geoinformatics in agriculture and food security. Part III serves broad knowledge about geoinformatics-based crop screening and protection. Part IV explains how geoinformatics integrates big data and AI for sustainable agriculture and horticulture. Part V deals with geoinformatics and fertilizers and base management of soil fertility. In Part VI, cutting-edge GIS methods are discussed for abiotic stresses management and climate change. The final section discusses the application of geoinformatics for policymaking and the impact of geoinformatics and climate change on agriculture systems. Providing state-of-the-art knowledge on both theoretical and applied aspects of nanotechnology in soil science, plant breeding, biotechnology, tools design, formulation, application, and management, as well as the effects of these tools on soil properties and plant characteristics, and some abiotic interactions, this new volume will prove invaluable for graduate students, researchers, and professionals in agricultural and related disciplines as well as policymakers"--

Ubiquitous Point Cloud: Theory, Model, and Applications by Bisheng Yang; Zhen Dong; Fuxun Liang; Xiaoxin Mi Point clouds from LiDAR and photogrammetry are vital and vast sources of geospatial information besides remote sensing imagery. This book provides the latest theory and methodology for point cloud processing with AI to better serve earth observation, 3D vision, autonomous driving, smart city, and geospatial information applications. It covers various aspects of 3D geospatial information, including data capturing, fusing, geocomputing, modeling, and vast downstream applications. With the inclusion of numerous illustrations, diagrams, and practical applications, readers will better understand the point cloud, and its technical challenges, and learn how to utilize point cloud in different fields. Features Provides in-depth point cloud processing pipeline, cutting-edge theory, and technology with AI. Includes many specific applications of point cloud in the geospatial field. Offers a comprehensive step-by-step guide from theory to application in point cloud processing. Includes ample supplementary materials including datasets, tools, and other online resources. Helps readers across many disciplines, from geospatial to engineering, to understand the vast application of point clouds and how to further generate new ideas and innovative thoughts. This book is an excellent resource for researchers, academics, students, and professionals in a variety of fields including Geomatics, Remote Sensing, Cartography and Geographic Information Systems, Data Science, Geography, Earth Science, and more.

LiDAR Principles, Processing and Applications in Forest Ecology by Qinghua Guo; Yanjun Su; Tianyu Hu LiDAR Principles, Processing and Applications in Forest Ecology introduces the principles of LiDAR technology and explains how to collect and process LiDAR data from different platforms based on real-world experience. The book provides state-of the-art algorithms on how to extract forest parameters from LiDAR and explains how to use them in forest ecology. It gives an interdisciplinary view, from the perspective of remote sensing and forest ecology. Because LiDAR is still rapidly developing, researchers must use programming languages to understand and process LiDAR data instead of established software. In response, this book provides Python code examples and sample data. Sections give a brief history and introduce the principles of LiDAR, as well as three commonly seen LiDAR platforms. The book lays out step-by-step coverage of LiDAR data processing and forest structure parameter extraction, complete with Python examples. Given the increasing usefulness of LiDAR in forest ecology, this volume represents an important resource for researchers, students and forest managers to better understand LiDAR technology and its use in forest ecology across the world. The title contains over 15 years of research, as well as contributions from scientists across the world. Presents LiDAR applications for forest ecology based in real-world experience Lays out the principles of LiDAR technology in forest ecology in a systematic and clear way Provides readers with state-of the-art algorithms on how to extract forest parameters from LiDAR Offers Python code examples and sample data to assist researchers in understanding and processing LiDAR data Contains over 15 years of research on LiDAR in forest ecology and contributions from scientists working in this field across the world

Plant Geography by Martin Kellman Originally published in 1975 and in a second edition in 1980, Plant Geography was the first text in biogeography that provided an adequate treatment of modern plant population theory. It is an introduction to the subject for students of both geography and biology. The author develops a series of plant geographic concepts that are based primarily in plant population biology, treating in turn processes that operate at the level of the individual plant and the plant population; interactions between plant populations; environmental conditions and plant dissemination in shaping plant species' distributions, and the geography of vegetation. Emphasis throughout is placed upon the dynamic nature of the earth's plant cover, and the interplay between contemporary conditions and historical events in shaping plant distributions and evolution.

Managing Our World: GIS for Natural Resources by Geoff Wade (Editor); Matt Artz (Editor) Discover The Geographic Approach to managing natural resources for efficiency and sustainability. Managing Our World: GIS for Natural Resources explores a collection of real-life stories about agriculture, forestry, mining, energy, pipeline, and renewable energy organizations successfully using GIS to streamline workflows, gain competitive insight, improve sustainability efforts, and more. Learn how natural resource organizations are finding an equitable and sustainable balance between meeting the demand for Earth's natural resources and preserving those resources for future generations. The examples in this book will provide a guide for how to increase profitability, improve environmental protections, and expand societal benefits while improving the efficiency of your organization.  This book also includes a section on next steps that provides ideas, strategies, tools, and actions to help jump-start your own use of GIS for natural resources. A collection of online resources, including additional stories, videos, new ideas and concepts, and downloadable tools and content, complements this book. Use this book to identify where maps, spatial analysis, and GIS apps can benefit your work, and how to apply these geospatial capabilities to drive improved results. 

Precision Agriculture for Sustainability: Use of Smart Sensors, Actuators, and Decision Support systems by Narendra Khatri; Ajay Kumar Vyas; Celestine Iwendi; Prasenjit Chatterjee "This book provides a comprehensive exploration of the aspects of the current state-of-the-art digital technological intervention for precision agriculture for sustainable agricultural development. It delves into how modern technologies-i.e., global positioning systems (GPS), unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), image processing methods, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning-are being used in agriculture to make it more farmer-friendly and more economically profitable. The volume discusses the use of smart sensors, actuators, and decision support systems for precision agriculture that provide intelligent data about crop health and for monitoring for yield prediction, soil quality, and nutrition requirement prediction, etc., using machine learning, deep learning, and artificial intelligence through a globally connected system via the Internet of Things (IoT). The book begins with a section on AI in agriculture that looks at using satellite data for vegetation studies, AI-based solutions to increase farmer income, satellite images for yield prediction using machine learning algorithms, and more. The second section presents robotic-based innovations in agriculture, including agricultural field robots, along with cobots (computer-controlled robotic devices designed to people) used in and outside farms and greenhouses, methods for continual robotic monitoring of crops, robot-based weed identification and control systems, and more. The section on intelligent computing in agriculture looks at soft computing methodologies and frameworks for yield forecasting for crop production, machine learning techniques to classify and identify plant diseases, machine learning algorithms to analyze all factors affecting crop yield and the climatic effect on produce, deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) for recognizing nutrient deficiencies, etc. The last section explores IoT in agriculture and provides an overview of the research that has gone into making smart precision agriculture a reality, IoT applications for smart garden plantation condition monitoring, smart agriculture that makes use of cloud computing and IoT, and much more. The book covers artificial intelligence in agriculture, robotic-based innovations in agriculture, intelligent computing in agriculture, and the Internet of Things in agriculture, providing a rich resource on this exciting and developing area"--

Remote Sensing of Soils Mapping, Monitoring, and Measurement by Nirmal Kumar (Editor); S. Dharumarajan (Editor); Kaliraj Seenipandi (Editor); Kabindra Adhikari (Editor); Lalitha Manickam (Editor) Remote Sensing of Soils: Mapping, Monitoring and Measurement covers the basic, theoretical and scientific concepts of multidisciplinary subjects, including sections that relate to soil sciences, remote sensing, geoinformatics, geomatics, civil and water resource engineering, geography, agriculture, disaster management and the earth and environmental sciences. The book consists of defined elements to help guide the reader, including an abstract, introductions, a literature review, methodology, results and discussions, findings, recommendations and conclusions. Each chapter includes theoretical information that is illustrated with flow charts, tables, figures, diagrams and other related illustrations. Site-specific research and case studies are described throughout with geographical and demographical data, current scientific issues, impacts, solutions and societal benefits, thus providing readers from multi-disciplinary backgrounds the tools they need to successful map, analyze and monitor soils. Covers multispectral, hyperspectral and SAR remote sensing analysis of soil properties, soil moisture, soil salinity, and soil organic matters, etc., in spatio-temporal scale Includes a section on digital soil mapping, including integrated RS, GIS and insitu surveyed data analysis for digital soil mapping using widely accepted models and approaches Ideal for readers in the soil sciences, remote sensing, geoinformatics, geomatics, civil and water resource engineering, geography, agriculture, disaster management, and earth and environmental sciences

Landscapes of the Anthropocene with Google Earth by Andrew Goudie This book considers the meaning of the term, considers the value and characteristics of Google Earth, and discusses the main driving forces of landscape change. Google Earth provides a means whereby one can identify changes in the landscapes of Earth over recent decades. This has been a time of great human activity, and landscapes have been transformed as a result of such factors as land use and land-cover change, climate change, the intensive harnessing of new energy sources, population pressures, and globalization. Many geologists now believe that the whole Earth System is being changed and that there is thus a need to introduce the concept of the Anthropocene. It then looks at specific landscape types, including rivers, coasts, lakes, deserts, tundra, and glaciers.

Forest Atlas of the United States by Charles H. Perry The United States of America has a remarkable forest resource—more than 765 million acres of planted and natural forest land and an additional 58 million acres of woodlands. These lands provide clean water, clean air, wildlife and fish habitat, recreational opportunities, and for nearly four centuries have been the foundation f or economic development. Thi s atlas introduces the reader to a trove of information also available online at the forest atla s website, https://forest-atla s.fs.usda.gov/. Evolving from the first inventory of U.S. forests in the 1870s, the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program rigorously monitors the health and productivity of forests and the many benefits they provide. This atlas combines inventory and monitoring information from the 1870s to the present day with datasets prepared by other partners on wilderness, wildland fire, wildlife, and other issues to tell stories about the value of the Nation’s forests and the challenges they face. Advances in technologies and analytical methods and the availability of other spatial data, such as satellite imagery and digital elevation models, now make it possible to present information about U.S. forests in novel ways. Much of the content is this atlas is derived from over 355,000 field plots, more than 19 million tree observations (some trees have been measured more than once to estimate growth), and two decades of satellite imagery that are transformed into rich and comprehensive information spanning the Nation’s entire forested landscape. Sources for all of the content published here are provided in the back matter.

Land Use and Land Cover Mapping in a Changing World by Giuseppe Pulighe It is increasingly being recognized that land use and land cover changes driven by anthropogenic pressures are impacting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and their services, human society, and human livelihoods and well-being. This Special Issue contains 12 original papers covering various issues related to land use and land use changes in various parts of the world (see references), with the purpose of providing a forum to exchange ideas and progress in related areas. Research topics include land use targets, dynamic modelling and mapping using satellite images, pressures from energy production, deforestation, impacts on ecosystem services, aboveground biomass evaluation, and investigations on libraries of legends and classification systems.

Remote Sensing in Agriculture: State-of-the-Art by Enrico Borgogno-Mondino The Special Issue on “Remote Sensing in Agriculture: State-of-the-Art” gives an exhaustive overview of the ongoing remote sensing technology transfer into the agricultural sector. It consists of 10 high-quality papers focusing on a wide range of remote sensing models and techniques to forecast crop production and yield, to map agricultural landscape and to evaluate plant and soil biophysical features. Satellite, RPAS, and SAR data were involved.

Clock and Compass: How John Byron Plato Gave Farmers a Real Address by Mark Monmonier A city guy who aspired to be a farmer, John Byron Plato took a three-month winter course in agriculture at Cornell before starting high school, which he left a year before graduation to fight in the Spanish-American War. He worked as a draftsman, ran a veneers business, patented and manufactured a parking brake for horse-drawn delivery wagons, taught school, and ran a lumber yard. In his early thirties he bought some farmland north of Denver, Colorado, and began raising Guernsey cattle, which he advertised for sale in the local paper. When an interested buyer eager to see his calves couldn't find his farm, Plato realized that an RFD postal address was only good for delivering mail. Plato's solution was a map-and-directory combo that used direction and distance from a local business center to give farmers a real address, just like city dwellers. He patented his invention called the "Clock System" and tried to sell it to the Post Office Department. What follows is a tale of persistence and failure as rural farming declined and technology and capitalism overtook John Byron Plato's chances at geographic immortality.   

Land Use Cover Datasets and Validation Tools: Validation Practices with QGIS by David García Álvarez (Editor); María Teresa Camacho Olmedo (Editor); Martin Paegelow (Editor); Jean François Mas (Editor) This open access book represents a comprehensive review of available land-use cover data and techniques to validate and analyze this type of spatial information. The book provides the basic theory needed to understand the progress of LUCC mapping/modeling validation practice. It makes accessible to any interested user most of the research community's methods and techniques to validate LUC maps and models. Besides, this book is enriched with practical exercises to be applied with QGIS. The book includes a description of relevant global and supra-national LUC datasets currently available. Finally, the book provides the user with all the information required to manage and download these datasets.

The World Atlas of Trees and Forests: Exploring Earth's Forest Ecosystems by Herman Shugart; Peter White; Sassan Saatchi; Jérôme Chave A marvelously illustrated look at the world's diverse forests and their ecosystems The earth's forests are havens of nature supporting a diversity of life. Shaped by climate and geography, these vast and dynamic wooded spaces offer unique ecosystems that shelter complex and interdependent webs of flora, fungi, and animals. The World Atlas of Trees and Forests offers a beautiful introduction to what forests are, how they work, how they grow, and how we map, assess, and conserve them. Provides the most wide-ranging coverage of the world's forests available Takes readers beneath the breathtaking variety of wooded canopies that span the globe Profiles a wealth of tree species, with enlightening and entertaining natural-history highlights along the way Features stunning color photos, maps, and graphics Draws on the latest cutting-edge research and technology, including satellite imagery

Advances in Remote Sensing for Forest Monitoring by Prem C. Pandey (Editor); Paul Arellano (Editor) Advances in Remote Sensing for Forest Monitoring An expert overview of remote sensing as applied to forests and other vegetation In Advances in Remote Sensing for Forest Monitoring, a team of distinguished researchers delivers an expansive and insightful discussion of the latest research on remote sensing technologies as they relate to the monitoring of forests, plantations, and other vegetation. The authors also explore the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and drones, as well as multisource and multi-sensor data - such as optical, SAR, LIDAR, and hyperspectral data. The book draws on the latest data and research to show how remote sensing solutions are being used in real-world settings. It offers contributions from researchers and practitioners from a wide variety of backgrounds and geographical regions to provide a diverse and global set of perspectives on the subject. Readers will also find: A thorough introduction to forest monitoring using remote sensing including recent advances in remote sensing technology Comprehensive explorations of sustainable forest management to enhance ecosystem services and livelihood security using a geospatial approach Case studies of monitoring the biochemical and biophysical parameters of forests, including carotene and xanthophyll content Practical advice on how to apply machine learning tools to remote sensing data Perfect for postgraduates, lecturers, and researchers in the fields of environmental science, forestry, and natural resource management, Advances in Remote Sensing for Forest Monitoring will also earn a place in the libraries of professionals and researchers working with remote sensing technology.

Geographic Information System Skills for Foresters and Natural Resource Managers by Krista Merry; Pete Bettinger; Michael Crosby; Kevin Boston Geographic Information System Skills for Foresters and Natural Resource Managers provides a resource for developing knowledge and skills concerning GIS as it applies to forestry and natural resource management. This book helps readers understand how GIS can effectively be used by professional foresters and land managers to conduct spatial analyses or address management decisions. Through topics presented, readers will improve their ability to understand GIS data sources, identify GIS data types and quality, perform common spatial analysis processes, create GIS data, produce maps, and ultimately develop the skills necessary to use GIS analysis to answer real-world questions. This book will be of great benefit to GIS users looking to directly apply techniques to real-world data or foresters and natural resource scientists who use GIS in their research. Presents unique reflections, diversions, inspections and translations within the text to encourage readers' critical thinking skills Includes a companion website to enhance the reflections, diversions, inspections and translations with additional resources Designed with examples, discussions and case studies from seasoned natural resource professionals with decades of combined professional experience

Geospatial Information Handbook for Water Resources and Watershed Management, Volume I, Fundamentals and Analysis by John G. Lyon (Editor); Lynn Lyon (Editor) Volume I of Geospatial Information Handbook for Water Resources and Watershed Management discusses fundamental characteristics, measurements and analyses of water features and watersheds including lakes and reservoirs, rivers and streams, and coasts and estuaries. It presents contemporary knowledge on Geospatial Technology (GT) supported functional analyses of water runoff, storage and balance, flooding and floodplains, water quality, soils and moisture, climate vulnerabilities and ecosystem services. Captures advanced Geospatial Technologies (GT) addressing a wide range of water issues. Provides real world applications and Case Studies using advanced spectral and spatial sensors combined with geospatially facilitated water process models. Details applications of ArcInfo/ArcGIS, Google Earth Engine and other systems using advanced remote sensors including hyperspectral ER2 AVIRIS, Sentinel-1 and -2, MODIS, Landsat 7 ETM+, Landsat 8 OLI and TIPS, SAR radar and thermal imaging. Global in coverage with applications contributed by more than 170 authors with lifelong expertise in water sciences and engineering. This handbook is a wide ranging and contemporary reference of advanced geospatial techniques used in numerous practical applications at local and regional scale, and an in-depth resource for professionals and the water research community worldwide.

Subpixel Mapping for Remote Sensing Images by Peng Wang; Lei Zhang Subpixel mapping is a technology that generates a fine resolution land cover map from coarse resolution fractional images by predicting the spatial locations of different land cover classes at the subpixel scale. This book provides readers with a complete overview of subpixel image processing methods, basic principles, and different subpixel mapping techniques based on single or multi-shift remote sensing images. Step-by-step procedures, experimental contents, and result analyses are explained clearly at the end of each chapter. Real-life applications are a great resource for understanding how and where to use subpixel mapping when dealing with different remote sensing imaging data. This book would be of interest to undergraduate and graduate students, majoring in remote sensing, surveying, mapping, and signal and information processing in universities and colleges, and it can also be used by professionals and researchers at different levels in related fields.

UAVs for Vegetation Monitoring by Ana de Castro Megias This book compiles a set of original and innovative papers included in the Special Issue on UAVs for vegetation monitoring, which proves the wide scope of UAVs in very diverse vegetation applications, both in agricultural and forestry scenarios, ranging from the characterization of relevant vegetation features to the detection of plant or crop stressors. New methods and techniques are developed and applied to diverse vegetation scenarios to meet the main challenge of sustainability.

Aerial robotics in agriculture : parafoils, blimps, aerostats, and kites by K. R. Krishna This important volume provides a plethora of information on aerial vehicles and their possible roles in revolutionizing agricultural procedures through spectral analysis of terrains, soils, crops, water resources, diseases, floods, drought, and farm activities. There are several semi-autonomous and autonomous (robotic) aerial vehicles that are examined for their efficiency in offering detailed spectral data about agrarian regions and individual farms. Among them, small drone aircrafts such as fixed-winged and copter models have already caught the imagination of farmers. They are spreading fast in every nook and corner of the farm world. However, there are many more aerial robots that are utilized in greater detail during farming. In this volume, the focus is on aerial vehicles such as parafoils, blimps, aerostats, and kites, and how they are being evaluated for use in experimental farms and fields. A few aerial vehicles, such as robotic parafoils, have been adopted to procure aerial spectral data and visual imagery to aid agronomic procedures. These and other aerial robots are expected to change and improve the use of the sky in agricultural endeavors and the way we conduct agronomic procedures in the very near future. This volume is a timely resource for agricultural researchers, professors and students, and the general public who are interested in aerial vehicles.

Mapping America's national parks : preserving our natural and cultural treasures by Ken Burns (Foreword by); Dayton Duncan (Foreword by) Get an insider look at the US National Park Service to see how they use maps and geospatial technology to protect and manage America's national parks. Maps easily cap your first greeting upon arrival at a national park, allowing you to visualize its vastness, plan your trip, and keep a compact souvenir of your visit. But for the US National Park Service (NPS), maps do more than provide guidance and navigation. Maps help the NPS protect visitors and natural resources. They help manage fires, both unplanned and prescribed. They provide a basis for preserving cultural resources, such as archaeological sites and historic buildings, and for establishing needed facilities, infrastructure, and transportation. The maps in Mapping America's National Parks: Preserving Our Natural and Cultural Treasures are not only beautiful representations of special places. Within the maps are layers of geographic information--a bevy of research and science--that the NPS uses to perform these myriad essential services and to ultimately fulfill their mission. With over 240 full-color maps and photographs of national parks, monuments, battlefields, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, scenic rivers and trails, and more, Mapping America's National Parks takes you on a journey through our most treasured locations and shows how geographic information system (GIS) software helps the NPS keep the balance between park enjoyment and preservation. Through stories told by their own staff, discover how GIS helps the NPS: provide security for individual wildlife species, members of a crowd at a peaceful demonstration, and entire ecosystems; analyze where people most likely are stranded, where they are least likely stranded, and distribute assets in search and rescue operations; develop strategic plans, budgets, and protection for fire management; and share intelligence on wildlife trafficking, zoonotic diseases, field medicine protocols, and more.   Go behind the scenes to see how mapping and geospatial analysis support the full range of NPS natural resource stewardship and science activities. With NPS planning aided by geospatial technology, future generations of park visitors--your children and their children--will be able to enjoy our national parks for years to come.

Women and GIS, Volume 3, Champions of a sustainable world by Mae Jemison (Foreword by) Impressive stories of women using geospatial technology to create sustainable solutions for problems the world faces. The third volume in the Women and GIS series shows how 31 diverse women in various STEAM fields discovered their passion, broke down barriers, and used maps, analysis, imagery, and geographic information systems (GIS) to advance their fields and improve the world. Sharing their experiences from childhood and throughout their careers, each woman reveals her journey in an inspiring recollection of the obstacles she has overcome, the knowledge she has gained along the way, and how tenacity and determination have helped her succeed. Each woman shares tips and words of wisdom that she's gained along the way, including:  Priscilla Mbama Abasi: "Think big! Think about going to space, think about building things no one has seen before."  Arianna Armelli: "If you are like me and crave the freedom to explore a path of the unknown, aka entrepreneurship, a career in STEM will foster the technical foundation to achieve those goals."  Gabi Fleury: "The best advice I was given starting out was 'forge your own path.' Conservation isn't a structured, straight-line career, you can get into it in many ways. This is exciting, but it also can be really challenging, because you have to be flexible, innovative, and always on the lookout for the next opportunity."  Healy Hamilton: "Success, to me, is a daily feeling that you are living true to your values, that you are meaningfully contributing to the world you want to create."  Katharine Hayhoe: "While it's important to have people you respect and trust give you feedback at key points in your career, when it all comes down to it, you have to make the decisions that feel right for you, not the ones that necessarily look best on paper. You're the one who has to live with them."  Featuring strong, persevering women from around the globe, the stories found in Women and GIS, Volume 3: Champions of a Sustainable World will inspire readers who are developing their own life stories to strive for success and achieve amazing accomplishments.

Forest Resources Resilience and Conflicts by Pravat Kumar Shit (Editor); Hamid Reza Pourghasemi (Editor); Partha Pratim Adhikary (Editor); Gouri Sankar Bhunia (Editor); Vishwambhar Prasad Sati (Editor) Forest Resources Resilience and Conflicts presents modern remote sensing and GIS techniques for Sustainable Livelihood. It provides an up-to-date critical analysis of the discourse surrounding forest resources and society, illustrating the relationship between forest resources and the livelihood of local people. The book is organized into four parts consisting of 31 chapters. Each chapter then reviews current understanding, present research, and future implications. Utilizing case studies and novel advances in geospatial technologies, Forest Resources Resilience and Conflicts provides a timely synthesis of a rapidly growing field and stimulates ideas for future work, especially considering sustainable development goals. In addition, the book presents the effective contribution of the forestry sector to populations' livelihoods through improved collection of forestry statistics that foster the understanding and integration of the forestry sector in poverty reduction processes and the national economy to enhance its integration in national planning. It is a valuable resource for researchers and students in environmental science, especially those interested in forestry, geography, and remote sensing. * Demonstrates tools and techniques for measurement, monitoring, mapping, and modeling of forest resources * Explores state-of-the-art techniques using open source software, statistical programming, and GIS, focusing on recent trends in data mining and machine learning * Addresses a wide range of issues with both environmental and societal implications * Provides a global review of the multiple roles of forest resources utilizing case studies to illustrate management strategies and techniques

Mapping, monitoring, and modeling land and water resources : advanced techniques using open source software by Pravat Kumar Shit (Editor); Pulakesh Das (Editor); Gouri Sankar Bhunia (Editor); Dipanwita Dutta (Editor) The wide range of challenges in studying Earth system dynamics due to uncertainties in climate change and complex interference from human activities is creating difficulties in managing land and water resources and ensuring their sustainable use. Mapping, Monitoring, and Modeling Land and Water Resources brings together real-world case studies accurately surveyed and assessed through spatial modeling. The book focuses on the effectiveness of combining remote sensing, geographic information systems, and R. The use of open source software for different spatial modeling cases in various fields, along with the use of remote sensing and geographic information systems, will aid researchers, students, and practitioners to understand better the phenomena and the predictions by future analyses for problem-solving and decision-making.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Vegetation Mapping Project by National Park Service Mappers, ecologists, and botanists collaborated to affirm vegetation types of GRSM and to determine how best to map the vegetation types by using aerial imagery. A vegetation classification developed in 2003 by NatureServe and the NPS served as a foundation to further classify and map the vegetation types of the Park. Data from an additional 10 vegetation plots supported vegetation types either rare or not documented in the 2003 classification. Data from 203 verification sites were collected to test the field key to vegetation types and the application of vegetation types to a sample set of map polygons. Furthermore, data from 972 accuracy assessment (AA) sites were collected (of which 966 were used to test accuracy of the vegetation map layer). This GRSM vegetation mapping project identified 112 vegetation types consisting of 105 association types in the U.S. National Vegetation Classification (USNVC), 2 “park-special” types, 1 “map-special” type, and 4 cultural types in the USNVC.

Protecting the places we love : conservation strategies for entrusted lands and parks by Breece Robertson Protecting special places in danger of being changed forever requires urgent action. It's time for bold conservation strategies to boost land protection around the world. Bold conservation goals require strategic action. In Protecting the Places We Love: Conservation Strategies for Entrusted Lands and Parks, conservationist and geospatial designer Breece Robertson applies her conservation experience, real-world examples, and myriad resources to deliver a vision for success and clear guidance for conservation groups large and small to achieve their goals. The goals of these strategies are familiar: support species, habitats, and natural resources and healthy, livable communities that are climate resilient and socially cohesive, all without high costs. Robertson's tools, many of them free, feel quickly accessible, effective, and adaptable to a new or existing conservation strategy. Readers finish this book feeling confident about integrating existing practices with geospatial data and modern applications. With the smart analysis and targeted action explained in Protecting the Places We Love, readers will better identify places needing protection and better understand how to maximize partnerships, inspire, educate, and engage communities and donors, and produce better results. See the vision and learn to: create maps that tell compelling stories to stakeholders and the public analyze park system equity and access and show the economic benefits map, model, and analyze land characteristics to enhance biodiversity, connectivity, and climate resilience use maps and data to gain insights for fundraising, program initiatives, policy, advocacy, finances, and marketing.   Protecting the Places We Love is perfect for citizens, and for conservation advocates and professionals at small to medium-sized land trusts, conservation organizations, and park agencies. Examples from land protection organizations all over the globe provide field-tested approaches to improve strategic effectiveness. Robertson provides a vision, strategies, and resources that can take your conservation efforts to the next level.

Fundamentals of Capturing and Processing Drone Imagery and Data by Amy E. Frazier (Editor); Kunwar K. Singh (Editor) Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are rapidly emerging as flexible platforms for capturing imagery and other data across the sciences. Many colleges and universities are developing courses on UAS-based data acquisition. Fundamentals of Capturing and Processing Drone Imagery and Data is a comprehensive, introductory text on how to use unmanned aircraft systems for data capture and analysis. It provides best practices for planning data capture missions and hands-on learning modules geared toward UAS data collection, processing, and applications. FEATURES Lays out a step-by-step approach to identify relevant tools and methods for UAS data/image acquisition and processing. Provides practical hands-on knowledge with visual interpretation, well-organized and designed for a typical 16-week UAS course offered on college and university campuses. Suitable for all levels of readers and does not require prior knowledge of UAS, remote sensing, digital image processing, or geospatial analytics. Includes real-world environmental applications along with data interpretations and software used; exercises in chapters 8 through 19 have support materials for free download. Combines the expertise of a wide range of UAS researchers and practitioners across the geospatial sciences. This book provides a general introduction to drones along with a series of hands-on exercises that students and researchers can engage with to learn to integrate drone data into real-world applications. No prior background in remote sensing, GIS, or drone knowledge is needed to use this book. Readers will learn to process different types of UAS imagery for applications (such as precision agriculture, forestry, urban landscapes) and apply this knowledge in environmental monitoring and land-use studies.

Mapping Nature Across the Americas by Kathleen A. Brosnan (Editor); James R. Akerman (Editor) Maps are inherently unnatural. Projecting three-dimensional realities onto two-dimensional surfaces, maps are abstractions that capture someone's idea of what matters within a particular place; they require selections and omissions. It is these very characteristics, however, that give maps their importance in understanding how humans have interacted with the natural world and that give historical maps especially the power to provide rich insights into the relationship between humans and nature over time. That is just what is achieved in Mapping Nature across the Americas. Illustrated throughout, the essays in this book argue for the greater analysis of historical maps in the field of environmental history and for greater attention within the field of the history of cartography to the cultural constructions of nature contained within maps. This volume thus provides the first in-depth and interdisciplinary investigation of the relationship between maps and environmental knowledge in the Americas, from sixteenth-century indigenous cartography in Mexico to the mapping of American forests in the United States during the early conservation years of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

GIS for science : maps for saving the planet by Dawn J. Wright (Editor); Christian Harder (Editor); E. O. Wilson (Foreword by) GIS for Science: Maps for Saving the Planet, Volume 3, highlights real-world examples of scientists creating maps about saving life on Earth and preserving biodiversity.    With Earth and the natural world at risk from various forces, geographic information system (GIS) mapping is essential for driving scientifically conscious decision-making about how to protect life on Earth. In volume 3 of GIS for Science, explore a collection of maps from scientists working to save the planet through documenting and protecting its biodiversity.   In this volume, learn how GIS and data mapping are used in tandem with  global satellite observation forestry marine policy artificial intelligence conservation biology, and environmental education to help preserve and chronicle life on Earth. This volume also spotlights important global action initiatives incorporating conservation, including Half-Earth, 30 x 30, AI for Earth, the Blue Nature Alliance, and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network.  The stories presented in this third volume are ideal for the professional scientist and conservationist and anyone interested in the intersection of technology and the conservation of nature. The book's contributors include scientists who are applying geographic data gathered from the full spectrum of remote sensing and on-site technologies. The maps and data are brought to life using ArcGIS® software and other spatial data science tools that support research, collaboration, spatial analysis, and science communication across many locations and within diverse communities. The stories shared in this book and its companion website present inspirational ideas so that GIS users and scientists can work toward preserving biodiversity and saving planet Earth before time runs out. 

Spatial Econometric Methods in Agricultural Economics Using R by Paolo Postiglione Modern tools, such as GIS and remote sensing, are increasingly used in the monitoring of agricultural resources. The developments in GIS technology offer growing opportunities to agricultural economics analysts dealing with large and detailed spatial databases, allowing them to combine spatial information from different sources and to produce different models. The availability of these valuable sources of information makes the advanced models suggested in the spatial statistic and econometric literature applicable to agricultural economics. This book aims at supporting stakeholders to design spatial surveys for agricultural data and/or to analyse the geographically collected data. This book attempts to describe the main typology of agricultural data and the most appropriate methods for the analysis, together with a detailed description of the available data sources and their collection methods. Topics such as spatial interpolation, point patterns, spatial autocorrelation, survey data analysis, small area estimation, regional data modelling, and spatial econometrics techniques are covered jointly with issues arising from the integration of several data types. The theory of spatial methods is complemented by real and/or simulated examples implemented through the open-source software R.

Trees in Trouble : wildfires, infestations, and climate change by Daniel Mathews A troubling story of the devastating and compounding effects of climate change in the Western and Rocky Mountain states, told through in-depth reportage and conversations with ecologists, professional forest managers, park service scientists, burn boss, activists, and more. Climate change manifests in many ways across North America, but few as dramatic as the attacks on our western pine forests. In Trees in Trouble, Daniel Mathews tells the urgent story of this loss, accompanying burn crews and forest ecologists as they study the myriad risk factors and refine techniques for saving this important, limited resource. Mathews transports the reader from the exquisitely aromatic haze of ponderosa and Jeffrey pine groves to the fantastic gnarls and whorls of five-thousand-year-old bristlecone pines, from genetic test nurseries where white pine seedlings are deliberately infected with their mortal enemy to the hottest megafire sites and neighborhoods leveled by fire tornadoes or ember blizzards. Scrupulously researched, Trees in Trouble not only explores the devastating ripple effects of climate change, but also introduces us to the people devoting their lives to saving our forests. Mathews also offers hope- a new approach to managing western pine forests is underway. Trees in Trouble explores how we might succeed in sustaining our forests through the challenging transition to a new environment.

Women and GIS. Vol. 2, Stars of spatial science by Esri Press; Jane Goodall (Foreword by) Foreword by Jane Goodall Thirty inspiring stories of diverse women using geospatial technology to advance science and help resolve important issues facing the world.  Like the first volume, Women and GIS, Volume 2: Stars of Spatial Science tells how 30 women in many different STEM fields applied themselves, overcame obstacles, and used maps, analysis, imagery, and geographic information systems (GIS) to contribute to their professions and the world. Sharing the experiences of their childhoods, the misstarts and challenges they faced, and the lessons they learned, each story is a celebration of a woman's unique life path and of the perseverance, dedication, and hard work it takes to achieve success. This book includes multicultural women at various points in their careers such as: Barbara Ryan -- Dedicated to open spatial data for everyone Cecille Blake -- Growing GIS capacity in Jamaica and for North and South American countries Rhiannan Price -- Advocating to make a difference for vulnerable populations Verónica Vélez -- Fighting for social and racial justice in education Tanya Harrison -- Bringing Mars to the masses From planetary scientists to civil engineers, entrepreneurs to urban planners, the strong, passionate women in Women and GIS, Volume 2: Stars of Spatial Science serve as guiding stars to motivate readers who are developing their own life stories and to inspire their potential to meaningful achievements. 

Geography and Soil Properties by A. F. Pitty This book, first published in 1978, provides a comprehensive guide to soil properties in any major world region. It emphasizes the significance of the spatial changes in soil patterns, the environmental influence on soils, and their temporal changes, but focuses attention on the systematic examination of soil properties and their reciprocal effects. It covers such important topics as the mineral composition of different soils, their organic matter, structure and porosity, chemical make-up and mechanical properties.

Remote Sensing of Plant Biodiversity by Jeannine Cavender-Bares (Editor); John Gamon (Editor); Philip Townsend (Editor) This Open Access volume aims to methodologically improve our understanding of biodiversity by linking disciplines that incorporate remote sensing, and uniting data and perspectives in the fields of biology, landscape ecology, and geography. The book provides a framework for how biodiversity can be detected and evaluated--focusing particularly on plants--using proximal and remotely sensed hyperspectral data and other tools such as LiDAR. The volume, whose chapters bring together a large cross-section of the biodiversity community engaged in these methods, attempts to establish a common language across disciplines for understanding and implementing remote sensing of biodiversity across scales. The first part of the book offers a potential basis for remote detection of biodiversity. An overview of the nature of biodiversity is described, along with ways for determining traits of plant biodiversity through spectral analyses across spatial scales and linking spectral data to the tree of life. The second part details what can be detected spectrally and remotely. Specific instrumentation and technologies are described, as well as the technical challenges of detection and data synthesis, collection and processing. The third part discusses spatial resolution and integration across scales and ends with a vision for developing a global biodiversity monitoring system. Topics include spectral and functional variation across habitats and biomes, biodiversity variables for global scale assessment, and the prospects and pitfalls in remote sensing of biodiversity at the global scale. 

GIS for science : applying mapping and spatial analytics. Volume 2 by Dawn J. Wright (Editor); Christian Harder (Editor); Jared Diamond (Foreword by) Merging the rigor of the scientific method with the technologies of GIS GIS for Science: Applying Mapping and Spatial Analytics, Volume 2 brings to life a continuing collection of current, real-world examples of scientists using geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial data science to expand our understand of the world. Co-edited by Esri Chief Scientist Dawn Wright and Esri Technology Writer and Information Designer Christian Harder and with a foreword by Pulitzer Prize winner Jared Diamond, these case studies are part of a global effort to find ways to sustain a livable environment for all life on this planet.  The contributors of GIS for Science: Applying Mapping and Spatial Analytics, Volume 2 represent a cross section of scientists who employ data gathered from satellites, aircraft, ships, drones, and myriad other remote-sensing and on-site technologies. This collected data is brought to life with GIS and the broader realm of spatial data science to study a range of issues relevant to our understanding of planet Earth--including epidemiology in light of the COVID-19 pandemic; sustainable precision agriculture; predicting geological processes below the surface of the earth; leveraging GIS near-realtime disaster response, recovery, resilience and reporting; the latest innovations in monitoring air quality; and more. Their stories also show in very practical terms how ArcGIS software and the ArcGIS Online cloud-based system work as a comprehensive geospatial platform to support research, collaboration, spatial analysis, and science communication across many settings and communities. A rich supplementary web site--gisforscience.com--includes actual data along with additional maps, videos, web apps, story maps, workflows and snippets of computer code, including Python notebooks, for readers curious to learn more. Written for professional scientists, the swelling ranks of citizen scientists, and anyone interested in science and geography, GIS for Science: Applying Mapping and Spatial Analytics, Volume 2 offers wonderful examples of our impulse to dream, discover, and understand, as coupled with the rigor and discipline of the scientific method and the foundation of geography. See how scientists from a variety of disciplines are solving some of the world's most pressing problems using geographic information systems--GIS.

FIRE-BIRD : a GIS-based toolset for applying habitat suitability models to inform land management planning by Quresh S. Latif Habitat suitability models can inform forest management for species of conservation concern. Models quantify relationships between known species locations and environmental attributes, which are used to identify areas most likely to support species of concern. Managers can then limit negative human impacts in areas of high suitability or conduct habitat improvements in areas of marginal suitability. Model applications are computationally intensive, requiring time and resources not available to most managers. We developed FIRE-BIRD, an ArcGIS toolbox, to streamline preliminary data processing and application of habitat suitability models to forest management planning for disturbance-associated woodpeckers of conservation concern. Tools are currently developed for black-backed (Picoides arcticus) and white-headed woodpecker (Dryobates albolvartus) in Inland Northwest burned forests; black-backed, white-headed, and hairy woodpecker (D. villosus) in Northern Sierra burned forests; and white-headed woodpecker in Inland Northwest unburned forests. This manual provides tool operating instructions and guidelines to interpret resulting habitat suitability maps. The suite of species currently included makes this toolset best suited for postfire management and restoration treatments in dry mixed-conifer forests. Incorporating additional species and forest conditions in the future will broaden the scope of this toolset.

Unmanned Vehicle Systems for Geomatics : Towards Robotic Mapping. by Costas Armenakis (Editor); Petros Patias (Editor) This book contributes to the transformative and revolutionary use of small, unmanned vehicle systems for three-dimensional geospatial data acquisition and mapping, which is considered to be a paradigm shift in the science and technology of geomatics. The book presents a systematic and comprehensive approach for the use of small mobile unmanned systems for robotic geomatics research and applications. Emphasis is placed on aerial unmanned mapping systems as aerial data collection provides better perspective and coverage of an area, and offers the ability for targeted coverage.

Agricultural Geography by Leslie Symons This book provides a historical summary of agricultural development and representative ways in which agricultural production is undertaken in different social, economic and physical environments. It describes concepts and methodology for understanding any area or type of farming.

Sensing the perfect tomato : an Internet of sensing approach by Denise Wilson Fresh? Juice? Paste? Canned? Stewed? Diced? Pureed? Sun Dried? Salsa? Sauce? Ketchup? Rare is the cuisine that does not make use of the tomato in some way, shape, or form, and the resulting culinary popularity of the tomato has led to its proliferation in fields and farms around the world. While some may still argue whether the tomato is a fruit or a vegetable, few would argue that tomato crops are highly lucrative, attractive to farmers in both developing and developed countries and on large and small farms alike. In fact, for those crops with significant global volume and market share, tomatoes are the highest valued among those crops that lack an affiliation to mind-altering drugs. But, the tomato can be a persnickety critter. The tomato doesn't like it too hot, too chilly, too wet, too dry, or too fertile. Many don't ripen at the same time. Most are easily bruised. And, the selective breeding that has yielded a larger, more attractive, and deep red tomato has also mercilessly drained much of the taste and flavor from a once sweet and delectable fruit. Enter the world of sensors and modern sensing technology. The Internet of Things (IOT), when using well chosen, well networked, and well aggregated sensors, has shown tremendous potential to support precision agriculture, providing a more detailed picture of crops than was previously possible using conventional crop monitoring techniques. But, the stringent resources and tight profit margins that are a fact of life among many tomato growing operations, large and small, mean that sensor technologies must be chosen and used carefully. There is no doubt that each sensor must earn its keep in producing the perfect tomato. With that in mind, this book explores key opportunities to marry the potential of sensors that are networked within the IOT to the needs of tomato production in ways that are economically fruitful, technologically robust, and sustainable overall.

Google Earth Engine Applications by Lalit Kumar (Guest Editor); Onisimo Mutanga (Guest Editor) In a rapidly changing world, there is an ever-increasing need to monitor the Earth's resources and manage it sustainably for future generations. Earth observation from satellites is critical to provide information required for informed and timely decision making in this regard. Satellite-based earth observation has advanced rapidly over the last 50 years, and there is a plethora of satellite sensors imaging the Earth at finer spatial and spectral resolutions as well as high temporal resolutions. The amount of data available for any single location on the Earth is now at the petabyte-scale. An ever-increasing capacity and computing power is needed to handle such large datasets. The Google Earth Engine (GEE) is a cloud-based computing platform that was established by Google to support such data processing. This facility allows for the storage, processing and analysis of spatial data using centralized high-power computing resources, allowing scientists, researchers, hobbyists and anyone else interested in such fields to mine this data and understand the changes occurring on the Earth's surface. This book presents research that applies the Google Earth Engine in mining, storing, retrieving and processing spatial data for a variety of applications that include vegetation monitoring, cropland mapping, ecosystem assessment, and gross primary productivity, among others. Datasets used range from coarse spatial resolution data, such as MODIS, to medium resolution datasets (Worldview -2), and the studies cover the entire globe at varying spatial and temporal scales.

Women and GIS : mapping their stories by ESRI Press Editors Twenty-three stories about how ordinary girls with very different passions have become extraordinary women and made significant contributions to our world Women look to other women as role models and for inspiration. Seeing confidence, leadership and accomplishments in other women helps a young woman envision herself with those qualities. Women and GIS: Mapping Their Stories tells the tales of how 23 women applied themselves and overcame obstacles, using maps, analysis, and geographic information systems (GIS) to contribute to their professions and the world. Sharing the experiences of their childhoods, the misstarts and challenges they faced, and the lessons they learned, each story is a celebration of a woman's unique path and of the perseverance and hard work it takes to achieve success. From oceanographers to activists, archaeologists to entrepreneurs, the women in Women and GIS: Mapping Their Stories can serve as mentors to motivate readers who are developing their own life stories and inspire their potential in a new way.

Sensors in Agriculture, Volume 1 by Dimitrios Moshou (Guest Editor) Agriculture requires technical solutions for increasing production while lessening environmental impact by reducing the application of agro-chemicals and increasing the use of environmentally friendly management practices. A benefit of this is the reduction of production costs. Sensor technologies produce tools to achieve the abovementioned goals. The explosive technological advances and developments in recent years have enormously facilitated the attainment of these objectives, removing many barriers for their implementation, including the reservations expressed by farmers. Precision agriculture and 'smart farming' are emerging areas where sensor-based technologies play an important role. Farmers, researchers, and technical manufacturers are joining their efforts to find efficient solutions, improvements in production, and reductions in costs. This book brings together recent research and developments concerning novel sensors and their applications in agriculture. Sensors in agriculture are based on the requirements of farmers, according to the farming operations that need to be addressed.

Sensors in Agriculture, Volume 2 by Dimitrios Moshou (Guest Editor) Agriculture requires technical solutions for increasing production while lessening environmental impact by reducing the application of agro-chemicals and increasing the use of environmentally friendly management practices. A benefit of this is the reduction of production costs. Sensor technologies produce tools to achieve the abovementioned goals. The explosive technological advances and developments in recent years have enormously facilitated the attainment of these objectives, removing many barriers for their implementation, including the reservations expressed by farmers. Precision agriculture and 'smart farming' are emerging areas where sensor-based technologies play an important role. Farmers, researchers, and technical manufacturers are joining their efforts to find efficient solutions, improvements in production, and reductions in costs. This book brings together recent research and developments concerning novel sensors and their applications in agriculture. Sensors in agriculture are based on the requirements of farmers, according to the farming operations that need to be addressed.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems in Crop Production by K. R. Krishna This volume responds to the growing interest in adopting aerial robots (UAVs, or drones) for agricultural crop production, which are revolutionizing farming methods worldwide. The book provides a detailed review of 250 UAVs that examines their usefulness in enhancing profitability, yield, and quality of crop production. Recent trends indicate an increase in agricultural drone production and use. Millions of dollars have been invested in start-ups that produce agro-drones in the past several years. North America, Europe, China, and the Far East have excelled in offering a large number of UAV models. Some of them are versatile, a few are specific, and many of them are low cost. With so many drone models (over 1200) available, how do farmers and agricultural specialists choose the models best for them? This compendium examines the most useful drones and provides the pertinent details about each drone, its producer, cost incurred, and its pros and cons. It covers their technical specifications, suitability for various purposes, previous performances in farms, and possible benefits to farmers. It covers fixed-wing drones, fixed-winged (hybrid) VTOL helicopters, multi-copters, tilted-wing drones, etc. The book includes a few drones meant more for military or other purposes (e.g. recreation/fun) but that could be easily modified and adapted for the farming sector. The reviews compare activities among the UAVs, such aerial imagery of crops, ability to provide spectral analyses to collect useful data about a crop's growth patterns, and how they can be used to gauge crop canopy temperature (i.e. water stress index), determine grain maturity, and much more.

GIS for Science, Volume 1, Applying Mapping and Spatial Analytics by Dawn J. Wright (Editor); Christian Harder (Editor) GIS for Science presents a collection of real-world stories about modern science and a cadre of scientists who use mapping and spatial analytics to expand their understanding of the world. The accounts in this book are written for a broad audience including professional scientists, the swelling ranks of citizen scientists, and people generally interested in science and geography. Scientific data are brought to life with GIS technology to study a range of issues relevant to the functioning of planet Earth in a natural sense as well as the impacts of human activity. In a race against the clock, the scientists profiled in this volume are using remote sensing, web maps within a geospatial cloud, Esri StoryMaps, and spatial analysis to document and solve an array of issues with a geographic dimension, ranging from climate change, natural disasters, and loss of biodiversity, to homelessness, loss of green infrastructure, and resource shortages. These stories present geospatial ideas and inspiration that readers can apply across many disciplines, making this volume relevant to a diverse scientific audience. See how scientists working on the world's most pressing problems apply geographic information systems--GIS.

Applications of small unmanned aircraft systems : best practices and case studies by J. B. Sharma (Editor) Advances in high spatial resolution mapping capabilities and the new rules established by the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States for the operation of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) have provided new opportunities to acquire aerial data at a lower cost and more safely versus other methods. A similar opening of the skies for sUAS applications is being allowed in countries across the world. Also, sUAS can access hazardous or inaccessible areas during disaster events and provide rapid response when needed. Applications of Small Unmanned Aircraft systems: Best Practices and Case Studies is the first book that brings together the best practices of sUAS applied to a broad range of issues in high spatial resolution mapping projects. Very few sUAS pilots have the knowledge of how the collected imagery is processed into value added mapping products that have commercial and/or academic import. Since the field of sUAS applications is just a few years old, this book covers the need for a compendium of case studies to guide the planning, data collection, and most importantly data processing and map error issues, with the range of sensors available to the user community. Written by experienced academics and professionals, this book serves as a guide on how to formulate sUAS based projects, from choice of a sUAS, flight planning for a particular application, sensors and data acquisition, data processing software, mapping software and use of the high spatial resolution maps produced for particular types of geospatial modeling. Features: Focus on sUAS based data acquisition and processing into map products Broad range of case studies by highly experienced academics Practical guidance on sUAS hardware, sensors, and software utilized Compilation of workflow insights from expert professors and professionals Relevant to academia, government, and industry Positional and thematic map accuracy, UAS curriculum development and workflow replicability issues This book would be an excellent text for upper-level undergraduate to graduate level sUAS mapping application courses. It is also invaluable as a reference for educators designing sUAS based curriculum as well as for potential sUAS users to assess the scope of mapping projects that can be done with this technology.

Topographic Laser Ranging and Scanning by Jie Shan (Editor); Charles K. Toth (Editor) Topographic Laser Ranging and Scanning, Second Edition, provides a comprehensive discussion of topographic LiDAR principles, systems, data acquisition, and data processing techniques. This edition presents an introduction and summary of various LiDAR systems and their principles and addresses the operational principles of the different components and ranging methods of LiDAR systems. It discusses the subsequent geometric processing of LiDAR data, with particular attention to quality, accuracy, and meeting standards and addresses the theories and practices of information extraction from LiDAR data, including terrain surface generation, forest inventory, orthoimage generation, building reconstruction, and road extraction. Written by leaders in the field, this comprehensive compilation is a must-have reference book for senior undergraduate and graduate students majoring or working in diverse disciplines, such as geomatics, geodesy, natural resources, urban planning, computer vision, and computer graphics. It is also vital resource for researchers who are interested in developing new methods and need in-depth knowledge of laser scanning and data processing and other professionals may gain the same from the broad topics addressed in this book. New in the Second Edition: A comprehensive array of new laser ranging and scanning technologies. Developments in LiDAR data format and processing techniques. Regrouping of surface modeling, representations and reconstruction. Enhanced discussions on the principles and fundamentals beyond small-footprint pulsed laser systems and new application examples. Many new examples and illustrations.

3D Remote Sensing Applications in Forest Ecology: Composition, Structure and Function by Hooman Latifi (Guest Editor); Ruben Valbuena (Guest Editor) Dear Colleagues, The composition, structure and function of forest ecosystems are the key features characterizing their ecological properties, and can thus be crucially shaped and changed by various biotic and abiotic factors on multiple spatial scales. The magnitude and extent of these changes in recent decades calls for enhanced mitigation and adaption measures. Remote sensing data and methods are the main complementary sources of up-to-date synoptic and objective information of forest ecology. Due to the inherent 3D nature of forest ecosystems, the analysis of 3D sources of remote sensing data is considered to be most appropriate for recreating the forest's compositional, structural and functional dynamics. In this Special Issue of Forests, we published a set of state-of-the-art scientific works including experimental studies, methodological developments and model validations, all dealing with the general topic of 3D remote sensing-assisted applications in forest ecology. We showed applications in forest ecology from a broad collection of method and sensor combinations, including fusion schemes. All in all, the studies and their focuses are as broad as a forest's ecology or the field of remote sensing and, thus, reflect the very diverse usages and directions toward which future research and practice will be directed.

SAR Image Interpretation for Various Land Covers: a Practical guide by Elizabeth L. Simms This full color book is a comprehensive visual reference for the interpretation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images with examples of how technological specifications may affect interpretation solutions. It contains a summary review of image acquisition parameters of consequence on the visual representation of objects, introduces traditional interpretation keys under different light and applies them for considering regional landscape components and identifying large-scale geographical ensembles. Through elements of interpretation such as the construct of tone, texture, pattern, size, and shape, the book explains the rich unique context of many terrains. It provides also several SAR X- and C-band image examples of regional and large-scale land use and land cover (LULC) ensembles, includes important explanations for each illustration, and highlights selected SAR image applications. Ancillary information includes acquisition specifications, a geographic scale, and the image-center latitude and longitude. Features: Provides ready access to any type of information for an image interpretation problem related to current LULC classification schemes. Presents scalable geographic information interpreted at a regional scale and land cover ensembles that can also be interpreted locally. Provides comparative examples of images acquired from X- and C-band, opposed look directions, near- and far-range incidence angles, like- and cross-polarization modes. Includes practical explanations easily transferred to individual's research projects. Designed as "visual dictionary," SAR Image Interpretation for Various Land Covers: A Practical Guide, is an excellent introduction to the visual interpretation of SAR images for numerous types of LULC. Both practitioners and students will familiarize themselves with and expand their knowledge of geographic information conveyed from radar images while government agencies and businesses that use LULC-related data for emergency response cases of for urban and regional planning, will find this book invaluable.

Assessing potential climate change pressures across the conterminous United States : mapping plant hardiness zones, heat zones, growing degree days, and cumulative drought severity throughout this century by Matthews, Stephen N The maps and tables presented here represent potential variability of projected climate change across the conterminous United States during three 30-year periods in this century and emphasizes the importance of evaluating multiple signals of change across large spatial domains. Maps of growing degree days, plant hardiness zones, heat zones, and cumulative drought severity depict the potential for markedly shifting conditions and highlight regions where changes may be multifaceted across these metrics. In addition to the maps, the potential change in these climate variables are summarized in tables according to the seven regions of the fourth National Climate Assessment to provide additional regional context. Viewing these data collectively further emphasizes the potential for novel climatic space under future projections of climate change and signals the wide disparity in these conditions based on relatively near-term human decisions of curtailing (or not) greenhouse gas emissions.

Basic Principles of Topography by Markoski, Blagoja This book gives a comprehensive overview of all relevant elements in topography and their practical application. It elaborates on the classical representation of terrain on maps such as cartographic projections, together with their classification, scale, and geographical elements. It is richly illustrated with photographs, maps and figures, in which the theoretical explanations are clarified. Readers will become acquainted with the physical characteristics of the ground, i.e. tectonic and erosive shapes, the importance and classification of terrain, genetic (fluvial, abrasive, glacial, karst) and topographic types such as higher (mountains, hills, peaks) and lower terrain (valleys, fields). In addition, the book discusses cartometry and coordinate systems, orientation in space (geographic, topographic, tactical) including by means of maps, instruments and the night sky and elaborates new techniques and technologies such as aerial photogrammetric imagery, global navigation satellite systems and LiDAR. The book also includes methods for the practical execution of concrete measurement operations, such as determining position and movement on land with maps, compass and azimuth which makes it especially useful for practitioners and professionals, e.g., for landscape planning, military exercises, mountaineering, nature walks etc. As such it offers a valuable guide not only for undergraduate students but also for researchers in the fields of geography, geosciences, geodesy, ecology, forestry and related areas looking for an overview on topography. Uniquely, the book also features an extensive glossary of topographical terms.

Vegetation by Allan Sebata This book looks at vegetation changes across the world. The use of normalized difference vegetation index, CORINE Land Cover, geographical information systems and remote sensing to monitor vegetation changes is highlighted. Conversion of dense forests into agricultural land, grazing areas or settlements and land cover changes in a Miombo woodland are reported. The role of neotropical forests as carbon pool stores and a reservoir of global biodiversity is explored. Influence of climate on island forest vegetation types, structure and diversity is reported in detail. Restoration of a degraded wildlife corridor through re-establishing native vegetation in India is also documented. Finally, the role of apomixes, a form of asexual reproduction via seed, in propagation of neotropical plants is discussed.

QGIS and Generic Tools by Nicolas Baghdadi; Clément Mallet; Mehrez Zribi These four volumes present innovative thematic applications implemented using the open source software QGIS. These are applications that use remote sensing over continental surfaces. The volumes detail applications of remote sensing over continental surfaces, with a first one discussing applications for agriculture. A second one presents applications for forest, a third presents applications for the continental hydrology, and finally the last volume details applications for environment and risk issues.

QGIS and Applications in Agriculture and Forest by Nicolas Baghdadi (Editor); Clément Mallet (Editor); Mehrez Zribi (Editor) These four volumes present innovative thematic applications implemented using the open source software QGIS. These are applications that use remote sensing over continental surfaces. The volumes detail applications of remote sensing over continental surfaces, with a first one discussing applications for agriculture. A second one presents applications for forest, a third presents applications for the continental hydrology, and finally the last volume details applications for environment and risk issues.

Push button agriculture : robotics, drones, satellite-guided soil and crop management by K. R. Krishna This book covers three main types of agricultural systems: the use of robotics, drones (unmanned aerial vehicles), and satellite-guided precision farming methods. Some of these are well refined and are currently in use, while others are in need of refinement and are yet to become popular. The book provides a valuable source of information on this developing field for those involved with agriculture and farming and agricultural engineering. The book is also applicable as a textbook for students and a reference for faculty.

QGIS and Applications in Territorial Planning by Nicolas Baghdadi (Editor); Clément Mallet (Editor); Mehrez Zribi (Editor) These four volumes present innovative thematic applications implemented using the open source software QGIS. These are applications that use remote sensing over continental surfaces. The volumes detail applications of remote sensing over continental surfaces, with a first one discussing applications for agriculture. A second one presents applications for forest, a third presents applications for the continental hydrology, and finally the last volume details applications for environment and risk issues.

QGIS and Applications in Water and Risks by Nicolas Baghdadi (Editor); Clément Mallet (Editor); Mehrez Zribi (Editor) Our four volumes propose to present innovative thematic applications implemented using the open source software QGIS. These are applications that use remote sensing over continental surfaces. The four volumes detail applications of remote sensing over continental surfaces, with a first one discussing applications for agriculture. A second one presents applications for forest, a third presents applications for the continental hydrology, and finally the last volume details applications for environment and risk issues.

Agricultural drones : a peaceful pursuit by K. R. Krishna Agricultural drones are expected to revolutionize the way we conduct agronomic procedures and maintain natural vegetation on earth. This book explores the increasing importance of the role of aerial robots in managing agricultural farms and natural resources. Agricultural Drones: A Peaceful Pursuit provides a wealth of information on drone usage in agriculture. The book discusses the advanced sensors and imaging capabilities of drones that give farmers new ways to increase yields and reduce crop damage. An introductory chapter provides historical data, with details about various models of drones as well as the most recent and popular agricultural drones in usage. The book goes onto look at such topics as the use of drones for soil fertility, production agronomy, irrigation, weed control, pest and disease control, grain yield forecasting, and economic advantages from drone use. This timely and useful volume will be a valuable resource for faculty, agricultural extension officers, and farmers and farm consultancy agencies. This book would also serve as an excellent textbook for students in agriculture, engineering, geography, etc. Key features: * outlines the advantages of using drones in agriculture, such as for the management of soil fertility, the study of natural resources and vegetation, the maintenance of adequate irrigation, and the control of weeds and pests * covers the economic advantages of using drones in agriculture * examines the regulatory aspects of agricultural drones * provides actual examples of drone usage in agriculture

GIS - an Overview of Applications by Ana Cláudia Teodoro (Editor) GIS - An Overview of Applications is a compilation of reviews that give an overview of the latest advances in Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. The multidisciplinary nature of the book gives readers perspectives in research fields as diverse as forest management, land use and cover, tourism, environment impact assessment, climate change studies, biodiversity and health care and mobility studies.The book is a suitable reference for graduates involved in data engineering and GIS courses as well as working professionals in the field of data engineering, analysis and management.

Tangible Modeling with Open Source GIS by Anna Petrasova; Brendan Harmon; Vaclav Petras; Payam Tabrizian; Helena Mitasova This book provides an overview of the latest developments in the fast growing field of tangible user interfaces.  It presents a new type of modeling environment where the users interact with geospatial data and simulations using 3D physical landscape model coupled with 3D rendering engine. Multiple users can modify the physical model, while it is being scanned, providing input for geospatial analysis and simulations. The results are then visualized by projecting images or animations back on the physical model while photorealistic renderings of human views are displayed on a computer screen or in a virtual reality headset. New techniques and software which couple the hardware set-up with open source GRASS GIS and Blender rendering engine, make the system instantly applicable to a wide range of applications in geoscience education, landscape design, computer games, stakeholder engagement, and many others.  This second edition introduces a new  more powerful version of the tangible modeling environment with multiple types of interaction, including polymeric sand molding, placement of markers, and delineation of areas using colored felt patches. Chapters on coupling tangible interaction with 3D rendering engine and immersive virtual environment, and a case study integrating the tools presented throughout this book,  demonstrate the second generation of the system - Immersive Tangible Landscape - that enhances the modeling and design process through interactive rendering of modeled landscape.  This book explains main components of Immersive Tangible Landscape System, and provides the basic workflows for running the applications. The fundamentals of the system are followed by series of example applications in geomorphometry, hydrology, coastal and fluvial flooding, fire spread, landscape and park design, solar energy, trail planning, and others.  Graduate  and undergraduate students and educators in geospatial science, earth science, landscape architecture, computer graphics and games, natural resources and many others disciplines, will find this book useful  as a reference or secondary textbook.  Researchers who want to build and further develop the system will most likely be the core audience, but also anybody interested in geospatial modeling applications (hazard risk management, hydrology, solar energy, coastal  and fluvial flooding, fire spread, landscape and park design) will want to purchase this book. 

GIS for surface water : using the national hydrography dataset by Jeff Simley GIS for Surface Water: Using the National Hydrography Dataset enables scientists, managers, and students to understand the complexities of the vital surface waters of the United States. It triggers exploration and analysis by combining the ready-to-use powers of a comprehensive database of the nation's waters and the ArcGIS® platform for geographic data analysis and mapping. This book explains how the water that exists on the landscape has been translated into a computer database, and how data about the water, such as chemistry and fish habitat, is linked to this database. Elevation data is also incorporated to produce watersheds at the micro and macro levels. This information, along with climatic data, leads to the creation of water flow and velocity estimates for every segment in the 7.5-million-mile drainage network in the United States. With the development of this complete water information system, the reader is poised to generate new knowledge of the behavior of surface water systems.  Application of the ArcGIS suite of geographic and network analysis tools makes the science of surface water come to life. GIS for Surface Water vividly demonstrates how the vast capabilities of ArcGIS can be easily applied to the National Hydrography Dataset and companion Watershed Boundary Dataset to reveal the intricate properties of complex water networks. A variety of GIS operations are made simpler through the use of ArcGIS. You will be able to input the National Hydrography Dataset in your GIS and trace the path of water within minutes. With just a little more effort, you will be able to create enlightening flow-volume maps showing how much water flows through any given river system. By following basic principles outlined in the book, you will discover that these methods also apply to the science of surface-water systems for any nation. User stories by experienced water analysts arte also included to help buoy your knowledge of GIS for surface water.

Geospatial Technologies for Land Degradation Assessment and Management by R. S. Dwivedi The constant growth of the world¿s population and the decline of the availability of land and soil resources are global concerns for food security. Other concerns are the decrease in productivity and delivery of essential ecosystems services because of the decline of soil quality and health by a range of degradation processes. Key soil properties like soil bulk density, organic carbon concentration, plant available water capacity, infiltration rate, air porosity at field moisture capacity, and nutrient reserves, are crucial properties for soil functionality which refers to the capacity of soil to perform numerous functions. These functions are difficult to measure directly and are estimated through indices of soil quality and soil health. Soil degradation, its extent and severity, can also be estimated by assessing indices of soil quality and health. "Geospatial Technology for Land Degradation Assessment and Management" uses satellite imagery and remote sensing technologies to measure landscape parameters and terrain attributes. Remote sensing and geospatial technologies are important tools in assessing the extent and the severity of land and soil degradation, their temporal changes, and geospatial distribution in a timely and cost-effective manner. The knowledge presented in the book by Dr. R.S. Dwivedi shows how remote sensing data can be utilized for inventorying, assessing, and monitoring affected ecosystems and how this information can be integrated in the models of different local settings. Through many land degradations studies, land managers, researchers, and policymakers will find practical applications of geospatial technologies and future challenges. The information presented is also relevant to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations towards global food security.

Spatial Data Analysis in Ecology and Agriculture Using R by Richard E. Plant Key features: Unique in its combination of serving as an introduction to spatial statistics and to modeling agricultural and ecological data using R Provides exercises in each chapter to facilitate the book's use as a course textbook or for self-study Adds new material on generalized additive models, point pattern analysis, and new methods of Bayesian analysis of spatial data. Includes a completely revised chapter on the analysis of spatiotemporal data featuring recently introduced software and methods Updates its coverage of R software including newly introduced packages   Spatial Data Analysis in Ecology and Agriculture Using R, 2ndEditionprovides practical instruction on the use of the R programming language to analyze spatial data arising from research in ecology, agriculture, and environmental science. Readers have praised the book's practical coverage of spatial statistics, real-world examples, and user-friendly approach in presenting and explaining R code, aspects maintained in this update. Using data sets from cultivated and uncultivated ecosystems, the book guides the reader through the analysis of each data set, including setting research objectives, designing the sampling plan, data quality control, exploratory and confirmatory data analysis, and drawing scientific conclusions.  Additional material to accompany the book, on both analyzing satellite data and on multivariate analysis, can be accessed at https://www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/plant/additionaltopics.htm. 　

Vegetation and Soils : a World Picture by S. R. Eyre Vegetation and Soils is an introduction to the study of vegetation and soil distribution. In this accessible work, S. R. Eyre describes the distributions of these two important elements in the landscape. The book progresses regionally, and the land areas of the earth are subdivided according to the distribution of their main vegetation and soil types. The author argues that the nature of the soil is not determined by vegetation any more than it is determined by climate, but the nature of the vegetation always has some bearing on the nature of the soil, and vice versa.Eyre studies the ways in which plant communities and soil profiles develop and the complexity of the vegetation-climatic relationship. The middle and high latitudes are examined, as well as the tropical regions. In order to avoid broad generalizations of vast regions, the example of the British Isles is used to show that vegetation and soil maps can be misleading on a continental scale. The book concludes with a series of vegetation maps, which show the distribution of plant formations. Also included are tables providing climatic correlations with vegetation and a glossary of relevant terms.This classic work shows the intimate connection between vegetation development and soil development. For this reason, this book is a major contribution to the study of the physical aspects of geography and will be of particular interest to students of geography, botany, and agriculture.

Digital Soil Mapping Across Paradigms, Scales and Boundaries by Gan-Lin Zhang (Editor); Dick Brus (Editor); Feng Liu (Editor); Xiao-Dong Song (Editor); Philippe Lagacherie (Editor) This book contains papers presented at the 6th Global Workshop on Digital SoilMapping, held 11-14 November 2014 at the Institute of Soil Science, ChineseAcademy of Sciences of Nanjing, China. Digital soil mapping is advancing ondifferent fronts at different paces throughout the world. The researches andapplications on DSM are moving from method development to realizations indifferent scales and regions, serving the generation of national andcontinental to global soil grids. Meanwhile, new ideas and insights on mapping complex soil-landscapes such as flat plains,anthropogenically altered agriculture and urban spaces are emerging, with the help of new paradigms and models.The goal of the sixth workshop was to review and discuss the state ofthe art in digital soil mapping, and to explore strategies for bridgingresearch, production, and environmental applications. Thisbook provides a very useful and comprehensive overview of the status of digitalsoil mapping, in which graduate students, scientists and specialists workingwithin the field of geography can find the spatial prediction approaches andrelated theory.             

GIS Technology Applications in Environmental and Earth Sciences by Bai Tian This book starts with an overview of GIS technology, what GIS technology is, what it can do, what software products are available, etc. Then, throughout the book, the author explains with many case studies, programs, maps, graphics, and 3D models how GIS and other related technologies can be used to automate mapping processes, collect, process, edit, store, manage, and share datasets, statistically analyze data, model, and visualize large datasets to understand patterns, trends, and relationships to make educated decisions. This book is an excellent resource for anyone who is interested in GIS and related technologies, geology, natural resource, and environmental science.

Forest Mensuration by John A. Kershaw; Mark J. Ducey; Thomas W. Beers; Bertram Husch Forest mensuration - the science of measurement applied to forest vegetation and forest products - holds value for basic ecology as well as sustainable forest management.  As demands on the world's forests have grown, scientists and professionals are increasingly called on to quantify forest composition, structure, and the goods and services forests provide.  Grounded in geometry, sampling theory, and ecology as well as practical field experience, forest mensuration offers opportunities for creative problem solving and critical thinking.  This fifth edition of the classic volume, Forest Mensuration, includes coverage of traditional and emerging topics, with attention to SI and Imperial units throughout. The book has been reorganised from the fourth edition to better integrate non-timber and ecological aspects of forest mensuration at the tree, stand, forest, and landscape scales throughout.  The new edition includes new chapters that specifically address the integration of remotely sensed data in the forest inventory process, and inventory methods for dead and downed wood. One unifying theme, not only for traditional forestry but for the non-timber inventory and for remote sensing, is the use of covariates to make sampling more efficient and spatially explicit.  This is introduced in the introductory chapter on statistics and the chapter on sampling designs has been restructured to highlight this approach and lay the foundation for further learning. New examples will be developed throughout the textbook with an emphasis on current issues and international practice. Students in applied forestry programs will find ample coverage of forest products and timber inventory, while expanded material on biodiversity, biomass and carbon inventory, downed dead wood, and the growing role of remote sensing in forest assessment will be valuable to a broader audience in applied ecology.

National individual tree species atlas by James R. Ellenwood This reference volume covers each tree species in the United States and precisely where each species is likely to grow and not grow. This illustrated work will benefit silviculturists, foresters, geneticists, researchers, botanists, wildlife habitat biologists, landscape ecologists—essentially anyone involved in natural resources management, monitoring impacts of climate change or visiting America's forests and landscapes. Table of Contents National Individual Tree Species Atlas v Dedication and Acknowledgements iii List of Maps Conifers vi List of Maps Hardwoods v ii Preface ix Introduction Mapped Atlas Methods Overlays Map Preparation Modeled Atlas Methods Predictor Layers United States Geological Survey Map Zone Climate Terrain Soils Imagery Ground Data Individual Species Modeling Validation Application of the Maps Color Scheme Model Fit Leaves Other Data Specific Notes Changes to species classifications Notable differences in range Species observed Species notes Feedback Conifers Hardwoods Appendices Appendix A (Predictor Layers) Appendix B (Species Metadata) Appendix C (Indices) Appendix D (Photo Credits) References

GIS applications in agriculture. Volume 4, Conservation planning by Tom Mueller (Editor); Gretchen F. Sassenrath (Editor); Scott A. Shearer (Editor) Conservation planning involves targeted management practices and land use decision-making based on careful analysis of landscape limitations in order to protect soil and water resources. Developing solutions to conservation planning is of worldwide interest due to anticipated population growth, growing demand of feedstocks for biofuels, decreasing

Guide to the Vascular Plants of Tennessee by Edward W. Chester; S. Eugene Wofford; Joey Shaw; Dwayne Estes; David H. Webb The product of twenty-five years of planning, research, and writing, Guide to the Vascular Plants of Tennessee is the most comprehensive, detailed, and up-to-date resource of its kind for the flora of the Volunteer State, home to nearly 2,900 documented taxa. Not since Augustin Gattinger's 1901 Flora of Tennessee and a Philosophy of Botany has a work of this scope been attempted.             The team of editors, authors, and contributors not only provide keys for identifying the major groups, families, genera, species, and lesser taxa known to be native or naturalized within the state--with supporting information about distribution, frequency of occurrence, conservation status, and more--but they also offer a plethora of descriptive information about the state's physical environment and vegetation, along with a summary of its rich botanical history, dating back to the earliest Native American inhabitants.             Other features of the book include a comprehensive glossary of botanical terms and an array of line drawings that illustrate the identifying characteristics of vascular plants, from leaf shape and surface features to floral morphology and fruit types. Finally, the book's extensive keys are indexed by families, scientific names, and common names. The result is a user-friendly work that researchers, students, environmentalists, foresters, conservationists, and indeed anyone interested in Tennessee and its botanical legacy and resources will value for years to come.  

Routledge Handbook of Forest Ecology by Kelvin S. -H. Peh (Editor); Richard T. Corlett (Editor); Yves Bergeron (Editor) This comprehensive handbook provides a unique resource covering all aspects of forest ecology from a global perspective. It covers both natural and managed forests, from boreal, temperate, sub-tropical and tropical regions of the world. The book is divided into seven parts, addressing the following themes: forest types forest dynamics forest flora and fauna energy and nutrients forest conservation and management forests and climate change human impacts on forest ecology. While each chapter can stand alone as a suitable resource for a lecture or seminar, the complete book provides an essential reference text for a wide range of students of ecology, environmental science, forestry, geography and natural resource management. Contributors include leading authorities from all parts of the world.

Use of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to Assess Land Degradation at Multiple Scales : Current Status, Future Trends, and Practical Considerations by Genesis T. Yengoh; David Dent; Lennart Olsson; Anna E. Tengberg; Compton J. Tucker III This report examines the scientific basis for the use of remotely sensed data, particularly Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), primarily for the assessment of land degradation at different scales and for a range of applications, including resilience of agro-ecosystems. Evidence is drawn from a wide range of investigations, primarily from the scientific peer-reviewed literature but also non-journal sources. The literature review has been corroborated by interviews with leading specialists in the field. The report reviews the use of NDVI for a range of themes related to land degradation, including land cover change, drought monitoring and early warning systems, desertification processes, greening trends, soil erosion and salinization, vegetation burning and recovery after fire, biodiversity loss, and soil carbon. This SpringerBrief also discusses the limits of the use of NDVI for land degradation assessment and potential for future directions of use. A substantial body of peer-reviewed research lends unequivocal support for the use of coarse-resolution time series of NDVI data for studying vegetation dynamics at global, continental and sub-continental levels. There is compelling evidence that these data are highly correlated with biophysically meaningful vegetation characteristics such as photosynthetic capacity and primary production that are closely related to land degradation and to agroecosystem resilience.

Urban tree management : for the sustainable development of green cities by Andreas Roloff (Editor) Urban tree management is the key basis for greener cities of the future. It is a practical discipline which includes tree selection, planting, care and protection and the overall management of trees as a collective resource. Urban Tree Management aims to raise awareness for the positive impacts and benefits of city trees and for their importance to city dwellers. It describes their advantages and details their effects on quality of urban life and well-being - aspects that are increasingly important in these times of progressing urbanisation. With this book you will learn: fundamentals, methods and tools of urban tree management state of the art in the fields of urban forestry and tree biology positive effects and uses of urban trees features, requirements and selection criteria for urban trees conditions and problems of urban trees governance and management aspects environmental education programs. Edited by the leading expert Dr Andreas Roloff, Urban Tree Management is an excellent resource for plant scientists, horticulturists, dendrologists, arborists and arboriculturists, forestry scientists, city planners, parks department specialists and landscape architects. It will be an essential addition to all students and libraries where such subjects are taught.

Forestry Applications of Airborne Laser Scanning : Concepts and Case Studies by Matti Maltamo (Editor); Jari Vauhkonen (Editor) Airborne laser scanning (ALS) has emerged as one of the most promising remote sensing technologies to provide data for research and operational applications in a wide range of disciplines related to management of forest ecosystems. This book provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art review of the research and application of ALS in a broad range of forest-related disciplines, especially forest inventory and forest ecology. However, this book is more than just a collection of individual contributions - it consists of a well-composed blend of chapters dealing with fundamental methodological issues and contributions reviewing and illustrating the use of ALS within various domains of application. The reviews provide a comprehensive and unique overview of recent research and applications that researchers, students and practitioners in forest remote sensing and forest ecosystem assessment should consider as a useful reference text.

Farming the Future: GIS for Agriculture, Vol 2 by ESRI Geographic information system (GIS) technology is used throughout the agricultural industry to manage resources, increase yields, reduce input costs, predict outcomes, improve business practices, and more.The capability of GIS to visualize agricultural environments and workflows has proved to be very beneficial to those involved in farming. The powerful analytical capabilities of the technology is used to examine farm conditions and measure and monitor the effects of farm management practices including crop yield estimates, soil amendment analyses, and erosion identification and remediation. GIS can also be used to reduce farm input costs such as fertilizer, fuel, seed, labor, and transportation. In addition, farm managers use GIS to submit government program applications, simplifying what used to be time-consuming multistep processes.From collecting data in the field with mobile GIS to the analysis of remote-sensing data at the farm manager's office, GIS is playing an increasing role in agriculture production throughout the world by helping farmers expand production, reduce costs, and manage their land more efficiently.

Net change in forest density, 1873-2001 : using historical maps to monitor long-term forest trends by Greg C Liknes European settlement of the United States and utilization of forests are inextricably linked. Forest products fueled development, providing the building blocks for railroads, bridges, ships, and homes. Perhaps because of the importance of its forests, the United States has a rich cartographic history documenting its resources. Long-term, broad-scale monitoring efforts for forests focus on relatively simple measures, such as forest area, change in forest area over time, and proportion of forest land. We demonstrate how historical cartographic products could be effectively used to produce information about the change of forests over time at regional or national scales. We georeferenced and digitized a map of U.S. woodland density circa 1873 produced for the first national atlas. Using a contemporary digital forest layer derived from MODIS satellite imagery, we developed density categories that matched the historical map and calculated changes since 1873. A process is presented for combining historical maps with modern data. We discuss challenges with georeferencing of scanned images, lack of metadata, thematic misclassification, and inconsistent definitions, all of which require that historical maps should be used with caution for the purpose of broad-scale monitoring of resources.

An atlas of the world's conifers : an analysis of their distribution, biogeography, diversity, and conservation status by Aljos Farjon; Denis Filer A 2014 Choice Magazine "Outstanding Academic Title"An Atlas of the World's Conifers is the first ever atlas of all known conifer species. It is a comprehensive work describing the natural distribution, biogeography, diversity and conservation status of the conifers on all continents.

The atlas of food : who eats what, where, and why by Erik Millstone What we eat, where we eat, and how we eat: these questions are explored in this remarkable book, now with a new introduction contextualizing the atlas for 2013 and beyond. By providing an up-to-date and visually appealing understanding of important issues around global food and agriculture, The Atlas of Food maps out broad areas of investigation--contamination of food and water, overnutrition, micronutrient deficiency, processing, farming, and trade--to offer a concise overview of today's food and farming concerns. Buttressed by engaging prose and vivid graphics, Erik Millstone and Tim Lang convincingly argue that human progress depends on resolving global inequality and creating a more sustainable food production system.

Forest Soils : Properties and Management by Khan Towhid Osman Forest soil characteristics are not only unique but their interpretation also differs from cropland soils. Just as there are diverse forest types, there are many soil variants that need different management. Today, forest plantations are being intensively managed for profitable timber, pulpwood and energy production. Site selection, species selection, site productivity evaluation, silvicultural treatments, and soil amendments need crucial soil information. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the physical, chemical and biological properties of forest soils and their implications on forest vegetation. Topics discussed include: major forest types of the world and their associated soils; forest biomass and nutrient dynamics; organic matter turnover and nutrient recycling; forest soil disturbance; forest soil and climate change; and forest soil management and silvicultural treatments.

A Guide to Assessing Urban Forests by U.S. Forest Service Urban forests provide numerous ecosystem services. To quantify these services and guide management to sustain these services for future generations, the structure or composition of the forest must be assessed. There are two basic ways of assessing the structure or composition of the urban forest: Bottom-up approach. Field-based assessments to measure the physical structure of the forest (e.g., species composition, number of trees)—typically used for strategic resource management or advocacy by connecting forest structure, functions and values with management costs, risks, and needs. Top-down approach. Assessments of canopy cover using aerial or satellite images—used to determine amount and distribution of tree cover, potential planting space and other cover types. These two approaches provide different types of urban forest information. The purpose of this guide is to outline the advantages, disadvantages and costs associated with various common assessment alternatives under these two approaches.

Remote sensing of land use and land cover : principles and applications by Chandra P. Giri (Editor) Filling the need for a comprehensive book that covers both theory and application, Remote Sensing of Land Use and Land Cover: Principles and Applications provides a synopsis of how remote sensing can be used for land-cover characterization, mapping, and monitoring from the local to the global scale. With contributions by leading scientists from around the world, this well-structured volume offers an international perspective on the science, technologies, applications, and future needs of remote sensing of land cover and land use. After an overview of the key concepts and history of land-use and land-cover mapping, the book discusses the relationship between land cover and land use and addresses the land-cover classification system. It then presents state-of-the-art methods and techniques in data acquisition, preprocessing, image interpretation, and accuracy assessment for land-use and land-cover characterization and mapping. Case studies from around the world illustrate land-cover applications at global, continental, and national scales. These examples use multiple data sources and provide in-depth understanding of land cover and land-cover dynamics in multiple spatial, thematic, and temporal resolutions. Looking to the future, the book also identifies new frontiers in land-cover mapping and forecasting. The availability and accessibility of accurate and timely land-cover data sets play an important role in many global change studies, highlighting the need for better land-use and land-cover change information at multiple scales. A synthesis of current knowledge in remote sensing of land-use and land-cover science, this book promotes more effective use of Earth observation data and technology to assess, monitor, and manage land resources.

Plant and Vegetation Mapping by Franco Pedrotti The book is concerned principally with geobotanical mapping. Geobotany is a broad science that deals with the study of species and of vegetation communities in relation to the environment; it includes other, perhaps more familiar sciences, such as plant geography, plant ecology, and chorology, and phytosociology (plant sociology). Geobotanical cartography is a field of thematic cartography that deals with the interpretation and representation, in the form of maps, of those spatial and temporal phenomena that pertain to flora, vegetation, vegetated landscapes, vegetation zones, and phytogeographical units. The production of a geobotanical map represents the last stage in a cognitive process that begins with observations in the field and continues with the collection of sample data, interpretation of the phenomena observed, and their appropriate cartographic representation; geobotanical cartography is closely tied to the concepts and scope of geobotany in general

Global Forest Monitoring from Earth Observation by Frederic Achard (Editor); Matthew C. Hansen (Editor) Forests provide a large range of beneficial services, including tangible ones such as timber and recreation, and intangible services such as climate regulation, biodiversity, and watershed protection. On the other hand, forests can also be considered roadblocks to progress that occupy space more productively used for agriculture, making consideration of their regulating services crucial for balancing land use and forest loss. Monitoring forest cover and loss is critical for obtaining the data necessary to help define what is needed to maintain the varying forest service requirements in different parts of the world. There is an increasing need for timely and accurate forest change information, and consequently a greater interest in monitoring those changes. Global Forest Monitoring from Earth Observation covers the very recent developments undertaken for monitoring forest areas from global to national levels using Earth observation satellite data. It describes operational tools and systems for monitoring forest ecosystems, discussing why and how researchers currently use remotely sensed data to study forest cover and loss over large areas. The book introduces the role of forests in providing ecosystem services and the need for monitoring their change over time, followed by an overview of the use of earth observation data to support forest monitoring. It discusses general methodological differences, including wall-to-wall mapping and sampling approaches, as well as data availability. This book provides excellent coverage of the research and applications of forest monitoring, indicator mapping at coarse spatial resolution, sample-based assessments, and wall-to-wall mapping at medium spatial resolution using optical remote sensing datasets, such as MODIS and Landsat. It examines the use of radar imagery in forest monitoring and presents a number of operational systems, from Brazil's PRODES and DETER products to Australia's NCAS system. Written by leading global experts in the field, this book offers a launch point for future advances in satellite-based monitoring of global forest resources. It gives readers a deeper understanding of global forest monitoring methods and shows how state-of-the-art technologies may soon provide key data for creating more balanced policies.

Soils : Principles, Properties and Management by Khan Towhid Osman Aimed at taking the mystery out of soil science, Soils: Principles, Properties and Management is a text for undergraduate/graduate students who study soil as a natural resource. Written in a reader-friendly style, with a host of examples, figures and tables, the book leads the reader from the basics of soil science through to complex situations, covering such topics as: the origin, development and classification of soil physical, chemical and biological properties of soil water and nutrient management management of problem soils, wetland soils and forest soils soil degradation Further, the ecological and agrological functions of soil are emphasized in the context of food security, biodiversity and climate change. The interactions between the environment and soil management are highlighted. Soil is viewed as an ecosystem itself and as a part of larger terrestrial ecosystems.

Atlas of rural and small-town America by United States. Department of Agriculture. Economic Research Service "Objectives ...: To provide a spatial interpretation of county-level, economic and social conditions along four dimensions: people, jobs, agriculture, and county classifications; To highlight the value of the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey ... and ... data from several different Federal sources." Allows generation and download in JPG or PNG formats of maps that reflect selected characteristics. Allows download of numeric data in Micosoft Excel spreadsheet format.

The national tree-list layer : a seamless, spatially explicit tree-list layer for the continental United States by Stacy Allen Drury The National Tree-List Layer (NTLL) project used LANDFIRE map products to produce the first national tree-list map layer that represents tree populations at stand and regional levels. The NTLL was produced in a short time frame to address the needs of Fire and Aviation Management for a map layer that could be used as input for simulating fire-caused tree mortality across landscapes. Simulated tree mortality estimates using the NTLL as model input provided acceptable results when compared with tree mortality simulations using field-sampled tree attribute data. Our results indicate that fire managers can expect simulated tree-mortalities using the NTLL to predict fire-caused tree mortality as well as field-measured plot data, especially during extreme wildfire events. Decision makers can use tree mortality maps that are produced using the NTLL to develop and support decisions such as where to place fuels treatments or where to most effectively position fire suppression resources.

Invasive Species by Sharon A. Clay (Editor) While many "alien" plant and animal species are purposefully introduced into new areas as ornamentals, livestock, crops, and even pets, these species can escape into other areas and threaten agricultural and native ecosystems causing economic and environmental harm, or harm to human health. Increasingly, scientists are using Geographic Information

Nutrient Management for Energy Efficiency by David Clay (Editor); David E. Clay (Editor); John F. Shanahan (Editor) We are entering a new era in production agronomics. Agricultural scientists the world over call for the development of techniques that simultaneously increase soil carbon storage and reduce agriculture's energy use. In response, site-specific or precision agriculture has become the focus and direction for the three motivating forces that are changi

Imagery: GIS Best Practices by ESRI The availability and resolution of remotely sensed imagery from earth-orbiting satellites and airborne, hydrographic, and terrestrial sensors have grown dramatically. While this data is potentially valuable to many different types of organizations, they must fi nd a way to manage it while addressing problems related to data latency, accuracy, and format interoperability.GIS provides a standards-based framework to manage data and mitigate these issues. With GIS, you canIntegrate disparate data sources and manage large raster catalogs to provide enterprise „accessibility.Promote interoperability.„Perform dynamic server-side image processing from native data sources to minimize data „latency.

Remote Sensing of Global Croplands for Food Security by Prasad Thenkabail (Editor); John G. Lyon (Editor); Hugh Turral (Editor); Chandrashekhar Biradar (Editor) Increases in populations have created an increasing demand for food crops while increases in demand for biofuels have created an increase in demand for fuel crops. What has not increased is the amount of croplands and their productivity. These and many other factors such as decreasing water resources in a changing climate have created a crisis like

A discrete global grid for photointerpretation by Joseph McCollum The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, collects its data in three phases. The first phase is collection of photointerpretation data or dot counts, the second phase is field collection of FIA plot data, and the third phase is collection of Forest Health Monitoring data. This paper describes the development of the Phase 2 (P2) and Phase 3 (P3) grids and discusses the creation of a new grid for Phase 1 (P1), complete with an efficient indexing scheme, which is essentially equivalent to the historical dot count grids. The P2 grid consists of one field site per approximately 6,000 acres. To create the new P1 grid, we decomposed the P2 grid by a factor of 27 to obtain new proposed P1 photointerpretation cells of about 220 acres. The new grid can be used for initial photointerpretation points to determine area estimates forested land.

Encyclopedia of Soil Science by Ward Chesworth (Editor) The Encyclopedia of Soil Science provides a comprehensive, alphabetical treatment of basic soil science in a single volume. It constitutes a wide ranging and authorative collection of some 160 academic articles covering the salient aspects of soil physics, chemistry, biology, fertility, technology, genesis, morphology, classification and geomorphology. With increased usage of soil for world food production, building materials, and waste repositories, demand has grown for a better global understanding of soil and its processes. longer articles by leading authorities from around the world are supplemented by some 430 definitions of common terms in soil sciences.

Atlas of Current and Potential Future Distributions of Common Trees of the Eastern United States by Louis P. Iverson This atlas documents the current and possible future distribution of 80 common tree species in the Eastern United States and gives detailed information on environmental characteristics defining these distributions. Also included are outlines of life history characteristics and summary statistics for these species. Much of the data are derived from Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data, analyzed in concert with 33 environmental variables within a geographic information system. Life history information, including regeneration and disturbance characteristics, were generated via the literature and are provided in data base format. Summary statistics offer an overall perspective on the tree species of the eastern United States. Regression tree analysis models were constructed to determine possible future habitat for each species under two scenarios of global climate change. Results show that, depending on the scenario, 4-8 of the 80 species could be extirpated from the Eastern United States after climate change. Appendices provide information on the data and methods used, including demonstration of a migration model.

Forester's Guide to Aerial Photo Interpretation by Gene Avery Excerpt from Forester's Guide to Aerial Photo InterpretationThis guide is intended as a practical reference on techniques of aerial photo interpretation in forest inventory. It'is written for the forester with a casual knowledge of aerial photography. No attempt is made to cover complex subjects like topographic mapping or operation of expensive stereo-plotting instruments. Although single prints are occasionally useful, emphasis is on ste r e o s c 0pi c interpretation of vertical aerial photog raphs available from various agencies of the U. S. Department of Agriculture (usda). Southern forest conditions are stressed, but the basic techniques are applicable in most of the United States.With a minimum of training, the forester can use photos to de termine bearings and distances, identify broad forest types, and measure areas. Additional experience will enable him to improve the efficiency of timber cruising by distributing field samples on the basis of photo classifications. In some instances, he may even be able to estimate timber volumes directly from the photographs.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Atlas of United States Trees by Elbert L. Little Jr v. 1. Conifers and important hardwoods, by E.L. Little, Jr.--v. 2. Alaska trees and common shrubs, by L.A. Viereck and E.L. Little, Jr.--v. 3. Minor western hardwoods, by E.L. Little, Jr. (1314) --v. 4. Minor eastern hardwoods, by E.L. Little, Jr. (--v. 5. Florida, by E.L. Little, Jr.--v. 6. Supplement, by E.L. Little, Jr.