Monitoring Ecological Change

Living communities are continuously changing, both as a result of natural processes and the activities of Man. It is essential for us to have effective biological and ecological monitoring programmes in order to detect these changes and understand the factors which influence them. Monitoring Ecological Change provides a practical and thought-provoking introduction to the subject, which will be of broad interest to students and professionals in the areas of ecology, environmental science, conservation and resource management. In the first part of the book, the roles of local, national and international organisations which implement monitoring programmes are discussed and assessed. In the second section of the book, a wide range of examples are used to explain and evaluate methods of data collection, analysis and interpretation. The final section focuses on the important applications of biological monitoring, such as pollution control, land-use management, monitoring rare species, and post-environmental impact assessment.