Forests are biologically diverse systems, representing some of the richest biological areas on Earth. They offer a variety of habitats for plants, animals and micro-organisms. However, forest biodiversity is increasingly threatened as a result of deforestation, fragmentation, climate change and other stressors. Biodiversity is the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or on t...

Forests are biologically diverse systems, representing some of the richest biological areas on Earth. They offer a variety of habitats for plants, animals and micro-organisms. However, forest biodiversity is increasingly threatened as a result of deforestation, fragmentation, climate change and other stressors. Biodiversity is the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or on t...

Biodiversity plays a crucial role in stability and productivity of natural ecosystem. The main goal of this research was to classify ecological groups in steppe rangeland and investigate their relationships with plant diversity indices. Therefore, fifty different Land Unit Tracts (LUT) were identified in Khod-Neuk basin, Yazd province, Iran, in 2010. Vegetation and soil samples were taken in th...

Independently owned nature reserves are proliferating across the developing world. Nevertheless, the conservation community knows practically nothing about them. This paper examines the economic, ecological, and social impacts of ecotourism, as evidenced at thirty-two of these reserves. Ecotourism is shown to be the primary means through which reserves survive financially. This reliance provide...

The economic importance and uses of the large number of plant species of India make it essential for their biodiversity to be conserved. In order to undertake the steps for biodiversity conservation such as identiication of species and monitoring of climatic conditions, it is essential to eeciently manage the vast amount of biodiversity related data. This data includes taxonomic data, geographi...

MOTIVATION Rich collections of biodiversity information such as spatial distributions, species descriptions and trait data are now synthesized in publicly available online sources such as GBIF. Also phylogenetic knowledge now provides a sound understanding of the origin of organisms and their place in the tree of life. We demonstrate with PhyloJIVE that any phylogenetic tree can be linked to on...

Extensive livestock production has been Mongolia’s major industry for centuries and traditional nomadic herding lifestyle and Mongolia’s expansive rangelands sustain this industry. After the democratic election and economic liberalization in 1992, formerly state-owned collectives were disbanded and Mongolia’s livestock population was privatized. There was no longer a state institution to formal...

Seeding rangeland following wildfire is a central tool managers use to stabilize soils and inhibit the spread of invasive plants. Rates of successful seeding on arid rangeland, however, are low. The objective of this study was to determine the degree to which water availability, invasive plant abundance, and seeding technology influence postfire seedling establishment. Across four fire complexe...

Oklahoma is blessed with an abundance of excellent forage resources. Many Oklahoma producers enjoy the benefits of operating livestock production systems on both rangeland and introduced-forage pastures. However, some producers may not be aware of the need for different management strategies for the two ecosystems. Improper management generally results in decreased profitability of the livestoc...