BACKGROUND Evidence increasingly shows that stream ecosystems greatly contribute to global carbon fluxes. This involves a tight coupling between biofilms, the dominant form of microbial life in streams, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), a very significant pool of organic carbon on Earth. Yet, the interactions between microbial biodiversity and the molecular diversity of resource use are poorl...

The impact of riparian land use on the stream insect communities was studied at Kudremukh National Park located within Western Ghats, a tropical biodiversity hotspot in India. The diversity and community composition of stream insects varied across streams with different riparian land use types. The rarefied family and generic richness was highest in streams with natural semi evergreen forests a...

Many species of wildlife depend on riparian habitats for various life-history functions (e.g., breeding, foraging, overwintering). Although this unique habitat is critical for many species, delineations of riparian zones and buffers for various taxa are lacking. Typically when buffer zones are determined to mitigate edge effects, they are based on criteria that protect aquatic resources alone a...

This poster presents the use of the Dublin Core for tools that make species distribution modeling. As a case study, this poster proposes the use of the Dublin Core for there to be a connection between the models generated by tools of species distribution, contributing to the area for biodiversity informatics.

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...

Title of document: INTERREGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN STREAM ECOSYSTEM RESPONSES TO URBANIZATION: CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES Ryan Michael Utz, Doctor of Philosophy, 2010 Directed by: Dr. Robert H. Hilderbrand Program of Marine, Estuarine and Environmental Science Stream ecosystems are profoundly degraded by watershed urbanization. Hydrologic, geomorphic, chemical and thermal adjustment following urban d...

~ Riparian vegetation increases stream channel complexity and directly contributes to aquatic habitat through inputs of logs and branches. In turn, the provision of complex habitat has a major influence on aquatic biodiversity. ~ Logs and branches can enhance stream stability, regulate sediment transport and exert significant control on channel complexity in bedrock rivers and channel geomorpho...

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...