wetlands as water resources have a special place in the semi-arid plateau of iran and boundary determination is necessary for their effective conservation and conflict resolution among stakeholders that are dependent on these resources. determination of the wetland boundaries should be commensurate with environmental features affecting on it which normally extend beyond water extent. ecological...

Ecological indicators have widespread appeal to scientists, environmental managers, and the general public. Indicators have long been used to detect changes in nature, but the scientific maturation in indicator development primarily has occurred in the past 40 years. Currently, indicators are mainly used to assess the condition of the environment, as early-warning signals of ecological problems...

Ecological indicators can be used to assess the condition of the environment, to provide an early warning signal of changes in the environment, or to diagnose the cause of an environmental problem. Ideally the suite of indicators should represent key information about structure, function, and composition of the ecological system. Three concerns hamper the use of ecological indicators as a resou...

Wetlands as water resources have a special place in the semi-arid plateau of Iran and boundary determination is necessary for their effective conservation and conflict resolution among stakeholders that are dependent on these resources. Determination of the wetland boundaries should be commensurate with environmental features affecting on it which normally extend beyond water extent. Ecological...

On the basis of comprehensive analysis on connotation, assessment methods and index system of river health, combined with the national river health assessment pilot project, river health assessment system is improved by increasing indicators and correcting their weights. The weights of ecological health and functional health of each zone in the national ecological function zoning are revised. A...

Ecological indicators can facilitate an adaptive management approach, but only if acceptable levels for those indicators have been defined so that the data collected can be interpreted. Because acceptable levels are an expression of the desired state of the ecosystem, the process of establishing acceptable levels should incorporate not just ecological understanding but also societal values. The...

Given the growing popularity of indicators among policy-makers to measure progress toward conservation and sustainability goals, there is an urgent need to develop indicators that can be used accurately by both specialists and nonspecialists, drawing from the knowledge possessed by each group. This paper uses a case study from the Kalahari, Botswana to show how participatory and ecological meth...