The successful integration of ecosystem ecology with landscape ecology would be conducive to understanding how landscapes function. There have been several attempts at this, with two main approaches: (1) an ecosystem-based approach, such as the meta-ecosystem framework and (2) a landscape-based approach, such as the landscape system framework. These two frameworks are currently disconnected. To...

[1] We evaluate the effect and importance of a ground truth correction for the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M) level 2 (reflectance) data set. This correction is derived from extensive laboratory characterizations of mature feldspathic lunar soils and is designed to improve the accuracy of 1mm absorption features in M reflectance data. To evaluate the correction, the band strength across a subset of...

1 Department of Chemical Science, Faculty of Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jln Universiti, Bandar Barat, 31900 Kampar, Perak, Malaysia. 2 Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jln Genting Klang, Setapak, 53300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 3 Liquid Crystal Research Laboratory, School of Chemical Science, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia....

Although the use of plants for treating supernaturally caused illnesses (e.g., soul loss, evil wind, witchcraft) has been documented in the Ecuador highlands, so-called magical plants have received much less focused attention than plants used for treating naturalistic disorders. Drawing on interviews done in 2002 and 2003 with 116 curanderos residing in the Ecuador highlands, this paper examine...

Historical Diversification of Montane Herpetofauna Within and Between the Sierras of Mexico by Robert W. Bryson, Jr. Dr. Brett R. Riddle, Examination Committee Chair Professor of Biological Sciences University of Nevada, Las Vegas The Mexican highlands consist of four major mountain ranges spanning most of mainland Mexico. The evolutionary history of the Mexican highlands has been shaped by var...

The present paper is aimed at understanding how indigenous people in the highlands of Ecuador adapt to capitalist economic alternatives in order to complement their agrarian economies. Specifically this study examines the experience of the indigenous community Ponce-Quilotoa located next to the Volcanic Lake Quilotoa in the central highlands of Ecuador. This community is currently undertaking t...

The neotropical Guayana Highlands (GH) are one of the few remaining pristine environments on Earth, and they host amazing biodiversity with a high degree endemism, especially among vascular plants. Despite the lack of direct human disturbance, GH plants and their communities are threatened with extinction from habitat loss due to global warming (GW). Geographic information systems simulations i...

Cameron Highlands is a mountainous area subjected to torrential tropical showers. It extracts 5.8 million liters of water per day for drinking supply from its rivers at several intake points. The water quality of rivers in Cameron Highlands, however, has deteriorated significantly due to land clearing for agriculture, excessive usage of pesticides and fertilizers as well as construction activit...

INTRODUCTION Malaria is re-emerging in most of the African highlands exposing the non immune population to deadly epidemics. A better understanding of the factors impacting transmission in the highlands is crucial to improve well targeted malaria control strategies. METHODS AND FINDINGS A conceptual model of potential malaria risk factors in the highlands was built based on the available lite...

BACKGROUND African highlands were known to be free of malaria for the past 50 years. However, the ever growing human population in the highlands of Africa has led to the deforestation and land coverage changes to create space for more land for cultivation, grazing, and house construction materials needs. This has lead to the creation of suitable breeding habitats, which are in open places. Decr...