Measuring the abundance of individuals and the diversity of species are core components of most ecological research projects and conservation monitoring. This book brings together in one place, for the first time, the methods used to estimate the abundance of individuals in nature. The statistical basis of each method is detailed along with practical considerations for survey design and data collection. Methods are illustrated using data ranging from Alaskan shrubs to Yellowstone grizzly bears, not forgetting Costa Rican ants and Prince Edward Island lobsters. Where necessary, example code for use with the open source software R is supplied. When appropriate, reference is made to other widely used programs. After opening with a brief synopsis of relevant statistical methods, the first section deals with the abundance of stationary items such as trees, shrubs, coral, etc. Following a discussion of the use of quadrats and transects in the contexts of forestry sampling and the assessment of plant cover, there are chapters addressing line-intercept sampling, the use of nearest-neighbour distances, and variable sized plots. The second section deals with individuals that move, such as birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, etc. Approaches discussed include double-observer sampling, removal sampling, capture-recapture methods and distance sampling. The final section deals with the measurement of species richness; species diversity; species-abundance distributions; and other aspects of diversity such as evenness, similarity, turnover and rarity. This is an essential reference for anyone involved in advanced undergraduate or postgraduate ecological research and teaching, or those planning and carrying out data analysis as part of conservation survey and monitoring programmes.

This accessible and timely book provides a comprehensive overview of how to measure biodiversity. The book highlights new developments, including innovative approaches to measuring taxonomic distinctness and estimating species richness, and evaluates these alongside traditional methods such as species abundance distributions, and diversity and evenness statistics. Helps the reader quantify and interpret patterns of ecological diversity, focusing on the measurement and estimation of species richness and abundance. Explores the concept of ecological diversity, bringing new perspectives to a field beset by contradictory views and advice. Discussion spans issues such as the meaning of community in the context of ecological diversity, scales of diversity and distribution of diversity among taxa Highlights advances in measurement paying particular attention to new techniques such as species richness estimation, application of measures of diversity to conservation and environmental management and addressing sampling issues Includes worked examples of key methods in helping people to understand the techniques and use available computer packages more effectively

Applied Hierarchical Modeling in Ecology: Distribution, Abundance, Species Richness offers a new synthesis of the state-of-the-art of hierarchical models for plant and animal distribution, abundance, and community characteristics such as species richness using data collected in metapopulation designs. These types of data are extremely widespread in ecology and its applications in such areas as biodiversity monitoring and fisheries and wildlife management. This first volume explains static models/procedures in the context of hierarchical models that collectively represent a unified approach to ecological research, taking the reader from design, through data collection, and into analyses using a very powerful class of models. Applied Hierarchical Modeling in Ecology, Volume 1 serves as an indispensable manual for practicing field biologists, and as a graduate-level text for students in ecology, conservation biology, fisheries/wildlife management, and related fields. - Provides a synthesis of important classes of models about distribution, abundance, and species richness while accommodating imperfect detection - Presents models and methods for identifying unmarked individuals and species - Written in a step-by-step approach accessible to non-statisticians and provides fully worked examples that serve as a template for readers' analyses - Includes companion website containing data sets, code, solutions to exercises, and further information

This is the first volume of a series on a regular up-to-date coverage of important developments in astronomy and astrophysics jointly published by ESO and Springer-Verlag. Here the reader finds a thorough review of the abundances of the elements up to Boron. Special emphasis is laid on primordial abundances of interest to cosmologists in particular, and on stellar production or destruction respectively. The articles written for researchers and graduate students cover theory and most recent data from telescope observations.

An enlightening guide to success, fulfillment, wholeness, and plenty, offering practical advice on how to cultivate a sense of abundance in times of fear and insecurity, from New York Times bestselling author Deepak Chopra “To attain wealth of the lasting kind, the kind that gives your life meaning, value, and sustenance, base your daily existence on the generosity of spirit.”—Deepak Chopra Many of us live and operate from a mindset of lack, scarcity, and limitation. We focus on what we don’t have—financial security, confidence, an intimate relationship—which keeps us feeling insecure and inadequate. We think “if only I could have those things, I could be happy.” But measuring wealth by money or material possessions leaves us feeling drained and spiritually empty. Constantly striving for more often means our ego is driving our thoughts, actions, and reactions, which prevents us from reaching something greater: a true sense of inner peace, acceptance, and fulfillment. Yet, there is an inner path to prosperity and wealth that, once charted and explored, provides access to the great riches of the universe and life’s unbounded possibilities. In Abundance, international bestselling author Deepak Chopra illuminates this road to success and wholeness, helping readers tap into a deeper sense of awareness to become agents of change in their own lives. Mixing ancient teachings and spiritual practices with the wisdom he’s garnered over four decades as the leading figure in mind-body medicine, Deepak demonstrates how to transcend self-generated feelings of limitation and fear in order to experience true abundance in all aspects of life. To do so, he offers a seven-step plan along with meditations and mindfulness techniques to help you focus and direct your attention, energy, and intuition so you can experience stability, affluence, insight, creativity, love, and true power.

Containing all the new as well as classical methodologies used in the investigation of amino acid and protein metabolism in human and animal models, this book is needed because of the dramatic increase in research in this field. There is no other book currently on the market that covers these methods of investigation. Methods for Investigation of Amino Acid and Protein Metabolism explores areas such as amino acid transfer across tissue membranes, past and new applications using stable isotopes, protein synthesis in organs and tissues, and more. Because of the importance of research methods in the field of amino acid and protein nutrition and metabolism, this book facilitates the reader's integration of the concepts involved in these investigative research methods and their corollaries. In addition to helping any nutrition investigator design and conduct appropriate research protocols in this area of nutrition, this book assists students who are planning to investigate amino acid and protein metabolism in humans or laboratory animals.

Although diversity is one of the central themes of ecology there is considerable disagreement ab out how it should be measured. I first encountered this problem 10 ycars ago whcn I started my research career and spent a long time pouring ovcr the literature in order to find the most useful techniques. The intervening decade has seen a further increasc in the number ofpapers devoted to the topic of ecological diversity but has led to no consensus on how it should be measured. My aim in writing this book is therefore to provide a practical guide to ecological diversity and its measurement. In a quantitative subject such as the measurement of diversity it is inevitable that some mathematics are involved, but at all times these are kept as simple as possible, and the emphasis is constantly on ecological reality and practical application. I hope that others ente ring thc fascinating ficld of ecological diversity will find it hclpful. This book grew out of my work in The School of Biological and Environmental Studies at the New University ofUlster, Coleraine, Northern Ircland. I am indebted to all the ecologists there for pro vi ding a stimulating atmosphere. Foremost among these were Amyan Macfadyen and Palmer Newbould. A number of the figures and tables in the book are based on data collected in Northern Irish woodlands.

This accessible and timely book provides a comprehensive overview of how to measure biodiversity. The book highlights new developments, including innovative approaches to measuring taxonomic distinctness and estimating species richness, and evaluates these alongside traditional methods such as species abundance distributions, and diversity and evenness statistics. Helps the reader quantify and interpret patterns of ecological diversity, focusing on the measurement and estimation of species richness and abundance. Explores the concept of ecological diversity, bringing new perspectives to a field beset by contradictory views and advice. Discussion spans issues such as the meaning of community in the context of ecological diversity, scales of diversity and distribution of diversity among taxa Highlights advances in measurement paying particular attention to new techniques such as species richness estimation, application of measures of diversity to conservation and environmental management and addressing sampling issues Includes worked examples of key methods in helping people to understand the techniques and use available computer packages more effectively