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In comparison to the vegetation of most of temperate North America, the southwestern deserts contain highly unusual plants adapted in form and function to the extremes of arid environments. So striking are some of these plants that three national monuments-Saguaro, Organ Pipe Cactus, and Joshua Tree-are named for them. In each case, it is a single species that gives unique character to the desert landscape within the monument. Of all the remarkable plants of the desert Southwest, the giant cactus, or saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea), stands out in the minds of many Americans as an icon representing the novelty and grandeur of the desert realm. Saguaro National Monument (SAGU) was established in 1933 on the east side of Tucson, Arizona, to protect what was then one of the most awe-inspiring stands of saguaros to be found anywhere in the Sonoran Desert. Yet today, little more than a half century later, the giant, manybranched saguaros have all but disappeared from the original "cactus forest" of the 1930s (Fig. 1). Since the primary mission of National Park Service (NPS) at SAGU is to protect the distinctive cactus species for which the monument was named, the saguaro has understandably been the subject of considerable concern and research at SAGU since the late 1930s. The purpose of this report is to (1) trace the development of various research and monitoring efforts involving the saguaro at SAGU, (2) evaluate the rationale for these investigations, and (3) examine some of the impacts of these research efforts on management decisions and public perceptions regarding the ecological status of this extraordinary plant.
Our national parks are more than mere recreational destinations. They are repositories of the nation's biological diversity and contain some of the last ecosystem remnants needed as standards to set reasonable goals for sustainable development throughout the land. Nevertheless, public pressure for recreation has largely precluded adequate research and resource monitoring in national parks, and ignorance of ecosystem structure and function in parks has led to costly mistakes--such as predator control and fire suppression--that continue to threaten parks today. This volume demonstrates the value of ecological knowledge in protecting parks and shows how modest investments in knowledge of park ecosystems can pay handsome dividends. Science and Ecosystem Management in the National Parks presents twelve case studies of long-term research conducted in and around national parks that address major natural resource issues. These cases demonstrate how the use of longer time scales strongly influence our understanding of ecosystems and how interpretations of short-term patterns in nature often change when viewed in the context of long-term data sets. Most importantly, they show conclusively that scientific research significantly reduces uncertainty and improves resource management decisions. Chosen by scientists and senior park managers, the cases offer a broad range of topics, including: air quality at Grand Canyon; interaction between moose and wolf populations on Isle Royale; control of exotic species in Hawaiian parks; simulation of natural fire in the parks of the Sierra Nevada; and the impact of urban expansion on Saguaro National Monument. Because national parks are increasingly beset with conflicting views of their management, the need for knowledge of park ecosystems becomes even more critical--not only for the parks themselves, but for what they can tell us about survival in the rest of our world. This book demonstrates to policymakers and managers that decisions based on knowledge of ecosystems are more enduring and cost effective than decisions derived from uninformed consensus. It also provides scientists with models for designing research to meet threats to our most precious natural resources. "If we can learn to save the parks," observe Halvorson and Davis, "perhaps we can learn to save the world."
Yet Matt Ridley does more than describe how things are getting better. He explains why. Prosperity comes from everybody working for everybody else. The habit of exchange and specialization---which started more than 100,000 years ago---has created a collective brain that sets human living standards on a rising trend. The mutual dependence, trust, and sharing that result are causes for hope, not despair. --
From windswept tundra to humid subtropical everglades, fromgracious coniferous forests to austere deserts, North America isblessed with an incredibly diverse array of natural environments,each supporting a unique system of plant and animal life. Thesesystems--also known as biomes--are tightly woven webs of life thathave taken millennia to evolve. This lavishly illustrated bookintroduces readers to this extraordinary array of naturalcommunities and to the subtle interactions of minerals, plants, andanimals that take place within them. Professor Eric Bolen takes a qualitative, intuitive approach to hissubject, beginning with an overview of essential ecological termsand concepts, such as competitive exclusion, taxa, niches, andsuccession. Then, biome by biome, he covers the entirety of Canadaand the United States, starting with the tundra of the far northand working his way south and then west to conclude in the desertsand chaparral of southern California. Along the way, he delves intopertinent conservation issues and features fascinating historicalvignettes and original documents detailing human impact on variousenvironments--for instance, the role of John Deere's plow insettling grasslands, and the use of fur records from Hudson's BayCompany. Throughout, he enlivens the text with dozens of exquisitephotographs and illuminating maps, graphs, charts, andtables. Ecology of North America is an ideal first text for studentsinterested in natural resources, environmental science, andbiology, and it is a useful and attractive addition to the libraryof anyone interested in understanding and protecting the naturalenvironment.