Ecotypic variation in the biology of Acanthaspis quinquespinosa Fabricius 1781 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Reduviinae) from peninsular India

The development, oviposition pattern and morphometrics of the reduviid predator Acanthaspis quinquespinosa Fab. was studied in relation to the different habitats it inhabits (tropical rainforest, scrubjungleand semiarid zones). Populations inhabiting tropical rainforest were larger, had shorter developmental, pre-ovipositional and incubation periods and longer adult longevity, together with higher fecundity and hatch ability

When is an international branch campus?

For a Nottingham alumnus, driving onto the University of Nottingham’s branch campus in Malaysia is a surreal experience. Surrounded by tropical rainforest, a familiar white silhouette emerges—a clock tower atop the signature Trent Building, overlooking a large lake. Despite the heat and humidity, the campus at Semenyih looks and feels like an extension of the University of Nottingham, reinforcing its "one university, three campuses" (United Kingdom, Malaysia and China) branding

Impact of discrete wavelet transform on discriminating airborne hyperspectral tropical rainforest tree species

Discriminating tropical rainforest tree species is still a challenging task due to a variety of species with high spectral similarity and due to very limited studies conducted in this area. We are investigating the effect of discrete wavelet transform (DWT) on enhancing discrimination of tropical rainforest tree species. For this purpose, airborne imaging spectrometer for applications (AISA) airborne hyperspectral data obtained from Malaysian’s rainforest area are used; six tree species were selected from the study area. For comparison purposes, the performance of DWT is compared with the original reflectance, first, and second derivative spectra by using five different spectral measure techniques. An overall discrimination accuracy of ∼74% is obtained with DWT using Euclidean distance, which outperforms the original reflectance and first and second derivatives by ∼16.6 , 11.9, and 22.1%, respectively. The results suggest a significant impact of the DWT approach on improving tropical rainforest tree species discrimination

Evaluation of logging impacts on tropical rainforest in Eastern Cameroon using Remote Sensing and GIS techniques

Various strategies and techniques have been designed and implemented to study the effects of logging activities on tropical rainforest amongst which remote sensing and GIS analysis. But there are still few measures available on the effects of industrial timber on forest ecosystem. This paper examined the impact of logging activities on tropical rainforest in Eastern Cameroon with the objectives of demonstrating the process whereby tropical rainforest got transformed into forest fragmentation and canopy damage. The study made use of data generated from Landsat TM (1986) and Landsat ETM + (2000). The satellites images covering the area were analysed using the Maximum Likelihood algorithm. The observed changes were mapped and the results of the classification were prepared as different theme in a GIS software. The classification results reveal a canopy damage of 10.8%, the construction of 109.224 km of road and the fragmentation of forest into 18 parts.Keywords: Forest Management Unit (FMU), Remote sensing, GIS, logging impact, logging road, forest fragmentation

Impact of Logging on Non-Logged Species in the Moist Forest Region of South Eastern Nigeria

The study examined the effects of logging intensities on the quality, stocking levels and damage to non-logged species. Data was collected using stock inventory methods (SIM) in the tropical rainforest of Ekukunela, Cross River State in South Eastern Nigeria. Four experimental plots of one hectares each were laid in the forested areas with different  logging  intensities (lightly logged, moderately logged, intensively logged) and a control plot which has not been logged (Primary forest).Only tree species up to 30 cm dbh and above were enumerated. The findings show that increasing logging rates directly reduced the quality and quantity of non-logged forest species in the sample plots. The highest number and best quality of species enumerated, were found in the unlogged tropical rainforest plot. Increased government and community participation in forest management, more effective training, better funding, and improved monitoring of logging practices were recommended, Key words: Community forestry, Logging intensities, Stocking levels, Unlogged species, Tropical rainforest.

Close encounters in the rainforest : a children\u27s book for eight and nine-year-olds

Presents an original children\u27s book that describes the array of biodiversity present in a tropical rainforest

Tropical rainforest bird community structure in relation to altitude, tree species composition, and null models in the Western Ghats, India

Studies of species distributions on elevational gradients are essential to understand principles of community organisation as well as to conserve species in montane regions. This study examined the patterns of species richness, abundance, composition, range sizes, and distribution of rainforest birds at 14 sites along an elevational gradient (500-1400 m) in the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) of the Western Ghats, India. In contrast to theoretical expectation, resident bird species richness did not change significantly with elevation although the species composition changed substantially (<10% similarity) between the lowest and highest elevation sites. Constancy in species richness was possibly due to relative constancy in productivity and lack of elevational trends in vegetation structure. Elevational range size of birds, expected to increase with elevation according to Rapoport's rule, was found to show a contrasting inverse U-shaped pattern because species with narrow elevational distributions, including endemics, occurred at both ends of the gradient (below 800 m and above 1,200 m). Bird species composition also did not vary randomly along the gradient as assessed using a hierarchy of null models of community assembly, from completely unconstrained models to ones with species richness and range-size distribution restrictions. Instead, bird community composition was significantly correlated with elevation and tree species composition of sites, indicating the influence of deterministic factors on bird community structure. Conservation of low- and high-elevation areas and maintenance of tree species composition against habitat alteration are important for bird conservation in the southern Western Ghats rainforests.Comment: 36 pages, 5 figures, two tables (including one in the appendix) Submitted to the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society (JBNHS

100 years of tropical bryophyte and lichen ecology : a bibliographic guide to the literature from 1901 - 2000

A list of 401 citations pertaining to the ecology of tropical bryophytes and lichens is presented. The bibliography includes publications addressing the biology, ecology, natural history, and physiology of bryophytes and lichens, but generally eschews taxonomic and floristic papers. All citations have been verified, unless denoted with an asterisk (*). An appendix that groups citations by category is provided