Remote Sensing of Northwest Himalayan Ecosystems

Remote Sensing of Northwest Himalayan Ecosystems PDF Author: R. R. Navalgund
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9811321280
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 564

Get Book Here

Book Description
Himalaya, one of the global biodiversity hotspots, is the abode of a variety of flora and fauna. The Himalayan ecosystems have immense ecological, socioeconomic, and aesthetic significance as they provide a wide range of ecosystem services. The northwest Himalaya (NWH), covering three states of India viz., Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir, starts from the foothills of Shivaliks in the south and extends to the greater Himalaya in the north. This region is also the source of some of the major rivers of India. With the increase in population, the NWH ecosystems have been under threat due to deforestation, loss of biodiversity, expansion of agriculture and settlement, overexploitation of natural resources, habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, mining, construction of roads and large dams, and unplanned tourism. The Himalaya being young and geotectonically active, remains inherently unstable, fragile, and prone to natural disasters. Climate change is also likely to impact the Himalayan cryosphere drastically. Recognizing the importance of the Himalaya, a National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem, one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) of Govt. of India, to conserve biodiversity, forest cover and other ecological values in the Himalayan region has been taken up. Spaceborne remote sensing with its ability to provide synoptic and repetitive coverage has emerged as a powerful tool for assessment and monitoring of the Himalayan resources and phenomena. Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun has taken up a number of studies in the fields of geology, water resources, forestry, agriculture, urban settlement, etc., over the last decade. The book summarises the work carried out in different disciplines, illustrated with tables and figures and a host of relevant references. It is hoped that the book serves as an excellent reference of immense value to the students, researchers, professors, scientists, professionals, and decision makers working in the NWH region.

Remote Sensing of Northwest Himalayan Ecosystems

Remote Sensing of Northwest Himalayan Ecosystems PDF Author: R. R. Navalgund
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9811321280
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 564

Get Book Here

Book Description
Himalaya, one of the global biodiversity hotspots, is the abode of a variety of flora and fauna. The Himalayan ecosystems have immense ecological, socioeconomic, and aesthetic significance as they provide a wide range of ecosystem services. The northwest Himalaya (NWH), covering three states of India viz., Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir, starts from the foothills of Shivaliks in the south and extends to the greater Himalaya in the north. This region is also the source of some of the major rivers of India. With the increase in population, the NWH ecosystems have been under threat due to deforestation, loss of biodiversity, expansion of agriculture and settlement, overexploitation of natural resources, habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, mining, construction of roads and large dams, and unplanned tourism. The Himalaya being young and geotectonically active, remains inherently unstable, fragile, and prone to natural disasters. Climate change is also likely to impact the Himalayan cryosphere drastically. Recognizing the importance of the Himalaya, a National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem, one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) of Govt. of India, to conserve biodiversity, forest cover and other ecological values in the Himalayan region has been taken up. Spaceborne remote sensing with its ability to provide synoptic and repetitive coverage has emerged as a powerful tool for assessment and monitoring of the Himalayan resources and phenomena. Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun has taken up a number of studies in the fields of geology, water resources, forestry, agriculture, urban settlement, etc., over the last decade. The book summarises the work carried out in different disciplines, illustrated with tables and figures and a host of relevant references. It is hoped that the book serves as an excellent reference of immense value to the students, researchers, professors, scientists, professionals, and decision makers working in the NWH region.

Life in the Himalaya

Life in the Himalaya PDF Author: Maharaj K. Pandit
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 067497865X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 380

Get Book Here

Book Description
The collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates around fifty million years ago profoundly altered earth’s geography and regional climates. The rise of the Himalaya led to intensification of the monsoon, the birth of massive glaciers and turbulent rivers, and an efflorescence of ecosystems along the most extreme elevational gradient on Earth. When the Ice Age ended, humans became part of this mix, and today nearly one quarter of the world’s population inhabits its river basins, from Afghanistan to Myanmar. Life in the Himalaya examines the region’s geophysical and biological systems and explores the past and future of human sustainability in the mountain’s shadow. Maharaj Pandit divides the Himalaya’s history into four phases. During the first, the mountain and its ecosystems formed. In the second, humans altered the landscape, beginning with nomadic pastoralism, continuing to commercial deforestation, and culminating in pockets of resistance to forest exploitation. The third phase saw a human population explosion, accompanied by road and dam building and other large-scale infrastructure that degraded ecosystems and caused species extinctions. Pandit outlines a future networking phase which holds the promise of sustainable living within the mountain’s carrying capacity. Today, the Himalaya is threatened by recurrent natural disasters and is at risk of catastrophic loss of life. If humans are to have a sustainable future there, Pandit argues, they will need to better understand the region’s geological vulnerability, ecological fragility, and sociocultural sensitivity. Life in the Himalaya outlines the mountain’s past in order to map a way forward.

Ecology of Himalayan Treeline Ecotone

Ecology of Himalayan Treeline Ecotone PDF Author: S P Singh
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 9811944768
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 575

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book brings together comprehensive multi-disciplinary knowledge on diverse aspects of the Himalayan treeline ecotone which is considered one of the most sensitive ecosystems to climate change. The contents of this book are based on the results of extensive research and provide a holistic understanding of the treeline ecotone in Himalaya. The book will serve as an important reference manual and a textbook on treeline ecology. The book is unique in the sense that it provides an engaging account of almost all the aspects of the treeline ecotone, such as taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic species diversity, temperature lapse rates, tree phenology, water relations, and stress physiology, tree ring width chronology, and climate relationships and the role of treeline ecotone in human sustenance in the Indian Himalayan region The treelines in the Himalaya, being the highest in the Northern Hemisphere (up to 4900 m), are among the least investigated systems and hence this book is timely and fills all-important knowledge gaps vis-à-vis treeline shifts, physiognomic, structural, and functional changes in mountain landscapes and ecosystems, particularly under the changing climate This book, for the first time, summarizes evidence-based knowledge about various aspects of treeline ecotone in Himalaya that was largely generated through a well-coordinated a team science approach. The book will be of interest to ecologists, climatologists, dendrochronologists, foresters, plant physiologists and resource managers and policy planners for a better understanding of the organization and dynamics of this fragile ecosystem in relation to climate change and other anthropogenic stresses that are rampant in the Himalaya. The book lays a solid foundation for further investigation of the ecology and dynamics of the treeline ecotone in the Himalayas and provides a rationale for pursuing a team science approach for macroecological investigations.

Himalayan Eco-system Development

Himalayan Eco-system Development PDF Author: R. D Sharma
Publisher: Concept Publishing Company
ISBN: 9788170225201
Category : Ecological integrity
Languages : en
Pages : 138

Get Book Here

Book Description


World Above the Clouds

World Above the Clouds PDF Author: Ann Whitehead Nagda
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781568998787
Category : Leopard
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
Smoke from grass fires and dust from the parched earth swirl in the air as Elephant Calf and his herd cross the drought-stricken savanna in search of food and fresh water. As they forage, they encounter fascinating animals.

Climate Change Adaptation, Risk Management and Sustainable Practices in the Himalaya

Climate Change Adaptation, Risk Management and Sustainable Practices in the Himalaya PDF Author: Sanjeev Sharma
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3031246594
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 421

Get Book Here

Book Description
This volume analyzes ecological and socio-economic risks due to climate change in the Himalayan mountain ecosystems, communities, and proposes adaptation strategies and sustainability practices. In order to better understand the potential actions required to improve natural resource conservation and the development of mountain people's livelihoods. The authors discuss the current status of local knowledge system on various environmental aspects of conservation and sustainable use of mountain resources in the Himalaya. The book addresses the institutional capacities, gaps, and priority areas of capacity building to strengthen policies and governance in regard to climate change, landuse management, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable management in the Himalayan region. The aim of this book is to enhance coordination building among policymakers, planners, mountain communities to foster collaboration between different stakeholders by understanding local perceptions of climate change as well as variability issues, and establishing adaptation strategies to cope with these impacts. The chapters incorporate theoretical and applied aspects, and may serve as baseline information for the sustainability of mountain ecosystems through the contribution of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary expertise from the Himalayan region. The book will be useful for students, teachers, and researchers working in different areas pertaining to mountain ecosystems, as well as policymakers and planners working on issues related to the sustainability of the mountain ecosystem.

Handbook of Himalayan Ecosystems and Sustainability, Volume 1

Handbook of Himalayan Ecosystems and Sustainability, Volume 1 PDF Author: Bikash Ranjan Parida
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1000784304
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 397

Get Book Here

Book Description
Volume 1: Spatio-Temporal Monitoring of Forests and Climate is aimed to describe the recent progress and developments of geospatial technologies (remote sensing and GIS) for assessing, monitoring and managing fragile Himalayan ecosystems and their sustainability under climate change. It is a collective research contribution from renowned researchers and academicians working in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) mountain range. The Himalayas ecosystems have been facing substantial transformation due to severe environmental conditions, land transformation, forest degradation and fragmentation. The authors utilized satellite datasets and algorithms to discuss the intricacy of land use/land cover change, forest and agricultural ecosystems, canopy height estimation, above-ground biomass, wildfires, carbon sequestration, and landscape restoration. Furthermore, the potential impacts of climate change on ecosystems, biodiversity and future food and nutritional security are also addressed including the impact on the livelihood of people of the Himalayas. This comprehensive Handbook explains the advanced geospatial technologies for mapping and management of natural resources of the Himalayas. Key Features Explains multiple aspects of geospatial technologies for studying fragile Himalayan ecosystems and sustainability Focuses on the utility of interferometric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) modeling for canopy height Explain how remote sensing techniques are useful for deriving the above-ground biomass, gross primary productivity (GPP), and carbon fluxes Addresses how geospatial technologies are valuable for understanding vegetation dynamics, composition and landscape restoration due to shifts in timberline and forest fires Includes contributions from global professionals working in the HKH mountain range Readership The Handbook serves as a valuable reference for students, researchers, scientists, ecologists, agricultural scientists, meteorologists, decision makers and all others who wish to advance their knowledge on vegetation remote sensing considering climate change in the HKH region.

Handbook of Himalayan Ecosystems and Sustainability, Volume 2

Handbook of Himalayan Ecosystems and Sustainability, Volume 2 PDF Author: Bikash Ranjan Parida
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1000784320
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 401

Get Book Here

Book Description
Volume 2: Handbook of Spatio-Temporal Monitoring of Water Resources and Climate is aimed to describe the current state of knowledge and developments of geospatial technologies (Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems) for assessing and managing water resources under climate change. It is a collective achievement of renowned researchers and academicians working in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) mountain range. The HKH region is a part of the Third Pole outside the polar regions due to its largest permanent snow cover. Importantly, the Himalayan belt is geologically fragile and vulnerable to geohazards (e.g. landslides, land subsidence, rockfalls, debris flow, avalanches, and earthquakes). Therefore, critical assessment and geospatial solutions are indispensable to safeguard the natural resources and human beings in the Himalayas using space-borne satellite datasets. This book also showcases various remote sensing techniques and algorithms in the field of urban sprawling, urban microclimate and air pollution. The potential impacts of climate change on the cryosphere and water resources are also highlighted. This comprehensive Handbook is highly interdisciplinary and explains the role of geospatial technologies in studying the water resources of the Himalayas considering climate change. Key Features This book is unique as it focuses on the utility of satellite data for monitoring snow cover variability, snowmelt runoff, glacier lakes, avalanche susceptibility and flood modeling. Explain how Remote Sensing techniques are useful for mapping and managing the morphology and ecology of the Himalayan River. Addresses how geospatial technologies are valuable for understanding climate change impact on hydrological extremes, the potential impact of land use/land cover change (LULC) on hydrology and water resources management. It highlights the impact of LULC changes on land surface temperature, groundwater, and air pollution in urban areas. Includes contributions from global professionals working in the HKH region. Readership The Handbook serves as a valuable reference for students, researchers, scientists, Hydrologists, hydro-ecologists, meteorologists, geologists, decision makers and all others who wish to advance their knowledge on monitoring and managing water resources and urban ecosystem using remote sensing in the HKH region considering climate change.

Ecology and Man in the Himalayas

Ecology and Man in the Himalayas PDF Author: A. K. Kapoor
Publisher: M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd.
ISBN: 9788185880167
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 290

Get Book Here

Book Description
The present volume emphasizes the importance of studying the structure and functioning of ecological systems and their mode of reaction on exposure to human intervention in the Himalayas. It stresses the impact of man on his environment and vice-versa, considered in the areas of biological and adaptative entity, as well as a social, cultural and economic being.

CLIMATE CHANGE & HIMALAYAN INFORMATICS

CLIMATE CHANGE & HIMALAYAN INFORMATICS PDF Author: J. Sundaresan
Publisher: Scientific Publishers
ISBN: 9386237652
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 197

Get Book Here

Book Description
Geodynamic process during the rapid growth ofHimalayahas holistic imprints of Climate Change in this region. “Climate Change & Himalayan Informatics” is an account of dedicated contribution for the above imprints. Impact of climate change is examined in this book for the ongoing process of rapid urbanization of the hinterlands ofHimalaya. It consists four sessions and seventeen chapters. Mass balance of glaciers in ChandrabasinofHimalayais presented as a predictive tool for spatially distributed estimates of mass balance of glaciers. An effective tool to identify and locate multiple natural hazards due to climate change inHimalayaespecially landslides and glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is part of the book. Impacts of climate change on cropping strategies by mountain communities are ascribed in the session “socio-economic perspectives”. Information on ecologically and economically important plant species inHimalayathat have greater tolerance in drought, discussed in this book, is significant in the perspectives of global warming. A specific species is identified as an indicator of climate change forEastern Himalaya. Climatic impacts on different regional eco systems ofHimalayahad implications on ecological, cultural and socio economic process of the region. Multidimensional decision support system is essential for mitigation and adaptation for such implications. Present book consists studies from north to eastern part ofHimalaya. This will be beneficial to researchers, student, managers and administrators associated with Mountain ecosystem and Climate Change.