Showing papers in "Ecological Indicators in 2011"

TL;DR: In this paper, the suitability of the Acoustic Complexity Index (ACI) is examined, an algorithm created to produce a direct quantification of the complex biotic songs by computing the variability of the intensities registered in audio-recordings, despite the presence of constant human-generated-noise.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors used meta-analysis to study the correlation between deadwood volume and species richness of saproxylic beetles and fungi relative to several predictors at the forest stand level: biome, type of deadwood (log, snag, and stump), and decay class (fresh vs decayed).

TL;DR: The concept of Integrated Freshwater Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation (IFEBC) as discussed by the authors addresses the interactions between abiotic and biotic factors on different levels of organization qualitatively and quantitatively.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present the equivalent connected area (ECA) index, defined as the size of a single patch (maximally connected) that would provide the same probability of connectivity than the actual habitat pattern in the landscape.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that the development of sustainability indicators is a process of both scientific knowledge production and political norm creation, and both components need to be properly acknowledged in science-led processes.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on indicators for ecosystem functions related to water purification by riparian buffer strips, pollination, food production and outdoor recreation, and show an overall trend for degradation of ecosystem functioning from 1964 to 1984.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors identify 19 measurable indicators for soil quality, water quality and quantity, greenhouse gases, biodiversity, air quality, and productivity, building on existing knowledge and on national and international programs that are seeking ways to assess sustainable bioenergy.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed a framework for the assessment of European regions in terms of sustainability, and the identification of the impact that policy options might have on the sustainability of these regions.

TL;DR: In this article, the use of nematodes as biological indicators of environmental quality was evaluated in sediments of the Mediterranean Sea in order to identify the five classes of ecological quality status assessed according to the Water Framework Directive.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated whether selected properties of extensively weathered, low fertility soils can be predicted using high-resolution reflectance spectra over the range 400-2500nm.

TL;DR: In this paper, a set of thirteen commonly used graph indices and the forest habitat network of goshawks living in NE Spain were analyzed to evaluate how the patch rank orders derived from these indices differ from each other and identify which indices tend to quantify the same network characteristics and which others are quite unique in addressing topological characteristics that are not considered by the rest.

TL;DR: A review of methods to analyse spatial and temporal variations in remote sensing data of coastal water quality and discusses and compares these methods and the outcomes they achieve can be found in this paper.

TL;DR: Integrated assessment results indicate that the current ERE system of Chongqing is not sustainable; environment scenario is more effective to sustainable development of urban Ere system in a long run.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide a key element for the calculation of the damage costs of air pollution, namely the valuation of mortality, important because premature mortality makes by far the largest contribution.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the application of the AZTI's Marine Biotic Index (AMBI) and multivariate AMBI (M-AMBI), to assess the ecological status of these estuaries.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors developed and validated a multimetric index based on predictive models that could evaluate anthropogenic disturbances in streams of three disparate ecoregions of Bolivia, and employed a probability survey design and sampling a relatively small number of sites throughout all major ecoregi giones of Bolivia to evaluate status and trends in biological condition for streams of the entire country despite its complex and heterogeneous geology and climate.

TL;DR: Estuaries identified as important nursery and/or effective juvenile habitat (EJH) differed with species and no single estuary was best for all, highlighting species-specific regulation of nursery function.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors developed a diatom-based tool to assess pesticide contamination in water using light microscopy using standard European methods, and evaluated the various parameters structuring diatom communities.

TL;DR: In this article, an integrated sustainable development approach (ISD) was developed to simulate and evaluate the integrative effects of urbanization on the eco-environment in Jiangsu province in China.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors developed macro sustainability indicators of selected countries in order to track sustainability in a dynamic manner and found that while progress was observed for the institutional, economic and social dimensions, the environmental conditions deteriorated successively over the studied period.

TL;DR: The study highlights the potential value of combining the Delphi process and face-to-face meetings for identifying practically applicable C&I for planning ecological restoration, and suggests that the development of a generally applicable set of C &I for forest restoration will be difficult to achieve in practice.

TL;DR: In this article, the seasonal trace elements accumulation (September/May) in the leaves, and their temporal trends, were assayed in a multy-year period (2002-2006) and significant seasonal accumulation was evident in samples of A. hippocastanum for: Cr, Fe, Ni, Zn, and Pb.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present the characteristics of ecological integrity, the spatial processes induced by anthropogenic stressors and an approach to develop a composite regional Index of Ecological Integrity (RIEI).

TL;DR: Evaluated methods to assess microbial diversity, such as methyl ester fatty acids (PLFA) and catabolic response profiles (CRP) to act as indicators of soil functioning showed that CRP and PLFA techniques were both capable to characterize the studied systems.

TL;DR: A combination of biological traits sensitive to urban features that may represent useful indicators for both theoretical and applied purposes in order to understand the impact of urbanization on animal communities are identified.

TL;DR: This study developed a risk-based network model based on a new control analysis termed control allocation and a conceptual conversion of flow currency in NEA that could provide a novel perspective and methodology for assessing ecological risk at the system scale, and serve as an elicitation of how to effectively evaluate ecosystems on the same analytic basis of information-based networks.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated watershed land use-water quality relationships from 1995 to 2004 using eight monitoring sites, three spatial extents were considered: sub-basins, canal buffers, and site buffers.

TL;DR: It is concluded that dragonfly assemblages in the form of a DBI are an excellent tool for environmental assessment and monitoring freshwater biodiversity, with the potential to replace labour-intensive benthic macroinvertebrate-based freshwater quality assessments, such as SASS.

TL;DR: This paper proposes a methodology for establishing a set of sustainability indicators as a baseline to measure the state of a city, and after appropriate actions are taken, to assess performance, to determine if changes point to improvements regarding goals.

TL;DR: Although trophic indices provide an excellent biomonitoring tool, they should be applied with caution, considering the recommendations provided in this paper.