This book informs readers on the ecology, ecosystem services, and management of Sundaland wetland ecosystems, discussing the concepts and tools necessary to conserve these imperiled habitats. Sundaland is a biogeographically defined area of South East Asia characterised by an exceptional concentration of endemic species. The unprecedented loss of wetland habitats within Sundaland warrants urgency in implementing conservation actions. The authors are both researchers who have witnessed the ongoing losses of wetland habitats in Sundaland. The first chapter introduces fundamental concepts of ecosystems, ecological processes and ecosystem services of coastal and inland wetlands. The second chapter provides an overview of the global and regional conservation status of these ecosystems. The third chapter advances the importance of wetlands management at the landscape level (drainage basins), and proposes to adopt the concept of Ecotonal Networks (ENTs) as a sustainable management method, within the theoretical framework of Resilience Theory. The fourth chapter showcases potential flagship species that can aid in raising awareness on these endangered but poorly-known ecosystems. The fifth chapter discusses sustainable ecotourism as a viable and profitable industry to manage non-urban wetland areas of Sundaland, while providing specific suggestions for future developments. The book is written for ecosystem managers, conservation scientists, ecologists, and nature enthusiasts. It consists of a coherently arranged set of scientifically accurate tools that consider societal, cultural, and economic factors to succeed in the conservation of the Sundaland wetlands, as well as other wetland habitats in the world.

Tropical East Asia is home to over one billion people and faces massive human impacts from its rising population and rapid economic growth. It has already lost more than half of its forest cover to agriculture and urbanization, and has the highest rates of deforestation and logging in the tropics. Habitat loss, coupled with hunting and the relentless trade in wildlife products, threatens all its large and many of its smaller vertebrates. Despite these problems, the region still supports an estimated 15-25% of global terrestrial biodiversity and a growing environmental awareness means that it is no longer assumed that economic development justifies environmental damage, and no longer accepted that this trade-off is inevitable. Effective conservation action now depends on integrating a clear understanding of the ecological patterns and processes in the region with the varied needs of its human population. This third edition continues to provide an overview of the terrestrial ecology of Tropical East Asia: from southern China to Indonesia, and from Bhutan and Bangladesh to the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. It retains the balance between compactness and comprehensiveness of the previous editions, and the even-handed geographical treatment of the whole region, but it updates both the contents and the perspective. Approximately one third of the text is new or greatly modified, reflecting the explosion of new research in the region in the last few years and the increasing use of new tools, particularly from genomics and remote sensing. The change in perspective largely reflects the growing realization that we are in a new epoch, the Anthropocene, in which human activities have at least as large an influence as natural processes, and that stopping or reversing ecological change is no longer an option. This does not mean that biodiversity conservation is no longer possible or worthwhile, but that the biodiverse future we strive for will inevitably be very different from the past. The Ecology of Tropical East Asia is an advanced textbook suitable for senior undergraduate and graduate level students taking courses on the terrestrial ecology of the East Asian tropics, as well as an authoritative regional reference for professional ecologists, conservationists, and interested amateurs worldwide.

This SpringerBrief focuses on the principles of ecotourism such as relevance of the field, origin, fundamental aspects, definitions, philosophy, implications in biodiversity conservation and environmental impacts. Special emphasis is also given to the interaction between ecotourism and education and it is supported by recent publications from the authors.

Originally published in 1998, Southern Forested Wetlands is an up to date, one source compendium of current knowledge on the wetland ecology of America’s southern forests. This book presents both the ecological and management aspects of these important ecosystems. The book was compiled by members of the Consortium for Research on southern forested wetlands, and was a collaboration of those working to conserve, study, and manage these economically and environmentally influential areas. The book covers geographic ranges from West Virginia to Florida, to Texas and inland north to Arkansas and Tennessee. It also addresses specific wetland types, including deep-water swamps, major and minor alluvial flood plains, pocosins and Carolina bays, mountain fens, pond cypress swamps, flatwoods wetlands, and mangroves.