Application of landscape ecology and remote sensing for assessment,monitoring and conservation of biodiversity

Landscape ecology, inter alia, addresses the question as to how altered landscape patterns affect the distribution, persistence, and abundance of a species. Landscape ecology plays an important role in integrating the different scales of biodiversity from habitat patch to biome level. Satellite remote sensing technology with multi-sensor capabilities offers multi-scale information on landscape composition and configuration. Advances in geospatial analytical tools and spatial statistics have improved the capability to quantify spatial heterogeneity. Globally, landscape level characterization of biodiversity has become an important discipline of science. Considering the vast extent, heterogeneity, and ecological and economic importance of forest landscapes, significant efforts have been made in India during the past decade to strengthen landscape level biodiversity characterization. The generic frame work of studies comprises preparation of national databases providing information on composition and configuration of different landscapes using multi-scale remote sensing techniques, understanding the landscape patterns using geospatial models to elicit disturbance and diversity patterns and application of this information for bioprospecting and conservation purposes. Studies on hierarchical linkage of multi-scale information to study the processes of change, landscape function, dynamics of habitat fragmentation, invasion, development of network of conservation areas based on the understanding of multi-species responses to landscape mosaics, macro-ecological studies to understand environment and species richness, habitat and species transitions and losses, landscape level solutions to adaptation and mitigation strategies to climate change are a few of the future challenges. The paper presents the current experiences and, analyses in conjunction with international scenario and identifies future challenges of Indian landscape level biodiversity studies.     

Magnetic susceptibility anisotropy,strain, and progressive deformation in Permian sediments from the Maritime Alps (France)

The relationships among magnetic susceptibility anisotropy, finite strain, and progressive deformation have been studied in Permian red shales and slates of the Maritime Alps (southeastern France). These rocks contain deformed reduction spots which serve as finite strain indicators. The magnetic fabric of undeformed regions is modified during deformation to yield characteristic magnetic susceptibility anisotropy patterns and a magnetic equivalent of the deformation path derived from strain measurements. The magnetic fabric changes progressively from oblate to prolate, and back to oblate as deformation increases. The quantitative relationships between natural strain and magnetic anisotropy in these rocks have been determined. They differ between the less and more deformed areas, perhaps due to a change in deformation mechanism accompanying an increase in metamorphism. The relationships provide a rapid means of strain determination using magnetic measurements but their variation emphasizes the need for local structural control.     

Supermagnetic enhancement,superparamagnetism, and archaeological soils

A range of mineral magnetic measurements have been carried out on archaeological sediments from Orkney and Cyprus. In a soil profile from Orkney, a magnetic enhancement factor of over 200 is observed in susceptibility data between the bedrock and a Norse sediment. The magnetic enhancement is associated with an increase in superparamagnetic grains probably caused by burning. Until now it has proved difficult to confirm the presence of superparamagnetic grains in natural samples using room temperature magnetic measurements. However, clear differences are to be found between the hysteresis loops of various magnetic domain states, including superparamagnetism. An algorithm has been developed to unmix hysteresis loops in terms of constituent domain states of ferrimagnetic iron oxides. Unmixing 128 hysteresis loops of archaeological sediments has shown that the dominant domain state in all sediments is superparamagnetic. Remarkably uniform superparamagnetic grain sizes of between 80 and 95 Å were found for all 128 sediments. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.