“The Birds of NUS” at nusavifauna.wordpress.com which includes a guide to identifying birds, artificial keys, a checklist and maps with point locations of observed species
alerted to this by otterman
https://nusbiodiversity.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/announcing-birds-of-nus-a-resource-for-lsm1103-and-lsm2251-students-by-undergrad-david-tan/
Friday, September 21, 2012
Thursday, August 02, 2012
BMC Ecology Image Competition 2012
http://blogs.openaccesscentral.com/blogs/bmcseriesblog/entry/bmc_ecology_image_competition_2012
BMC Ecology wants to see your visual interpretations of ecological processes. The “BMC Ecology Image Competition 2012” is open to everyone affiliated with a research institution. So from muddy-boots fieldworkers to desk-based computational modellers, we want to know how you see the science of ecology.
FRIDAY JUL 06, 2012
BMC Ecology wants to see your visual interpretations of ecological processes. The “BMC Ecology Image Competition 2012” is open to everyone affiliated with a research institution. So from muddy-boots fieldworkers to desk-based computational modellers, we want to know how you see the science of ecology.
Entries should depict a specific ecological interaction, and should be submitted to one of five categories that reflect the editorial sections of the journal.
We will consider all images from photos to data visualizations, or a mixture of both – as long as they are striking, meaningful, and creative. The winner of each category will be chosen by each of the journal’s Section Editors (Michel Baguette, Michael Bonsall, Jean Clobert, Nick Royle and Josef Settele). The categories are:
Behavioural and physiological ecology
Conservation ecology and biodiversity research
Community, population, and macroecology
Landscape ecology and ecosystems
Theoretical ecology and models
The overall winner will receive a cash prize of £250 (€300/$400) and their image will be used as the journal’s main promotional image for 2013 – featuring prominently on the journal ‘s website and in its printed and online marketing material. The runner-up will receive £100 (€125/$150), and additional prizes of £50 (€65/$75) will be awarded for those images selected by the Section Editors that best represents their section.
Please ensure that you provide a description of the ecological processes depicted in your image, as well as the category you feel the image best embodies. Please also ensure that you correctly cite any data sets that were used to generate your image.
In line with our policies on Open Access, entry to the competition implies release of the images under a creative commons licence, to allow file sharing with proper attribution. We strongly encourage everyone to upload their images onto our Flickr group page “Imaging Ecology”, where you can view other entries and post your comments.
We would also encourage entrants to submit their images for consideration by our partners at the Biology Image Library, subject to peer-review.
Please email your entries to the Executive Editor of BMC Ecology atsimon.harold@biomedcentral.com
All entries should include as the subject line “BMC Ecology Image Competition 2012”, together with the following completed form:
Name:
Section:
Image Description (Max. 300 words):
File type:
Data attribution (if applicable):
Affiliation:
Contact details of Research Institute:
I agree to release this image under a Creative Commons License: Y/N
I would like my image to be considered for inclusion in the Biology Image Library: Y/N
Please attach your image entry to your email, which should conform to the following criteria:
Images must be a minimum 300dpi (1831 x 1831 pixels for a raster image).
Allowable formats - EPS, PDF (for line drawings), PNG, TIFF, JPEG, BMP, DOC, PPT
Please note that it is the responsibility of the author(s) to obtain permission from the copyright holder to reproduce figures or tables that have previously been published elsewhere.
Help us spread the word by downloading a flyer and displaying it prominently in your research department. We’ll also be posting regular updates on the competition throughout the coming months, so don’t forget to keep up to date by reading ourblog or by following us on Twitter @BMC_series using #ImagingEcology
Closing date for entries is 1st December 2012 and winners will be announced in the New Year.
We look forward to receiving your entries!
Posted by Simon Harold at 09:58 Comments (0)
Monday, June 25, 2012
Seagrass-Watch Magazine featuring Secret Dugongs in Singapore
The latest issue of Seagrass-Watch news (the official magazine of the global seagrass and assessment program) is now available online at http://www.seagrasswatch.org/
This is a special bumper double issue focusing on dugongs (Issue 45) and manatees (Issue 46) and our guest editor was Distinguished Professor Helene Marsh. Helene is an international authority on the conservation biology of dugongs, sea turtles and coastal cetaceans. Helene also co-authored the recent publication " Ecology and Conservation of the Sirenia: Dugongs and Manatees" (see magazine for more info).
There's an article featuring the good work of TeamSeaGrass on page 12 issue 45 on the 'secretive' Dugongs in Singapore. Sadly no live sightings have been found but the distinctive feeding trails are signs that they haven't all but disappeared ...
This is a special bumper double issue focusing on dugongs (Issue 45) and manatees (Issue 46) and our guest editor was Distinguished Professor Helene Marsh. Helene is an international authority on the conservation biology of dugongs, sea turtles and coastal cetaceans. Helene also co-authored the recent publication " Ecology and Conservation of the Sirenia: Dugongs and Manatees" (see magazine for more info).
There's an article featuring the good work of TeamSeaGrass on page 12 issue 45 on the 'secretive' Dugongs in Singapore. Sadly no live sightings have been found but the distinctive feeding trails are signs that they haven't all but disappeared ...
Friday, December 16, 2011
a frank post on the state of ignorance
Not to know is bad. Not to wish to know is worse. African Proverb
I am flabbergasted to say the lest when I read this post on media censorship in the land of free speech. Discovery channel bought only 6 of the 7 eps of David Attenborough's latest, Frozen Planet, because the last ep talks about global climate change.
I don't know to congratulate BBC in anticipating this and limiting seditious material to the last ep to prevent the entire series from being banned or throw my hands up in despair when global climate change can be a sensitive to broach when so many other stuff is deemed open topics.
Go figure
I am flabbergasted to say the lest when I read this post on media censorship in the land of free speech. Discovery channel bought only 6 of the 7 eps of David Attenborough's latest, Frozen Planet, because the last ep talks about global climate change.
I don't know to congratulate BBC in anticipating this and limiting seditious material to the last ep to prevent the entire series from being banned or throw my hands up in despair when global climate change can be a sensitive to broach when so many other stuff is deemed open topics.
Go figure
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Want to know more about Raffles Lighthouse?
Dr Hass filmed the underwater life in Singapore in 1958, recalling the sidghts that he saw at Raffles lighthouse , "it was simply beautiful and enchanting. there were so much tropical sea animals and fish"
There's even a publication list which features our coral reproduction guru Dr James Guest (ah hem one publication is sadly missing)
This exhibition closes on 31st Dec 2011 I believe. Wonder if anyone wants to adopt the printed materials.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Cars, Carparks and Parks, a matter of Perspective
On a lazy Sunday afternoon, I was
reading the news on Rochor Center making way for a new expressway, and
wondering about the fate
of the 570 families and 190 retailers and eateries who will have to move out of
Rochor Centre.
Cars.
Hands up for those who wish to own one; know someone that fervently chase the monthly COE trends more than trends in global economy; Someone recently recounted to me about a friend's good fortune who actually gained a profit from selling their 2nd hand BMW. Who would have thought cars, which are traditionally a liability can turn in a handsome profit?
Environmental issues aside, I don't know if anyone took a long hard look at the amount of space that cars are occupying in land scarce Singapore. So I decided to see what I can find online.
According to LTA's figures on motor vehicle (MV) population by COE, we have 945,829 motor vehicles in 2010 ** Assuming 2.5 x 5 m size for each carpark lot, this translates into 8.74 sq km of usable land area that stationary motor vehicles occupy.
What's 8.74 sq km to you?
To put things in perspective, Singapore's total land area is 694 sq km, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (BTNR) occupies only 0.2% of our country's total area or 1.63 sq km, but it is amazingly rich in biodiversity with about 40% of the nation's flora and fauna.
BTNR together with Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR) covers an area of approximately 30.43 sq km, according to National Parks Board. #
Maybe the idea that we have enough motor vehicles to cover 28% of CCNR isn’t shocking enough.
Singapore has a road system covering 3,356 kilometres which includes 161 kilometres of expressways according to Wikipedia.
Assuming the roads are single lane dual carriageways the width of 2.5m, and 3 lanes dual directional expressway, we have about 16 sq km in roads and 2.4 sq km in expressways. The new 21.5 km NSE that will be built at Rochor centre site might possibly occupy only 0.3225 sq km. But it represents a 1.75% increase in overall road area. Construction is planned to start at 2015, and end at 2020. Assuming that we have been growing our roads by 1.75% every 5 years and carparks by 3.18% yearly (average growth rate of MV for past decade), we would have created enough motor vehicle infrastructure that will be bigger than CCNR by 2017( 30.6 sq km ). By 2050, the combined area for carparks would have rivaled CCNR in area!(30.57 sq km)
Cars.
Hands up for those who wish to own one; know someone that fervently chase the monthly COE trends more than trends in global economy; Someone recently recounted to me about a friend's good fortune who actually gained a profit from selling their 2nd hand BMW. Who would have thought cars, which are traditionally a liability can turn in a handsome profit?
Environmental issues aside, I don't know if anyone took a long hard look at the amount of space that cars are occupying in land scarce Singapore. So I decided to see what I can find online.
According to LTA's figures on motor vehicle (MV) population by COE, we have 945,829 motor vehicles in 2010 ** Assuming 2.5 x 5 m size for each carpark lot, this translates into 8.74 sq km of usable land area that stationary motor vehicles occupy.
What's 8.74 sq km to you?
To put things in perspective, Singapore's total land area is 694 sq km, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (BTNR) occupies only 0.2% of our country's total area or 1.63 sq km, but it is amazingly rich in biodiversity with about 40% of the nation's flora and fauna.
BTNR together with Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR) covers an area of approximately 30.43 sq km, according to National Parks Board. #
Maybe the idea that we have enough motor vehicles to cover 28% of CCNR isn’t shocking enough.
Singapore has a road system covering 3,356 kilometres which includes 161 kilometres of expressways according to Wikipedia.
Assuming the roads are single lane dual carriageways the width of 2.5m, and 3 lanes dual directional expressway, we have about 16 sq km in roads and 2.4 sq km in expressways. The new 21.5 km NSE that will be built at Rochor centre site might possibly occupy only 0.3225 sq km. But it represents a 1.75% increase in overall road area. Construction is planned to start at 2015, and end at 2020. Assuming that we have been growing our roads by 1.75% every 5 years and carparks by 3.18% yearly (average growth rate of MV for past decade), we would have created enough motor vehicle infrastructure that will be bigger than CCNR by 2017( 30.6 sq km ). By 2050, the combined area for carparks would have rivaled CCNR in area!(30.57 sq km)
I have to applaud LTA’s vision to ‘cut peak-hour travelling time by up to 30 per cent’ with the NSE project. But honestly, if I was in a rush for time, I would go public to save time, instead of waiting 9 years for the NSE and suffering 5 years of even more horrendous jams due to construction works. I understand that LTA is under pressure, e.g. they have been receiving “an average of 10 complaints a month from motorists about the Lornie Road jam in recent years.” However, to exhume 5,000 graves (inconveniencing 5,000 families) for the benefit of a vocal 120 (hopefully unique) individuals sounds a tad reactionary. Similarly, I hope that LTA did an excellent cost benefit analysis that fought for saving 30% of peak hour travel time of a group of car drivers of unknown size over the 570 families and 190 retailers.
The aforementioned are only the ones
directly affected. You and me? We may not benefit from the time savings (especially since majority of Singaporeans do not drive a car) but we
are going to pay for the construction and maintenance through taxes. Furthermore,
all of these actions to improve traffic have to take land away from land scarce
Singapore. I would hate to see the government regret only when citizens start
staging the equivalent of http://parkingday.org
to convert parking lots into temporary public parks.
We need the outdoors: local researchers in childhood myopia have
advocated outdoor activity to reduce short sightedness.
For your personal health, unless you
aim to do your 150 minutes of physical activity a week in a carpark, I think you
would agree that parks are more important. I would urge everyone to reevaluate
the true cost of smooth traffic, that whether your need to save 20 mins might
affect others unfairly.
By the way, two cyclists are hit by
a motor vehicle everyday@ and 16 pedal cyclists died in 2010. Assuming that all the cyclists write to LTA to
ask for bicycle lanes, we might have 59.5 complaints every month and some
action (that hopefully doesn’t require moving dead people).
References
# On Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/
**source: LTA 2011 motor vehicle population by COE report
http://www.lta.gov.sg/corp_info/doc/MVP01-2%20%28MVP%20by%20COE%29.pdf
@ Ride of Silence is in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways.
http://www.rideofsilence.sg/
Transport in Singapore - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com
Notes: One might argue that most carparks are multi storey and it's unfair to calculate the area as such. I think my figures are only to be taken as a rough guide till some others improve on it, so I have adopted a KISS approach to the numbers, and I could have doubled the carpark areas, since most people have 2 carparks (home and workplace)
I have collated these numbers from the web, and as everyone knows, the web can be WRONG .. so ...
Clause for using info from this post.
While I try to provide precise and dependable data, statistics on this website are subject to revisions, made with the intent to accurately depict current trends.
As a consequence of change, I can provide no guarantee, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of furnished statistics at specific points in time.
Please use the statistics from the website knowing that you will need prior verification of facts. If I was wrong, it would be nice to let me know. The Prezi is published on Prezi.com/exploreyou may save a copy of it.
I shall not be held accountable for inaccurate depiction ensuing from disregarding this clause.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
OtterWatch: a baseline ecological knowledge of the species must first be established. And YOU can contribute to otter research in a ...See more
| About |
A project to consolidate otter sightings in Singapore.
|
|---|
| Description |
Wild
otter populations occur along our coastlines and mangroves. Two species
currently exist in Singapore: namely the more common smooth-coated
otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) and the smaller small-clawed otter
(Aonyx cinerea).
In order to ensure their continued presence here, a baseline ecological knowledge of the species must first be established. And YOU can contribute to otter research in a ...See more |
|---|
| Website |
https://www.facebook.com/pages/OtterWatch/1
|
|---|
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