Papers by Mohammed Ashraf
Five essays focusing cutting edge science bound ecological and GIS based conservation review of w... more Five essays focusing cutting edge science bound ecological and GIS based conservation review of wild tigers of South and South East Asia. All the essays are entered into IUCN Digital Cat Database.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
This article is focused on mathematical underpinning of wetland ecosystem conservation and manage... more This article is focused on mathematical underpinning of wetland ecosystem conservation and management. More precisely, it looks into algebraic expressions of species diversity index hence lay the groundwork of basic numerical techniques that are at paramount importance to effectively conserve wetlands that are rapidly diminishing in the face of anthropogenic human induced threats across the neotropic and tropical belt. The article start with basic information about types of wetlands, various terminologies that are often echoed within the broader rubric of limnology and then provide solid mathematical treatments of configuring diversity index focusing shannon index by simplifying algebraic expressions one step at a time.....Readers with basic 100 level ecology course taken at undergraduate school may find the article steep-learning curve whilst students from sophomore and beyond may find it relatively mild learning curve....
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Wildlife ecologists are often interested to find out the parameters that influence the species di... more Wildlife ecologists are often interested to find out the parameters that influence the species distribution and population size. These parameters can range from intrinsic ecological factors (for example density dependent population regulation) to extrinsic anthropogenic disturbances (man made caused of greenhouse gas emission). Within this broad spectrum, wildlife ecologists often need to find out the possible underlying trend or mechanism that influence the population parameter of species that are at concern. Lot of wildlife biologists who recently graduated are in a situation where they feel the necessary statistical tools they require to successfully carry out ecological data analyses are absent due to various economic and social factors that are hindering them to access the cutting edge scientific tools and resources. This problem is more intense in developing nations where technical and academic supports are often few and far between due to weak economic and social structure and conditions. For example, both in developed and developing nations, students are often trained to carry out necessary statistical tests under conceptually unified mathematical rigor within the broad spectrum of ecology in general and mathematics in particular. Students are trained to use handful of statistical and mathematical software that they are often introduced in their undergraduate university level education. These software usually range from Minitab, SPSS, JMP, for statistical analyses and MATLAB, Maplin and Maple for mathematical programming.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Ecology is not the kind of science that takes people by storm hence I am not expecting that it is... more Ecology is not the kind of science that takes people by storm hence I am not expecting that it is just what the doctor ordered. But we at Species Ecology are pretty 'gung ho' about the motion and rolled up our sleeves and buckled down to do our part to ensure science bound ecological sustainability find its niche in the face of anthropogenic development across the chessboard. I am not going to beat around the bush hence one of the main purposes of reaching out to people neatly rooted into the fact that collaborative and collective actions are fundamental to reinforce the conservation pillars in which wildlife science and ecology are basic ingredients.
This is just a short article providing some very brief understanding with regards to ecological study focusing animal population survey design and estimation techniques. The article deduced hard core mathematical rigor and modeling techniques to produce succinct easy-to-understand ecological piece without compromising the statistical rigor. The primary objective of this short essay is to publicize these rather mathematically challenging models in simplistic coherent format so that average people from non scientific background yet avid conservationist can able to digest the rudiment of population ecology and its conservation implications.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Mangrove forests are comprised of unique plant species that form the critical interface between t... more Mangrove forests are comprised of unique plant species that form the critical interface between terrestrial, estuarine, and near-shore marine ecosystems in tropical and subtropical regions. The term mangrove is generally used to describe the assemblage of trees and shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats, normally found in the tropics and sub-tropics. Mangrove plants are not land builders but once established, play a key role in stabilization of newly accreted sediment. Mangrove tree species have developed a wide range of features, including specialized stomatal, leaf, seed, and root structures, as adaptations for living in a saline environment with high incidence of inundation. Most mangrove species are viviparous; seeds germinate while still attached to the tree. Buoyant seeds develop into mature propagules, which then drop and disperse by water. Of note is the diversity in root structures of the mangrove tree species, designed to facilitate anchorage, nutrient uptake, and gaseous exchange. Some species, such as Heritiera fomes, Sonneratia apetala, and Avicennia officinalis, have pneumataphores; upward projecting root branches that enable the gaseous exchange required for respiratory metabolism. Other species, such as Rhizophora mucronata, have “stilt” or “knee” roots for gaseous exchange, while additional features such as the “tap” roots (buttresses) of Heritiera fomes and the horizontal spread of roots in general, add to overall stability. Some plants also excrete excess salt through leaves.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Tiger- the charismatic mega-carnivore is a globally endangered species despite the concerted inte... more Tiger- the charismatic mega-carnivore is a globally endangered species despite the concerted international conservation initiatives over the past several decades to safeguard its dwindling population size across its range nations. Due to its sheer magnificence, mischievousness, and awesome power, the tiger magnetized global attention and became a hallmark species for ex situ conservation initiatives across the continents. People around the globe often enjoy visiting zoos, which hold tigers, and many zoos have now adopted the tiger as its priority species for promoting ex situ wildlife conservation outreach and education programs with particular focus on schoolchildren as the major target group. Sadly, in situ wild tiger conservation initiatives remain disproportionately lacking in terms of scientific and socio-political interventions despite the consensus among civil societies and governments in tiger range countries to protect this species and its habitats. The Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem in Bangladesh is one of such habitats that became a global priority for wild tiger conservation in the 21st century. This paper attempts to place conservation priorities for the free-ranging wild Bengal tigers Panthera tigris tigris in the context of the Sundarbans by integrating the modern science of wildlife and landscape ecology.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest ecosystem on earth and the last remaining wild Bengal t... more Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest ecosystem on earth and the last remaining wild Bengal tiger habitat in Bangladesh. Sundarbans is Ramsar and World Heritage Site and according to the World Wildlife Fund and Wildlife Conservation Society, USA, the high priority tiger conservation landscape (TCL) for the viable population of wild tigers for the long term survival. Despite all these international designations, wild tiger population estimation and monitoring research continue to be ad-hoc based although few scientific studies have been carried out recently to understand the population parameters of the Sundarbans tiger. Nevertheless, the scopes and potentials to integrate remote sensing and GIS tools are still in its infancy to better appreciate the population and habitat parameters of this flagship species of tropical Asia. This paper attempts to introduce readers with potential power of GIS and its integration approach to better understand and manage endangered vertebrate such as Bengal Tiger of Sundarbans ecosystem.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Tigers evolved from the genus Panthera approximately two million years ago during the Cenozoic er... more Tigers evolved from the genus Panthera approximately two million years ago during the Cenozoic era and were widely distributed in China and Southeast Asia. They then expanded their range northwards into Russia, Japan and Korea, and south and westwards into the Indian subcontinent and Caspian regions about one million years ago. Tigers branched off as a distinct species under the Panthera genus long before lion Panthera leo, leopard Panthera pardus, and jaguar Panthera onca. Tiger is essentially an Asian species and the fossil evidence suggests that it has never been found on any other continents, primarily due to the geo-climatic factors that shaped its ecological niche, along with its obligate mode of adaptation which is primarily based on preying on large ungulate mammals from tropical and sub-tropical monsoonal forests and riparian grassland ecosystems in South Asia. Empirical evidence suggests that in the 19th century there were over 100,000 tigers living in Asia, but by the turn of the mid 20th century, tiger numbers had astronomically plummeted to less than 10,000 across its range nations – due to the large scale British colonial hunting regime administered fashionably and ruthlessly to systematically kill tigers and other charismatic species in the Indian subcontinent.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Small to large carnivorous mammals in the tropical belt face extinction at an unprecedented rate.... more Small to large carnivorous mammals in the tropical belt face extinction at an unprecedented rate. The vanishing of sympatric wild cats appears to be due to habitat fragmentation, human encroachment & poaching. The focus of this study is on ecological and distributional parameters that influence the wild cat communities in tropical South Asia. The distributional data for five sympatric cats is analyzed with the aim of understanding the species-habitat association under a conceptually unified binary-matrix framework. The use of cluster analysis techniques in this ecological study have helped to reveal the natural groupings among felid guilds and their ecological resource partitioning mechanism in shared habitats.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
This article provide background information pertaining to the disappearance of two sub-species of... more This article provide background information pertaining to the disappearance of two sub-species of tigers from South East Asia. These wild tigers were in great numbers and used to serve as keystone species in Indonesian and Malaysian rainforest. The species are now extinct from the wild. The article reflects the fundamental anthropocentric causes that drove these tiger sub species into extinction.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Hypothesis (Boecklen, 1986) is that habitat diversity significantly influences the species richne... more Hypothesis (Boecklen, 1986) is that habitat diversity significantly influences the species richness when area is factored out. This hypothesis has highly influenced conservation practices, where the relative merits of large vs. small reserves are contested based on the interpretations of island biogeographic theory (Wilson & Willis, 1975). However, in most cases the effects of area and habitat diversity are closely related and often influence each other directly or indirectly. Recent work has shown that habitat diversity and availability of particular habitat types might be important in determining the species richness of Agean land snails (Welter-Schultes & Williams, 1999). The Andaman Islands, which lie off the coast of S.E. Asia in the Bay of Bengal provide a natural laboratory for testing the island biogeographical theory in relation to the effects of area, habitat diversity and habitat types on the species richness of forest birds.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Bengal tigers of Bangladesh are at brink of extinction due to anthropocentric disturbances. The a... more Bengal tigers of Bangladesh are at brink of extinction due to anthropocentric disturbances. The article provide ecological perspective to help conserve the dwindling population of tigers in Bangladesh Sundarbans: the largest deltaic mangrove ecosystem in tropical belt.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Sundarbans (Bangladesh) mangrove forest is the largest contiguous mangrove ecosystem in the world... more Sundarbans (Bangladesh) mangrove forest is the largest contiguous mangrove ecosystem in the world. At 10,000 square km, it is also the largest wetland ecosystem with international importance for waterfowl habitats. The Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is a focal species for biodiversity conservation management in the Sundarbans. Conservationists claim that Sundarbans harbors the largest population of tigers in south Asia. Sundarbans also acquired national and international protected area classifications; 23% of its total area has been designated as Sundarbans Wildlife Sanctuaries and United Nations World Heritage Sites. Use of the tiger as a keystone species and its impact on socioecological and economic considerations needs to be reviewed critically with the aim of formulating a management action plan for tiger conservation in the region.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Pythons are large vertebrate mega-fauna that often carry ‘flagship’ status in its range countries... more Pythons are large vertebrate mega-fauna that often carry ‘flagship’ status in its range countries. This paper explores the python’s systematic classification and taxonomy, its biogeographical distribution from an evolutionary perspective, its current ecological speciation (sympatric and allopatric), and provides a brief biogeographical diagnosis of the green python (Chondropython viridis).
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
In Practice, 2004
Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem in bangladesh is unique due to its high socio-ecological and ecosys... more Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem in bangladesh is unique due to its high socio-ecological and ecosystem significance. This ecosystem is the only wetland based biome that harbours wild Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) in Bangladesh. The article provide brief background of Bangladesh Sundarbans mangrove and its intricate ecological and sociological parameters in relation to tiger ecology and conservation in Bangladesh landscape....
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Tigerpaper, 2004
The tiger is a breathtakingly charismatic species. It is the largest terrestrial carnivorous mamm... more The tiger is a breathtakingly charismatic species. It is the largest terrestrial carnivorous mammal on earth and sits on top of the food chain in tropical, grassland and boreal ecosystem s ranging from South Asia to Central Asia and Siberia in the former USSR. In these eco-regions, the tiger has served as a flagship mammal and hence acted as an umbrella species for overall biodiversity conservation management. It is an ecological indicator species from which wildlife biologists can detect various ecological changes in terms of species richness, size, equitability, biomass, etc. Some wildlife biologists refer to the tiger as an ecological litmus paper because of its role in helping to indicate the overall health of tropical ecosystem s in South and South-East Asia.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Global Response, Colorado, USA, 2000
Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem is one of the most unique biodiverse wetland biome in tropical and ... more Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem is one of the most unique biodiverse wetland biome in tropical and semi tropical belt. This is the only wetland ecosystem that harbor wild Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) in Bangladesh. Although the population size of Bengal tiger is pretty low with less than 1 tiger per 100 sq km of the forest, the Sundarbans however is one of the most productive ecosystem for long term survival of tiger population. The mangrove biome is under enrmous threat by oil giant tycoon from Anglo-Dutch origin and their mineral exploration activities will threaten the biodiversity of the ecosystem. This report provide basic information regarding the Sundarbans mangrove and its current threat by Shell Energy company...
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Shell Energy Company plans on drilling and carrying out mineral exploration survey in Bangladesh ... more Shell Energy Company plans on drilling and carrying out mineral exploration survey in Bangladesh part of the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem. This is a press article published in the British Sunday Times to help create conservation alert to protect worlds largest mangrove forest: home to Bengal tigers of Asia......
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
British Sunday Times, 2000
The wild Bengal tigers of Bangladesh are facing extinction crisis due to various man made negativ... more The wild Bengal tigers of Bangladesh are facing extinction crisis due to various man made negative actions. In the midst of all these, transnational corporations from British tycoons plan on exploring oil and gas in the last remaining habitat for tigers in the Bangladesh. This article provide basic overview of the tiger and other vertebrate species that are facing human induced development threats in Sundarbans mangrove wetland in Bangladesh. The article was published in LINK magazine of Friends of the Earth head quarter in Netherlands.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Uploads
Papers by Mohammed Ashraf
This is just a short article providing some very brief understanding with regards to ecological study focusing animal population survey design and estimation techniques. The article deduced hard core mathematical rigor and modeling techniques to produce succinct easy-to-understand ecological piece without compromising the statistical rigor. The primary objective of this short essay is to publicize these rather mathematically challenging models in simplistic coherent format so that average people from non scientific background yet avid conservationist can able to digest the rudiment of population ecology and its conservation implications.
This is just a short article providing some very brief understanding with regards to ecological study focusing animal population survey design and estimation techniques. The article deduced hard core mathematical rigor and modeling techniques to produce succinct easy-to-understand ecological piece without compromising the statistical rigor. The primary objective of this short essay is to publicize these rather mathematically challenging models in simplistic coherent format so that average people from non scientific background yet avid conservationist can able to digest the rudiment of population ecology and its conservation implications.