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The author, a famous landscape ecologist, explored a comprehensive approach to develop and evaluate a model for bird refuges transformed from farm ponds. In this research, landscape-scale analysis was be used to explore farm-pond historical disappearances associated with landscape change. The model was developed on the basis of well-designed criteria to evaluate bird refuges and forecast bird population. These criteria were considering landscape influences responding to external driving forces. Importantly, results can be applied to ecological theory, advancing the understanding of the mechanisms underlying species-area relationships and avian community structure by helping to untangle the real significance of area from comprehensive factors. This book provides an overview of a wide range of up-to-date deep study from landscape ecology for ecologists, graduate students, and researchers to read.

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Prof. Dr. Wei-Ta Fang was born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on February 14, 1966. He received his master degrees from Arizona State University and Harvard University, and a Ph.D. degree at Texas A&M University, USA. He is currently teaching Wetland Education at the Graduate Institute of Environmental Education, National Taiwan Normal University.

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