Living communities are continuously changing, both as a result of natural processes and of human activities. It is essential for us to have effective biological and ecological monitoring programs in order to detect these changes and understand the factors that influence them. In the first part of the book, the roles of local, national, and international organizations that implement monitoring programs are discussed and assessed. In the second section of the book, a wide range of examples are used to explain and evaluate methods of data collection, analysis, and interpretation. The final section focuses on the important applications of biological monitoring, such as pollution control, land-use management, monitoring rare species, and post-environmental impact assessment.