Science and the Global Environment
Case Studies for Integrating Science and the Global Environment
- 1st Edition - September 16, 2016
- Latest edition
- Authors: Alan McIntosh, Jennifer Pontius
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 8 0 1 7 1 2 - 8
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 8 0 1 8 0 8 - 8
Case Studies for Integrating Science and the Global Environment is designed to help students of the environment and natural resources make the connections between their training… Read more
Case Studies for Integrating Science and the Global Environment is designed to help students of the environment and natural resources make the connections between their training in science and math and today’s complex environmental issues. The book provides an opportunity for students to apply important skills, knowledge, and analytical tools to understand, evaluate, and propose solutions to today’s critical environmental issues.
The heart of the book includes four major content areas: water resources; the atmosphere and air quality; ecosystem alteration; and global resources and human needs. Each of these sections features in-depth case studies covering a range of issues for each resource, offering rich opportunities to teach how various scientific disciplines help inform the issue at hand. Case studies provide readers with experience in interpreting real data sets and considering alternate explanations for trends shown by the data. This book helps prepare students for careers that require collaboration with stakeholders and co-workers from various disciplines.
- Includes global case studies using real data sets that allow readers to practice interpreting data and evaluating alternative explanations
- Focuses on critical skills and knowledge, encouraging readers to apply science and math to real world problems
- Employs a system-based approach, linking air, water, and land resources to help readers understand that cause-effect may be complex and solutions to environmental problems require multiple perspectives
- Includes special features such as links to video clips of scientists at work, boxed information, a solutions section at the end of each case study, and practice exercises
Upper-level UG/Grad Students in Environmental Science
Forward
Section I: Tools of the Trade
Section 1.1: Introduction
Section 1.2: Thinking Like a Statistician
Section 1.2.1: Critiquing Statistics You Encounter
Section 1.2.2: Experimental Design and Sampling
Section 1.2.3: Describing and Visualizing Data
Section 1.2.4: Examining Relationships: Correlations
Section 1.2.5: Exploring Differences: t-tests and ANOVA’s
Section 1.2.6: Making Predictions: Regression Analyses
Section 1.2.7: Making it Count: Working with Frequencies and the ᵡ2 Test
Section 1.3: Common Environmental Science Applications
Section 1.3.1: Carbon Footprints
Section 1.3.2: Ecological Footprints
Section 1.3.3: Cost Benefit Analyses
Section 1.3.4: Environmental Risk Assessments
Section 1.3.5: Life Cycle Assessments
Section 1.3.6: Geospatial Analyses
Section 1.3.7: Communicating Like a Professional
Section II: Global Water Resources
Section 2.1: Introduction
Case Study 2.2: The Everglades: Changing Hydrology
Case Study 2.3: Mediterranean Sea: One system, many stressors
Case Study 2.4: Gulf of Mexico: Dead Zone
Case Study 2.5: Restoration: A Tale of Two Rivers
Case Study 2.6: Ocean Acidification
Case Study 2.7: Ground Water: What Lies Beneath
Case Study 2.8: China’s Three Gorges Dam: Costs vs. Benefits
Section III: Air Quality and Atmospheric Science
Section 3.1: Introduction
Case Study 3.2: Ozone Depletion
Case Study 3.3: Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
Case Study 3.4: Particulate Matter Pollution (PM)
Case Study 3.5: Industrial Smokestack Pollution
Case Study 3.6: Household Air Pollution (HAP)
Case Study 3.7: Climate Change
Section IV: Human Impacts on the Global Landscape
Section 4.1: Introduction
Case Study 4.2: Bark Beetle Infestation
Case Study 4.3: Alberta’s Tar Sands
Case Study 4.4: Desertification
Case Study 4.5: The Amazon Rain Forests
Case Study 4.6: Electronic Waste (e-waste)
Case Study 4.7: Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
Section V: Looking Ahead
- Edition: 1
- Latest edition
- Published: September 16, 2016
- Language: English
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Alan McIntosh
Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont. After receiving his PhD in limnology at Michigan State University, Professor McIntosh taught at Purdue University and Rutgers University before joining the Rubenstein School at the University of Vermont. He chaired the Environmental Sciences major in the Rubenstein School from 1995 until 2013 and taught a number of environmental courses, including the introductory environmental science course each semester during that period. His research interests focused on the fate and effects of toxic contaminants in freshwater ecosystems. He has authored a number of scholarly publications in his area of expertise.
Affiliations and expertise
Professor Emeritus, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, Universty of Vermont, USAJP
Jennifer Pontius
Professor Pontius is a research ecologist with the US Forest Service Northern Research Station and a Research Assistant Professor of remote sensing and statistics at the University of Vermont. In addition to examining the role of climate in forest ecosystem structure and function, Dr. Pontius is the Director of the Vermont Monitoring Cooperative, a network of over 150 environmental professionals dedicated to the sustainable management of Vermont’s forest ecosystems. Her focus is on bridging the gap between science and management through novel tools and techniques such as geospatial analysis, structured decision frameworks, and statistical models.
Affiliations and expertise
Research Ecologist, US Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Research Assistant, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, USARead Science and the Global Environment on ScienceDirect