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Books in Agricultural and biological sciences

The Agricultural and Biological Sciences collection advances science-based knowledge for the improvement of animal and plant life and for secure food systems that produce nutritious, novel, sustainable foods with minimal environmental impact. Food Science titles include not only those products from agriculture but all other aspects from food production to nutrition, health and safety, chemistry to security, policy, law and regulation. Biological Sciences address animal behaviour and biodiversity, organismal and evolutionary biology, entomology, marine biology and aquaculture, plant science and forestry.

  • Handbook of Culture Media for Food Microbiology

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 37
    • April 22, 2003
    • J.E.L. Corry + 2 more
    • English
    This is a completely revised edition, including new material, from 'Culture Media for Food Microbiology' by J.E.L. Corry et al., published in Progress in Industrial Microbiology, Volume 34, Second Impression 1999.Written by the Working Party on Culture Media, of the International Committee on Food Microbiology and Hygiene, this is a handy reference for microbiologists wanting to know which media to use for the detection of various groups of microbes in food, and how to check their performance.The first part comprises reviews, written by international experts, of the media designed to isolate the major groups of microbes important in food spoilage, food fermentations or food-borne disease. The history and rationale of the selective agents, and the indicator systems are considered, as well as the relative merits of the various media. The second part contains monographs on approximately 90 of the most useful media. The first edition of this book has been frequently quoted in standard methods, especially those published by the International Standards Organisation (ISO) and the European Standards Organisation (CEN), as well as in the manuals of companies manufacturing microbiological media. In this second edition, almost all of the reviews have been completely rewritten, and the remainder revised. Approximately twelve monographs have been added and a few deleted. This book will be useful to anyone working in laboratories examining food - industrial, contract, medical, academic or public analyst, as well as other microbiologists, working in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and clinical (medical and veterinary) areas - particularly with respect to quality assurance of media and methods in relation to laboratory accreditation.
  • Fundamentals of Soil Ecology

    • 1st Edition
    • April 9, 2003
    • David C. Coleman + 1 more
    • English
    Fundamentals of Soil Ecology is designed to be a bridge between ecologists and soil scientists of all sorts. There is increasing awareness that soil is the organizing center for all terrestrial ecosystems. This book examines why this is so, in terms of physics, chemistry, and biology of the soil ecosystem. Aspects of biodiversity and global change, and the important role soils play in global carbon balance, are also discussed.
  • Taints and Off-Flavours in Foods

    • 1st Edition
    • April 2, 2003
    • B Baigrie
    • English
    Off-flavours and taints are defined as unpleasant odours or tastes, the first resulting from the natural deterioration of a food, the second from its contamination by some other chemical. Both are major problems for the food industry. With its distinguished editor and international team of contributors, this important collection describes some of the most important causes of taints and off-flavours, how they can be identified and dealt with.The book begins with chapters on sensory and instrumental methods for detecting and analysing taints and off-flavours in food. There are chapters on two of the most common causes of taints: packaging and residues from cleaning and disinfection. A number of chapters discuss the various causes of off-flavours, from those caused by microbial action and oxidation to those caused by the Maillard reaction and interactions between food components.With its authoritative coverage, Taints and off-flavours in food is a standard work for the food industry.
  • Mathematical Modeling for System Analysis in Agricultural Research

    • 1st Edition
    • March 27, 2003
    • K. Vohnout
    • English
    This book provides a clear picture of the use of applied mathematics as a tool for improving the accuracy of agricultural research. For decades, statistics has been regarded as the fundamental tool of the scientific method. With new breakthroughs in computers and computer software, it has become feasible and necessary to improve the traditional approach in agricultural research by including additional mathematical modeling procedures.The difficulty with the use of mathematics for agricultural scientists is that most courses in applied mathematics have been designed for engineering students. This publication is written by a professional in animal science targeting professionals in the biological, namely agricultural and animal scientists and graduate students in agricultural and animal sciences. The only prerequisite for the reader to understand the topics of this book is an introduction to college algebra, calculus and statistics. This is a manual of procedures for the mathematical modeling of agricultural systems and for the design and analyses of experimental data and experimental tests. It is a step-by-step guide for mathematical modeling of agricultural systems, starting with the statement of the research problem and up to implementing the project and running system experiments.
  • Multiple Criteria Analysis for Agricultural Decisions, Second Edition

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 11
    • March 21, 2003
    • C. Romero + 1 more
    • English
    This book presents the Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) paradigm for modelling agricultural decision-making in three parts. The first part, comprising two chapters, is philosophical in nature and deals with the concepts that define the underlying structure of the MCDM paradigm. The second part is the largest part consisting of five chapters, each of which presents the logic of a specific MCDM technique, and demonstrates how it can be used to model a particular decision problem. In the final part, some selected applications of the MCDM techniques to agricultural problems are presented and thus reinforce the development of an understanding of the MCDM paradigm.The book has been designed for use at different levels: as a textbook for final year undergraduate and postgraduate courses in modelling for decision-making; as a manual for researchers and practising modellers; and, as general reference on the application of MCDM techniques. Readers with basic appreciation of algebra and linear programming can easily follow the contents of this book.
  • Encyclopedia of Insects

    • 1st Edition
    • March 19, 2003
    • Vincent H. Resh + 1 more
    • English
    The Encyclopedia of Insects is a comprehensive work devoted to all aspects of insects, including their anatomy, physiology, evolution, behavior, reproduction, ecology, and disease, as well as issues of exploitation, conservation, and management. Articles provide definitive facts about all insects from aphids, beetles and butterflies to weevils and yellowjackets. Insects are beautiful and dreadful, ravenous pests and devastating disease vectors, resilient and resistant to eradication, and the source of great benefit and great loss for civilization. Important for ecosystem health, they have influenced the evolution of other life forms on our planet including humans. Anyone interested in insects, from university professors and researchers to high school students preparing a report, will find The Encyclopedia of Insects an indispensable volume for insect information.
  • Advances in Agronomy

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 78
    • March 19, 2003
    • English
    Advances in Agronomy continues to be recognized as a leading reference and a first-rate source of the latest research in agronomy. Major reviews deal with the current topics of interest to agronomists, as well as crop and soil scientists. As always, the subjects covered are varied and exemplary of the myriad subject matter dealt with by this long-running serial. Editor Donald Sparks, former president of the Soil Science Society of America and current president of the International Union of Soil Science, has just been appointed the S. Hallock du Pont Chair of Plant and Soil Sciences at The University of Delaware.
  • Confectionery Fats Handbook

    Properties, Production and Application
    • 1st Edition
    • March 1, 2003
    • R E Timms
    • English
    Fat is the most expensive component in confectionery such as chocolate. It may comprise of cocoa butter, milk fat, palm oil, lauric oil, exotic fats, etc. This new handbook, with a large number of figures and tables, provides a comprehensive guide to all aspects of confectionery fats, with particular emphasis on the later. Unlike sugar confectionery, chocolate is a fat-continuous product and the sugar, like the other non-fat components, is merely mixed with the fat rather than melted/boiled. The properties of chocolate confectionery are thus determined mainly by the fat, which comprises about 26-35% in a typical chocolate formulation.The book describes the essential physical chemistry needed to understand the properties of confectionery fats, analytical methods, raw materials, the production and properties of confectionery fats, and their application in sugar and chocolate confectionery. It concludes with consideration of legislation and regulatory aspects of producing confectionery and of using milk fat, cocoa butter and alternative fats together with a chapter on analytical methods for detecting and quantifying confectionery fats. Finally, four appendixes provide: a glossary of terms and abbreviations used; details of confectionery fat manufacturers; details of confectionary fat products produced by these manufacturers; and a list of websites from other relevant organizations that the reader may find useful.
  • Speciation and Biogeography of Birds

    • 1st Edition
    • February 25, 2003
    • Ian Newton
    • English
    This book should be of value to anyone interested in bird evolution and taxonomy, biogeography, distributional history, dispersal and migration patterns. It provides an up-to-date synthesis of current knowledge on species formation, and the factors influencing current distribution patterns. It draws heavily on new information on Earth history, including past glacial and other climatic changes, on new developments in molecular biology and palaeontology, and on recent studies of bird distribution and migration patterns, to produce a coherent account of the factors that have influenced bird species diversity and distribution patterns worldwide.Received the Best Bird Book of the Year award for 2004 from British Birds magazine.
  • The Global Forest Products Model

    Structure, Estimation, and Applications
    • 1st Edition
    • February 24, 2003
    • Joseph Buongiorno + 4 more
    • English
    The Global Forest Products Model (GFPM) book provides a complete introduction to this widely applied computer model. The GFPM is a dynamic economic equilibrium model that is used to predict production, consumption, trade, and prices of 14 major forest products in 180 interacting countries. The book thoroughly documents the methods, data, and computer software of the model, and demonstrates the model's usefulness in addressing international economic and environmental issues. The Global Forest Products Model is written by an international multi-disciplinary team and is ideal for graduate students and professionals in forestry, natural resource economics, and related fields. It explains trends in world forest industries in the simplest terms by explaining the economic theory underlying the model. It describes six applications of the GFPM, three of which were commissioned by the Food Agriculture of the United Nations, the USDA Forest Service, and New Zealand Research. The authors show how to apply the model to real issues such as the effects of the Asian economic crisis on the forest sector, the effects of eliminating tariffs on international trade and production, and the international effects of national environmental policies. They provide complete explanations on how to use the GFPM software, prepare the data, make the forecasts, and summarize the results with tables and graphs.