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Elsevier

Books in Environmental sciences

The Environmental Sciences titles present critical research and insights into the complex interactions within natural ecosystems, climate systems, and human impacts on the environment. Covering areas such as biodiversity, sustainability, climate change, and resource management, these titles support scientific discovery and practical solutions for addressing today’s most pressing environmental challenges. This collection is essential for researchers, policymakers, and students dedicated to advancing environmental understanding and stewardship

  • Atmospheric Oxidation and Antioxidants

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume III
    • Bozzano G Luisa
    • English
    Volume III addresses our present understanding of how oxidation is involved both positively and negatively in life processes. This is a more recent and rapidly developing aspect of oxidation chemistry and many of the concepts still have to be proved by rigorous scientific investigation. Nevertheless, the mechanistic principles developed as a result of studies in vitro over the years now provide the basis for understanding the complex oxidation chemistry of life processes and its control by biological antioxidants.

  • Conservation of Plant Genes

    Dna Banking and in Vitro Biotechnology
    • 1st Edition
    • Bozzano G Luisa
    • English
    This is the first report of the DNA Bank-Net, an organization whose goal is to encourage the conservation, collection, and preservation of plant genes.

  • Biogeochemistry

    An Analysis of Global Change
    • 1st Edition
    • William H Schlesinger
    • English
    Biochemistry: An Analysis of Global Change provides information pertinent to the chemistry of the surface of the Earth. This book presents the basics about the effect of life on the chemistry of the Earth. Organized into two parts encompassing 14 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the connection between the elements that are significant to life. This text then describes how computer models are employed to help understand elemental cycling and ecosystem function. Other chapters consider how satellite technology is beneficial in understanding global biochemistry. This book discusses as well the essential role theta the Earth Observing System (EOS) will play in investigations of global ecology. The final chapter deals with the human effect on global biochemical cycles, with focus on controlling human population growth to maintain life and quality of life on Earth. This book is a valuable resource for college-level and graduate students who are interested in global change.

  • Channels, Carriers, and Pumps

    An Introduction to Membrane Transport
    • 1st Edition
    • Wilfred D. Stein
    • English
    For students as well as researchers this book describes the exciting new advances in the molecular biology of transport proteins and integrates this information with transport kinetics, function, and regulation. Experimental data are linked with theory.

  • Structure and Functioning of Seminatural Meadows

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 27
    • M. Rychnovská
    • English
    Twelve years' analysis of natural grassland and experimentally managed meadows have produced this unique set of data on the structures and physiological functions of primary producers, consumers and decomposers. Obtained during the 1973-1985 Ecosystem Study on Highland Meadows in Czechoslovakia, such original information is rare in scientific literature. The aim of the study was to define the functioning of these grasslands and their changes under different impact of man, and to examine the ecological function of those ecosystems in the intensively managed catchment area. Hence, this book contains deep analyses of soil microorganisms, their functions in decomposition and soil forming processes - leading to the evaluation of the whole carbon cycle - as well as dealing with nitrogen pathways in the experimental plots - resulting in precise determination of the full nitrogen cycle. Procedures used in practical agriculture, such as cutting, fertilization and renovation, have also been applied, producing evaluations from both ecological and economical view-points.The book's integrated ecosystem approach to grasslands, its deep professional analyses in each section, along with the synthesis on each particular level and across all levels, renders it an invaluable, informative text, comprising extensive figures and tables and a substantial bibliography of world-wide sources.

  • Nitrogen in Organic Wastes

    Applied to Soils
    • 1st Edition
    • Bozzano G Luisa
    • English
    Organic wastes are traditionally applied to land to recover their fertilizer value, but the microbial turnover of such organic matter in soil is often out of phase with the requirements of growing plants. Therefore, nutrients may be lost and may even act as potential pollutants of water and air, posing a particular challenge to agricultural and environmental engineers.This book addresses both experimental and modeling methodology under the main headings of nitrogen and carbon transformations, gaseous losses, chemical means of controlling nitrification, and nitrate leaching. The articles are based on material presented at a specialized seminar held under the auspices of ISWA and DAKOFA at Aalborg University, Denmark, in September, 1988.

  • Ecology of Tropical Oceans

    • 1st Edition
    • Bozzano G Luisa
    • English
    This book breaks new ground with the integration of geography, oceanography, plankton and benthic biology, as well as fish, to present a comprehensive account of the ecology of the tropical ocean. Proceeding from a description of the geomorphology, sediments, and vegetation of tropical continental shelves and the oceanography of tropical regions, the authors describe the benthos, plankton, and fish communities of tropical seas. An examination of the production of plant and animal life in tropical oceans is presented together with the numerical population biology of fish and invertebrates.

  • After Water Management Measures

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 15B
    • English
    Technical water management measures in the inundation region of southern Moravia significantly affected conditions of terrestrial and water ecosystems. Changes in ecological conditions and reaction of biota in the ecosystems of floodplain forests and meadows and regulated watercourses and retention reservoirs were studied within the UNESCO "Man and the Biosphere" programme for several years by a multi-disciplinary team of scientific workers. A broad extent of knowledge from many scientific disciplines enables a deeper insight into complexity of ecological relations after an intervention into landscape to ecologists, water managers, foresters, agronomists and biologists of different specializations.

  • Tropical Forests

    Some African and Asian Case Studies of Composition and Structure
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 22
    • J. Borota
    • English
    This publication deals with the composition and structure of both natural and artificially established tropical forests. After a general introduction, the role of tropical forests in the production of timber is discussed. Attention is then given to the structure of natural tropical forests, especially in Congo, Gabon, Ghana and Laos. The structure of artificially established forests is dealt with in another chapter. At the end, information is given on the thinning of such forest stands in Tanzania.

  • Restoration and Rehabilitation of the Desert Environment

    • 1st Edition
    • N. Al-Awadhi + 2 more
    • English
    These proceedings contain technical papers presented at the Kuwait-Japan Symposium on Restoration and Rehabilitation of the Desert Environment, which was held in Kuwait on 3-4 March, 1996. Kuwait was selected as the site for this fourth symposium because of its enormous need for restoring and rehabilitating its desert environment, and because of the progress which Kuwait and Japan have been making collectively in these efforts at both pilot and field-scale levels. Kuwait's desert land has recently suffered from one of the worst man-made disasters of all time, having been polluted with vast amounts of oil from the nearly 7000 oil wells that were destroyed during the Gulf War.The three themes for the symposium were: remediation of the polluted soil; enhancement of the visual impact of greenery; and recycling of wastewater for rehabilitation purposes. The first theme was highlighted with presentations on the KISR/PEC Oil-Lake Beds Remediation Project. The second theme was launched with a broad-based discussion on new strategies and alternatives for greening the desert and a summary of the Kuwait National Greenery Plan which is now being prepared. The third theme featured presentations on water resource management in Japan and in KISR's Reverse Osmosis Project to make municipal wastewater recyclable for greenery use in densely populated areas. The closing session culminated in perspectives and recommendations from both Kuwait and Japan and with a historical summary of the long-standing Kuwait/Japan Collaborative Program.

  • Flux Control in Biological Systems

    From Enzymes to Populations and Ecosystems
    • 1st Edition
    • Ernst-Detlef Schulze
    • English
    Comprehending and modelling biomass production, nutrient, and water fluxes in biological systems requires understanding control mechanisms at various levels of organiztion. This new book, with 16 pages of four-colorplates, compares patterns and mechanisms of regulation-starting from enzyme reactions and ending at the population and ecosystem level. By doing so, the book investigates the general principles of how fluxes are adjusted and regulated. Such principles areessential for preparing effective models and for predicting human impacts on ecosystems. Flux Control in Biological Systems: From Enzymes to Populations and Ecosystems will be an essential personal library addition for student and professional environmental biologists, ecologists, physiologists, biochemists, botanists, microbiologists, soil scientists, and zoologists; as well as anyone who investigate patterns of matter and energy transfer in biological systems of different levels of complexity.

  • Wetlands of Bottomland Hardwood Forests

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 11
    • J.R. Clark + 1 more
    • English
    These Proceedings comprise two parts. Part I contains eight contributed papers on hydrology, fauna, soils, forests, agriculture and ecology. Part II comprises reports resulting from the five interdisciplinary workgroups whose participants included ecologists, botanists, zoologists, engineers, hydrologists, agrologists, dendrologists, resource managers and other specialists. Their aim was to evaluate conservation and management practices for wetland portions of the bottomland forests of the southeastern United States and to provide technical advice to responsible federal agencies. Thus the book is a state-of-knowledge review of scientific literature and current research, particularly that necessary to understand the effects of alterations such as forest clearing, land drainage or levee building that impair natural functions, i.e. production of timber, maintenance of water quality, flood water storage, support of migrating waterfowl and fish, carbon dioxide balance of the atmosphere etc.

  • Management and Analysis of Biological Populations

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 8
    • B.-S. Goh
    • English
    Management and Analysis of Biological Populations demonstrates the usefulness of optimal control theory in the management of biological populations and the Liapunov function in simulating an ecosystem model under large perturbations of its initial state and continual disturbances on its dynamics. The first chapter of the book introduces the topic by presenting the different models in ecology and discussing the stability concepts, the ecological engineering, and various relevant functions in ecosystem modeling. The next chapter contains a brief survey of static optimization techniques and optimal control theory for systems, which are modeled by differential and difference equations. Another chapter covers methods that use Liapunov and Liapunov-like functions to establish that a given population model is stable relative to finite perturbations of its initial state and that it is non-vulnerable relative to large continual disturbances. The book also covers fisheries and logistic modeling, including a discussion of a few management problems. Moreover, this reference considers stability in an ecosystem model with complexities due to species richness, nonlinearities, time delays, and spatial heterogeneity. Finally, it explains how to manage pests and greenhouse crops. The book is an excellent reference source for students and professionals in ecology and environmental engineering. Research professionals and extended workers in agriculture and agronomy will also find this book invaluable.

  • Bird Census Techniques

    • 1st Edition
    • Colin J. Bibby + 2 more
    • English
    Wild birds are counted for a wide variety of reasons and by a bewildering array of methods. However, detailed descriptions of the techniques used and the rationale adopted are scattered in the literature, and the newcomer to bird census work or the experienced bird counter in search of a wider view, may well have difficulty in coming to grips with the subject as a whole. While not an end in itself, numerical and distributional census work is a fundamental part of many scientific and conservation studies, and one in which the application of given standards is vital if results are not to be distorted or applied in a misleading way.This book provides a concise guide to the various census techniques and to the opportunities and pitfalls which each entails. The common methods are described in detail, and illustrated through an abundance of diagrams showing examples of actual and theoretical census studies. Anyone with a bird census job to plan should be able to select the method best suited to the study at hand, and to apply it to best effect within the limits inherent in it and the constraints of the particular study.The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the British Trust for Ornithology have for many years pioneered the collaboration of amateurs and professionals in various census studies. Three members of their staff, each with extensive field experience, now pool the knowledge of these investigations to lay the groundwork for sound census work in future years.

  • Mathematical Modelling of Environmental and Ecological Systems

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 11
    • J.B. Shukla + 2 more
    • English
    This volume contains a cross-section of the papers presented at the International Symposium on Mathematical Modelling of Ecological, Environmental and Biological Systems held in Kanpur, India, in August 1985. The choice of topics emphasizes many aspects of ecological and environmental matters including air and water pollution, ecotoxicology, resource management, epidemiology, and population and community ecology.It is intended that this volume will focus international attention upon some problems in the ecological and environmental sciences that can be impacted by mathematical modelling and analysis.

  • Before Water Management Measures

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 15A
    • English
    The ultimate motivation for the study which is the subject of this book was the need to draw conclusions on the impact of man's activity on natural ecosystems. The results characterize the situation of the south-Moravian floodplain forest in the period of fading uncontrolled floods before the extensive technical measures successively changed the moisture regime by eliminating inundation and lowering the level of underground water. This publication is unique in Czechoslovakia as it records the ecological situation in the floodplain forest prior to the major and irreversible changes. The study also documents the exceptional role played by the Central-European floodplain forest in maintaining the gene pool and structure of the one thousand or so species in flora and fauna of an agricultural region.

  • Nuclear Materials for Fission Reactors

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 28
    • H. Matzke + 1 more
    • English
    This volume brings together 47 papers from scientists involved in the fabrication of new nuclear fuels, in basic research of nuclear materials, their application and technology as well as in computer codes and modelling of fuel behaviour. The main emphasis is on progress in the development of non-oxide fuels besides reporting advances in the more conventional oxide fuels. The two currently performed large reactor safety programmes CORA and PHEBUS-FP are described in invited lectures. The contributions review basic property measurements, as well as the present state of fuel performance modelling. The performance of today's nuclear fuel, hence UO2, at high burnup is also reviewed with particular emphasis on the recently observed phenomenon of grain subdivision in the cold part of the oxide fuel at high burnup, the so-called "rim" effect. Similar phenomena can be simulated by ion implantation in order to better elucidate the underlying mechanism and reviews on high resolution electron microscopy provide further information. The papers will provide a useful treatise of views, ideas and new results for all those scientists and engineers involved in the specific questions of current nuclear waste management.

  • Handbook of Hazardous Materials

    • 1st Edition
    • English
    Handbook of Hazardous Materials is a one-volume compendium of hazardous materials that discusses the toxic effects of these materials on human health and the global environment. It provides comprehensive coverage of individual toxic elements, covers hazardous material groups, and includes more general articles such as evaluation and testing of carcinogens, transport of pollutants, and inhalation toxicology. The fully referenced articles are presented in alphabetical order. The book features a subject index as well as numerous cross-references.

  • Homology

    The Hierarchial Basis of Comparative Biology
    • 1st Edition
    • Brian K. Hall
    • English
    Homology, the similarity between organisms that is due to common ancestry, is the central concept of all comparative biology. However, the application of this concept varies depending on the data being examined. This volume represents a state-of-the-art treatment of the different applications of this unifying concept. Chapters deal with homology on all levels, from molecules to behavior, and are authored by leading contributors to systematics, natural history, and evolutionary, developmental, and comparative biology.

  • Microbiological Aspects of Pollution Control

    • 2nd Edition
    • R. Dart
    • English
    The second edition of the Fundamental Aspects of Pollution Control and Environmental Science 6: Microbiological Aspects of Pollution Control summarizes the advances in the use of microorganisms to remove pollutants from the environment and to recycle essential materials. It discusses practical aspects such as sewage treatment, the theoretical aspects, including the genetics of biodegradation of pesticides, and the ways in which the biochemical capabilities of microorganisms can be maximized. Comprised of 11 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of how microorganisms produce chemical pollutants, such as mycotoxins and phytotoxins. It then discusses how microorganisms can contribute to air pollution, the effect of air pollutants on microorganisms, and the health hazards arising from water-borne pathogens. The book also provides the assessment of the quality of surface waters, sewage or sewage effluents, and industrial effluents. It explains the microbiological examination of pharmaceutical products. Sewage treatment by methods such as biological filtration, disinfection and recycling of water; eutrophication; thermal pollution; sulfur cycle and waste recovery; oil pollution; and the process of biodegradation are also described. Engineers will find this book extremely helpful for the study of the microbiological aspects of pollution and possible solutions.

  • Trace-Element Contamination of the Environment

    • 2nd Edition
    • D. Purves
    • English
    It is hard to imagine a more concise summary of the prodigious work and voluminous publications in this field... This volume should be available to students at the undergraduate level, to those in law school, and to all seriously concerned about an extremely important problem. This review in Choice was just one of the many favourable comments that greeted the appearance of the first edition of this book when it appeared in 1977. Since then, there has been an explosion of interest in almost every aspect of research in environmental pollution. The aim of this new edition, however, remains the same i.e. to evaluate the global biological consequences of dispersal of trace elements, originally mined from localized limited deposits, in the environment. In treating the problems of metal contamination of the environment, the author considers the problems of environmental pollution involving metals and the problem of exhaustion of finite reserves of ores of metals, such as cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel and zinc, as aspects of a single global problem. A broad picture is presented of the overall process of dispersal of trace elements in the environment and the biological consequences of this process are documented with the aid of an intensive list of references. The book will be invaluable as a definitive reference source covering this field of interest for a wide range of people (environmentalists and conservationists, those concerned with management of resources and waste disposal, and agricultural chemists and soil scientists.)

  • Tropical Botanic Gardens

    Their Role in Conservation and Development
    • 1st Edition
    • V. H. Heywood + 1 more
    • English
    This book includes the proceedings of the second symposium on one important role of botanic gardens in conserving world plant resources. Sessions covered topics such as implementing the botanic gardens conservation strategy, regional networks and national programs in the tropics, and germplasm banks in botanic gardens.

  • Trace Element Contamination of the Environment

    • 1st Edition
    • David Purves
    • English
    Fundamental Aspects of Pollution Control and Environmental Science 1: Trace-Element Contamination of the Environment investigates the global biological consequences of dispersal of trace elements that are mined from localized limited deposits in the environment. It considers the problem of trace-element contamination of the biosphere as an environmental pollution and as part of the ecological crisis as a whole. Comprised of eight chapters, this volume begins with an overview of trace-element contaminants, such as lead, cadmium, and mercury. It then discusses factors affecting the trace-element composition of soils, including sulfur, lime, and fertilizers. It explains as well the trace-element contamination of the atmosphere and hydrosphere, the sources of trace-element contamination of soils, and the availability of trace elements in the soil. The consequences of trace-element contamination of the soil, including its effects on crops and animals, are also discussed. The book also provides ways to prevent dispersal of metals in the environment. This book will be an essential reading for undergraduates, law students, and those who are interested about environmental pollution caused by trace elements.

  • Reclamation, Treatment and Utilization of Coal Mining Wastes

    • 1st Edition
    • A.K.M. Rainbow
    • English
    Destined to become a major reference work, this book presents a wide range of specialist papers on the exploitation of coal mining wastes (minestone). Up-to-date developments and research results are reported from all over the world, providing a wealth of information for civil and mining engineers, environmentalists, and land reclamation specialists.

  • Arctic Ecosystems in a Changing Climate

    An Ecophysiological Perspective
    • 1st Edition
    • F. Stuart Chapin III + 5 more
    • English
    The arctic region is predicted to experience the earliest and most pronounced global warming response to human-induced climatic change. This book synthesizes information on the physiological ecology of arctic plants, discusses how physiological processes influence ecosystem processes, and explores how climate warming will affect arctic plants, plant communities, and ecosystem processes.

  • Ecological Assessment of Environmental Degradation, Pollution and Recovery

    • 1st Edition
    • O. Ravera
    • English
    The Ispra Course on Ecological Assessment of Environmental Degradation, Pollution and Recovery'' was structured according to the following topics: (a) terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem concept; (b) structure, functions and evolution of the ecosystem in relation to the natural and anthropogenic influences, and (c) concept of stress, assessment and restoration of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. These general concepts were developed in a series of lectures presented by well-known experts in their specific fields, taking into account the ecological principles and environmental management. For the various aspects of the environmental problems, the state-of-the-art, the principles of restoration techniques, the results obtained by their application and the research needs to acquire a better knowledge of the ecological processes, were discussed. The lectures were illustrated by several case studies concerning forests, lakes, reservoirs, rivers, soil and the interrelations between air and terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.This book contains the lectures presented at the course, reviewed by the authors, and complemented throughout with numerous figures and tables.

  • Carbon Isotope Techniques

    • 1st Edition
    • David C. Coleman
    • English
    Carbon Isotope Techniques deals with the use of carbon isotopes in studies of plant, soil, and aquatic biology. Topics covered include photosynthesis/trans... studies in terrestrial ecosystems; carbon relationships of plant-microbial symbioses; microbe/plant/soil interactions; and environmental and aquatic toxicology. Stable carbon isotope ratios of natural materials are also considered. Comprised of 15 chapters, this book begins with an introduction to radiation-counting instruments used in measuring the radioactivity in soil and plant samples containing carbon-14. The discussion then turns to the basic methods of 14C use in plant science, highlighted by three examples of applications in the field of plant physiology and ecology. Subsequent chapters explore the use of carbon isotope techniques for analyzing the carbon relationships of plant-microbial symbioses; the interactions of microbes, plants, and soils; and the degradation of herbicides and organic xenobiotics. Carbon dating and bomb carbon are also described. The final section is devoted to the uses and procedures for 13C and 11C. This monograph is intended for advanced undergraduate or graduate students, as well as generalist scientists who have not previously used radioisotopes or stable isotopes in their research.

  • Tropical Rain Forest Ecosystems

    Biogeographical and Ecological Studies
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 14B
    • H. Lieth + 1 more
    • English
    After publication of the first volume of the Tropical Rain Forest, the International Journal of Mycology and Lichenology commented ``This is a welcome addition to the literature on the ecology of tropical rain forests. The book provides a wealth of data and stimulating discussions and is of great interest to ecologists interested in tropical areas.'' Whereas the first volume dealt with system-ecological aspects such as community organization and processes, the present volume concentrates on biogeographical aspects such as species composition, diversity, and geographical variation.Recent ecological research in the tropical rain forest has greatly extended our understanding of biogeographical patterns of variation in the various groups of organisms, and has revealed many of the ecological and evolutionary forces that led to the present patterns of variation. Many important systems of co-evolution between the tropical rain forest ecosystems have also come to light, and the loss of species and related damage is better understood in quantitative terms.This volume presents a comprehensive review of these and other features of the rain forest ecosystem structure, and the ecological processes operating that system. General chapters on abiotic and biotic factors are followed by specific chapters on all major groups of organisms. Prospects for the future are discussed and research needs clearly stated. Also the human exploitation of the system, its effects and its limits are discussed. The book is extensively illustrated by photographs, graphs, and tables, and comprehensive bibliographies follow each chapter. Author, systematic and subject indices complete the book.It is a must for all ecologists, agriculturists, foresters, agronomists, hydrologists, soil scientists, entomologists, human ecologists, nature conservationists, and planners dealing with tropical areas. Biologists and environmentalists will also find the volume of great interest.

  • Shrub-Steppe

    Balance and Change in a Semi-Arid Terrestrial Ecosystem
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 20
    • Alec Rickard + 3 more
    • English
    Owing to man-made intervention, the shrub-steppe now represents a rapidly disappearing landscape in the arid regions of North America. This book represents a systems-level study of ecological variables affecting water balance, and responses to perturbation. The study focused on a very large, protected, landscape unit, comprising a natural ``watershed'' area located in the semi-arid western United States. Long-term and concurrent data sets were established with a view towards establishing system-level responses to manipulative interventions, and natural perturbations like wildfire. These data sets were established for micrometeorology, climatology, mineral cycling in soils, nutrient and mineral pathways in springs and streams, vegetational dynamics, and population changes on the site. In synthesizing nearly twenty years of data, the more interesting ecosystem level responses concerned vegetational recovery and water balance. For instance, the synthesis uniquely demonstrates the interaction of biotic and non-biotic factors and their integrated effect on regional water balance. However, special attention was also paid to species diversity and the genetic resource pool represented at this site.This book will be of primary interest as a reference resource to land managers and wildlife specialists, and as a research study for scientists interested in systems-level ecology. Conservation-minded citizens who take more than a cursory interest in ecology will also find it interesting.

  • Pollution Control for Agriculture

    • 1st Edition
    • Raymond Loehr
    • English
    Pollution Control for Agriculture is a substantial revision of the ""Agricultural Waste Management"" book that discusses the implications and possible management systems for crop production. This 14-chapter text also provides the basic information needed to understand the concern on pollution from agricultural wastes. Agricultural wastes are defined as the excesses and residues from the growing and first processing of raw agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products. The introductory chapters deal with the influence of legal constraints and changing agricultural practices on the environmental problems associated with agricultural production. The following chapter focuses on the characteristics of food processing wastes and animal wastes. The remaining chapters are devoted to the fundamentals, principles, and benefits of various waste management processes and treatment systems, including biological and biochemical processes, ponds and lagoons, oxygen transfer, aerobic, anaerobic, physical and chemical treatments, nitrogen control, and land disposal. This book is of great value to food agricultural producers, scientists, and engineers who are interested in knowing and applying feasible agricultural waste management concepts and approaches.

  • Management of Semi-Arid Ecosystems

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 7
    • B.H. Walker
    • English
    Extensive regions of the world have a climate which, whilst permitting development of a continuous vegetative cover, is too dry for successful annual cropping. These are the semi-arid areas where land use is based on the natural vegetation. Easily degraded and difficult to maintain, they are under increasing pressure as expanding human populations move in and endeavour to force a living from them. As a result they contain some of the worst examples of resource degradation.This book examines the problems and opportunities involved in man's use of semi-arid areas. The authors are all actively involved in research and land management in the areas discussed. Each chapter begins with a detailed, up-to-date account of the ecology of the region (its climate, soils, vegetation, fauna and main ecological characteristics). This is followed by a history of land use, problems involved in its management, a review of current research and recommended land use practices. The common features of semi-arid ecosystems are brought together in a final section.

  • Sustainable Vehicle Technologies

    Driving the Green Agenda
    • 1st Edition
    • Institution of Mechanical Engineers
    • English
    This book contains the papers from the IMechE’s Sustainable Vehicle Technologies 2012 conference. An innovative technical conference organised by the Automobile Division of the IMechE, it follows on from the 2009 Low Carbon Vehicle conference, which established a high standard with presentations primarily focussed on powertrain technology. The conference examines the latest advances in technology with a view towards understanding the consequences of carbon dioxide reduction over the entire vehicle lifecycle. Papers cover all aspects of the finite resources available for vehicle production, operation and recycling.

  • Tropical Radioecology

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 18
    • J.R. Twining
    • English
    Tropical Radioecology is a guide to the wide range of scientific practices and principles of this multidisciplinary field. It brings together past and present studies in the tropical and sub-tropical areas of the planet, highlighting the unique aspects of tropical systems. Until recently, radioecological models for tropical environments have depended upon data derived from temperate environments, despite the differences of these regions in terms of biota and abiotic conditions. Since radioactivity can be used to trace environmental processes in humans and other biota, this book offers examples of studies in which radiotracers have been used to assess biokinetics in tropical biota.

  • Global Change in Multispecies Systems: Part I

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 46
    • English
    Advances in Ecological Research is one of the most successful series in the highly competitive field of ecology. Each volume publishes topical and important reviews, interpreting ecology as widely as in the past, to include all material that contributes to our understanding of the field. Topics in this invaluable series include the physiology, populations, and communities of plants and animals, as well as landscape and ecosystem ecology.

  • Toxicology and Human Environments

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 112
    • English
    Environmental toxicology is generally held to be the study of the potential of constituents of outdoor environments to impact either human health or the biological structure of the ecosystems involved. This volume is a first attempt to integrate toxicological studies of all of the many human environments, both indoor and outdoor, and their complex interrelationships. Included are considerations of natural environments, the agroecosystem, occupational, urban and domestic environments as well as the environment associated with Superfund sites and military deployments. The primary emphasis is on public health, including the potential health effects of toxicants found in different environments, the bioprocessing of such toxicants in humans and surrogate animals and the principles of risk analysis.

  • Securing Safe Water Supplies

    Comparison of Applicable Technologies
    • 1st Edition
    • Erik Voigt + 2 more
    • English
    Available water disinfection systems rely mainly on large-scale filtration and the combination of filtration (to remove solids), and subsequent application of chemical disinfectants. This has proven to produce water of acceptable quality. Important points for application in household systems are low complexity, few training requirements, and easy transportation and distribution as well as a sufficiently high acceptance by the user. Written and endorsed by the European Federation of Food Science and Technology this book compares a variety of purification systems. There is a growing evidence base on targeting water quality improvements to maximize health benefits, and it is believed that 4% of the global disease burden could be prevented by improving water supply, sanitation, and hygiene. Better tools and procedures to improve and protect drinking-water quality at the community and urban level, for example, through Water Safety Plans include the availability of simple and inexpensive approaches to treat and safely store water at the household-level.

  • Environmental Fluid Dynamics

    Flow Processes, Scaling, Equations of Motion, and Solutions to Environmental Flows
    • 1st Edition
    • Jorg Imberger
    • English
    Environmental Fluid Dynamics provides an introduction to the principles of environmental fluid dynamics, i.e., nature’s use of air and water to transport and transform waste into nutrients for various organisms. The author, a Professor of Environmental Engineering and the Director of the Centre for Water Research at the University of Western Australia, is careful to include the appropriate mathematical expressions for the fundamentals of fluid dynamics without overburdening the reader with difficult or extensive notation. Starting with a discussion of the basics of fluid dynamics for undergraduates, the book moves on to more detailed material for graduate students and specialists in environmental engineering and/or science, physical limnology, estuarine dynamics, and coastal oceanography. Topics covered include equations of motion, fluid viscosity, environmental hydraulics, mixing and dispersion, surface waves, and environmental flows. The materials presented are based on the author’s 40 years of teaching fluid dynamics at Berkeley, Caltech, Karlsruhe, Padova, and Western Australia. The book provides a basic overview, while specialists needing more in-depth information can to turn to advanced texts in their specific areas of interest.

  • Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Handbook

    • 1st Edition
    • Vannessa Goodship + 2 more
    • English
    Electrical and electronic waste is a growing problem as volumes are increasing fast. Rapid product innovation and replacement, especially in information and communication technologies (ICT), combined with the migration from analog to digital technologies and to flat-screen televisions and monitors has resulted in some electronic products quickly reaching the end of their life. The EU directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) aims to minimise WEEE by putting organizational and financial responsibility on producers and distributors for collection, treatment, recycling and recovery of WEEE. Therefore all stakeholders need to be well-informed about their WEEE responsibilities and options. While focussing on the EU, this book draws lessons for policy and practice from all over the world.Part one introduces the reader to legislation and initiatives to manage WEEE. Part two discusses technologies for the refurbishment, treatment and recycling of waste electronics. Part three focuses on electronic products that present particular challenges for recyclers. Part four explores sustainable design of electronics and supply chains. Part five discusses national and regional WEEE management schemes and part six looks at corporate WEEE management strategies.With an authoritative collection of chapters from an international team of authors, Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) handbook is designed to be used as a reference by policy-makers, producers and treatment operators in both the developed and developing world.

  • Analysis and Risk of Nanomaterials in Environmental and Food Samples

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 59
    • Damià Barceló + 1 more
    • English
    The application of nanotechnology in different consumer products has delivered new products with highly desirable properties, but at same time has opened a new window for a wide group of emerging contaminants and a new type of human exposure which needs to be assessed. Most of the current human toxicological information on nanomaterials comes from nano-sized particles in air, and their effects via inhalation. Other routes of human exposure, such as water and food, and the effects on human health and the environment have been less studied. It is the recent research in these areas that is highlighted here in one of the first books covering the analysis and ecotoxicological evaluation of nanomaterials in food and the environment, with both matrices being of considerable interest. In addition to providing a global summary of recent research, this book shows how widely used chromatographic and spectroscopic methods can be added to the analytical arsenal of microscopic techniques that have commonly been used to characterize nanomaterials.

  • Numerical Ecology

    • 3rd Edition
    • Volume 24
    • P. Legendre + 1 more
    • English
    The book describes and discusses the numerical methods which are successfully being used for analysing ecological data, using a clear and comprehensive approach. These methods are derived from the fields of mathematical physics, parametric and nonparametric statistics, information theory, numerical taxonomy, archaeology, psychometry, sociometry, econometry and others.

  • Engineering for Sustainability

    A Practical Guide for Sustainable Design
    • 1st Edition
    • Gerald Jonker + 1 more
    • English
    This book provides engineers with the necessary information to design sustainable processes, products and value chains. It describes the current consensus on sustainable development for four context levels: Planet, Society, Business, and Engineers. It also presents all required design steps: from problem definition, via synthesis of potential solutions, analysis of solutions, improvements to the final solution evaluation. For each design step, methods and guidelines are provided in relation to the goal of obtaining a sustainable solution; a solution that meets both the needs of people and all specific context constraints with regard to the planet and prosperity.

  • Environmentally Benign Approaches for Pulp Bleaching

    • 2nd Edition
    • Pratima Bajpai
    • English
    Pulp and paper production has increased globally and will continue to increase in the near future. Approximately 155 million tons of wood pulp is produced worldwide and about 260 million is projected for 2010. To cope with the increasing demand, an increase in production and improved environmental performance is needed as the industry is under constant pressure to reduce environmental emissions to air and water. This book gives updated information on environmentally benign approaches for pulp bleaching, which can help solve the problems associated with conventional bleaching technologies.

  • Materials and the Environment

    Eco-informed Material Choice
    • 2nd Edition
    • Michael F. Ashby
    • English
    Materials and the Environment: Eco-Informed Material Choice, Second Edition, is the first book devoted solely to the environmental aspects of materials and their selection, production, use and disposal, by one of the world's foremost materials authorities. It explores human dependence on materials and its environmental consequences and provides perspective, background, methods, and data for thinking about and designing with materials to minimize their environmental impact.Organized into 15 chapters, this new edition looks at the history of our increasing dependence on materials and energy. It explains where materials come from and how they are used in a variety of industries, along with their life cycle and their relationship to energy and carbon. It also examines controls and economic instruments that hinder the use of engineering materials, considers sustainability from a materials perspective, and highlights the importance of low-carbon power and material efficiency. Furthermore, it discusses the mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of engineering metals, polymers, ceramics, composites, and natural materials in relation to environmental issues. The volume includes new chapters on Materials for Low Carbon Power & and Material Efficiency, all illustrated by in-text examples and expanded exercises. There are also new case studies showing how the methods discussed in the book can be applied to real-world situations.This book is intended for instructors and students of Engineering, Materials Science and Industrial/Product Design, as well as for materials engineers and product designers who need to consider the environmental implications of materials in their designs.

  • Water Quality Indices

    • 1st Edition
    • Tabassum Abbasi + 1 more
    • English
    This book covers water quality indices (WQI) in depth – it describes what purpose they serve, how they are generated, what are their strengths and weaknesses, and how to make the best use of them. It is a concise and unique guide to WQIs for chemists, chemical/environment... engineers and government officials. Whereas it is easy to express the quantity of water, it is very difficult to express its quality because a large number of variables determine the water quality. WQIs seek to resolve the difficulty by translating a set of a large number of variables to a one-digit or a two-digit numeral. They are essential in communicating the status of different water resources in terms of water quality and the impact of various factors on it to policy makers, service personnel, and the lay public. Further they are exceedingly useful in the monitoring and management of water quality. With the importance of water and water quality increasing exponentially, the importance of this topic is also set to increase enormously because only with the use of indices is it possible to assess, express, communicate, and monitor the overall quality of any water source.

  • Treatise on Estuarine and Coastal Science

    • 1st Edition
    • Donald Mclusky + 1 more
    • English
    The study of estuaries and coasts has seen enormous growth in recent years, since changes in these areas have a large effect on the food chain, as well as on the physics and chemistry of the ocean. As the coasts and river banks around the world become more densely populated, the pressure on these ecosystems intensifies, putting a new focus on environmental, socio-economic and policy issues. Written by a team of international expert scientists, under the guidance of Chief Editors Eric Wolanski and Donald McClusky, the Treatise on Estuarine and Coastal Science, Ten Volume Set examines topics in depth, and aims to provide a comprehensive scientific resource for all professionals and students in the area of estuarine and coastal science

  • Dissolved Gas Concentration in Water

    Computation as Functions of Temperature, Salinity and Pressure
    • 2nd Edition
    • John Colt
    • English
    Aquacultural, oceanographic, and fisheries engineering, as well as other disciplines, require gas solubility data to compute the equilibrium concentration. These calculations, for example, can affect the output of aquacultural production or assist in environmental consulting. Until now, published solubility information has not been available in a consistent and uniform manner in one location. This book presents solubility concentrations of major atmospheric gases (oxygen, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide), noble gases (helium, neon, krypton, xenon), and trace gases (hydrogen, methane, nitrous oxide) as a function of temperature, salinity, pressure, and gas composition in a variety of formats. Data, equations, and theory are explained so that the user is able to understand the calculations and problems. Furthermore, data and solubility information are presented in a range of units to make them accessible across disciplines. This book will help the reader to look at a problem from a quantitative viewpoint and better understand carbonate chemistry. Revised from the earlier edition to include more accurate carbon dioxide tables and separate sections on the solubility of noble gases, trace gases, and oxygen in brines to provide a single resource for gas solubility data. This book is essential for all students and practitioners working in aquatic fields.

  • Cleanup of Chemical and Explosive Munitions

    Location, Identification and Environmental Remediation
    • 2nd Edition
    • Richard Albright
    • English
    Unexploded military ordnance and toxic chemicals, some dating back to the two World Wars, are a global concern, especially when former military bases are redeveloped for housing or other civilian uses. Internationally, there are the added challenges of cleanup of battlegrounds and minefields. Experts estimate that the United States alone could spend between $50–250 billion to clean up these sites, many of which are in areas of high population density, where the demand for land for development is high. This book is unique in providing detailed guidance for cleaning up military ordnance sites – listing explosives, chemical warfare materials and breakdown products which can contaminate soil and groundwater and the tests needed to detect them, as well as cleanup techniques. Also included are remote sensing techniques, geophysical techniques, safety issues, the particular challenges of chemical weapons, etc. The author illustrates these techniques with case studies, including former battlegrounds in Europe and Asia, storage and waste disposal sites in Russia and former Soviet territories, and an extended study of the remediation of the large and complex Spring Valley site in the District of Columbia,. The second edition has been fully revised and updated, and also includes new and expanded sections on: geophysical techniques for discovering buried ordnance underwater sites and remediation techniques use of robotics, including remotely operated vehicles compliance and regulatory issues guidance documents from US Department of Defense and other sources The focus on test procedures, environmental remediation techniques, and learning from past case studies, makes Albright’s book the most comprehensive and practical guide on the market for a topic of international importance.

  • An Interactive History of the Clean Air Act

    Scientific and Policy Perspectives
    • 1st Edition
    • Jonathan M Davidson + 1 more
    • English
    The Clean Air Act of 1970 set out for the United States a basic, yet ambitious, objective to reduce pollution to levels that protect health and welfare. The Act set out state and federal regulations to limit emissions and the Environmental Protection Agency was established to help enforce the regulations. The Act has since had several amendments, notably in 1977 and 1990, and has successfully helped to increase air quality. This book reviews the history of the Clean Air Act of 1970 including the political, business, and scientific elements that went into establishing the Act, emphasizing the importance that scientific evidence played in shaping policy. The analysis then extends to examine the effects of the Act over the past forty years including the Environmental Protection Agency’s evolving role and the role of states and industry in shaping and implementing policy. Finally, the book offers best practices to guide allocation of respective government and industry roles to guide sustainable development. The history and analysis of the Clean Air Act presented in this book illustrates the centrality of scientific analysis and technological capacity in driving environmental policy development. It would be useful for policy makers, environmental scientists, and anyone interested in gaining a clearer understand of the interaction of science and policy.

  • Epigenetic Principles of Evolution

    • 1st Edition
    • Nelson R Cabej
    • English
    This is the first and only book, so far, to deal with the causal basis of evolution from an epigenetic view. By revealing the epigenetic "user" of the "genetic toolkit", this book demonstrates the primacy of epigenetic mechanisms and epigenetic information in generating evolutionary novelties. The author convincingly supports his theory with a host of examples from the most varied fields of biology, by emphasizing changes in developmental pathways as the basic source of evolutionary change in metazoans.

  • Seafloor Geomorphology as Benthic Habitat

    GeoHAB Atlas of Seafloor Geomorphic Features and Benthic Habitats
    • 1st Edition
    • Peter Harris + 1 more
    • English
    The conservation of marine benthic biodiversity is a recognised goal of a number of national and international programs such as the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity (CBD). In order to attain this goal, information is needed about the distribution of life in the ocean so that spatial conservation measures such as marine protected areas (MPAs) can be designed to maximise protection within boundaries of acceptable dimensions. Ideally, a map would be produced that showed the distribution of benthic biodiversity to enable the efficient design of MPAs. The dilemma is that such maps do not exist for most areas and it is not possible at present to predict the spatial distribution of all marine life using the sparse biological information currently available. Knowledge of the geomorphology and biogeography of the seafloor has improved markedly over the past 10 years. Using multibeam sonar, the benthic ecology of submarine features such as fjords, sand banks, coral reefs, seamounts, canyons, mud volcanoes and spreading ridges has been revealed in unprecedented detail. This book provides a synthesis of seabed geomorphology and benthic habitats based on the most recent, up-to-date information. Introductory chapters explain the drivers that underpin the need for benthic habitat maps, including threats to ocean health, the habitat mapping approach based on principles of biogeography and benthic ecology and seabed (geomorphic) classification schemes. Case studies from around the world are then presented. They represent a range of seabed features where detailed bathymetric maps have been combined with seabed video and sampling to yield an integrated picture of the benthic communities that are associated with different types of benthic habitat. The final chapter examines critical knowledge gaps and future directions for benthic habitat mapping research.

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