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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

  • Agriculture in Dry Lands

    Principles and Practice
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 26
    • I. Arnon
    • English
    Throughout history, man has, by over-use, consistently reduced the productive capacity of dry lands. This degradation of one-third of the land area of the globe is, unfortunately, increasing. In recent years, world interest has turned to the problems of pollution of the environment and the impending food shortage as world population grows explosively. Thus the attention of international and other agricultural bodies has turned to the need for preserving and developing more effectively the agricultural potential of these areas.This book provides a comprehensive review of present knowledge of the agriculture of dry lands, with special emphasis on measures for conserving their natural resources. Management practices are described which aim at optimizing productivity of rainfed and irrigated agriculture without adverse effects on sustainability. Land use in the dry regions, and its evolution throughout history is described and analysed, and the lessons to be learnt from destructive technologies are stressed. In particular, current proposals for an alternative agriculture are discussed and their justification is questioned. This is a generalist work, which specialists can also find interesting, not only in their own discipline but as a concise way of acquainting themselves with the state-of-the-art in associated fields. Increasing specialisation with each discipline using its own vocabulary leads inevitably to communication problems, and the need for multi-disciplinary teams makes inter-discipline communication indispensible.

  • Industrial Chemicals

    Their Characteristics and Development
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 6
    • G. Agam
    • English
    The special world of industrial chemistry is illuminated in this text. Issues such as naming and classification of chemicals, safety, formulations and specifications, information and patents are treated. Process-related topics are discussed, such as scaling-up, equipment selection, construction materials, environmental impact and waste minimization. Aspects which fall in between the traditional disciplines of chemistry and chemical engineering are covered, which are so critical for the development of a successful industrial process, and the awareness of which avoids pitfalls in industrial research and development. Case studies are given, and special appendices provide useful information for the industrial chemist or student.The book is aimed at industrial chemists and engineers, and at students in those faculties, intending to pursue this field in industry. Marketing and purchasing staff will also find this text valuable.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Farm Land Erosion

    in Temperate Plains Environments and Hills
    • 1st Edition
    • S. Wicherek
    • English
    During the last twenty years, mutations within agricultural systems in France and Europe have brought on a spectacular worsening of soil erosion and degradation. This volume, contributed to by scientists from 25 countries, discusses how this risk can be evaluated, and which solutions should be adopted without radically disturbing the socio-economic orientation of major agricultural regions. It is an excellent starting point for the development of new research themes, and will be of great value to soil and environmental scientists, and to all those involved in land irrigation and drainage.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Techniques in Wildlife Investigations

    Design and Analysis of Capture Data
    • 1st Edition
    • John R. Skalski + 1 more
    • English
    Techniques for Wildlife Investigations emphasizes the design of field studies and the statistical inferences that can be made from observed changes in animal abundance and populations. The information presented here is of value not only for wildlife management but also for social and economic decision-making related to the environmental effects of human activities on wildlife populations. Biologists, ecologists, biometricians, fish and game managers will find this book invaluable in their work.

  • Land and Stream Salinity : An International Seminar and Workshop Held in November 1980 in Perth Western Australia

    An International Seminar and Workshop Held in November 1980 in Perth Western Australia
    • 1st Edition
    • L.W. Holmes
    • English
    Land and Stream Salinity is a compilation of papers that review the state and knowledge of processes involved in land and stream salinity, and that consider its application in different environments. This book also identifies gaps in research and development, and it designates the priorities that could significantly benefit salinity control. In addition, it identifies alternative strategies of land and water management for salinity control and determines techniques for evaluating quantitatively the alternative strategies. Furthermore, this book focuses on salinity problems in south Western Australia. After discussing the history and effects of salinity in Western Australia, the book considers the influence of plant communities on the hydrology of catchments, and it discusses evapotranspiration rates from wet and dry foliage and soil water deficit. This is followed by the transport of salts in soils and subsoils; the residence times of water and solutes within and below the root zone and saturated zone; analyses of solute distributions in deeply weathered soils; and the transport of salts in catchments and soils. This book also includes chapters on the saline seed development and control in the North American Great Plains, and the terrain, groundwater and secondary salinity in Victoria, Australia. It also presents the hydrologic model, the solute-transport models and their role in the analysis of groundwater, and the hydrosalinity models. The last chapters focus on different kinds of management for salinity control.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Pollution Control for Agriculture

    Problems, Processes, and Applications
    • 2nd Edition
    • Loehr
    • English
    Pollution Control for Agriculture, Second Edition describes approaches adaptable to the treatment, disposal, and management of agricultural wastes, incorporating full-scale technologies, concepts, data, and operating systems. The book also discusses energy conservation, natural resource utilization, and nonpoint source control. Examples of problems attributable to agriculture include unbalanced natural ecological systems and increased eutrophication from waste disposal practices. Other problems include the depletion of dissolved oxygen in surface water, and impurities in groundwater from improper waste disposals on land. The text notes that understanding the characteristics of these wastes leads to more effective disposal methods and treatment. For example, biological treatment is preferred for liquid waste that contain dissolved organic solids, while incineration or composting is appropriate for solid waste with a high organic content. The book also lists the options that can be chosen to control agricultural nonpoint sources, the best of which is by planning and management practices that regulate the source and delivery of nonpoint pollutants, These practices will limit nonpoint pollutants from reaching their destinations (surface water or groundwater). The text also emphasizes the need for a balance between the extremes of agricultural production, profit motives, and environmental concerns. The book is suitable for agriculturists, economists, environmentalists, ecologists, and policy makers involved in food production, environmental safety, and health issues.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • International Perspectives on Municipal Solid Wastes and Sanitary Landfilling

    • 1st Edition
    • Bozzano G Luisa
    • English
    This volume provides a perspective on how different countries cope with the municipal solid waste problem politically, administratively, and technically--with a particular focus on sanitary landfilling. Fifteen countries report on the quantities of such waste generated, its composition, and on various management methods used. In addition they report on sanitary landfilling, the impacts of past practices, current practices for leachate control, and landfill gas management. Finally, the role of government, new handling strategies, and likely future directions in waste management are discussed.

  • 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.

  • Transport Models/Inland & Coastal Waters

    Proceedings of a Symposium on Predictive Ability
    • 1st Edition
    • Hugo B. Fischer
    • English
    Professors and Students in Civil Engineering.

  • 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.

  • Wetland Modelling

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 12
    • W.J. Mitsch + 2 more
    • English
    The study of wetlands is a relatively new field and the modelling of these systems is still in its formative stages. Nevertheless, the editors felt compelled to assemble this volume as a first statement of the state of the art of modelling approaches for the quantitative study of wetlands. A global approach has been adopted in this book, not only by including a wide geographic distribution of wetlands, but also by including papers on both freshwater and saltwater wetlands. Wetlands are defined as systems intermediate between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and include ecosystems under a wide range of hydrologic and ecologic conditions. The wetland types discussed in this book reflect that heterogeneity, ranging from intermittently flooded wet meadows to permanently flooded shallow reservoirs and lakes. Also included are modelling examples from coastal salt marshes, shallow estuaries, mesotrophic bogs, reedswamps, forested swamps, and regional wetlands. In summary, the book presents ecological modelling as a tool for management of these sensitive ecosystems, and for studying their structure and function. Each chapter has extensive references related to the modelling approach and wetland type discussed. It will be useful for wetland scientists and managers, and could also serve as a supplemental text on courses in wetland ecology.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.)

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Unraveling Environmental Disasters

    • 1st Edition
    • Daniel A. Vallero + 1 more
    • English
    Unraveling Environmental Disasters provides scientific explanations of the most threatening current and future environmental disasters, including an analysis of ways that the disaster could have been prevented and how the risk of similar disasters can be minimized in the future.

  • Green and Sustainable Computing: Part I

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 87
    • English
    Since its first volume in 1960, Advances in Computers has presented detailed coverage of innovations in computer hardware, software, theory, design, and applications. It has also provided contributors with a medium in which they can explore their subjects in greater depth and breadth than journal articles usually allow. As a result, many articles have become standard references that continue to be of sugnificant, lasting value in this rapidly expanding field.

  • 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.

  • Handbook of Green Information and Communication Systems

    • 1st Edition
    • Alagan Anpalagan + 2 more
    • English
    This book gives a comprehensive guide on the fundamental concepts, applications, algorithms, protocols, new trends and challenges, and research results in the area of Green Information and Communications Systems. It is an invaluable resource giving knowledge on the core and specialized issues in the field, making it highly suitable for both the new and experienced researcher in this area. Key Features: Core research topics of green information and communication systems are covered from a network design perspective, giving both theoretical and practical perspectives Provides a unified covering of otherwise disperse selected topics on green computing, information, communication and networking Includes a set of downloadable PowerPoint slides and glossary of terms for each chapter A ‘whose-who’ of international contributors Extensive bibliography for enhancing further knowledge Coverage includes: Smart grid technologies and communications Spectrum management Cognitive and autonomous radio systems Computing and communication architectures Data centres Distributed networking Cloud computing Next generation wireless communication systems 4G access networking Optical core networks Cooperation transmission Security and privacy

  • Sustainability Assessment

    Context of Resource and Environmental Policy
    • 1st Edition
    • Mohammad Ali
    • English
    Sustainability Assessment is a comprehensive compilation of all the known policy factors related to sustainability. This book outlines all of the elements and considerations of community aspects of policy evaluation in an effort to reduce the future consequences on resources and environmental sustainability. The basic assumption behind it is that sustainability, though oriented to resources and meeting demands, starts from formulation of policy. Policies are so interrelated that all policies have some roles to play toward sustainability.

  • 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.

  • Environmental Water

    Advances in Treatment, Remediation and Recycling
    • 1st Edition
    • V.K. Gupta + 1 more
    • English
    The world is facing a drinking water crisis. Besides continuous population growth, uneven distribution of water resources and periodic droughts have forced scientists to search for new and effective water treatment, remediation and recycling technologies. Therefore, there is a great need for the development of suitable, inexpensive and rapid wastewater treatment and reuse or conservation methods. This title discusses different types of wastewater treatment, remediation and recycling techniques, like adsorption, membrane filtration and reverse osmosis. It also provides guidance for the selection of the appropriate technologies or their combinations for specific applications so that one can select the exact and accurate technology without any problem. The book comprises detailed discussion on the application of various technologies for water treatment, remediation and recycling technologies and provides an update on the development in water treatment, detailed analysis of their features and economic analysis, bridging the current existing information gap. Each chapter is also documented by references and updated citations.

  • Models of the Ecological Hierarchy

    From Molecules to the Ecosphere
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 25
    • English
    In the application of statistics to ecological inference problems, hierarchical models combine explicit models of ecological system structure or dynamics with models of how ecological systems are observed. The principles of hierarchical modeling are applied in this book to a wide range of problems ranging from the molecular level, through populations, ecosystems, landscapes, networks, through to the global ecosphere.

  • 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.

  • Gene-Environment Interplay

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 77
    • English
    The field of genetics is rapidly evolving, and new medical breakthroughs are occurring as a result of advances in knowledge gained from genetics reasearch. This thematic volume of Advances in Genetics looks at Socio-Genetics.

  • 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.

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