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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

  • Forest Monitoring

    Methods for terrestrial investigations in Europe with an overview of North America and Asia
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 12
    • English
    The demand for comparable, long-term, high quality data on forest ecosystems' status and changes is increasing at the international and global level. Yet, sources for such data are limited and in many case it is not possible to compare data from different monitoring initiatives across space and time because of methodological differences. Apart from technical manuals, there is no comprehensive multidisciplinary, scientific, peer-reviewed reference for forest monitoring methods that can serve and support the user community. This book provides in a single reference the state-of-the-art of monitoring methods as applied at the international level.The book present scientific concepts and methods that form the basis of the transnational, long-term forest monitoring in Europe and looks at other initiatives at the global level. Standardized methods that have been developed over two decades in international forest monitoring projects are presented. Emphasis is put on trans-nationally harmonized methods, related data quality issues, current achievements and on remaining open questions.

  • Climate Vulnerability

    Understanding and Addressing Threats to Essential Resources
    • 1st Edition
    • Roger A. Pielke Sr.
    • English
    Climate change has been the subject of thousands of books and magazines, scientific journals, and newspaper articles daily. It’s a subject that can be very political and emotional, often blurring the lines between fact and fiction. The vast majority of research, studies, projections and recommendations tend to focus on the human influence on climate change and global warming as the result of CO2 emissions, often to the exclusion of other threats that include population growth and the stress placed on energy sources due to emerging global affluence. Climate Vulnerability, Five Volume Set seeks to strip away the politics and emotion that surround climate change and will assess the broad range of threats using the bottom up approach—including CO2 emissions, population growth, emerging affluence, and many others—to our five most critical resources: water, food, ecosystems, energy, and human health. Inclusively determining what these threats are while seeking preventive measures and adaptations is at the heart of this unique reference work.

  • Green and Sustainable Computing: Part II

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 88
    • 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.

  • Encyclopedia of Biodiversity

    • 2nd Edition
    • Simon A Levin
    • English
    The 7-volume Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, Second Edition maintains the reputation of the highly regarded original, presenting the most current information available in this globally crucial area of research and study. It brings together the dimensions of biodiversity and examines both the services it provides and the measures to protect it. Major themes of the work include the evolution of biodiversity, systems for classifying and defining biodiversity, ecological patterns and theories of biodiversity, and an assessment of contemporary patterns and trends in biodiversity. The science of biodiversity has become the science of our future. It is an interdisciplinary field spanning areas of both physical and life sciences. Our awareness of the loss of biodiversity has brought a long overdue appreciation of the magnitude of this loss and a determination to develop the tools to protect our future.

  • Biorefinery in the Pulp and Paper Industry

    • 1st Edition
    • Pratima Bajpai
    • English
    The traditional pulp and paper producers are facing new competitors in tropical and subtropical regions who use the latest and largest installed technologies, and also have wood and labor cost advantages. Due to the increasing global competition, the forest products prices will continue to decrease. To remain viable, the traditional producers need to increase revenue by producing bioenergy and biomaterials in addition to wood, pulp, and paper products. In this so-called Integrated Products Biorefinery, all product lines are highly integrated and energy efficient. Integrated Products Biorefineries present the forest products industry with a unique opportunity to increase revenues and improve environmental sustainability. Integrated Products Biorefinery technologies will allow industry to manufacture high-value chemicals, fuels, and/or electric power while continuing to produce traditional wood, pulp, and paper products. The industry already controls much of the raw material and infrastructure necessary to create Integrated Products Biorefineries, and Agenda 2020 partnerships are speeding development of the key enabling technologies. Once fully developed and commercialized, these technologies will produce enormous energy and environmental benefits for the industry and the nation. Biorefinery in the Pulp and Paper Industry presents the biorefining concept, the opportunities for the pulp and paper industry, and describes and discusses emerging biorefinery process options. This book also highlights the environmental impact and the complex and ambiguous decision-making challenges that mills will face when considering implementing the biorefinery.

  • Solid Waste Recycling and Processing

    Planning of Solid Waste Recycling Facilities and Programs
    • 2nd Edition
    • Marc J. Rogoff
    • English
    Solid Waste Recycling and Processing, Second Edition, provides best-practice guidance to solid waste managers and recycling coordinators. The book covers all aspects of solid waste processing, volume reduction, and recycling, encompassing typical recyclable materials (paper, plastics, cans, and organics), construction and demolition debris, electronics, and more. It includes techniques, technologies, and programs to help maximize customer participation rates and revenues, as well as to minimize operating costs. The book is packed with lessons learned by the author during the implementation of the most successful programs worldwide, and includes numerous case studies showing how different systems work in different settings. This book also takes on industry debates such as the merits of curbside-sort versus single-stream recycling and the use of advanced technology in materials recovery facilities. It provides key facts and figures, and brief summaries of legislation in the United States, Europe, and Asia. An extensive glossary demystifies the terminology and acronyms used in different sectors and geographies. The author also explains emerging concepts in recycling such as zero waste, sustainability, LEED certification, and pay-as-you-throw, and places waste management and recycling in wider economic, environmental (sustainability), political, and societal contexts.

  • Advances in Agronomy

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 119
    • English
    Advances in Agronomy continues to be recognized as a leading reference and a first-rate source for the latest research in agronomy. As always, the subjects covered are varied and exemplary of the myriad of subject matter dealt with by this long-running serial

  • Monitoring Water Quality

    Pollution Assessment, Analysis, and Remediation
    • 1st Edition
    • Satinder Ahuja
    • English
    Monitoring Water Quality is a practical assessment of one of the most pressing growth and sustainability issues in the developed and developing worlds: water quality. Over the last 10 years, improved laboratory techniques have led to the discovery of microbial and viral contaminants, pharmaceuticals, and endocrine disruptors in our fresh water supplies that were not monitored previously. This book offers in-depth coverage of water quality issues (natural and human-related), monitoring of contaminants, and remediation of water contamination. In particular, readers will learn about arsenic removal techniques, real-time monitoring, and risk assessment. Monitoring Water Quality is a vital text for students and professionals in environmental science, civil engineering, chemistry — anyone concerned with issues of water analysis and sustainability assessment.

  • Sustainable Energy Management

    • 1st Edition
    • Mirjana Radovanovic + 2 more
    • English
    While the last few decades have witnessed incredible leaps forward in the technology of energy production, technological innovation can only be as transformative as its implementation and management allows. The burgeoning fields of renewable, efficient and sustainable energy have moved past experimentation toward realization, necessitating the transition to more sustainable energy management practices. Energy Management is a collective term for all the systematic practices to minimize and control both the quantity and cost of energy used in providing a service. This new book reports from the forefront of the energy struggle in the developing world, offering a guide to implementation of sustainable energy management in practice. The authors provide new paradigms for measuring energy sustainability, pragmatic methods for applying renewable resources and efficiency improvements, and unique insights on managing risk in power production facilities. The book highlights the possible financial and practical impacts of these activities, as well as the methods of their calculation. The authors’ guidelines for planning, analyzing, developing, and optimizing sustainable energy production projects provide vital information for the nations, corporations, and engineering firms that must apply exciting new energy technology in the real world.

  • Biogeochemistry

    An Analysis of Global Change
    • 3rd Edition
    • W.H. Schlesinger + 1 more
    • English
    Biogeochemistry—winn... of a 2014 Textbook Excellence Award (Texty) from the Text and Academic Authors Association—consider... how the basic chemical conditions of the Earth, from atmosphere to soil to seawater, have been and are being affected by the existence of life. Human activities in particular, from the rapid consumption of resources to the destruction of the rainforests and the expansion of smog-covered cities, are leading to rapid changes in the basic chemistry of the Earth. This expansive text pulls together the numerous fields of study encompassed by biogeochemistry to analyze the increasing demands of the growing human population on limited resources and the resulting changes in the planet's chemical makeup. The book helps students extrapolate small-scale examples to the global level, and also discusses the instrumentation being used by NASA and its role in studies of global change. With extensive cross-referencing of chapters, figures and tables, and an interdisciplinary coverage of the topic at hand, this updated edition provides an excellent framework for courses examining global change and environmental chemistry, and is also a useful self-study guide.

  • Ostracoda as Proxies for Quaternary Climate Change

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 17
    • English
    Ostracod crustaceans, common microfossils in marine and freshwater sedimentary records, supply evidence of past climatic conditions via indicator species, transfer function and mutual climatic range approaches as well as the trace element and stable isotope geochemistry of their shells. As methods of using ostracods as Quaternary palaeoclimate proxies have developed, so too has a critical awareness of their complexities, potential and limitations. This book combines up-to-date reviews (covering previous work and summarising the state of the art) with presentations of new, cutting-edge science (data and interpretations as well as methodological developments) to form a major reference work that will constitute a durable bench-mark in the science of Ostracoda and Quaternary climate change.

  • Handbook of Hydrothermal Technology

    • 2nd Edition
    • K. Byrappa + 1 more
    • English
    Quartz, zeolites, gemstones, perovskite type oxides, ferrite, carbon allotropes, complex coordinated compounds and many more -- all products now being produced using hydrothermal technology. Handbook of Hydrothermal Technology brings together the latest techniques in this rapidly advancing field in one exceptionally useful, long-needed volume.The handbook provides a single source for understanding how aqueous solvents or mineralizers work under temperature and pressure to dissolve and recrystallize normally insoluble materials, and decompose or recycle any waste material. The result, as the authors show in the book, is technologically the most efficient method in crystal growth, materials processing, and waste treatment. The book gives scientists and technologists an overview of the entire subject including: À Evolution of the technology from geology to widespread industrial use. À Descriptions of equipment used in the process and how it works.À Problems involved with the growth of crystals, processing of technological materials, environmental and safety issues.À Analysis of the direction of today's technology. In addition, readers get a close look at the hydrothermal synthesis of zeolites, fluorides, sulfides, tungstates, and molybdates, as well as native elements and simple oxides. Delving into the commercial production of various types, the authors clarify the effects of temperature, pressure, solvents, and various other chemical components on the hydrothermal processes.

  • Agricultural Sustainability

    Progress and Prospects in Crop Research
    • 1st Edition
    • Gurbir Bhullar + 1 more
    • English
    Collaboratively written by top international experts and established scientists in various fields of agricultural research, this book focuses on the state of food production and sustainability; the problems with degradation of valuable sources of land, water, and air and their effects on food crops; the increasing demand of food resources; and the challenges of food security worldwide. The book provides cutting edge scientific tools and methods of research as well as solid background information that is accessible for those who have a strong interest in agricultural research and development and want to learn more on the challenges facing the global agricultural production systems.

  • Global Change in Multispecies Systems: Part II

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 47
    • 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.

  • Fundamentals of Ecosystem Science

    • 1st Edition
    • Kathleen C. Weathers + 2 more
    • English
    Fundamentals of Ecosystem Science provides a compact and comprehensive introduction to modern ecosystem science. This book covers major concepts of ecosystem science, biogeochemistry, and energetics. It addresses, contrasts, and compares both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. It combines general lessons, concepts, frameworks, and challenges in highly accessible synthesis chapters. It presents firsthand case studies, written by leaders in the field, offering personal insights into how adopting an ecosystem approach led to innovations, new understanding, management changes, and policy solutions. This book is ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate students who have had a general biology course, but not further training in ecosystems as well as researchers and professionals in ecology and environmental sciences.

  • Environmental Engineering and Renewable Energy

    • 1st Edition
    • Renato Gavasci + 1 more
    • English
    This book contains the papers presented at the First International Conference on Environmental Engineering and Renewable Energy held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in September 1998. The main aim of the conference was to give an opportunity to scientists, experts and researchers from different fields to convene and discuss environmental and energy problems and also be informed about the state of the art.Today, environmental protection is increasingly becoming a matter of global priority now that the tendency towards sustainable development is growing. The main concept of sustainable development is to fulfill both the demand of today's generation and cater for the requirements of future generations. Hence, sustainable development requires sound management of those environmental and research and development technologies which have low environmental impact and which promote the use of renewable sources.Renewable energies are the only environmentally benign sources of energy and are available at any site and any time of the year. Moreover, the utilization of renewable sources of energy can contribute to the increasing energy demand and also advance the improvement of life standards in rural areas, where it is difficult to establish a permanent connection with central electricity systems. Application and adoption of emerging renewable energy technologies in rural and remote areas cannot be successful without transfer of knowledge, information and know-how.Environment... engineering involves research and application of technologies to minimize the undesirable impact on the environment. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in environmental engineering problems in order to focus on theoretical and experimental studies on atmospheric pollution, water management and treatment, waste treatment, disposal and management.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Agricultural Ecology and Environment

    • 1st Edition
    • B.R. Stinner + 2 more
    • English
    The increased use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in crop production has adversely affected both the environment and the agricultural economy. Not only has it led to environmental pollution, but also the increasing costs of chemical inputs and the low prices received for agricultural products have contributed to economic unprofitability and instability.The International Symposium on Agricultural Ecology and Environment was organised in order to discuss ways of achieving the goals of economically and environmentally sustainable agriculture. It is apparent that a truly multidisciplinary effort is required and for this reason the meeting was attended by authors from many different disciplines and geographical locations. Although their papers reflect a wide diversity of agroecosystem types and examples, several common themes emerge: the increased importance of biotic control of ecosystem processes in lower input systems; the key role of soil organic matter in stabilizing nutrient cycling; the importance of agricultural landscape diversity and complexity; the importance of studying ecological processes in natural and agricultural ecosystems; the critical need to integrate socio-economic and ecological approaches.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Allozyme Electrophoresis

    A Handbook for Animal Systematics and Population Studies
    • 1st Edition
    • B. J. Richardson + 2 more
    • English
    Inherited enzyme variations, studied using electrophoresis, can be used as markers for the identification of individuals, population structure analysis, the delineation of species boundaries and phytogenetic reconstruction. The purpose of this book is to describe, in a single convenient handbook, all the theoretical and practical matters relevant to those intending to use electrophoresis as a tool for answering such questions.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Transport Models/Inland & Coastal Waters

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

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

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