Book Description

This book is the self-contained fourth volume of a seven-volume comprehensive series on nitrogen fixation. The outstanding aspect of this book is the integration of basic and applied work on biological nitrogen fixation in the fields of agriculture, forestry, and ecology in general. Nowadays, the concept of sustainability, which originated in agriculture and land use, is reaching many other areas of society and industry. Sustainability has a major part to play in the global challenge of continued development of regions, countries, and continents all around the World and biological nitrogen fixation has a key role in this process. This volume begins with chapters specifically addressing crops of major global importance, such as soybeans, rice, and sugar cane. It continues with a second important focus, agroforestry, and describes the use and promise of both legume trees with their rhizobial symbionts and other nitrogen-fixing trees with their actinorhizal colonization. An over-arching theme of all chapters is the interaction of the plants and trees with microbes and this theme allows other aspects of soil microbiology, such as interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and the impact of soil-stress factors on biological nitrogen fixation, to be addressed. Furthermore, a link to basic science occurs through the inclusion of chapters describing the biogeochemically important nitrogen cycle and its key relationships among nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and denitrification. The volume then provides an up-to-date view of the production of microbial inocula, especially those for legume crops. No other available work provides the up-to-date and in-depth coverage of this volume, which is intended to serve as an indispensable reference work for academic, government, and industrial scientists working in the applied areas of agronomy, plant breeding, plant nutrition, ecology, and forestry as well as those in the basic science areas of plant physiology, soil microbiology, and related environmental disciplines. This volume will be an invaluable tool for students entering this challenging area of research and will provide science administrators with ready access to vital relevant information.

Book Description
Gezon argues that local events continuously redefine and challenge global processes of land use and land degradation. Her ethnographic study of Antankarana-identifying rice farmers and cattle herders in northern Madagascar weaves together an analysis of remotely sensed images of land cover over time with ethnographies of situated negotiations between human actors. Her book will be particularly valuable to researchers and students in anthropology, geography, sociology, and environmental studies, and those involved in conservation and resource management. ... Read more

Book Description
Extensively revised, this reference has been expanded to include all aspects of ecology and environmental fields-including pollution, climatology, endangered species, waste disposal, and environmental protection. Clear and simple English is used to present straightforward definitions. Example sentences for each entry, along with grammar notes and parts of speech, make each entry more usable. Encyclopedic comments provide more detail for the complex medical terms. It includes a phonetic pronunciation guide for all headwords, plus sample sentences that are culled from magazines and journals. ... Read more

Book Description
The adaptation of herbivore behavior to seasonal and locational variations in vegetation quantity and quality is inadequately modelled by conventional methods. Norman Owen-Smith innovatively links the principles of adaptive behavior to their consequences for population dynamics and community ecology, through the application of a metaphysiological modeling approach. The main focus is on large mammalian herbivores occupying seasonally variable environments such as those characterized by African savannas, but applications to temperate zone ungulates are also included. Issues of habitat suitability, species coexistence, and population stability or instability are similarly investigated. ... Read more

Book Description
Geographies of Nature introduces readers to conventional understandings of nature, while examining alternative accountsfrom different disciplines - where nature resists easy classification.

Accessibly written, organized in 10 chapters in two sections, Geographies of Nature demonstrates how recent thinking has urgent relevance and impact on the ways in which we approach environmental problems. The text:

• makes concepts accessible and applicable to readers own experience with the extensive use of case studies
• uses text boxes to introduce readers to debates and ideas in ways that make them more easily understood
• grounds the reader and proceeds to the explanation of more complex arguments progressively

Geographies of Nature presents a new kind of environmental analysis, one that refuses to view nature as wholly separate to the human and nonhuman practices through which it is made and remade.

Book Description
Based on theoretical insights from ecofeminism, women and development, and postmodernism, and the convincing empirical work of numerous scholars, this book is organized around five aspects of gender relationships with the environment: Part I-gender divisions of labor, Part 2-property rights, Part 3-knowledge and strategies for sustainability, Part 4-environmental and social movements, and Part 5- policy alternatives.Examining women's relationship with the environment using these five dimensions provides concrete, material examples of how women work with, control, know, and affect the environment and natural resources. ... Read more

Book Description
This volume involves Buddhism and Deep Ecology (the latter can be considered the spiritual dimensions of the environmental movement) on a holistic, consciousness, and value basis. It presents some basic ideas, experiences, and examples on how Buddhism and Deep Ecology relate to each other and to protecting natural forests and the environment, including public participation aspects. Much of these interrelationships are based on the essential teachings of Buddha as they relate to Deep Ecology and visa versa, especially Oneness, ecocentric, and spiritual orientations. Combined and integrated, these two areas present a unique, spiritual bridge of understanding, cross fertilization, and consciousness for ideas, values, and approaches which encompass compassion, loving-kindness, and care for all living beings for a wide spectrum of readers, both Buddhist and non-Buddhists with interests in ecological and environmental affairs. Chapters of the book contain: (l) Buddhism and Values, (2) Dhamma, Deep Ecology, and Environment, (3) Dhamma, Deep Ecology, Ecology, and Tropical Forests, (4) Dhamma/Deep Ecology Experiential exercises, (5) Public Participation (with a case study), and (6) Dhamma and Ecology Glossary. Potential readers for these unique, combined subjects would, obviously, include Buddhists, especially with their growing interests in environmental and ecological concerns. Deep Ecologists, Environmentalists, and Conservationists and people with spiritual concerns would also have a strong interest in this area, especially with more and more attention being paid to the spiritual/consciousness dimensions of the environment in recent years. David Brower, John Muir, and other American conservationists subscribed to the Buddhist approach. Many potential readers from the public may be attracted to the unique orientation and correlation of this unusual combination of Buddhism and Deep Ecology. ... Read more

Product Description
At present there is insufficient knowledge of the behavior of fires and how they propagate. This lack of
information makes it very hard to control these phenomena and is one of the biggest obstacles to the development of a reliable decision support system. Public concern regarding this topic is increasing as uncontrolled fires may lead to major ecological disasters, and usually result in negative economic and health
implications for the region.

Containing papers presented at the First International Conference on Modelling, Monitoring and Management of Forest Fires, this book addresses the latest research and applications of available computational tools to analyze and predict the spread of forest fires in order to prevent or reduce major loss of life and property
as well as damage to the environment. Such tools must be able to take into consideration a large number of different parameters. The book thus deals with all aspects of forest fires, from fire propagation in different scenarios to the optimum strategies for
fire-fighting. It also covers issues related to economic, ecological,
social and health effects.

Featured topics include: Computer Models for Fire Propagation; Risk
and Vulnerability Assessment; Fire Combustion Models; Computational
Methods and Experiments; Case Studies; Emergency Response Systems; Optimization Models for Fire Mitigation; Environmental Impact Models; Air Pollution and Health Risk; Interaction between Meteorological and Forest Fires Models; Economic Impact Models; Forest Material
Characterisation; Eco Remediation Models; Decision Support Systems;
Monitoring Systems and Data Acquisition and Analysis. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is a journal article from Health and Place, published by Elsevier in . The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
Informed by Mayer's (Progr. Hum. Geogr 20 (1996) 441) political ecology of disease framework, this paper investigates First Nation's perceptions of the links between environment, economy and health and well-being. A case study of 'Namgis First Nation (Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada) is used to explore the risks and benefits of salmon aquaculture for British Columbia's First Nations. Analysis of interview data (n=23) indicates strong links between reduced access to environmental resources, marginal participation in the economy, and declining community health and well being. Results suggest that aquaculture development has further decreased the community's access to environmental resources, thereby restricting those economic, social, and cultural activities that determine good health and well-being for this community. ... Read more

Book Description
The book presents an integration of existing ecosystem theories in such a comprehensive way as to enable a full ecological and theoretical pattern to be presented. It shows that ecosystems and their reactions may be understood, provided that all basic systems ecology is applied to different aspects of the properties of ecosystems. Since the publication of the previous two editions of this book, ongoing research and discussions on an international scale have greatly clarified and enhanced this pattern. This progress is presented as Chapter 16 in this new, third edition. It is shown that the integrated ecosystem theory presented can be applied to explain various ecological observations and rules.
Audience: Researchers and decision makers whose work involves the study of ecosystems and ecology. This book is also recommended for use in graduate courses. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Must-read for any ecologist!Outstanding overview and synthesis of diverse areas of ecology!
This one-of-a-kind book contains a comprehensive survey of the scientific literature on ecosystems and also contains exciting new ideas.It is philosophical more than technical, although some sections require some prior background in the appropriate areas.

The most surprising thing about this book is how Jorgensen weaves together strands of science that most observers would consider at most distantly related.The book builds towards a collection of principles governing how ecosystems work, which is quite convincing even though it is presented as a work-in-progress.Jorgensen does not seem to make a distinction (the way many Americans do) between "ecosystem ecology" and "systems ecology", and this is reflected in this book--his embrace of a holistic approach is apparent from the start, and yet he fully includes aspects of ecosystem ecology that have been developed within a more reductionist framework, and shows how they can be included in a holistic perspective on ecology.

Jorgensen's writing is clear and easy to understand, and very compelling.At times, however, he can be a bit redundant.However, this book is short and interesting enough that little is lost by this redundancy.The redundancy may even be an aid to comprehension if you read this book straight through.

This book is a must-read for all ecologists.It might also be interesting for philosophers and historians of science, as it is quite accessible and delves into a great deal of depth in both philosophy and history.I also think it might be fruitful to design a seminar or discussion course around this book, as it can be quite thought-provoking.I would especially recommend this book to students either beginning or considering pursuing a Ph.D. in ecology.This is the sort of book that helps one come up with ideas about the sorts of directions ones' research can go in...it may not provide answers to a specific question in a specialized subfield of ecology, but it will help you ask and answer questions about fruitful directions for research, and help you greatly to understand ecosystems on a more holistic level. ... Read more

Book Description

The Historical Ecology Handbook makes essential connections between past and future ecosystems, bringing together leading experts to offer a much-needed introduction to the field of historical ecology and its practical application by on-the-ground restorationists.

Chapters present individual techniques focusing on both culturally derived evidence and biological records, with each chapter offering essential background, tools, and resources needed for using the technique in a restoration effort. The book ends with four in-depth case studies that demonstrate how various combinations of techniques have been used in restoration projects.

The Historical Ecology Handbook is a unique and groundbreaking guide to determining historic reference conditions of a landscape. It offers an invaluable compendium of tools and techniques, and will be essential reading for anyone working in the field of ecological restoration.

Book Description
Complying with environmental protection laws need not punch a hole in a firm's bottom line. Smith shows that compliance can be profitable. He provides corporate executives with easily accessed data and analyses of the theory of environmental management systems (EMS), and in doing so covers the major environmental concerns worrying corporate America. The result is a practical guide to the tools of environmental management and how they can be used to enhance a corporation's profitability while at the same time reducing its impact on the environment and consequent financial liabilities. Readers will find ways to tailor an appropriate strategy to their specific business needs, justify that strategy financially, and integrate the EMS into an existing business plan. Smith takes the reader through all of the environmental factors that affect profits and productivity. He demonstrates the practicality of not only considering the life cycle of a single product or service, but also the impact of life cycles throughout the entire company. A degree in environmental science is not needed to follow Smith's reasoning and advice, but solid business knowledge is important. Smith provides all of the background needed to start an EMS program, the benefits of which are limited only by management's priorities and the creativity of a company's people. ... Read more