Principles, methods, and calculations for evaluating, designing and operating anaerobic systems

This collection addresses the complexities of water management and the impact of environmental developments such as dams, reservoirs and irrigation schemes on public health. The main focus of the book is on vector-borne diseases such as malaria, arboviruses (dengue and encephalitides) and snail- borne schistosomiasis. These are examined from a wide range of intersectoral perspectives which encompass disciplines with often conflicting interests, for instance agriculture, aquaculture, urban development, social development, water management and recreation. The book explains developmental processes, such as the construction of man-made lakes, and addresses broad practical and policy-making issues. Most importantly, the book offers many innovative solutions to assist readers who work in the water industry, whether through administration or science and engineering disciplines. Contributions from an international team of experts provide numerous case studies from around the world (Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, USA), which illustrate both poor and successful water management. The contributors provide historical and current coverage of the environmental and health issues prevalent in the field, but also gaze prospectively on the future development of constructed wetlands, aquaculture, urban development and funding agency policies, with the view to managing water resources more effectively and safely. This authoritative and comprehensive book is written in an accessible, non-technical manner and will be of interest to those involved in various aspects of water management and delivery, whether biologically skilled or not.

This volume presents the results on contemporary geodynamic model, crustal stress field, active faults, folds and volcanoes. It discusses the tectonophysical environments of earthquake generation and the methodology of earthquake prediction.

This volume presents the proceedings of Symposium on Marine Geology and Palaeoceanography of the 30th International Geological Congress at Beijing. The proceedings aim to present a view of contemporary marine geology and should be of interest to researchers in the geological science.

This volume contains papers presented at the 30th International Geological Congress on coal. It includes information on the applications of high-resolution sequence stratigraphy to paralicand terrestrial coal-bearing strata and petrology and depositional environment of Early Jurassic coal.

These exciting new companion handbooks are the only ones of their kind devoted solely to the effects of environmental variables on the physiology of the world's major fruit and nut crops. Their cosmopolitan scope includes chapters on tropical and temperate zone species written by scientists from several continents. The influence of environmental factors, such as irradiance, temperature, water and salinity on plant physiology and on vegetative and reproductive growth, is comprehensively discussed for each crop. In addition to being a thorough and up-to-date set of textbooks, the organzation of the two volumes makes them an excellent reference tool. Each chapter focuses on a single crop, or a group of genetically or horticulturally related crop, and is appropriately divided into subsections that address individual environmental factors. Some chapters emphasize whole-plant physiology and plant growth and development, while other chapters feature theoretical aspects of plant physiology. Several chapters provide botanical background discussions to enhance understanding of the crop's response to its environment.

Federal regulations have required thousands of underground storage tanks (USTs) to be dug up and removed or replaced. The contamination of soil and ground water from leaking USTs has become widespread and has produced an overwhelming number of sites that require remediation. Assessment and Remediation of Petroleum Contaminated Sites presents the broad scope of the remedial process from initial site assessment to closure in an integrated, understandable format. The book guides you effortlessly through regulatory requirements, site assessments and sampling, and remediation methods. RCRA and CERCLA federal regulations are addressed. The chemistry and toxicology of petroleum hydrocarbons in the remediation process are explained, and factors affecting soil remediation are discussed. Environmental assessments, site characterizations, remediation planning, and remediation methods are all covered in detail. The book is an essential guide for environmental consultants, regulatory agency personnel, engineers, and environmental attorneys.

Discusses New Advancements to Improve Existing Simulations of Plant Nitrogen Written by research pioneers and leading scientists in the area of agricultural systems, Quantifying and Understanding Plant Nitrogen Uptake for Systems Modeling comprehensively covers plant N uptake in agricultural system models, especially for building soil-plant system models. The text illustrates how to minimize the transportation of nitrogen fertilizers in crop production to surface and ground waters, as even moderate errors in uptake estimations lead to a dramatic increase in the amount of nitrogen leached into groundwater. It also highlights the knowledge gaps preventing correct simulation of this process and explains what to look for when using a system model and interpreting simulation results. Applies to a Variety of Crops, Including Oilseed, Wheat, Potatoes, and Maize Addressing quantification and synthesis in the context of system modeling, this text introduces cutting-edge and original information regarding N uptake not previously offered by other research texts in the field. This, in turn, benefits scientists, professors, system modelers, and model users in interpreting modeling results for enhancing nitrogen management and developing decision support tools. This volume documents, with complex, detailed models, plant N uptake based on absorption kinetics of transporters across the root cell membranes, mass flow, and diffusion to the root surface of single or composite roots. It also provides simpler models used in N uptake simulations at the field and watershed scales. Discusses All Areas of the Complex Process In addition to the important processes of nitrogen translocation, remobilization, and grain protein formation, the book documents various philosophies, mechanisms, and scales in simul

A wide-ranging compilation of techniques, Extrapolation Practice for Ecotoxicological Effect Characterization of Chemicals describes methods of extrapolation in the framework of ecological risk assessment. The book, informally known as EXPECT, identifies data needs and situations where these extrapolations can be most usefully applied, making it a practical guide to the application of extrapolation procedures. It focuses on the extrapolation of chemical effects and covers the extrapolation of exposures in the context of interactions between toxicants and the matrix.

Consisting of papers that have appeared recently in International Geology Review, Middle American Terranes, Potential Correlatives, and Orogenic Processes focuses on Middle American terranes in which tectonic processes, including flat-slab subduction, for orogenic development are examined at various times since the late Mesoproterozoic: at 1 Ga, through the Paleozoic, and into the Cenozoic. Many papers relate the evolution of the Middle American terranes over the past billion years to global scale events, and a second theme running through the book relates to the supercontinents, Rodinia and Pangea, the geometry of their amalgamation and breakup, and the processes responsible. Highlights include: * An update on the geographic record, tectonic setting, and provenance of these terranes * Documentation of allocthonous nature and position peripheral to Amazonia of the ~1 Ga basement of southern Mexico * Data demonstrating that the basement rocks were involved in several Phanerozoic tectonic events * An examination of new evidence of a Late Paleozoic event associated with the amalgamation of Pangea overprinting the ~1 Ga basement and the Paleozoic units lying chiefly to the west and south of it * An exploration of the following potential correlatives: (1) events in Europe on the northern margin of Gondwana; (2) the Late Silurian-Devonian Acadian orogeny in the Appalachian, which is inferred to have resulted from flat-slab subduction related to overriding a plume; and (3) Mesozoic-Cenozoic events along the western margin of Laurentia * A discussion of possible mechanisms for the initiation of orogeny, flat-slab subduction in the Laramide orogeny, and hypotheses relating to the amalgamation and breakup of supercontine

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) have been shown to produce changes in the endocrine system of organisms, leading to increases in cancers and abnormalities in reproductive structure and function. This book presents research on the endocrine-disrupting effects of sewage and industrial effluents, covering the sources, fate, and transport of EDCs, and sludge treatment and disposal options considered in regard to their implications for receiving environments. It also addresses the potential sources and analysis of these substances in waters, sediments, and sludges. In addition, the authors review current legislation and potential management strategies for endocrine disrupters in the environment.

Much attention has been given to above ground biomass and its potential as a carbon sink, but in a mature forest ecosystem 40 to 60 percent of the stored carbon is below ground. As increasing numbers of forests are managed in a wide diversity of climates and soils, the importance of forest soils as a potential carbon sink grows. The Potential of U.S. Forest Soils to Sequester Carbon and Mitigate the Greenhouse Effect provides researchers and policy makers with an understanding of soil processes and their relation to carbon dynamics, as well as strategies to monitor and techniques to measure forest soil carbon. It covers the effects of management on soils in a wide range of forest ecosystems together with policy options that are effective and benefit both the forest community and the over all environment. This valuable reference provides forest managers, urban planners, land owners, policy makers, and the general public with guidance that will allow for a holistic approach to land management, environmental quality, and improved forest productivity.

This title showcases the sheer beauty of the sky, with magnificent colour photographs. All aspects are covered from the golden colours of dawn to spectacular storms and cloud formations. This is a stunning book that will fascinate everyone from budding meteorologists to lovers of beautiful images. Packed with full colour photographs, "Sky" showcases the sheer beauty of the sky. All aspects are covered from diverse cloud formations, the golden colours of dawn and dusk, spectacular storms and unique weather, plus a wide range of meteorological phenomena. The book also details the wonders of our night sky from the beautiful constellations, to meteors and the moon. Each image is reproduced in full colour and often full page. An inspiration for every budding meteorologist, keen sky watcher or lover of beautiful images.

Bringing together the analysis of a diverse team of social scientists, this book proposes a new approach to environmental problems. Cutting through the fragmented perspectives on water crises, it seeks to shift the analytic perspectives on water policy by looking at the social logics behind environmental issues. Most importantly, it analyzes the dynamic influences on water management, as well as the social and institutional forces that orient water and conservation policies. The first work of its kind, The Field of Water Policy: Power and Scarcity in the American Southwest brings the tools of Pierre Bourdieu's field sociology to bear on a moment of environmental crisis, with a study of the logics of water policy in the American Southwest, a region that allows us to see the contest over the management of scarce resources in a context of lasting drought. As such, it will appeal to scholars in the social and political sciences with interests in the environment and the management of natural resources.

The revolution in science that is transforming our understanding of extinct life We used to think of fossils as being composed of nothing but rock and minerals, all molecular traces of life having vanished long ago. We were wrong. Remnants of Ancient Life reveals how the new science of ancient biomolecules-pigments, proteins, and DNA that once functioned in living organisms tens of millions of years ago-is opening a new window onto the evolution of life on Earth. Paleobiologists are now uncovering these ancient remnants in the fossil record with increasing frequency, shedding vital new light on long-extinct creatures and the lost world they inhabited. Dale Greenwalt is your guide to these astonishing breakthroughs. He explains how ancient biomolecules hold the secrets to how mammoths dealt with the bitter cold, what colors dinosaurs exhibited in mating displays, how ancient viruses evolved to become more dangerous, and much more. Each chapter discusses different types of biomolecules and the insights they provide about the physiology, behavior, and evolution of extinct organisms, many of which existed long before the age of dinosaurs. A marvelous adventure of discovery, Remnants of Ancient Life offers an unparalleled look at an emerging science that is transforming our picture of the remote past. You will never think of fossils in the same way again.

This book is a collection of papers presented in the 30th International Geological Congress, held in Beijing, on geochemistry. The papers deal with topics on fluid-rock interaction, geochemical kinetics, geochemical mapping, environmental geochemistry, and exploration geochemistry.

Blending memoir, travelogue and history, The Seine is a love letter to Paris and the river that determined its destiny. Master storyteller and The New York Times foreign correspondent Elaine Sciolino explores the Seine through its lively characters-a bargewoman, a riverbank book- seller, a houseboat dweller, a famous cinematographer-and follows it from the remote plateaus of Burgundy, through Paris and to the sea. The Seine is a vivid, enchanting portrait of the world's most irresistible river.

-Written by the authors of key spatial R packages -Makes spatial data analysis more robust -Integrates with the tidyverse and comparable approaches -Includes many easily reproducible examples

Vadose Zone Hydrology describes the elements of the physical processes most often encountered by hydrogeologists and ground-water engineers in their vadose zone projects. It illustrates the application of soil physics to practical problems relevant to the characterization and monitoring of the vadose zone. It includes an introduction to physical processes, including basic flow theory, and provides examples of important field-scale processes that must be recognizable by hydrogeologists. Considerable attention is given to the concepts of recharge, including how it is most accurately evaluated in the vadose zone. Field and laboratory methods for characterizing hydraulic properties in the vadose zone are also covered, and case studies illustrating these methods are provided. New and emerging technologies for monitoring the vadose zone, particularly for the purpose of detecting contaminants, are highlighted. In the last section of the book, additional case studies are presented, demonstrating applications related to seepage detection, landfill monitoring, and soil gas investigations. This book is written from the perspective of hydrogeologists and is designed to be directly applicable and to maintain continuity and consistency between chapters. It will be an invaluable primer for environmental or geotechnical consultants, regulators, or students who have no prior formal academic training in unsaturated flow concepts. Because the text contains some of the latest advances in this field, it will be an excellent reference for geologists and engineers currently working on problems of vadose zone hydrology.

Dirt, soil, call it what you want - it's everywhere we go. It is the root of our existence, supporting our feet, our farms, and our cities. This fascinating yet disquieting book finds, however, that we are running out of dirt, and it's no laughing matter. An engaging natural and cultural history of soil that sweeps from ancient civilizations to modern times, "Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations" explores the compelling idea that we are - and have long been - using up Earth's soil. Once bare of protective vegetation and exposed to wind and rain, cultivated soils erode bit by bit, slowly enough to be ignored in a single lifetime but fast enough over centuries to limit the lifespan of civilizations. A rich mix of history, archaeology and geology, "Dirt" traces the role of soil use and abuse in the history of Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, China, European colonialism, Central America, and the American push westward. We see how soil has shaped us and we have shaped soil - as society after society has risen, prospered, and plowed through a natural endowment of fertile dirt. David R. Montgomery sees in the recent rise of organic and no-till farming the hope for a new agricultural revolution that might help us avoid the fate of previous civilizations.

This new volume addresses the environmental impacts of pollution on freshwater aquatic ecosystems and presents sustainable management and remediation practices and advanced technology help to address the different types of pollutants. Freshwater Pollution and Aquatic Ecosystems: Environmental Impact and Sustainable Management considers the need for sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective tools and technologies to assess, monitor, and properly manage the increasing issues of aquatic pollution. It provides detailed accounts of the phenomena and mechanisms related to aquatic pollution and highlights the problems and threats associated with pollution contamination in freshwater. It provides useful insight into the sustainable and advanced pollution remediation technology adopted by different countries for the monitoring, assessment, and sustainable management of pollution. The chapters in the volume evaluate the sources of harmful pollutants, which include industrial effluents, sewage, and runoff from agricultural industries, which result in toxic microbes, organic waste, oils, and high load of nutrients. Unsustainable management practices of domestic sewage and indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides lead to the technological disturbance of aquatic biota. In addition to harming aquatic biota, these pollutants find their way into the human body through inhalation, ingestion, or absorption and finally tend to bio-accumulate in trophic levels of the food chain, which poses a major risk to human beings. This book will be a valuable resource for ecologists, environmentalists, scientists, and many others for their work in understanding and management of aquatic pollutants in freshwater biospheres.

An unexpected brittle failure of connections and of members occurred during the last earthquakes of Northridge and Kobe. For this reason a heightened awareness developed in the international scientific community, particularly in the earthquake prone countries of the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe, of the urgent need to investigate this topic. The contents of this volume result from a European project dealing with the 'Reliability of moment resistant connections of steel frames in seismic areas' (RECOS), developed between 1997 and 1999 within the INCO-Copernicus joint research projects of the 4th Framework Program. The 30 month project focused on five key areas: *Analysis and syntheses of research results, including code provisos, in relation with the evidence of the Northridge and Kobe earthquakes; *Identification and evaluation through experimental means of the structural performance of beam-to-column connections under cyclic loading; *Setting up of sophisticated models for interpreting the connection response; *Numerical study on the connection influence on the seismic response of steel buildings; *Assessment of new criteria for selecting the behaviour factor for different structural schemes and definition of the corresponding range of validity in relation of the connection typologies.

Humanity evolved in an Ice Age in which glaciers covered much of the world. But starting about 15,000 years ago, temperatures began to climb. Civilization and all of recorded history occurred in this warm period, the era known as the Holocene-the long summer of the human species. In "The Long Summer," Brian Fagan brings us the first detailed record of climate change during these 15,000 years of warming, and shows how this climate change gave rise to civilization. A thousand-year chill led people in the Near East to take up the cultivation of plant foods; a catastrophic flood drove settlers to inhabit Europe; the drying of the Sahara forced its inhabitants to live along the banks of the Nile; and increased rainfall in East Africa provoked the bubonic plague. "The Long Summer" illuminates for the first time the centuries-long pattern of human adaptation to the demands and challenges of an ever-changing climate-challenges that are still with us today.

Conservation Farming in the United States: The Methods and Accomplishments of the STEEP Program explains the success of the multidisciplinary STEEP (Solutions to Economic and Environmental Problems) conservation project, currently in its third decade, which focuses on the Palouse and the western Pacific Northwest. Topics addressed include integrated pest management; equipment for conservation farming; and conservation farming technology transfer to producers.

The 48th volume of this series contains five reviews written by an international array of authors.