Soil Carbon Storage: Modulators, Mechanisms and Modeling takes a novel approach to the issue of soil carbon storage by considering soil C sequestration as a function of the interaction between biotic (e.g. microbes and plants) and abiotic (climate, soil types, management practices) modulators as a key driver of soil C. These modulators are central to C balance through their processing of C from both plant inputs and native soil organic matter. This book considers this concept in the light of state-of-the-art methodologies that elucidate these interactions and increase our understanding of a vitally important, but poorly characterized component of the global C cycle. The book provides soil scientists with a comprehensive, mechanistic, quantitative and predictive understanding of soil carbon storage. It presents a new framework that can be included in predictive models and management practices for better prediction and enhanced C storage in soils.

Mobilities Facing Hydrometeorological Extreme Events 1: Defining the Relevant Scales of Analysis provides a summary of the interdisciplinary work done over the past ten years on the exposure of daily mobility. Residential mobility, the way in which the occupation of the flood zones evolves with time, and the resulting immobile exposure are also at the heart of this work. In the face of recrudescence and the intensification of fast floods, the book seeks to understand how the interaction of hydro-meteorological, social and development dynamics combine to bring about an improvement or, on the contrary, a worsening of both mobile and immobile exposure. The book relies on different fields and studies conducted in the South East of France and more broadly on the Mediterranean basin to answer these questions and verify these hypotheses, with a forward challenge to better understand how population movements are exposed to these phenomena.

This book presents the outcomes of the workshop sponsored by the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China and the UK Newton Fund, British Council Researcher Links. The Workshop was held in Harbin, China, from 14 to 17 July 2017, and brought together some thirty young (postdoctoral) researchers from China and the UK specializing in geosciences, sensor signal networks and their applications to natural disaster recovery. The Workshop presentations covered the state of the art in the area of disaster recovery and blended wireless sensor systems that act as early warning systems to mitigate the consequences of disasters and function as post-disaster recovery vehicles. This book promotes knowledge transfer and helps readers explore and identify research opportunities by highlighting research outcomes in the internationally relevant area of disaster recovery and mitigation.

The IUPAC Series on Analytical and Physical Chemistry of Environmental Systems provides the scientific community with a critical evaluation of the state of the art on physicochemical structures and reactions in environmental systems, as well as on the analytical techniques required to study and monitor these systems. The series is aimed at promoting rigorous analysis and understanding of physicochemical functioning of environmental systems.

Soil, water and air are the major environmental media. Few pollutants and nutrients are restricted to only one medium. Thus what happens in soil environments has subsequent impacts on water and air.

The three major (solid) components of soil - minerals, organic components and microorganisms - together profoundly affect the physicochemical and biological properties of terrestrial systems. To date, there have been major scientific accomplishments in individual sub-disciplines, i.e., in the chemistry of soil minerals, the chemistry of soil organic matter and soil microbiology. However, minerals, organic matter and microorganisms should not be considered as separate entities but rather as a united system, with the components constantly in close association and interaction with each other in the terrestrial environment. These interactions have an enormous impact on terrestrial processes critical to environmental quality and ecosystem health.

Interactions between Soil Particles and Microorganisms provides the scientific community with a critical evaluation of state-of-the-art research on the interactions of soil minerals with organic components and microorganisms, with the goal of advancing the understanding of reactions and processes at the interface between chemistry and biology of soil and related environments. In view of the significance of these interactions, there is a need for an advanced treatise to focus on these interactions at the molecular and microscopic levels.

Key features:

• The first book to provide a comprehensive review of current research into the interactions of minerals, organic components and microorganisms in the soil

• Defines the impact that these interactions have on environmental quality and ecosystem health around the globe

• Provides a unique insight into the effects of mineral-organic component-microorganism interactions on pollutants in the soil, which is necessary for all environmental scientists working in this area

• Provides a basis for stimulating further research into the dynamics and mechanisms of environmental processes in nature

Climate Change: Alternate Governance Policy for South Asia provides an assessment of climate change issues through the socioeconomic lens of one of the world's poorest, most populous regions. Although climate change is a global issue, localized solutions have become increasingly necessary to address political, economic and cultural factors in underdeveloped regions. Identifying successes, gaps and shortcomings in existing policies and regional laws relating to climate change, this book evaluates the sustainability of current practices, examining mitigation strategies and suggesting a comprehensive, innovative model of sustainable policies and governance strategy specific to the region. While the book approaches climate change, policy and mitigation from a regionally-focused standpoint, it has an underlying philosophy of Think Global, Act Local, making it universally applicable to anyone interested in climate change and its effects.

There is much scientific interest in ice, both because of its unique and intriguing properties and because of its importance in the natural environment. This book is written for professional scientists and engineers, and is the only currently available book of its kind. It describes the physical properties of ice, interprets them in terms of its molecular structure, and shows their relevance to the forms of ice found on Earth and in space.

This thesis encompasses a study of past precipitation patterns based on six cave stalagmites from different parts of the Indian Himalaya. This is the first speleothem study in the Indian Himalaya that shows a direct relationship between past precipitation and the collapse of civilization. The stalagmites examined were KL-3 from Jammu and Kashmir; TCS and BR-1 from Himachal Pradesh; and DH-1, SA-1 and CH-1 from Uttarakhand. Based on the high-resolution palaeoclimatic reconstruction (35 U/th dates, 5 AMS dates, 1,500 samples for 18O and 13C values) obtained for the duration of the Pleistocene-Holocene transition (16.2-9.5 ka BP) and Mid-Holocene-Present (ca. 4.0 ka BP-Present), three major events were identified, namely the Older Dryas (OD), Bolling-Allerod (BA) period and Younger Dryas (YD) at ca. 14.3-13.9, 13.9-12.7 and 12.7-12.2 ka BP, respectively. The study showed a gradual reduction in the precipitation from 4 ka BP onwards for about a millennium with a peak arid period between 3.2 and 3.1 ka BP. According to the findings, the LIA (Little Ice Age) covers a time span from 1622-1820 AD, during which the climate was wetter than that in the post-LIA period (1820-1950 AD). In addition, this thesis supports the assumption that the WDs (Western Disturbances) contribute significantly to the total rainfall in the Himalaya region.

Health Care and Environmental Contamination provides a comprehensive explanation of new and evolving topics in the field, including discussions on emissions from pharmaceutical manufacturing, disposal of medical wastes, inputs from sewerage systems, effects on aquatic organisms and wildlife, indirect effects on human health, antibiotic resistance, stewardship, and treatment. These important issues affect the natural environment, making this first book on the topic a must have for comprehensive, broad, and up-to-date coverage of these issues.

As part of its efforts to improve fertilizer use and efficiency in West Africa, and following the recent adoption of the West African fertilizer recommendation action plan (RAP) by ECOWAS, this volume focuses on IFDC's technical lead with key partner institutions and experts to build on previous and current fertilizer recommendations for various crops and countries in West Africa for wider uptake by public policy makers and fertilizer industry actors.

Rockslides and Rock Avalanches of Central Asia: Distribution, Impacts, and Hazard Assessment arms scientists with an inclusive and specialized reference for future studies of large-scale bedrock landslides in Central Asia, a phenomenon that poses a major threat to local communities, infrastructure and industrial facilities. The book covers the Dzungaria, Tien Shan, and Pamir mountain systems that are characterized by arid climates and scarce forestation, and is an ideal reference for scientists searching for data that accurately summarizes bedrock landslides through the analyses of a multitude of case studies that have applications in comparable, global scenarios. Through its relatively low precipitation and good preservation of minor geomorphic features, particularly those formed by past landslides, this region provides opportunities for detailed study of the internal structure of landslide bodies.

Water Policy Science and Politics: An Indian Perspective presents the importance of politics and science working together in policymaking in the water sector. Many countries around the developed and developing world, including India, are experiencing major water scarcity problems that will undoubtedly increase with the impacts of climate change. This book discusses specific topics in India's water, agriculture and energy sectors, focusing on scientific aspects, academic and political discourse, and policy issues. The author presents cases from the interrelated sectors of water resources, supplies, sanitation, and energy and climate, including controversial topics that illustrate how science and politics can work together.