It is widely acknowledged that life has adapted to its environment, but the precise mechanism remains unknown since Natural Selection, Descent with Modification and Survival of the Fittest are metaphors that cannot be scientifically tested. In this unique text, invertebrate and vertebrate biologists illuminate the effects of physiologic stress on epigenetic responses in the process of evolutionary adaptation from unicellular organisms to invertebrates and vertebrates, respectively. This book offers a novel perspective on the mechanisms underlying evolution. Capacities for morphologic alterations and epigenetic adaptations subject to environmental stresses are demonstrated in both unicellular and multicellular organisms. Furthermore, the underlying cellular-molecular mechanisms that mediate stress for adaptation will be elucidated wherever possible. These include examples of 'reverse evolution' by Professor Guex for Ammonites and for mammals by Professor Torday and Dr. Miller. This provides empiric evidence that the conventional way of thinking about evolution as unidirectional is incorrect, leaving open the possibility that it is determined by cell-cell interactions, not sexual selection and reproductive strategy. Rather, the process of evolution can be productively traced through the conservation of an identifiable set of First Principles of Physiology that began with the unicellular form and have been consistently maintained, as reflected by the return to the unicellular state over the course of the life cycle.

The book is the first of its kind to deal with almost the entire swath of water resources assessment, development and sustainable management. The idea of the book crystallized during the long journey of the Editors on various facets of water issues in India and abroad during their extended association, at all levels with the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, as well as International Organizations dealing with water. Currently water-stressed, India is likely to become water scarce in not too distant a future. The global freshwater supply and its sustainable use for human consumption, and conservation of the ecosystem have never come under such a rigorous scrutiny before. The unplanned and reckless exploitation of this precious resource have led to a crisis situation, compounded by a real threat of climate change. This book is, therefore, timely and of particular relevance not only to India but the entire world. The book contains 20 chapters, beside the lead article by the Editors. The chapters are contributed by the eminent professionals, researchers, academicians and civil society representatives having an in-depth understanding of the issues. The contents of the chapters have been chosen to represent all aspects of water. The assessment of water resources using satellite data and in-depth analyses of groundwater sector like, the Aquifer Mapping Programme initiated by Government of India, application of gravity satellite data to assess the resource build up, artificial recharge of aquifers and its contamination, are dealt with by eminent experts. The articles on sustainable management of water through good governance by community participation and involvement of civil society are placed. Flood management both through a basin level approach as well as by building resilience in vulnerable areas is discussed. Other critical issues like water bodies management, constitutional provisions, water governance and financial issues, hydro-power and need of research and development in this sector are also dealt with aptly. In view of emerging crisis and complexities in this sector the future pathways and the paradigm shift that is required in administrative and policy level is also discussed.

In this book, climate change and digital transformation are explored as key strategic drivers for the contemporary practices of water utility companies. These drivers seem to be separate, but clearly, they are not. The recent weather anomalies in water stressed countries are discussed, which have been breaking records and become an elevated risk to water assets. In parallel, the book examines a contextual proposition that the concept of the fourth industrial revolution applied to the water sector, Water 4.0, assists with the water supply decentralisation and sustainability, in particular climate resilience. It further suggests that the implementation of an Asset Management System with reference to the ISO 55001 standard is a useful tool in this process.

The Handbook of Irrigation Hydrology and Management examines and analyzes irrigated ecosystems in which water storage, applications, or drainage volumes are artificially controlled in the landscape and the spatial domain of processes varies from micrometers to tens of kilometers, while the temporal domain spans from seconds to centuries. The continuum science of irrigation hydrology includes the surface, subsurface (unsaturated and groundwater systems), atmospheric, and plant subsystems. Further, it presents numerous considerations including the selection of economically viable cropping patterns, land allocation by crop, water resource allocation by crop, irrigation scheduling, deficit management irrigation, optimizing crop yields, and more. Features: Offers water-saving strategies to increase the judicious use of scarce water resources Presents strategies to maximize agricultural yield per unit of water used for different regions Compares irrigation methods to offset changing weather patterns and impacts of climate change

This book examines the origins and dynamical characteristics of atmospheric inertia-gravity waves in the Antarctic mesosphere. Gravity waves are relatively small-scale atmospheric waves with a restoring force of buoyancy that can transport momentum upward from the troposphere to the middle atmosphere. In previous studies, the dynamical characteristics of mesospheric gravity waves have not been fully examined using numerical simulations, since performing a numerical simulation with a high resolution and a high model-top requires considerable computational power. However, recent advances in computational capabilities have allowed us to perform numerical simulations using atmospheric general circulation models, which cover the troposphere to the mesosphere with a sufficiently fine horizontal resolution to resolve small-scale gravity waves. The book first describes the simulation of mesospheric gravity waves using a high-resolution non-hydrostatic atmospheric model with a high model top. The accuracy of the numerical results was confirmed by the first Mesosphere-Stratosphere-Troposphere/Incoherent Scattering (MST/IS) radar observation in the Antarctic. It also depicts the origins and propagation processes of mesospheric gravity waves on the basis of the results of the high-resolution numerical model. The behaviors of mesospheric gravity waves can be clearly explained using both fundamental and cutting-edge theories of fluid dynamics

The last few years have witnessed a surge in the development and usage of discretization methods supporting general meshes in geoscience applications. The need for general polyhedral meshes in this context can arise in several situations, including the modelling of petroleum reservoirs and basins, CO2 and nuclear storage sites, etc. In the above and other situations, classical discretization methods are either not viable or require ad hoc modifications that add to the implementation complexity. Discretization methods able to operate on polyhedral meshes and possibly delivering arbitrary-order approximations constitute in this context a veritable technological jump. The goal of this monograph is to establish a state-of-the-art reference on polyhedral methods for geoscience applications by gathering contributions from top-level research groups working on this topic. This book is addressed to graduate students and researchers wishing to deepen their knowledge of advanced numerical methods with a focus on geoscience applications, as well as practitioners of the field.

Everyone is familiar with the dodo and the wooly mammoth, but how many people have heard of the scimitar cat and the Falkland Island fox? "Extinct Animals" portrays over 60 remarkable animals that have been lost forever during the relatively recent geological past. Each entry provides a concise discussion of the history of the animal--how and where it lived, and how it became extinct--as well as the scientific discovery and analysis of the creature. In addition, this work examines what led to extinction--from the role of cyclical swings in the Earth's climate to the spread of humans and their activities. Many scientists believe that we are in the middle of a mass extinction right now, caused by the human undermining of the earth's complex systems that support life. Understanding what caused the extinction of animals in the past may help us understand and prevent the extinction of species in the future.

"Extinct Animals" examines the biology and history of some of the most interesting creatures that have ever lived, including: The American Terror Bird, which probably became extinct over 1 million years ago, who were massive predators, some of which were almost 10 feet tall; the Rocky Mountain Locust, last seen in 1902, formed the most immense animal aggregations ever known, with swarms estimated to include over 10 trillion insects; the Giant Ground Sloth, which was as large as an elephant; and the Neandertals, the first Europeans, which co-existed with prehistoric Homo sapiens. "Extinct Animals" includes illustrations--many created for the work--that help the reader visualize the extinct creature, and each entry concludes with a list of resources for those who wish to do further research.

This book provides a broad overview of essential features of subsurface environmental modelling at the science-policy interface, offering insights into the potential challenges in the field of subsurface flow and transport, as well as the corresponding computational modelling and its impact on the area of policy- and decision-making. The book is divided into two parts: Part I presents models, methods and software at the science-policy interface. Building on this, Part II illustrates the specifications using detailed case studies of subsurface environmental modelling. It also includes a systematic research overview and discusses the anthropogenic use of the subsurface, with a particular focus on energy-related technologies, such as carbon sequestration, geothermal technologies, fluid and energy storage, nuclear waste disposal, and unconventional oil and gas recovery.

An increasing population has put tremendous pressure on agricultural productivity to fulfill the demands of human consumption. Numerous agricultural activities and techniques have been developed to raise annual crop production globally. While agriculture has succeeded in enhancing the yearly crop productivity, this achievement is at the cost of environmental degradation by applying synthetic persistent substances, such as industrial fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, etc. Chemical fertilizers are nearly as destructive as they are productive, causing monocultures and consequences associated with elimination of diversity, nutrient pollution as evidenced by algae blooms, eutrophication, water quality issues, lower oxygen levels and dangers to fish stocks. Therefore, the scientific approach to maintain sustainable fertility in soil and plants is to switch over to biofertilisers.Biofertilisers are compounds of organic matter that are applied to crops for growth and health. Their constituent micro-organisms interact in an ecofriendly manner with the soil, root and seeds of plants, promoting the growth of micro-flora that enhances soil fertility. They are known to play a number of vital roles in soil fertility, crop productivity and production in agriculture. Application of biofertilisers results in increased mineral and water uptake, root development, vegetative growth and nitrogen fixation. They liberate growth promoting substances and vitamins and help to maintain soil fertility. They act as antagonists and play a pivotal role in neutralising the soil borne plant pathogens, thereby assisting in the bio-control of diseases. Application of biofertilisers in lieu of synthetic fertilizers could be the promising technique to raise agricultural productivity without degrading the environmental quality. The present book focuses on the latest research approaches and updates from the microbiota ecosystem and their applications in agriculture industry. It also highlights the great potential and possible future of action of microbiota in the development of sustainable agricultural systems.

Stretching along 156 miles of Florida's East Coast, the Indian River Lagoon contains the St. Lucie estuary, the Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River Lagoon, and the Indian River. Nineteen canals and five man-made inlets have dramatically reshaped the region in the past two centuries, challenging the most biologically diverse estuarine system in the United States. Indian River Lagoon traces the winding story of the waterway, showing how humans have altered the area to fit their needs and also how the lagoon has influenced the cultures along its shores. Now stuck in transition between a place of labor and a place of recreation, the lagoon has become a chief focus of public concern. This book provides a much-needed bigger picture as debates continue over how best to restore this natural resource.

This book is a collection of extended papers based on presentations given during the ICEC 2018 conference, held in Caen, France, in August 2018. It explores both the limitations and advantages of current models, and highlights the latest developments concerning new numerical schemes, high-performance computing, multi-physics and multi-scale methods, and better interaction with field or scale model data. Accordingly, it addresses the interests of practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, and engineers active in this field.

After the 1998 flood of the Yangtze River, one of the world s most important rivers, environmental experts realized that, to control flooding, much more attention must be paid to vegetation cover on bare lands, thin forest land, and shrub-covered land in mountain areas. In 1999, an environmental monitoring project of the forests in 11 provinces of the Yangtze River basin was undertaken. This book reports on soil loss prediction and the successful practices of soil loss control in eastern China in recent years.

An illustrated guide to introduction to major fossil groups.

This book comprises select proceedings of the annual conference of the Indian Geotechnical Society. The conference brings together research and case histories on various aspects of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering. The book presents papers on geotechnical applications and case histories, covering topics such as (i) Characterization of Geomaterials and Physical Modelling; (ii) Foundations and Deep Excavations; (iii) Soil Stabilization and Ground Improvement; (iv) Geoenvironmental Engineering and Waste Material Utilization; (v) Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering; (vi) Earth Retaining Structures, Dams and Embankments; (vii) Slope Stability and Landslides; (viii) Transportation Geotechnics; (ix) Geosynthetics Applications; (x) Computational, Analytical and Numerical Modelling; (xi) Rock Engineering, Tunnelling and Underground Constructions; (xii) Forensic Geotechnical Engineering and Case Studies; and (xiii) Others Topics: Behaviour of Unsaturated Soils, Offshore and Marine Geotechnics, Remote Sensing and GIS, Field Investigations, Instrumentation and Monitoring, Retrofitting of Geotechnical Structures, Reliability in Geotechnical Engineering, Geotechnical Education, Codes and Standards, and other relevant topics. The contents of this book are of interest to researchers and practicing engineers alike.

Authored by world-class scientists and scholars, the Handbook of Natural Resources, Second Edition, is an excellent reference for understanding the consequences of changing natural resources to the degradation of ecological integrity and the sustainability of life. Based on the content of the bestselling and CHOICE awarded Encyclopedia of Natural Resources, this new edition demonstrates the major challenges that the society is facing for the sustainability of all wellbeing on planet Earth. The experience, evidence, methods, and models used in studying natural resources are presented in six stand-alone volumes, arranged along the main systems: land, water, and air. It reviews state-of-the-art knowledge, highlights advances made in different areas, and provides guidance for the appropriate use of remote sensing data in the study of natural resources on a global scale. The six volumes in this set cover: Terrestrial Ecosystems and Biodiversity; Landscape and Land Capacity; Wetlands and Habitats; Fresh Water and Watersheds; Coastal and Marine Environments; and finally Atmosphere and Climate. Written in an easy-to-reference manner, the Handbook of Natural Resources, Second Edition, as a complete set, is essential for anyone looking for a deeper understanding of the science and management of natural resources. Public and private libraries, educational and research institutions, scientists, scholars, and resource managers will benefit enormously from this set. Individual volumes and chapters can also be used in a wide variety of both graduate and undergraduate courses in environmental science and natural science courses at different levels and disciplines, such as biology, geography, Earth system science, ecology, etc.

The Middle Holocene epoch (8,000 to 3,000 years ago) was a time of dramatic changes in the physical world and in human cultures. Across this span, climatic conditions changed rapidly, with cooling in the high to mid-latitudes and drying in the tropics. In many parts of the world, human groups became more complex, with early horticultural systems replaced by intensive agriculture and small-scale societies being replaced by larger, more hierarchial organizations. Climate Change and Cultural Dynamics explores the cause and effect relationship between climatic change and cultural transformations across the mid-Holocene (c. 4000 B.C.).
* Explores the role of climatic change on the development of society around the world
* Chapters detail diverse geographical regions
* Co-written by noted archaeologists and paleoclimatologists for non-specialists