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Books > Earth & environment > Earth sciences
This book is intended as reference material for students and
professors interested in air pollution modeling at the graduate
level as well as researchers and professionals involved in
developing and utilizing air pollution models. Current developments
in air pollution modeling are explored as a series of contributions
from researchers at the forefront of their field. This newest
contribution on air pollution modeling and its application is
focused on local, urban, regional and intercontinental modeling;
emission modeling and processing; data assimilation and air quality
forecasting; model assessment and evaluation; aerosol
transformation. Additionally, this work also examines the
relationship between air quality and human health and the effects
of climate change on air quality. This work is a collection of
selected papers presented at the 37th International Technical
Meeting on Air Pollution Modeling and its Application, held in
Hamburg, Germany, September 23-27, 2019.
Volcanoes have terrified and, at the same time, fascinated
civilizations for thousands of years. Many aspects of volcanoes,
most notably the eruptive processes and the compositional
variations of magma, have been widely investigated for several
decades and today constitute the core of any volcanology textbook.
Nevertheless, in the last two decades, boosted by the availability
of volcano monitoring data, there has been an increasing interest
in the pre-eruptive processes related to the shallow accumulation
and to the transfer of magma approaching the surface, as well as in
the resulting structure of volcanoes. These are innovative and
essential aspects of modern volcanology and, as driving volcanic
unrest, their understanding also improves hazard assessment and
eruption forecasting. So far, the significant progress made in
unravelling these volcano-tectonic processes has not been supported
by a comprehensive overview. This monograph aims at filling this
gap, describing the pre-eruptive processes related to the
structure, deformation and tectonics of volcanoes, at the local and
regional scale, in any tectonic setting. The monograph is organized
into three sections ("Fundamentals", "Magma migration towards the
surface" and "The regional perspective"), consisting of thirteen
chapters that are lavishly illustrated. The reader is accompanied
in a journey within the volcano factory, discovering the processes
associated with the shallow accumulation of magma and its transfer
towards the surface, how these control the structure of volcanoes
and their activity and, ultimately, improve our ability to estimate
hazard and forecast eruption. The potential readership includes any
academic, researcher and upper undergraduate student interested in
volcanology, magma intrusions, structural geology, tectonics,
geodesy, as well as geology and geophysics in general.
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 volume presents select papers presented during the Second
International Conference on Waste Management held at IIT Guwahati.
The book comprises of eight sections, and deals with various
technologies associated with curbing of different environmental
issues as well as management and legislative policies associated
with them. This book will be of interest to various researchers,
students, policy makers and people who pursue keen interest in the
waste management techniques and policies.
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.
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.
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.
Several nano-scale devices have emerged that are capable of
analysing plant diseases, nutrient deficiencies and any other
ailments that may affect food security in agro-ecosystems. It has
been envisioned that smart delivery systems can be developed and
utilised for better management of agricultural ecosystems. These
systems could exhibit beneficial, multi-functional characteristics,
which could be used to assess and also control habitat-imposed
stresses to crops. Nanoparticle-mediated smart delivery systems can
control the delivery of nutrients or bioactive and/or pesticide
molecules in plants. It has been suggested that nano-particles in
plants might help determine their nutrient status and could also be
used as cures in agro-ecosystems. Further, to enhance soil and crop
productivity, nanotechnology has been used to create and deliver
nano fertilizers, which can be defined as nano-particles that
directly help supply nutrients for plant growth and soil
productivity. Nano-particles can be absorbed onto clay networks,
leading to improved soil health and more efficient nutrient use by
crops. Additionally, fertilizer particles can be coated with
nano-particles that facilitate slow and steady release of
nutrients, reducing loss of nutrients and enhancing their
efficiency in agri-crops. Although the use of nanotechnology in
agro-ecosystems is still in its early stages and needs to be
developed further, nano-particle-mediated delivery systems are
promising solutions for the successful management of
agri-ecosystems. In this context, the book offers insights into
nanotechnology in agro-ecosystems with reference to biogenic
nanoparticles. It highlights the: * occurrence and diversity of
Biogenic Nanoparticles * mechanistic approach involved in the
synthesis of biogenic nanoparticles * synthesis of nanoparticles
using photo-activation, and their fate in the soil ecosystem *
potential applications of nanoparticles in agricultural systems *
application and biogenic synthesis of gold nanoparticles and their
characterization * impact of biogenic nanoparticles on biotic
stress to plants * mechanistic approaches involved in the
antimicrobial effects and cytotoxicity of biogenic nanoparticles *
role of biogenic nanoparticles in plant diseases management *
relevance of biological synthesized nanoparticles in the longevity
of agricultural crops * design and synthesis of nano-biosensors for
monitoring pollutants in water, soil and plant systems *
applications of nanotechnology in agriculture with special refer to
soil, water and plant sciences A useful resource for postgraduate
and research students in the field of plant and agricultural
sciences, it is also of interest to researchers working in nano and
biotechnology.
This book highlights the need for effective water governance in
India given the fact that the country has been facing serious water
stress in recent years. The water management in the country needs a
serious scientific understanding coupled with the cooperative
approach rather than a competitive one. It looks at current water
regulations and underlines the need for overhaul of some laws to
ensure that high water usage efficiency is attained, groundwater
depletion is arrested and management of available resources is
carried out in a disciplined manner. It also looks at the role of
stakeholder engagement and pricing as a mechanism to manage demand
in the wake of rapid population growth and industrialization.
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.
This book analyses the theoretical and methodological foundations
of ecotourism and geotourism and examines the essence, content,
factors, and models of ecotourism development. The authors
conducted research to assess the tourist and recreational potential
of ecotourism in Kazakhstan. The study analyses the current state
and describes the problems of the long-term development of
ecotourism. Besides, the authors also show the role of specially
protected natural areas in ecotourism development, including a list
of organizations that can create tourist products in the
environmental direction. This book also defines the primary
conditions necessary for ecotourism in protected natural and rural
areas. The resulting cartographic material visualizes the
geospatial potential of the regions of Kazakhstan, aiming a more
targeted expenditure of financial resources allocated to tourism
development. Thus, the presented book is relevant from a practical
perspective to scientists and researchers and is of value to
business structures and stakeholders.
The book requires only rudimentary physics knowledge but ability to
program computers creatively and to keep the mind open to simple
and not so simple models, based in individuals, for the living
world around us.
* Interdisciplinary coverage
* Research oriented
* Contains and explains programs
* Based on recent discoveries
* Little special knowledge required besides programming
* Suitable for undergraduate and graduate research projects
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