Humpback Dolphins (Sousa spp.): Current Status and Conservation, Part 1 is part of Advances in Marine Biology, a series that has been providing in-depth and up-to-date reviews on all aspects of marine biology since 1963 - more than 50 years of outstanding coverage from a reference that is well known for its contents and editing. This latest addition to the series includes updates on many topics that will appeal to postgraduates and researchers in marine biology, fisheries science, ecology, zoology, and biological oceanography. Specialty areas for the series include marine science, both applied and basic, a wide range of topical areas from all corners of marine ecology, oceanography, fisheries management, and molecular biology, and the full range of geographic areas from polar seas to tropical coral reefs.

A powerful argument that our current path toward progress, based on continual economic expansion and inefficient use of resources, runs contrary to three foundational scientific laws.   In this compelling, cogently argued, and acclaimed book, Tom Wessels demonstrates how our current path toward progress, based on continual economic expansion and inefficient use of resources, runs contrary to three foundational scientific laws that govern all complex natural systems. It is a myth, he contends, that progress depends on a growing economy. Wessels explains his theory with his three laws of sustainability: the law of limits to growth; the second law of thermodynamics, which exposes the dangers of increased energy consumption; and the law of self-organization, which results in the marvelous diversity of such highly evolved systems as the human body and complex ecosystems. Wessels argues that these laws, scientifically proven to sustain life in its myriad forms, have been cast aside since the eighteenth century, first by Western economists, political pragmatists, and governments attracted by the idea of unlimited growth, and more recently by a global economy dominated by large corporations, in which consolidation and oversimplification have created large-scale inefficiencies in both material and energy usage.   Wessels makes scientific theory readily accessible by offering examples of how the laws of sustainability function in the complex systems we can observe in the natural world around us. Demonstrating that all environmental problems have their source in a disregard for the laws of sustainability, he concludes with an impassioned argument for cultural change. This new edition has a new preface wherein the author regards The Myth of Progress as his most important work. It has been in constant demand since it was first published in 2006.  

This site-synthesis volume presents 20 years of work at the North Temperate Lakes Long-Term Research Site. It provides the definitive information base for the ecology of temperate lakes, and a general assessment of the role of lakes within their landscapes. The Wisconsin temperate lakes LTER site has had a major role in the growth of our modern limonological understanding, and this book also chronicles the history of this work. The book should be of interest to most American limonologists and a significant number of general ecologists.

Is the Earth the right model and the only universal key to understand habitability, the origin and maintenance of life? Are we able to detect life elsewhere in the universe by the existing techniques and by the upcoming space missions? This book tries to give answers by focusing on environmental properties, which are playing a major role in influencing planetary surfaces or the interior of planets and satellites. The book gives insights into the nature of planets or satellites and their potential to harbor life. Different scientific disciplines are searching for the clues to classify planetary bodies as a habitable object and what kind of instruments and what kind of space exploration missions are necessary to detect life. Results from model calculations, field studies and from laboratory studies in planetary simulation facilities will help to elucidate if some of the planets and satellites in our solar system as well as in extra-solar systems are potentially habitable for life.

Pursuing a multidisciplinary approach, this book highlights current challenges in, and potential solutions to, environmental water management in Mexico. It includes an essential review of current literature and state of the art research, providing a one-stop resource for researchers, graduate students and environmental water managers alike. The result of a cooperation between 35 researchers from seven Mexican academic institutions, two Federal Commissions and one international organization, the book links science to practice for living organisms and their environment, while also addressing anthropogenic effects on our water ecosystems. Particularly the book addresses the following subjects: Biodiversity in inland waters, physical and chemical characterization of inland waters, physico-chemical characterization of Mexican coastal lagoons, microbiota in brackish ecosystems, diversity associated with southern Mexico's pacific coral reefs, fry fish stockings in aquatic epicontinental systems, a review of tuna fisheries in Mexico, fishery resource management challenges stemming from climate change, aquatic invasive alien species, harmful algal blooms, and aquatic protected areas, related ecological and social problems and the importance for fisheries' yield.

Global change threatens ecosystems worldwide, and tropical systems with their high diversity and rapid development are of special concern. We can mitigate the impacts of change if we understand how tropical ecosystems respond to disturbance. For tropical forests and streams in Puerto Rico this book describes the impacts of, and recovery from, hurricanes, landslides, floods, droughts, and human disturbances in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico. These ecosystems recover quickly after natural disturbances, having been shaped over thousands of years by such events. Human disturbance, however, has longer-lasting impacts. Chapters are by authors with many years of experience in Puerto Rico and other tropical areas and cover the history of research in these mountains, a framework for understanding disturbance and response, the environmental setting, the disturbance regime, response to disturbance, biotic mechanisms of response, management implications, and future directions. The text provides a strong perspective on tropical ecosystem dynamics over multiple scales of time and space.

For almost a century and a half, biologists have gone to the seashore to study life. The oceans contain rich biodiversity, and organisms at the intersection of sea and shore provide a plentiful sampling for research into a variety of questions at the laboratory bench: How does life develop and how does it function? How are organisms that look different related, and what role does the environment play? From the Stazione Zoologica in Naples to the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, the Amoy Station in China, or the Misaki Station in Japan, students and researchers at seaside research stations have long visited the ocean to investigate life at all stages of development and to convene discussions of biological discoveries. Exploring the history and current reasons for study by the sea, this book examines key people, institutions, research projects, organisms selected for study, and competing theories and interpretations of discoveries, and it considers different ways of understanding research, such as through research repertoires. A celebration of coastal marine research, Why Study Biology by the Sea? reveals why scientists have moved from the beach to the lab bench and back.

Based in extensive research in geology, atmospheric science, and paleontology, this book offers a detailed history of CO2 in the atmosphere, and an understanding of factors that have influenced changes in the past. The text illuminates the role of atmospheric CO2 in the modern carbon cycle and in the evolution of plants and animals, and addresses the future role of atmospheric CO2 and its likely effects on ecosystems.

This book is Volume 2 which is published to complement "Environmental Processes and Management: Tools and Practices" (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-38152-3), 2020 This book provides an in-depth, well-researched and science-based approach to applying key project management and spatial tools and practices in environmental projects. This book is an important read for leaders considering projects that balance social-economic growth against minimizing its ill effects on Planet Earth. This book brings together several aspects of groundwater engineering, as well as the formula and analytical approaches required for more informed decision-making. It also highlights the vital importance of understanding the technological, economic and social dimensions of environmental studies explained through dynamic approaches and illustrative figures that have short-term results and long-term impacts. This book emphasizes on encouraging the modern and vibrant research works conducted by young researchers across the world. This book clearly details the general application of fundamental groundwater processes, the character of the different types of systems in which they occur and the way in which these factors influence process dynamics, environmental systems and their possible remedies. The book sets a possible recommendation for the professionalism with which environmental research should be planned, executed, monitored, assessed and delivered. While primarily intended for professionals responsible for the management of groundwater projects or interested in improving the overall efficiency of such projects, it is also useful for managers in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. The book is a valuable resource for students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. In addition, this book serves as an indispensable guide for anyone willing to develop their skills in modern groundwater / environmental management and related techniques

Elton sought to articulate more explicitly his vision of an entire field of invasion science. The 1958 book, aimed at an educated lay audience, was almost wholly descriptive, dominated by striking examples of the nature and scope of particular invasions beginning with the seven examples detailed in Chapter 1. From the materials in the proof copy and other sources, we can imagine a new edition would also have targeted biologists and been somewhat more technical and prescriptive. In autobiographical notes he penned near the end of his life, Elton wrote regarding EIAP, "This whole subject has deep significance for the study of plant and animal communities and their balance (or unbalance),"19 and indeed many of the reprints and notes refer to interactions among species and community-wide effects.

This study proposes a comparative accounting framework for assessing cost recovery of water supply and sewerage services for households and agriculture in line with the requirements of Article 9 of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). It provides an integrative analysis of the partly contradictory objectives of Article 9 and the Directive's approach to cost recovery. The book defines cost categories and accounting guidelines in line with the specific requirements of WFD Article 9. On this basis, an integrative framework for analysing different financing schemes for water services provision and their compliance with the objectives of Article 9 is developed, along with a pragmatic approach for the incorporation of environmental and resource costs in the overall cost recovery analysis.

This book is the proceedings of the conference Faecal Indicators: problem or solution? Has technical progress reduced the need for faecal indicators? held on 6th to 8th June 2011 at Edinburgh Conference Centre, Heriot Watt University, UK. It addresses existing and emerging issues in environmental microbiology which in turn offer exciting new challenges in microbiology, public health and environmental science. The ultimate aim being to assist the monitoring and modelling of environmental systems to protect human health, animal welfare and environmental quality. With contributions from leading scientists and experts in academia and industry, it offers a truly international perspective on both current research and our ability to respond with useful and sustainable solutions to many of the emerging challenges of today's modern communities. The conference featured two combative, provocative and engaging debates examining the moral issues behind the statements "What is a coliform and are coliforms relevant to public health?" and "Do regulations help or hinder the innovation in testing methods?." The reports of these questions are captured in the book. The book appeals across the board from those working in universities and research institutes to local governments, the water and food industries, and health professionals.

The main goal of this book is to encourage and formalize the infusion of evolutionary thinking into mainstream conservation biology. It reviews the evolutionary foundations of conservation issues, and unifies conceptual and empirical advances in evolutionary conservation biology. The book can be used either as a primary textbook or as a supplementary reading in an advanced undergraduate or graduate level course - likely to be called Conservation Biology or in some cases Evolutionary Ecology. The focus of chapters is on current concepts in evolution as they pertain to conservation, and the empirical study of these concepts. The balanced treatment avoids exhaustive reviews and overlapping duplication among the chapters. Little background in genetics is assumed of the reader.

The environmentally oriented specialties of microbiology are in the midst of a major paradigm shift from a focus on single or a few key microbial species to consideration of the entirety of the microbial community and its interactions. This fully revised and updated edition focuses on the importance of soil microbial communities to sustainability of terrestrial ecosystems and solutions to global problems. Basic principles are covered, and details of the finer points of processes and their implications have been updated. This is a one-of-a-kind reference for advanced students and professionals.

The remote mountain loch of Lochnagar is one of the most studied freshwater bodies in Europe. It is an area of outstanding, although harsh, natural beauty, a favourite destination for hill-walkers, and a rare UK habitat for many alpine species. This book brings together knowledge gained over two decades of multi-disciplinary scientific study, with the results of lake sediment research covering millennia, to show how the loch has developed both naturally and as a result of human impact. Particular emphasis is placed on how this fragile ecosystem, and others like it, may be affected by future climate change.

Most people who have taken a biology course in the past 50 years are familiar with the work of David Lack, but few remember his name. Almost all general biology texts produced during that period have a figure showing the beak size differences among the finches of the Galapagos Islands from Lack's 1947 classic, Darwin's Finches. Lack's pioneering conclusions in Darwin's Finches mark the beginning of a new scientific discipline, evolutionary ecology. Tim Birkhead, in his acclaimed book, The Wisdom of Birds, calls Lack the 'hero of modern ornithology.' Who was this influential, yet relatively unknown man? The Life of David Lack, Father of Evolutionary Ecology provides an answer to that question based on Ted Anderson's personal interviews with colleagues, family members and former students as well as material in the extensive Lack Archive at Oxford University.

Islands with large colonies of seabirds are found throughout the globe. Seabird islands provide nesting and roosting sites for birds that forage at sea, deposit marine nutrients on land, and physically alter these islands. Habitats for numerous endemic and endangered animal and plant species, seabird islands are therefore biodiversity hotspots with high priority for conservation.
Successful campaigns to eradicate predators (e.g., rats and cats) from seabird islands have been conducted worldwide. However, removal of predators will not necessarily lead to natural recovery of seabirds or other native species. Restoration of island ecosystems requires social acceptance of eradications, knowledge of how island food webs function, and a long-term commitment to measuring and assisting the recovery process.
This book, written collaboratively by and for ecologists and resource managers, provides the first large-scale cross-system compilation, comparison, and synthesis of the ecology of seabird island systems. Offering a new conceptual framework into which to fit the impacts of seabirds on island ecology, this is an essential resource for academics and resource managers alike.

Presenting the current state of the art in scaling and uncertainty in ecology, Wu et al's Scaling and Uncertainty Analysis in Ecology is the first book of its kind - explicitly considering uncertainty and error analysis as an integral part of scaling. Primarily, the book draws together a series of important case studies to provide a comprehensive review and synthesis of the most recent concepts, theories and methods in scaling and uncertainty analysis. It compares current definitions and ideas concerning scale within a coherent framework, and examines two key scaling approaches: similarity-based scaling, which is rooted in the idea of similitude or self-similarity; and dynamic model-based scaling, which emphasizes processes and mechanisms. With case studies focusing on issues ranging from population to ecosystem processes; from biodiversity to landscape patterns; and from basic research to multidisciplinary management and policy-making...

Biogeochemistry of Estuaries offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to understanding biogeochemical cycling in estuaries. Designed as a text for intermediate to advanced students, this book utilizes numerous illustrations and an extensive literature base to impart the current state-of-the-art knowledge in this field. While many of the existing books in estuarine science are comprised of edited volumes, typically focused on highly specific topics in estuaries, Biogeochemistry of Estuaries provides, for the first time, a unique foundation in the areas of geomorphology, geochemistry, biochemistry, aqueous chemistry, and ecology, while making strong linkages (trhoughout the text) to ecosystem-based processes in estuarine sciences. Estuaries, located at the interface between land and the coastal ocean are dynamic, highly productive systems that, in many cases, have been historically associated with development of many of the great centers of early human civilization. Consequentially, these systems have and continue to be highly impacted by anthropogenic inputs. This timely book takes the foundational basis of elemental cycling in estuarine and applies it to estuarine management issues. Biogeochemistry of Estuaries will be welcomed by estuarine/marine scientists, ecologists, biogeochemists, and environmentalists around the world.

This volume features papers presented at the International Symposium on the Eutrophication Process and Control in Large Shallow Lakes- with Special Reference to Lake Taihu, held in Nanjing, China in April 2005. Coverage includes: physical processes and their effects on shallow lake ecosystems; biogeochemistry of sediments and nutrient cycling in shallow lakes; and algal blooms and ecosystem response in shallow lakes.

This monograph contains articles based on the oral presentations given at the International Workshop on the Biosphere Origin and Evolution (BOE 2005) held in Novosibirsk, Russia, June 26-29, 2005. The organizers of the event were the Scientific Programme of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which involves 50 institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The ecological sciences are a diverse array of major scientific disciplines. They grew from minor sciences, with little status in 1900, and now occupy crucial areas of research bearing on the future of our planet. This book describes a century of growth and development. A dramatic century-long rise in the status of ecological knowledge was accompanied by the rise of professional ecological organizations, the establishment of university faculties, and the creation of government agencies advising on conservation, natural resources, and the prevention of pollution. Like all sciences, ecology continues to yield new findings and surprising revelations. New technologies now address existential challenges facing our world. This book, documenting the rise of ecology, is an inspiring history portending an important role in the twenty-first century. Key Features: The author is the acknowledged authority on the history of ecology. The content is familiar to members of the Ecological Society of America but has not previously been assembled into a single narrative. Appropriate for a course in the history of ecology. Provides a broad perspective on ecology. Related Titles: Egerton, F. N. A Centennial History of the Ecological Society of America (ISBN 978-0-3673-7763-2). Rieppel, O. Phylogenetic Systematics: Haeckel to Hennig (ISBN 978-0-3678-7645-6) Dronamraju, K. A Century of Geneticists: Mutation to Medicine (ISBN 978-1-4987-4866-7)

Aufgrund zunehmender globaler Umweltprobleme und dem legitimen Bemühen zahlreicher Staaten um eine aufholende Entwicklung ist die Weitergabe umweltverträglicher Technologien an Entwicklungsländer zu einem Kernanliegen einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung geworden. Ausgehend von früheren Diskussionen über den Technologietransfer untersucht diese Arbeit jüngste Entwicklungen im Bereich des Umweltvölkerrechts, wobei insbesondere die Übereinkommen zum Schutz der Ozonschicht und jene zum Klimaschutz analysiert und Ansätze zur Umsetzung der jeweiligen Technologietransferbestimmungen in der Staatenpraxis aufgezeigt werden. Wurden im Bereich des internationalen Umweltrechts sektoral die Ziele einer Neuen Weltwirtschaftsordnung verwirklicht? Inwieweit stehen die verbindlichen Transferpflichten in einem Spannungsverhältnis zum völkerrechtlichen Schutz geistigen Eigentums? Der Autor prüft insoweit Möglichkeiten und Grenzen des Technologietransfers auf der Basis marktkonformer Mechanismen und beleuchtet die Rolle multilateraler Finanzierungsfonds.

Forest canopies not only support high terrestrial biodiversity but also represent a critical interface between the atmosphere and the earth. They provide goods and services to support diverse human communities and offer opportunities to explore sustainable use of these resources for many generations of local livelihoods. Forest canopies are important carbon sequestration units, and in this sense, serve as climate control for the planet. Canopies are important energy production centers for the planet, and serve as the basis for many food chains. The canopy can also act as a hook for education outreach and conservation, inspiring ecotourism through recreation and other sustainable uses such as treetop walks, zip lines, and birding. Despite these critical services provided by forest canopies, almost no dedicated research in the treetops was initiated until as recently as the late 1970s when single rope techniques were developed by mountaineering professionals and adapted for use in the canopy. Subsequently, an array of canopy access tools was designed in the 1980s and early 1990s that have opened up this "eighth continent" for global exploration and discovery. This volume uses the major findings of the 5th international canopy conference as a platform for organization, but it does not mimic the sessions and presentations of the conference itself. Instead, it builds on the important themes that emerged from the conference and solicits articles that represent future priorities and advancements for canopy science in the next decade. Despite the global efforts of hundreds of forest scientists over the past 3 decades, forests are degrading at an accelerated rate and biodiversity is increasingly threatened by human activities. Given these trends - despite the very best efforts of the world's best scientists - other approaches must be taken. This volume summarizes the issue of "treetops at risk" and assembles a global authorship to examine past accomplishments and future initiatives critical in forest conservation.

This book gives a critical overview on the evolution and population biology of salmon and their relatives. It should appeal to investigators in each of the scientific disciplines it intergrates - evolutionary biology, ecology, salmonid biology, management and conservation. Variation in salmonids can be used to illustrate virtually all evolution.