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Books > Science & Mathematics > Biology, life sciences > Life sciences: general issues > Ecological science, the Biosphere
This open access book sets out the contours of feminist political ecology (FPE) as a major contribution to ongoing debates in the field. In an innovative methodological twist, the edited book engages the reader in conversations that have emerged from the multi-sited and cross-generational dialogues of the Well-Being Ecology Gender cOmmunities (WEGO) network over the last four years. The conversations explore topics that range from climate change and extractivism, to body politics and health, degrowth, care and community well-being. The authors reflect on their collective learning process as they map out the new directions of FPE research and analysis. The chapters highlight WEGO transnational/transdisciplinary conversations with local communities, social movements and different academic spaces. The book foregrounds the ethics of doing feminist work inside and outside academe and brings to life the importance of doing reflexive research aware of situated historical and contemporary geographical contours of power.
The latest edition of this classic guide details how to understand and resolve a broad array of human-wildlife conflicts. This new edition of Human-Wildlife Conflict Management updates our understanding of the human dimensions, as well as biological and ecological concepts, underlying human-wildlife conflicts. While it provides wildlife professionals and students with the knowledge and adaptive management strategies to resolve such conflicts, it uniquely explores negative interactions with a wide range of wildlife taxa beyond those typically covered in traditional wildlife damage management, including invasive plants, invertebrates, and fish. Designed to help students and natural resource practitioners gain a deeper understanding of how to successfully avoid and resolve conflict between humans and wildlife, it is informed by author Russell F. Reidinger's decades of teaching students and professionals how to anticipate and manage human-wildlife conflicts, as well as his experience leading a national research program devoted to this work. The book covers important human-wildlife topics such as: * individual-, population-, and ecosystem-level effects * survey techniques * management methods * human dimensions * economic issues * legal and political aspects * damage management strategies Featuring explanations of important terminology and pertinent biological and ecological concepts, Reidinger also shares the latest research, provides a plethora of real-world examples, and includes suggestions for additional resources.
Issues In Agroecology - Present Status and Future Prospectus not only reviews aspects of ecology, but the ecology of sustainable food production systems, and related societal and cultural values. To provide effective communication regarding status and advances in this field, this series connects with many disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, environmental sciences, ethics, agriculture, economics, ecology, rural development, sustainability, policy and education, and integrations of these general themes so as to provide integrated points of view that will help lead to a more sustainable construction of values than conventional economics alone. Such designs are inherently complex and dynamic, and go beyond the individual farm to include landscapes, communities, and biogeographic regions by emphasizing their unique agricultural and ecological values, and their biological, societal, and cultural components and processes.
Media are a powerful educational force that teaches about the relationship between humans and living systems while also physiologically impacting the environment. However, although long considered a tool for promoting critical thinking and cultural citizenship, media literacy does not adequately address environmental sustainability. Drawing on original research, Antonio Lopez demonstrates how common media literacy practices reinforce belief systems at the root of unsustainable behaviors. By combining emerging literacies from social media, networked activism, sustainability education, critical media literacy, and digital ecopedagogy, the author offers a solutions-oriented critique and paradigm-shifting reappraisal of media education by advocating "ecomedia literacy." This groundbreaking book builds on Lopez's previous two books, Mediacology and The Media Ecosystem, by offering a cutting-edge and radical reappraisal of conventional media literacy practices. Written in accessible and jargon-free language, this book is ideal for students and educators of media literacy, media studies, and cultural studies, and will also be vital to those advocating sustainability education, environmental studies, and social justice.
The importance of the Arctic in many fields of human activity strongly increased over the past decades. The academic scientific research demonstrates a 3-fold increase in the number of journal articles dealing with "Arctic": from 1,400 in 2000 to 4,200 in 2018. This increase is not fortuitous but certainly stems from double importance of Arctic regions for humanity. The first importance is the role that the Arctic plays in the on-going environmental changes, mostly linked to climate warming and environmental pollution. Here, the first key issues are the Arctic Ocean, ice melt, permafrost thaw, greenhouse gases emission, and organic carbon mobilization from soils to rivers. From the other hand, highly fragile Arctic ecosystems and biota are strongly affected by environmental pollution, be it organic compounds or toxic metals and radionuclides. The rising concern of humanity to the key role of the Arctic in climate regulation on the planetary scale and the extreme fragility of its ecosystem, biota and native population to on-going environmental change can certainly explain an explosive interest of scientific researchers to the Arctic in connection with aclimate change'. The second big issue of the Arctic is its eminent role in problems of natural resources. The Artic shelf contains vast amount of hydrocarbons (gas and oil), whereas the terrestrial polar regions, now liberating from ice, may turn out to be highly important sites of future ore industry. The importance of possibly ice-free Arctic Ocean as future maritime shipping routes will further enhance the accessibility of natural resources in this region. Taken together, this can be the main driving factors of almost exponential increase in the interest to natural resources in the Arctic over past few years. The present book addresses a wide variety of environmental, social and economic issues of the Arctic, in response to rising interest to this region in academic science, sociology and business. The 14 chapters represent state-of-the art reviews written by the experts on problems of native communities, climate change, political issues, implementation of large-scale projects, natural resources and conservation, environmental monitoring and assessment of pollution issues.
This volume of essays explores the scope for a further extension of ecocriticism across the environmental humanities. Contributors, who include both established academics and early career researchers in the humanities, were given free rein to interpret the brief. The collection is unusual in that it considers collaboration between individuals both in the same discipline and across creative disciplines. Subjects include familiar environments close to home and those such as Iceland and Antarctica, where narratives of climate, geology and ecology provide a stark backdrop to creative output. A further innovation is the inclusion of essays on public art, natural heritage interpretation and the visualisation and aesthetic impact of wind farms. The book will be of interest to writers, artists, students and researchers in the environmental humanities and those with a general interest in the cultural response to the environment. -- .
Produced by a Leading Aquatic Scientist A narrative account of how estuaries around the world are being altered by human forces and human-induced global climate changes, Climate Change and Coastal Ecosystems: Long-Term Effects of Climate and Nutrient Loading on Trophic Organization chronicles a more than 40-year-old research effort conducted by Dr. Robert J. Livingston and his research team at Florida State University. Designed to evaluate system-level responses to natural and anthropogenic nutrient loading and long-term climate changes, the study focused on the northeast Gulf of Mexico river-bay systems, and concentrated on phytoplankton/benthic macrophyte productivity and associated food web organization. It addressed the changes of food web structure relative to long-term trends of climatological conditions, and was carried out using a combination of field-descriptive and experimental approaches. Details Climate Change, Climate Change Effects, and Eutrophication This book includes comparative analyses of how the trophic organization of different river-bay ecosystems responded to variations of both anthropogenic impacts and natural driving factors in space and time. It incorporates a climate database and evaluates the effects of climate change in the region. It also provides insights into the effects of nutrient loading and climate on the trophic organization of coastal systems in other global regions. Presents research compiled from consistent field sampling methods and detailed taxonomic identifications over an extended period of study Includes the methods and materials that the research team used to access the health and trophic organization of Florida's estuaries Provides an up-to-date bibliography of estuarine publications and reports Based on a longitudinal study of anthropogenic and natural driving factors on river-estuarine systems in the northeast Gulf of Mexico, Climate Change and Coastal Ecosystems: Long-Term Effects of Climate and Nutrient Loading on Trophic Organization is useful as a reference for researchers working on riverine, estuarine, and coastal marine systems.
At an increasingly global scale, aquatic scientists are heavily entrenched in understanding the fate of marine ecosystems in the face of human-altered environments. Oil spill disasters, especially large-scale ones like the 2010 Deepwater Horizon tragedy, have left uncertain and indelible marks on marine ecosystems. Impacts of Oil Spill Disasters on Marine Habitats and Fisheries in North America contains independent scientific findings and critical reviews from experts researching the impacts of the Exxon Valdez, Ixtoc I, and Deepwater Horizon oil spills on coastal fishery resources. Comprised of three sections, this seminal work: Details the physiological effects of oil-derived compounds on fishes, presenting results from field and laboratory investigations Addresses the science of assessing the impacts of oil spills and oil response measures on coastal habitats, with an emphasis on salt-marsh ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico Explores the quantified and potential impacts of oil spills on population and community dynamics of commercial and recreational fishery species Provides newly released results from the 25-year recovery of marine mammals, birds, and fishes following the Exxon Valdez spill Chapters discuss new techniques for collecting and processing blood samples for toxicity testing, new aerial radar techniques for detecting unseen oil on marshes, consequences of oil prevention measures (such as diverting fresh water to estuaries or building sand berms to stop oil) on coastal fishery resources, and non-traditional methods for assessing the herring stock in Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA following the Exxon Valdez disaster.
Examining perspectives on the connection between man's inner being and the outer world, this title covers topics such as the Anthropic Principle, Gaia Hypothesis, mysticism, religion, nature, and more.
Interrelationships Between Corals and Fisheries is derived from a workshop held by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council in Tampa, Florida in May 2013, where world authorities came together to discuss the current problems in managing tropical fisheries and offered suggestions for future directions for both researchers and environmental resource managers. This book addresses current and emerging threats as well as challenges and opportunities for managing corals and associated fisheries. It provides an information baseline toward a better understanding of how corals and the consequences of coral condition influence fish populations, especially as they relate to management of those populations. The book contains content from presentations modified as a result of interactions and discussions with colleagues and peer reviews by global experts in corals and fisheries. Many chapters include additional materials not presented in the workshop. There are also papers that were not presented at the workshop but contribute to the central theme of the book. Topics covered include: Global decline in coral reefs and impacts on fishery yields Distribution and diversity in the Gulf of Mexico Implementation of Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (CHAPCs) Deepwater coral/sponge habitats Coral populations on offshore platforms Mangrove connectivity for sustaining coral reef fisheries Restoring deepwater coral ecosystems and fisheries after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill Predictive mapping of coral reef fish Covering a range of subject matter, most of the chapters offer suggestions for future research on the interrelationships between corals and fisheries. In addition, the final chapter presents a summary on these interrelationships and discusses managing them for the future.
This publication is devoted to the natural feature the Black Sea andits littoral states. At the same time the Azov Sea is also considered here. This region is the focus of many geopolitical, economic, social and environmental issues that involve not only the countries coming out to the Black and Azov Seas, but other world countries, too. This publication contains over 1500 articles and terms providing descriptions of geographical and oceanographic features, cities, ports, transport routes, marinebiological resources, international treaties, national and international programs, research institutions, historical and archaeological monuments, activities of prominent scientists, researchers, travelers, military commanders, etc. who had relation to the Black Sea. It includes a multi-century chronology of the events that became the outstanding milestones in the history of development of the Black Sea Azov Sea region."
In recent years, there has been a marked proliferation in the literature on economic approaches to ecosystem management, which has created a subsequent need for real understanding of the scope and the limits of the economic approaches to ecosystems and biodiversity. Within this Handbook, carefully commissioned original contributions from acknowledged experts in the field address the new concepts and their applications, identify knowledge gaps and provide authoritative recommendations.The Handbook offers a wealth of case studies and further: - identifies the conceptual underpinnings of the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity - demonstrates new research methodologies and their applications - provides authoritative assessment of the recent results and findings in ecosystems services and biodiversity valuation and accounting - provides the reader with the state of the art of the research on the economics of ecosystem services and biodiversity - provides spatial explicit tools for mapping ecosystem services values for land-use planning, including in the context of business and industry. This authoritative assessment will appeal to researchers and academics at both the advanced undergraduate and post-graduate levels of environmental economics and ecological economics. Policy-makers in government, business and conservation sectors will find much to engage them as the work will prove essential for implementing effective response policies for the management of ecosystems and biodiversity. Contributors: P. Ala-aho, I. Anastasiou, J.Angulo-Valdes, V. Babalos, T. Badura, K.J. Bagstad, H.E. Balbach, E.B. Barbier, A.A. Batabyal, A. Bien, L.M. Brander, A. Catzim-Sanchez, H. Chen, W.W.L. Cheung, J.C. Cooper, J. Coria, G. Cucuzza, A.T. de Blaeij, T. Dedeurwaerdere, M. De Salvo, S. Di Falco, S.T.M. Dissanayake, A.K. Duraiappah, W.H Durham, R. Eskelinen, T. Figueredo Martin, P. Fong, M. Gemma, J.M. Gowdy, M. Honey, G.W. Johnson, T. Karjalainen, M. Kettunen, B. Kloeve, E. Kougea, P. Koundouri, P. Kumar, V.W.Y. Lam, G.-M. Lange, V. Linderhof, A. Markandya, J. Mate, L. Mazza, C. Mena, Y. Mitani, E. Naikal, D. Narita, S. Navrud, P. Nijkamp, P.A.L.D. Nunes, H. OEnal, R.R. Palatnik, C. Palmer, S. Parks, M. Pascual, M. Perez-Soba, F.Pina-Amargos, N.B.P. Polman, L. Pratt, M. Pulido-Velazquez, M.J. Punt, D. Quiroga, K. Rehdanz, S. Reinhard, K. Reinikainen, E. Robinson, P.M. Rossi, G. Samonte, A. Seidl, D. Semmens, M. Shechter, B. Shitovitz, G. Signorello, R.D. Simpson, G. Slean, H.G. Smith, R.B.W. Smith, T. Sterner, M. Stithou, U.R. Sumaila, D. Suman, R.T. Tawfik, P. ten Brink, R.S.J. Tol, R.K. Turner, M. van der Heide, E.C. van Ierland, P. Verweij, F. Villa, S. Waage, X. Wang, H.-P. Weikard, J.D. Westervelt, M. Winograd, S. Withana, S. Zemah-Shamir
Aquaculture Ecosystems contains a thorough and exciting synthesis of current information on aquaculture practices and substantial discussion of the way forward in transforming the aquaculture industry by improving its sustainability. This important book includes discussion of all the current major issues relating to aquaculture practices in relation to the ecology of their situations, environmental concerns, and details of how sustainability can be improved. Efforts have been made to include chapters that go beyond the stage of debate on old topics, providing conclusions to provide leads for action plans and practices addressing modern challenges such as global climate change. Commencing with a chapter covering concerns and solutions centred around seafood security, the following chapters cover the biology and behavior of aquatic animals and their selection for use in aquaculture systems, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, nutrient inputs and pollution, biofouling, blue carbon stocks in coastal aquaculture, climate change adaptations and knowledge management in aquaculture. Written by internationally-recognized experts in aquaculture and ecology, and edited by Saleem Mustafa, well known for his work in aquatic sciences, the book provides a great deal of use and interest to all those involved in aquaculture planning and development, environmental sciences and aquatic ecology. All libraries in universities and research establishments where biological sciences and aquaculture are studied and taught should have copies of this vital reference on their shelves.
This book presents the current history of United States military strategy in Afghanistan as an example of dysfunctional policy discourse among the nation's elites. The legitimacy of a country's military strategy can become a subject of intense public debate and doubt, especially in prolonged conflicts. Arguments typically hinge on disagreements about the values at stake, the consequences of action or inaction, and the authority of those responsible for the plan. As the US entered its second decade at war in Afghanistan, political and military leaders struggled to explain the ends and means of their strategy through internal policy debates, the promotion of counterinsurgency doctrine, and day-to-day accounts of the war's progress. Military Strategy as Public Discourse considers recent US strategy in Afghanistan as a form of valid and equitable public discussion among those with the ability to affect outcomes. The work examines the dominant forms of discourse used by the various groups of elites who make and execute strategy, and considers how representations of these forms of discourse in news media shapes elite understanding of the purpose of US efforts in wars of choice. The book proposes how policy-makers should address the problems of public discourse on war, which tends to exclude or marginalize relevant elites and focus on narrow questions of validity. This book will be of much interest to students of strategic studies, US foreign policy, and security studies in general.
In order to optimally manage the environment and natural resources, it is vitally important to recognize that there is much more to consider than just the environment itself and the natural resources it provides. A key consideration is also the interrelationship between natural ecosystems and human involvement and behavior. This interaction is where the field of environmental resource management comes into play: the complex ecological and sociological systems of the natural world intertwined. The purpose of this book is to consider such matters, and to help readers develop their own capacities as environmental managers and stewards. Bruce Mitchell's textbook Resource and Environmental Management served as the gold standard for many environmental science courses when the first edition published in 1997. Now, twenty years later, an updated third edition allows for the inclusion of recent developments. The book covers the basic theories and concepts of environmental resource management, and guides students to be able to apply those concepts to practical situations. By covering basic theories and concepts, and by using case studies to show how these have been applied, Bruce Mitchell's new edition seeks to ensure that students have competence in both aspects. The text enhances the reader's capacity to conduct practice and research in resource and environmental management.
This book addresses the question of the double exposure of marine ecosystems, i.e. to both global climate changes and economic globalization. This book contains a short, but self sufficient mathematical introduction, the formalization in the context of Network economics of global commodity chains, with both trophic and economic processes, and a series of cases studies, going from the re-addressing of fundamental ecological questions such as Gause's exclusion principles to practical studies such as the representation of the global supply chain for tuna.
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. Â 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. Â 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. Â
This book provides essential information on Mexico's Holocene and Anthropocene climate and vegetation history. Considering the geography of Mexico - which is home to a variety of climatic and environmental conditions, from desert and tropical to high mountain climates - this book focuses on its postglacial paleoecology and paleoclimatology. Further, it analyses human intervention since the middle Holocene as a major agent of environmental change. Offering a valuable tool for understanding past climate change and its relationship with present climate change, the book is a must-read for botanists, ecologists, palaeontologists and graduate students in related fields.
The current warming trends in the Arctic may shove the Arctic system into a seasonally ice-free state not seen for more than one million years. The melting is accelerating, and researchers were unable to identify natural processes that might slow the deicing of the Arctic. Such substantial additional melting of Arctic and Antarctic glaciers and ice sheets would raise the sea level worldwide, flooding the coastal areas where many of the world's population lives. Studies, led by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the University of Arizona, show that greenhouse gas increases over the next century could warm the Arctic by 3-5 C in summertime. Thus, Arctic summers by 2100 may be as warm as they were nearly 130,000 years ago, when sea levels eventually rose up to 6 m higher than today.
With over half of the global human population living in urban regions, urban ecosystems may now represent the contemporary and future human environment. Consisting of green space and the built environment, they harbour a wide range of species, yet are not well understood. This book aims to review what is currently known about urban ecosystems in a short and approachable text that will serve as a key resource for teaching and learning related to the urban environment. It covers both physical and biotic components of urban ecosystems, key ecological processes, and the management of ecological resources, including biodiversity conservation. All chapters incorporate case studies, boxes and questions for stimulating discussions in the learning environment.
An enticing illustrated look at pollination, one of the most astonishing marvels of the natural world Pollination is essential to the survival of most plants on Earth. Some plants rely on the wind to transport pollen from one flower to another. Others employ an array of ingenious strategies to attract and exploit pollinators, whether they be insects, birds, or mammals. This beautifully illustrated book provides an unprecedented look at the wonders of pollination biology, drawing on the latest science to explain the extraordinarily complex relationship between plant and pollinator, and revealing why pollination is vital for healthy ecosystems and a healthy planet. Timothy Walker offers an engaging introduction to pollination biology and explores the many different tactics of plant reproduction. He shows how wind and water can be effective yet wildly unpredictable means of pollination, and describes the intimate interactions of pollinating plants with bees and butterflies, beetles and birds, and lizards and bats. Walker explores how plants entice pollinators using scents, colors, and shapes, and how plants rely on rewards as well as trickery to attract animals. He sheds light on the important role of pollination in ecology, evolution, and agriculture, and discusses why habitat management, species recovery programs, and other conservation efforts are more critical now than ever. Featuring hundreds of color photos and illustrations, Pollination is suitable for undergraduate study and is an essential resource for naturalists, horticulturalists, and backyard gardeners.
An in-depth look at the history of the environment. Is it possible for the economy to grow without the environment being destroyed? Will our lifestyles impoverish the planet for our children and grandchildren? Is the world sick? Can it be healed? Less than a lifetime ago, these questions would have made no sense. This was not because our ancestors had no impact on nature-nor because they were unaware of the serious damage they had done. What people lacked was an idea: a way of imagining the web of interconnection and consequence of which the natural world is made. Without this notion, we didn't have a way to describe the scale and scope of human impact upon nature. This idea was "the environment." In this fascinating book, Paul Warde, Libby Robin, and Sverker Soerlin trace the emergence of the concept of the environment following World War II, a period characterized by both hope for a new global order and fear of humans' capacity for almost limitless destruction. It was at this moment that a new idea and a new narrative about the planet-wide impact of people's behavior emerged, closely allied to anxieties for the future. Now we had a vocabulary for talking about how we were changing nature: resource exhaustion and energy, biodiversity, pollution, and-eventually-climate change. With the rise of "the environment," the authors argue, came new expertise, making certain kinds of knowledge crucial to understanding the future of our planet. The untold history of how people came to conceive, to manage, and to dispute environmental crisis, The Environment is essential reading for anyone who wants to help protect the environment from the numerous threats it faces today.
This book provides a complete overview of an alpine ecosystem, based on the long-term research conducted at the Niwot Ridge LTER. The alpine ecosystem features conditions near the limits of biological existence, and is a useful laboratory for asking more general ecological questions, because it offers large environmental change over relatively short distances. Factors such as macroclimate, microclimate, soil conditions, biota, and various biological factors change on differing scales, allowing insight into the relative contributions of the different factors on ecological outcomes.
This comprehensive book about the lives of bats is about a group of peculiar, mythical and fascinating animals. They are mammals, just like us, but still so different. The book covers bats from Latin American Maya temples to Swedish potato cellars; from the plains of Kenya to the Taiwanese mountains. We perceive their shadows flitting by in the summer nights, hear their mating calls in the darkness of autumn and see their silhouettes in the dim street light. The bats live in our houses and forage in our gardens and parks. But who are they and how do they lead their lives? The text and exquisite photos give an unsurpassed insight into the world of sounds and smells that bats encounter each night. We are told about how their senses, way beyond our human perception abilities, shape their lives. We get to know more about their habits, their long evolution and their cohabitation with humans, and how important they are to the environment. You will never again feel lonely in the darkness of the night. |
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