Cosponsored by the Society for Ecological Restoration International and Island Press, this series offers a foundation of practical knowledge and scientific insight that will help ecological restoration become the powerful reparative and healing tool that the world needs.As scientific understanding about ecological processes has grown, the idea that ecosystem dynamics are complex, non-linear, and often unpredictable has gained prominence. Of particular importance is the idea that rather than following an inevitable progression toward an ultimate endpoint, some ecosystems may occur in a number of states depending on past and present ecological conditions. The emerging idea of 'restoration thresholds' also enables scientists to recognize when ecological systems are likely to recover on their own and when active restoration efforts are needed.Conceptual models based on alternative stable states and restoration thresholds can help inform restoration efforts. "New Models for Ecosystem Dynamics and Restoration" brings together leading experts from around the world to explore how conceptual models of ecosystem dynamics can be applied to the recovery of degraded systems and how recent advances in our understanding of ecosystem and landscape dynamics can be translated into conceptual and practical frameworks for restoration.In the first part of the book, background chapters present and discuss the basic concepts and models and explore the implications of new scientific research on restoration practice. The second part considers the dynamics and restoration of different ecosystems, ranging from arid lands to grasslands, woodlands, and savannahs, to forests and wetlands, to production landscapes. A summary chapter by the editors discusses the implications of theory and practice of the ideas described in preceding chapters."New Models for Ecosystem Dynamics and Restoration aims" to widen the scope and increase the application of threshold models by critiquing their application in a wide range of ecosystem types. It will also help scientists and restorationists correctly diagnose ecosystem damage, identify restoration thresholds, and develop corrective methodologies that can overcome such thresholds.

Sedimentary coasts with their unique forms of life and productive ecosystems are one of the most threatened parts of the biosphere.This volume analyzes and compares ecological structures and processes at sandy beaches, tidal mudflats and in shallow coastal waters all around the world. Analyses of local processes are paired with comparisons between distant shores, across latitudinal gradients or between separate biogeographic provinces. Emphasis is given to suspension feeders in coastal mud and sand, to biogenic stabilizations and disturbances in coastal sediments, to seagrass beds and faunal assemblages across latitudes and oceans, to recovery dynamics in benthic communities, shorebird predation, and to experimental approaches to the biota of sedimentary shores.

Landscape ecology and conservation biology are rapidly developing disciplines, and a current synthesis of principles and applications in these two fields is needed under one cover. Many managers are not applying principles of landscape ecology in efforts to conserve plants and animals and yet the loss of biological diversity could be reduced if larger-scale processes and patterns were consistently considered in management and conservation decisions. This book brings together contributions from leaders in landscape ecology and addresses the issue of how what we know about landscape ecology can help us understand, manage and maintain biodiversity. The book is divided into six parts: the first part introduces the book and discusses what landscape ecology is and why it is important to conservation biology. The second deals with patches, the third part discusses corridors and biota movement, the fourth part discusses landscape change and how these affect biodiversity. The fifth part covers landscape planning. The final part presents a synthesis and draws conclusions about the utility of the landscape approach to conservation.
Ecologists, conservation biologists and landscape managers will find this book to be an essential resource for study and reference.

Environmental biology is a study in the conditions of life; these conditions impact the life within it. The conditions of life are not limited to the present time; environmental biology has applications to any time in the history (or future) of any place on earth (or beyond). The environment sets limits on the life within it. The loss of habitat is the loss of the conditions of life; that is, loss of habitat is really loss of the conditions of existence necessary for the life within. The loss of habitat is the primary cause of extinction. This book clearly identifies why habitat destruction is the primary cause of extinction, not only for today, but for all time. It establishes that the degree of habitat destruction is directly proportional to the degree of past extinction event severity. Habitat destruction creates changing, isolated environments, which seem to be a component of both destructive and creative evolutionary change.

Many questions in animal biology require the ability to track animal movement by using multi-disciplinary and technological innovations. Over the past decade, intrinsic chemical markers have become especially key in the study of migration. Stable isotopes are a successful example of instrinic markers that have yielded new and valuable insights into animal migration. This book provides a consolidated overview of the current knowlesge of stable isotopes in terrestrial migration research questions, and to provide a practical handbook for those considering using stable isotopes in their migration research.
* Presents information for readers to understand how to apply isotopic methods for tracking
* Critical information on areas for future research
* Practical guidelines and discussions of sample collection, sample preparation, isotope-ratio mass spectrometry data analysis, and issues of isotopic exchange and heterogeneity
* Enhanced understanding of data and statistical analysis in isotope-based studies of migratory animals

Issues in Bioethics and the Concept of Scale arose from the author's deep and committed interest in ecology, moral philosophy, and medicine, and how they are interrelated. William A. Cook expands on the recognition that spatial and temporal scale characteristics are factors in the understanding and modeling of ecological systems and in decision-making around ecological and environmental issues, and introduces this dynamic to the field of bioethics. The concept of scale, from hierarchy theory as it is used in ecology to deal with the complexity and interrelationships of systems, is explored and identified as a factor and potential source of conflict in the field of bioethics. This notion of scale is conceptually useful for considering the complexity of some bioethical issues.

Terrestrial carbon balance is uncertain at the regional and global scale. A significant source of variability in mid-latitude ecosystems is related to the timing and duration of phenological phases. Spring phenology, in particular, has disproportionate effects on the annual carbon balance. However, the traditional phenological indices that are based on leaf-out and flowering times of select indicator species are not universally amenable for predicting the temporal dynamics of ecosystem carbon and water exchange.

Phenology of Ecosystem Processes evaluates current applications of traditional phenology in carbon and H2O cycle research, as well as the potential to identify phenological signals in ecosystem processes themselves. The book summarizes recent progress in the understanding of the seasonal dynamics of ecosystem carbon and H2O fluxes, the novel use of various methods (stable isotopes, time-series, forward and inverse modeling), and the implications for remote sensing and global carbon cycle modeling.

Each chapter includes a literature review, in order to present the state-of-the-science in the field and enhance the book's usability as an educational aid, as well as a case study to exemplify the use and applicability of various methods. Chapters that apply a specific methodology summarize the successes and challenges of particular methods for quantifying the seasonal changes in ecosystem carbon, water and energy fluxes. The book will benefit global change researchers, modelers, and advanced students.

Die Arbeit bildet den ersten umfassenden Beitrag zur Fachsprache der Ökologie und des Umweltschutzes. Sie basiert auf den Methoden der neueren Fachsprachenforschung. Weitere Anhaltspunkte bieten die Erkenntnisse der Lexikografie, Semantik, Pragmatik, Textsortenlinguistik, Wortbildungsforschung und Kontrastivität. Ökologie und Umweltschutz stellen zusammen ein horizontal und vertikal in hohem Maße differenziertes Fachgebiet dar. Auch bezüglich der Anwendungssituationen ist die ökologische Fachsprache vertikal mannigfaltig geschichtet. Daraus folgt, dass sich auch die Vielfalt der relevanten Textsorten auf dem Gebiet als sehr groß erweist. Einer näheren Analyse wird die Textsorte Umweltwörterbuch unterzogen. Im Vordergrund der Wortschatz-Betrachtung stehen semantische Verfälschungen in fachexterner Kommunikation, Euphemismen und der kaum diskutierte Aspekt der Mehrfachbenennung.

1 Introduction: Scope and Need for an Ecology of Subtle Human Effects and Populated Areas.- Section I The Human Factor: Perception and Processes.- 2 The History and Present Entanglements of Some General Ecological Perspectives.- 3 An Exceptionally Powerful Biotic Factor.- 4 Environmental Change: The Human Factor.- 5 The Iceberg and the Titanic: Human Economic Behavior in Ecological Models.- 6 Ecosystems and Human Actions.- 7 The Human Component of Ecosystems.- Section II Approaches to the Study of Humans as Components of Ecosystems.- 8 Discovery of the Subtle.- 9 Land-use History and Forest Transformations in Central New England.- 10 Variability in Lake Ecosystems: Complex Responses by the Apical Predator.- 11 Humans as a Component of the Lake Titicaca Ecosystem: A Model System for the Study of Environmental Deterioration.- 12 Nitrogen Loading of Rivers as a Human-Driven Process.- 13 Humans: Capstone Strong Actors in the Past and Present Coastal Ecological Play.- 14 Modification of Nitrogen Cycling at the Regional Scale: The Subtle Effects of Atmospheric Deposition.- 15 The Application of the Ecological Gradient Paradigm to the Study of Urban Effects.- 16 The Process of Plant Colonization in Small Settlements and Large Cities.- 17 Ecological Implications of Landscape Fragmentation.- Section III Implications for Ecosystem Management and Construction.- 18 Integration of Social and Ecological Factors: Dynamic Area Models of Subtle Human Influences on Ecosystems.- 19 Human Influences on Ecosystems: Dealing With Biodiversity.- 20 "Natural" or "Healthy" Ecosystems: Are U.S. National Parks Providing Them?.- 21 Restoration as a Technique for Identifying and Characterizing Human Influences on Ecosystems.- 22 Biosphere 2 and the Study of Human/Ecosystem Dynamics.- Section IV Overview.- 23 Part I: A Social Scientist's Perspective.- II: A Human Ecologist's Perspective.- III: A Marine Ecologist's Perspective-Humans as Capstone-Species.- IV: A Theoretical Ecologist's Perspective: Toward a Unified Paradigm for Subtle Human Effects and an Ecology of Populated Areas.- 24 Humans as Components of Ecosystems: A Synthesis.

This open access book presents and analyzes the results of more than 30 years of long-term ecological research in riparian forest ecosystems with the aim of casting light on changes in the dynamics of riparian forests over time. The research, focusing on the Ooyamazawa riparian forest, one of the remaining old-growth forests in Japan, has yielded a number of interesting outcomes. First, it shows that large-scale disturbances afford various trees opportunities for regeneration and are thus the driving force for the coexistence of canopy trees in riparian forests. Second, it identifies changes in reproductive patterns, highlighting that seed production has in fact quantitatively increased over the past two decades. Third, it describes the decline in forest floor vegetation caused by deer grazing and reveals how this decline has affected bird and insect populations. The book illustrates the interconnectedness of phenomena within an ecosystem and the resultant potential for cascade effects and also stresses the need for long-term ecological studies of climate change impacts on forests. It will be of interest to both professionals and academics in the field of forest science.

Ecosystem services can be broadly defined as the aspects of ecosystems that provide benefits to people. This book provides guidance on the valuation of ecosystem services, using the case of multifunctional wetlands to illustrate and make recommendations regarding the methods and techniques that can be applied to appraise management options. It provides a review of ecosystem service valuation rationale, including its importance from both a policy and project appraisal perspective, and a useful reference when considering policy and appraisal of ecosystem management options. It shows how legal obligations and other high-level management targets should be taken into account in valuation exercises, thus giving important policy context to the management options. The authors set out what they call an Ecosystem Services Approach to the full appraisal of the role of ecosystem services in the economy and society. Although concentrating on wetlands, the approaches suggested provide an assessment framework that can be applied to other types of ecosystem assets.

Many ecological phenomena involve space as well as time and arise from a combination of random and deterministic processes. Such phenomena include the effects of habitat fragmentation, which is a common result of human activity and a major problem in biological conservation. Reaction-diffusion models provide one approach to describing how random movements and deterministic interactions between individuals combine to influence the dynamics of populations and the structure of ecological communities. Spatial Ecology via Reaction-Diffusion Equations addresses the problem of modeling spatial effects in ecology and population dynamics using reaction-diffusion models.

• Provides broad coverage of a rapidly expanding area of research for ecologists and applied mathematicians.
• Provides a unified and coherent account of methods developed to study spatial ecology via reaction-diffusion models.
• Provides the reader with the tools needed to construct and interpret models.
• Includes specific applications of both the models and the methods described.

Spatial Ecology via Reaction-Diffusion Equations provides a practical introduction to the subject for graduate students and researchers working in spatial modeling from mathematics, statistics, ecology, geography and biology.

During the past 20 years, marine chemical ecology has emerged as a respected field of study providing a better understanding of the role natural products play in organisms and their environments. Ample data in this book advocates the conservation of marine environments for future drug discovery efforts while sustaining their overall health. Marine chemical ecology has expanded to include research in the areas of predator-prey interactions, marine microbial chemical ecology, and seasonal and geographical distribution of marine natural products.

All animals and plants form associations with hundreds or thousands of different beneficial microorganisms. These symbiotic microbes play an important role in the development, adaptation, health and evolution of their hosts. This book brings together a group of diverse biologists to discuss microbial interactions with multicellular life forms including insects, corals, plants, and mammals, including humans. The various mechanisms by which microorganisms benefit their hosts are discussed, including providing essential nutrients, preventing disease, inducing the immune system, and combating stress. Since the microbiota can be transferred from parent to offspring, it plays an important role in the origin and evolution of animal and plant species. This book should be of interest to the widest range of biological scientists, merging the studies of host and microbial physiology, symbiosis, and the ecology and evolution of symbiotic partners.

This text reference examines how photosynthesis evolved on Earth and how phytoplankton evolved through time - ultimately to permit the evolution of complex life, including human beings. The first of its kind, this book provides thorough coverage of key topics, with contributions by leading experts in biophysics, evolutionary biology, micropaleontology, marine ecology, and biogeochemistry.
This exciting new book is of interest not only to students and researchers in marine science, but also to evolutionary biologists and ecologists interested in understanding the origins and diversification of life. Primary Producers of the Sea offers these students and researchers an understanding of the molecular evolution, phylogeny, fossil record, and environmental processes that collectively permits us to comprehend the rise of phytoplankton and their impact on Earth's ecology and biogeochemistry. It is certain to become the first and best word on this exhilarating topic.
* Discusses the evolution of phytoplankton in the world's oceans as the first living organisms and the first and basic producers in the earths food chain
* Includes the latest developments in the evolution and ecology of marine phytoplankton specifically with additional information on marine ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles
* The only book to consider of the evolution of phytoplankton and its role in molecular evolution, biogeochemistry, paleontology, and oceanographic aspects
* Written at a level suitable for related reading use in courses on the Evolution of the Biosphere, Ecological and Biological oceanography and marine biology, and Biodiversity

A History of Ecology and Environmentalism in Spanish American Literature undertakes a comprehensive ecocritical examination of the region's literature from the foundational texts of the nineteenth century to the most recent fiction. The book begins with a consideration of the way in which Argentine Domingo Faustino Sarmiento's views of nature through the lens of the categories of "civilization" and "barbarity" from Facundo (1845) are systematically challenged and revised in the rest of the century. Subsequently, this book develops the argument that a vital part of the cultural critique and aesthetic innovations of Spanish American modernismo involve an ecological challenge to deepening discourses of untamed development from Europe and the United States. In other chapters, many of the well-established titles of regional and indigenista literature are contrasted to counter-traditions within those genres that express aspects of environmental justice, "deep ecology," the relational role of emotion in nature protectionism and conservationism, even the rights of non-human nature. Finally, the concluding chapters find that the articulation of ecological advocacy in recent fiction is both more explicit than what came before but also impacts the formal elements of literature in unique ways. Textual conventions such as language, imagery, focalization, narrative sequence, metafiction, satire, and parody represent innovations of form that proceed directly from the ethical advocacy of environmentalism. The book concludes with comments about what must follow as a result of the analysis including the revision of canon, the development of literary criticism from novel approaches such as critical animal studies, and the advent of a critical dialogue within the bounds of Spanish American environmentalist literature. A History of Ecology and Environmentalism in Spanish American Literature attempts to develop a sense of the way in which ecological ideas have developed over time in the literature, particularly the way in which many Spanish American texts anticipate several of the ecological discourses that have recently become so central to global culture, current environmentalist thought, and the future of humankind.

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.

This open access book will contribute to a more nuanced debate around seed system resilience that goes beyond the dominant dichotomous conceptualization of seed governance often characterized as traditional vs modern, subsistence vs commercial, or local vs global. While reflecting on the expanding oligopoly in the current seed system, the authors argue that such classifications limit our ability to critically reflect on and acknowledge the diverse approaches through which seed governance is practiced around the world, at various scales, creating a mosaic of dynamic complementarities and autonomies. The authors also highlight the importance of this much needed dialogue through case studies of seed governance approaches and practices found in and around Japan.

In examining both theory and applications, this book, through useful examples, provides a stimulating introduction to ecosystems. It examines the nature, types and characteristics of ecosystems as well as investigating the interactions between various systems and human actions.
Using functional ecology as the basis for applying the ecosystem concept in contemporary environmental science and ecology, this second edition of this highly successful volume has been updated to reflect the latest research. It incorporates a strengthened theme in the use of functional ecology in explaining how ecosystems work and how the ecosystem concept may be used in science and applied science, and coverage of the interactions between humans and ecosystems has been substantially bolstered with the addition of chapters on human impacts and large scale impacts on ecosystems, and global environmental change and the consequences for ecosystems.
Presented in a student-friendly format, this book features boxed definitions, examples, case studies, summary points, discussion questions and annotated further reading lists. It provides a concise and accessible synthesis of both ecosystem theory and its applications, and will be a valuable resource for students of environmental studies, ecology and geography.

The perfect gift for nature lovers and weather watchers. A fascinating month-by-month collection of facts, figures and explanations related to UK weather alongside details of famous meteorologists and their influence. Discover historical facts, amazing statistics and anecdotes that will keep you informed and entertained all year round. You can delve as deeply as you like, or follow your own favourite subject throughout the year. discover little-known secrets about the weather learn fascinating facts and notable meterological anniversaries Written by weather expert, Storm Dunlop.

This book provides an introduction to peatlands for the non-specialist student reader and for all those concerned about environmental protection, and is an essential guide to peatland history and heritage for scientists and enthusiasts. Peat is formed when vegetation partially decays in a waterlogged environment and occurs extensively throughout both temperate and tropical regions. Interest in peatlands is currently high due to the degradation of global peatlands which is disrupting hydrology and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. This book opens by explaining how peat is formed, its properties and worldwide distribution, and defines related terms such as mires, wetlands, bogs and marshes. There is discussion of the ecology and wildlife of peatlands as well as their ability to preserve pollen and organic remains as environmental archives. It also addresses the history, heritage and cultural exploitation of peat, extending back to pre-Roman times, and the degradation of peatlands over the centuries, particularly as a source of fuel but more recently for commercial horticulture. Other chapters discuss the ecosystem services delivered by peatlands, and how their destruction is contributing to biodiversity loss, flooding or drought, and climate change. Finally, the many current peatland restoration projects around the world are highlighted. Overall the book provides a wide-ranging but concise overview of peatlands from both a natural and social science perspective, and will be invaluable for students of ecology, geography, environmental studies and history.

With one volume each year, this series keeps scientists and advanced students informed of the latest developments and results in all areas of the plant sciences. The present volume includes reviews on plant physiology, biochemistry, genetics, ecology, and ecosystems.

Using theory, applications, and examples of inferences, Niche Modeling: Predictions from Statistical Distributions demonstrates how to conduct and evaluate niche modeling projects in any area of application. It features a series of theoretical and practical exercises for developing and evaluating niche models using the R statistics language. The author discusses applications of predictive modeling methods with reference to valid inferences from assumptions. He elucidates varied and simplified examples with rigor and completeness. Topics include geographic information systems, multivariate modeling, artificial intelligence methods, data handling, and information infrastructure. Above all, successful niche modeling requires a deep understanding of the process of creating and using probability. Off-the-shelf statistical packages are tailored exactly to applications but can hide problematic complexities. Recipe book implementations fail to educate users in the details, assumptions, and pitfalls of analysis, but may be able to adapt to the specific needs of each study. Examining the sources of errors such as autocorrelation, bias, long term persistence, nonlinearity, circularity, and fraud, this seminal reference provides an understanding of the limitations and potential pitfalls of prediction, emphasizing the importance of avoiding errors.

The theme of this book is the ecological development of Zhejiang province under the guidance of "China Dream" policy. It reviews the policy and strategy for environmental protection and transition from the extensive economic growth model to ecological economy. The author explores ecological theories and practices in areas such as traditional culture, economic development, environmental protection, rural reconstruction, green urban development and the ecological civilization system in Zhejiang. As Zhejiang is one of the first economically well-off regions in China, the challenges faced by the government and its solutions under the guidance of the statecraft shall be of interest to scholars and policy makers worldwide.

Microbial biosurfactant compounds are a group of structurally diverse molecules produced by microorganisms, and are mainly categorized according to their chemical structure. The diversity of microbial biosurfactants makes them versatile and means that they offer a range of capabilities, while at the same time being economically sustainable. As such, they have potential applications in environmental processes, as well as in food, biomedicine and other industries. This book discusses innovative approaches and cutting-edge research that utilize the various properties of biosurfactants. Drawing on research from around the globe, it provides an up-to-date review of biosurfactant applications and their importance in fields such as medicine, gene therapy, immunotherapy, antimicrobial bioremediation and agriculture. It also discusses their anti-adhesive properties. The book will appeal to academics and researchers in the field of microbiology, as well as policymakers. It also serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate students of agriculture, ecology, soil science, and environmental sciences.