This volume comprehensively reviews recent advances in our understanding of the diversity of microbes in various types of terrestrial ecosystems, such as caves, deserts and cultivated fields. It is written by leading experts, and highlights the culturable microbes identified using conventional approaches, as well as non-culturable ones unveiled with metagenomic and microbiomic approaches. It discusses the role of microbes in ecosystem sustainability and their potential biotechnological applications. The book further discusses the diversity and utility of ectomycorrhizal and entomopathogenic fungi and yeasts that dwell on grapes, it examines the biotechnological applications of specific microbes such as lichens, xylan- and cellulose-saccharifying bacteria and archaea, chitinolytic bacteria, methanogenic archaea and pathogenic yeasts.

This book sheds light on the major functions of microbial communities in aquaculture ecosystems, showing that by recycling nutrients, degrading organic matter and preventing disease outbreaks, a variety of microbes are truly beneficial to a wide range of aquaculture industries. It discusses how deteriorating environmental quality enables some microbial strains to trigger disease, describes the development of highly sustainable tools to improve water quality, and identifies crucial factors that endanger microbial homeostasis in aquaculture ecosystems. The book also covers post-antibiotic approaches for preventing and treating opportunistic microbial infections based on harnessing environmental and fish-associated microbial communities. Furthermore, it explores how manipulating and engineering these complex microbial communities using bio-agents such as probiotics, phages, natural nutritional additives, or with fine-tuned biofilters will open the door for new ways to develop a more sustainable and cost-effective aquaculture industry. Including an accessible presentation of modern high-throughput sequencing technology to identify host-microbial interactions in aquaculture ecosystems, this book is a valuable resource for scientists, aquaculture and fishery experts, sustainability enthusiasts and scholars in the areas of biology and marine agriculture.

This book highlights the impact of COVID-19 on sustainable waste management and air emission, using various case studies. The year 2020 was a historical year mainly due to the pandemic caused by COVID-19 and it influenced or affected the global economy, business models and the industrial sectors, thus impacting sustainability in various ways. Given that sustainability has many faces and facets, it is worthwhile to deal with the relation (or impact) of COVID-19 on various elements of sustainability. This book presents how COVID-19 has influenced waste management and air quality.

Ecometabolomics: Metabolic Fluxes versus Environmental Stoichiometry focuses on the interaction between plants-particularly plants that have vigorous secondary metabolites-and the environment. The book offers a comprehensive overview of the responses of the metabolome of organisms to biotic and abiotic environmental changes. It includes an introduction to metabolomics, summaries of metabolomic techniques and applications, studies of stress in plants, and insights into challenges. This is a must-have reference for plant biologists, plant biochemists, plant ecologists and phytochemists researching the interface between plants and the environment using metabolomics.

This book addresses "phyto-microbiome mediated stress regulation". Fundamentally speaking, the microbial community's importance for the survival of plants under stress conditions has already been confirmed. This book focuses on the roles of those rhizospheric microbiomes that are advantageous to plant developmental pathways. Gathering contributions by authors with specialized expertise in plant growth and health under stress conditions, as well as opportunistic pathogenic bacteria, the book reviews the functional aspects of rhizospheric microorganisms and how they impact plant health and disease. It offers a compendium of plant and microbial interactions at the level of multitrophic interactions, and identifies gaps between future demand and present research on plant stress. In closing, the authors highlight several directions for reshaping rhizosphere microbiomes in favor of microorganisms that are beneficial to plant growth and health.

Intertidal mudflats are distinct, highly-productive marine habitats which provide important ecosystem services to the land-sea interface. In contrast to other marine habitats, and despite a large body of primary scientific literature, no comprehensive synthesis exists, such that the scattered knowledge base lacks an integrated conceptual framework. We attempt to provide this synthesis by pulling together and contextualizing the different disciplines, tools, and approaches used in the study of intertidal mudflats. The editor pays particular attention to relationships between the various components of the synthesis, both at the conceptual and the operational levels, validating these relationships through close interaction with the various authors.

This book focuses on the spatial distribution of landslide hazards of the Darjeeling Himalayas. Knowledge driven methods and statistical techniques such as frequency ratio model (FRM), information value model (IVM), logistic regression model (LRM), index overlay model (IOM), certainty factor model (CFM), analytical hierarchy process (AHP), artificial neural network model (ANN), and fuzzy logic have been adopted to identify landslide susceptibility. In addition, a comparison between various statistical models were made using success rate cure (SRC) and it was found that artificial neural network model (ANN), certainty factor model (CFM) and frequency ratio based fuzzy logic approach are the most reliable statistical techniques in the assessment and prediction of landslide susceptibility in the Darjeeling Himalayas. The study identified very high, high, moderate, low and very low landslide susceptibility locations to take site-specific management options as well as to ensure developmental activities in theDarjeeling Himalayas. Particular attention is given to the assessment of various geomorphic, geotectonic and geohydrologic attributes that help to understand the role of different factors and corresponding classes in landslides, to apply different models, and to monitor and predict landslides. The use of various statistical and physical models to estimate landslide susceptibility is also discussed. The causes, mechanisms and types of landslides and their destructive character are elaborated in the book. Researchers interested in applying statistical tools for hazard zonation purposes will find the book appealing.

The study of ecosystems, fundamental to ecology, has been complemented by the growing field of landscape ecology. Ecosystem Function in Heterogeneous Landscapes addresses how interactions among ecosystems affect the functioning of individual ecosystems and the larger landscape. This groundbreaking synthesis unites ecosystem ecology's knowledge of system function with landscape ecology's knowledge of spatial structure.

Practical concerns about scaling up from individual ecosystems to larger landscapes require an understanding of how networks of interacting ecosystems function together. The book elucidates the challenges faced by ecosystem scientists working in spatially heterogeneous systems, relevant conceptual approaches used in other disciplines and in different ecosystem types, and the importance of spatial heterogeneity in conservation resource management. The distinguished authors discuss how how much heterogeneity needs to be taken into account for specific types of scientific and management issues. Their chapters cover the spectrum from proposing novel conceptual approaches to detailing the practical implications of heterogeneous landscapes for fire management, water management and conservation planning.

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.

This book brings together the most recent advances from leading experts in the burgeoning field of environmental biotechnology. The contributing chapters adopt a multidisciplinary approach related to environmental aspects of agriculture, industry, pharmaceutical sciences and drug developments from plant and microbial sources, biochemical chemical techniques/methods/protocols involved in different areas of environmental biotechnology. Book also highlights recent advancements, newly emerging technologies, and thought provoking approaches from different parts of the world. It also discusses potential future prospects associated with some frontier development of biotechnological research related to the environment. This book will be of interest to teachers, researchers, biotechnologists, capacity builders and policymakers, and will serve as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate students of biotechnology, microbiology and environmental sciences.

This book highlights the latest findings on fundamental aspects of composting, the interaction of various microorganisms, and the underlying mechanisms. In addition to addressing modern tools and techniques used for composting research, it provides an overview of potential composting applications in both agriculture and environmental reclamation. Composting is the process of organic waste decomposition, mediated by microorganisms. The end-product is called 'compost' and can be used as a supplement to improve soil fertility. As the municipal waste generated in most developing countries contains a substantial amount of organic matter suitable for composting, this technology offers a win-win opportunity for stakeholders in terms of disposing of organic waste and providing organic fertilizers for agriculture. In addition, using compost reduces the dependency on harmful chemical fertilizers, and represents a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative.

This book provides effective statistical analyses in benthic foraminiferal communities patterns and show solutions for sea-land processes and alterations caused by climate changes and other local (and global) environmental concerns. Our goal is to provide, through these chapters, the monitoring and forecasting of environmental impacts with accurate data. We identify global regions most subject to industrial pollution, contamination and sewage, identifying potential sites prone to accumulate organic matter, which effects erosion, deposition, ocean temperature and pH changes (warming, cooling, acidification), climate and sea-level changes. Benthic habitats, specifically foraminiferal (single celled microorganisms found in the water column and sediment) contribute to our understanding of local and global climate change that effect at risk communities. Derived through the accuracy of oceanographic climate science, allow us to predict with the intention to alleviate potential loss in coastal areas, which are, the most vulnerable to ocean warming, cooling, acidification, and sea-level rise impacts. We unravel the mystery of the Environmental Impacts and Climate Change, helping communities prepare, adjust, adapt, and minimize effects or remediate loss. We show how to pinpoint the most vulnerable and specific sites for economic and social damage and loss, using foraminifera, an inexpensive and easily handled proxy valuable for monitoring coastal and marine environmental stressors. The implications of those problems and the ability to forecast patterns on land are primary issues we address by studying marine sediment of beaches, estuaries, bays and deep water worldwide. Ecology, biology, life history, and taxonomy of modern Foraminifera allows us to examine the current and historical record of environmental change effects, and predict implications for future sea-level rise, and ocean patterns. The prediction of responses of interacting systems to these problems, and development of strategies is needed to inform leadership with the knowledge and data to effectively implement policy, making this book a very informative and significant contribution for researchers and decision makers.

Nowhere on Earth is the challenge for ecological understanding greater, and yet more urgent, than in those parts of the globe where human activity is most intense - cities. People need to understand how cities work as ecological systems so they can take control of the vital links between human actions and environmental quality, and work for an ecologically and economically sustainable future. An ecosystem approach integrates biological, physical and social factors and embraces historical and geographical dimensions, providing our best hope for coping with the complexity of cities. This book is the first of its kind to bring together leaders in the biological, physical and social dimensions of urban ecosystem research with leading education researchers, administrators and practitioners, to show how an understanding of urban ecosystems is vital for urban dwellers to grasp the fundamentals of ecological and environmental science, and to understand their own environment.

Egyptian coastal lakes and wetlands are among the most productive wetland ecosystems in the world. This volume explores their current status and how it can be maintained and improved. It describes the five Northern coastal lakes, their origin, physical and chemical properties and current development activities, and discusses the challenges facing these lakes, such as shrinking, pollution, degradation, and adaptive management. Further topics include hydrodynamics and modeling techniques, as well as strategies for the sustainable development of these valuable resources. The book closes with a concise summary of the conclusions and recommendations presented in the chapters. As such, it offers an invaluable resource for the academic community and postgraduate students, as well as for environmental managers and policymakers.

This book presents a comprehensive and innovative understanding of the role of shallow coastal ecosystems in carbon cycling, particularly marine carbon sequestration. Incorporating a series of forward-looking chapters, the book combines thorough reviews of the global literature and regional assessments-mainly around the Indo-Pacific region and Japan-with global perspectives to provide a thorough assessment of carbon cycling in shallow coastal systems. It advocates the expansion of blue-carbon ecosystems (mangroves, seagrass meadows, and salt marshes) into macroalgal beds, tidal flats, coral reefs, and urbanized shallow waters, demonstrating the potential of these ecosystems as new carbon sinks. Moreover, it discusses not only topics that are currently the focus of blue-carbon studies, i.e., sedimentary carbon stock and accumulation rate, but also CO2 gas exchange between the atmosphere and shallow coastal ecosystems, carbon storage in the water column as refractory organic carbon, and off-site carbon storage. Including highly original contributions, this comprehensive work inspires research beyond the specific regions covered by the chapters. The suite of new concepts and approaches is refreshing and demonstrates that blue-carbon research is indeed a vibrant new field of research, providing deep insights into neglected aspects of carbon cycling in the marine environment. At the same time the book provides guidance for policy makers to deliver benefits to society, for example the inclusion of blue carbon as a carbon offset scheme or the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in the Paris Agreement, and also for building resilience in coastal socio-ecosystems through better management. This book is intended for all those interested in the science and management of coastal ecosystems.

This book on wetlands ecosystems in Asia deals with function and management. It is the first volume in the Developments in Ecosystems series.

This thesis provides a novel methodological basis for mechanistically understanding the dynamics of chemicals in products (CiPs) in the anthroposphere and physical environment and establishes a modeling continuum from production of a chemical to its concentrations in various environmental compartments. Using this framework, the thesis investigates how CiPs are transported and transformed and how they accumulate in the global environment. Furthermore, it identifies the measures needed to minimize their adverse effects on the environment and human society. It serves as an invaluable, interdisciplinary reference resource for industrial ecologists, environmental chemists and decision-makers involved in environmentally sound management of CiPs and associated waste.

The lake charr Salvelinus namaycush is a ubiquitous member of cold-water lake ecosystems in previously glaciated regions of northern continental U.S., Alaska, and Canada that often support important commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries. The lake charr differs from other charrs by its large size, longevity, iteroparity, top-predator specialization, reduced sexual dimorphism, prevalence of lacustrine spawning, and use of deepwater habitat. The species is remarkably variable in phenotype, physiology, and life history, some of which is reflected in its ecology and genetics, with as many as four morphs or ecotypes co-occurring in a single lake. The lake charr is often the top predator in these systems, but is highly adaptable trophically, and is frequently planktivorous in small lakes. The lake charr by their name highlights their common habitat, lakes both large and small, but often frequents rivers and occasionally moves into the Arctic Ocean. Movement and behaviour of lake charr are motivated by access to cool, well-oxygenated water, foraging opportunities, predator avoidance, and reproduction. Owing to their broad distribution and trophic level, the lake charr serves as a sentinel of anthropogenic change. This volume will provide an up-to-date summary of what is currently known about lake charr from distribution to genetics to physiology to ecology. The book provides a compilation and synthesis of available information on the lake charr, beginning with an updated distribution and a revised treatment of the paleoecology of the species. Understanding of ecological and genetic diversity and movement and behaviour of the species has advanced remarkably since the last major synthesis on the species over 40 years ago. Mid-sections of the book provide detailed accounts of the biology and life history of the species, and later sections are devoted to threats to conservation and fishery management practices used to ensure sustainability. A new standard lake charr-specific terminology is also presented. The book will be a valuable reference text for biologists around the world, ecologists, and fishery managers, and of interest to the angling public.