The boreal forest is the northern-most woodland biome, whose natural history is rooted in the influence of low temperature and high-latitude. Alaska's boreal forest is now warming as rapidly as the rest of Earth, providing an unprecedented look at how this cold-adapted, fire-prone forest adjusts to change.
This volume synthesizes current understanding of the ecology of Alaska's boreal forests and describes their unique features in the context of circumpolar and global patterns. It tells how fire and climate contributed to the biome's current dynamics. As climate warms and permafrost (permanently frozen ground) thaws, the boreal forest may be on the cusp of a major change in state. The editors have gathered a remarkable set of contributors to discuss this swift environmental and biotic transformation. Their chapters cover the properties of the forest, the changes it is undergoing, and the challenges these alterations present to boreal forest managers.
In the first section, the reader can absorb the geographic and historical context for understanding the boreal forest. The book then delves into the dynamics of plant and animal communities inhabiting this forest, and the biogeochemical processes that link these organisms. In the last section the authors explore landscape phenomena that operate at larger temporal and spatial scales and integrates the processes described in earlier sections. Much of the research on which this book is based results from the Bonanza Creek Long-Term Ecological Research Program. Here is a synthesis of the substantial literature on Alaska's boreal forest that should be accessible to professional ecologists, students, and the interested public.

Arising from the third Cary Conference held in 1989, Comparative Analyses of Ecosystems investigates the utility and limitations of cross-system comparisons in ecology. The contributors, all well-known in their field, support their conclusions on the use and meaning of such comparisons by presenting novel analyses of data utilizing a variety of cross-system approaches in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial systems.

Igapo forests are a common part of the Amazon whose ecosystems are critical to our shared human future. The introduction addresses the structure, function and dynamics of igapo forests in the Amazon basin, focusing on their uniqueness due to their high level of complexity defined as the many ways that different components of igapo forests in the Amazon basin ecosystem interact and also on how those interactions are on a higher-order compared to other tropical forests. The text then breaks down the igapo ecosystem using these sections: (1) Igapo forests over space and time, (2) Water, light and soils, (3) The carbon cycle, (4) Litter, fungi and invertebrates, (5) Vertebrates, (6) Plant population studies, (7) Plant community studies, and (8) Human impacts and management. Experts from around the world serve as chapter authors that review what is known about their specific part of the igapo ecosystem, what research they have done, and also what needs to be done in the future.

Unionoida (naiads) are characterized by larvae which have to pass through a parasitic stage on a host fish. Some of these host-parasite systems are unique, since the generation time of the parasite exceeds that of its host by a factor of ten. There is tremendous life history variation. With a life span of more than 200 years, some naiad species belong to the longest-lived invertebrates, some are highly host-specific, some are extremely fertile, some produce very peculiar larvae, and some occur at very high population densities. This volume describes and explains the characteristics and life histories of the naiads, the interactions with their hosts, and their evolution. It elucidates the manifold implications of their presence or absence in a lake or stream. Further, aspects of nature conservation are covered, as many naiad species are seriously threatened. Some have been used successfully as sensitive pollutant indicators in habitat monitoring and as "archives" for environmental changes.

This work advocates the restoration of the North American tallgrass prairie, which is rapidly disappearing. Historical descriptions of prairie aesthetics are outlined. As we are experiencing a worldwide mixing of plant species, prairie restoration is particularly important. Plants alien to North America do not readily support insect populations, including all animal species higher on the food chain. Prairie restoration methods are described for amateurs, academics, and land managers. Some of the techniques described are growing crops for seed production, times of seed gathering for specific species, facile seed processing for amateurs, land preparation, segregation of seed into its preference for habitat, and required seed treatment for germination. Over 200 species are described that comprise the predominant species found in tallgrass prairie nature preserves, as well as degraded prairies. Some additional plants of especial interest are also described. The appendix tabulates all likely species found on prairies regardless of their scarcity. Safe fire management of prairies is described in detail. Finally, methods of controlling aggressive alien weeds by herbicides are detailed.

As concerns about humankind's relationship with the environment move inexorably up the agenda, this volume tells the story of the history of the concept of ecology itself and adds much to the historical and philosophical debate over this multifaceted discipline. The text provides readers with an overview of the theoretical, institutional and historical formation of ecological knowledge. The varied local conditions of early ecology are considered in detail, while epistemological problems that lie on the borders of ecology, such as disunity and complexity, are discussed. The book traces the various phases of the history of the concept of ecology itself, from its 19th century origins and antecedents, through the emergence of the environmental movement in the later 20th century, to the future, and how ecology might be located in the environmental science framework of the 21st century.

The study of 'ecological' phenomena has never been confined solely to the work of researchers who consider themselves ecologists. It is rather a field of knowledge in which a plurality of practices, concepts and theories are developed. Thus, there exist numerous disciplinary subdivisions and research programmes within the field, the boundaries of which remain blurred. As a consequence, the deliberation to adequately identify the ecological field of knowledge, its epistemic and institutional setting, is still going on. This will be of central importance not only in locating ecology in the frame of 21st century environmental sciences but also for a better understanding of how nature and culture are intertwined in debates about pressing problems, such as climate change, the protection of species diversity, or the management of renewable resources.

This book is designed to be a long term career reference. The chapters present modern procedures. This is a how-to-book with a difference. These chapters:
- reveal the background information about working with salt loving organisms,
- are loaded with information about how experiments are conducted under high salt,
- provide information about analyses that work under these conditions and those that may not,
- present a wide range of details from laboratory designs to equipment used and even to simple anecdotal hints that can only come from experience.
Microbiological training focuses largely on the growth, the handling and the study of the microbes associated with humans and animals. Yet the largest proportion of the Earth s microbiota lives in saline environments such as the Oceans, saline deserts and terminal hypersaline environments. This need for salt can be intimidating for those interested in entering the field or for those interested in understanding how such research is accomplished."

Existing views on geodynamics (recharge, migration, discharge) of uids at deep layers of petroliferous basins are summarized. The in ltration and elision th- ries explaining development of uid pressures in deep formations are called into question based on quantitative estimates available for some artesian (petroliferous) basins. Using the West Siberian, Pechora, Terek-Kuma, Bukhara-Karshi, and other petroliferous basins as examples, the stratum-block structure of deep formations is substantiated for strati ed systems of platform in inter- and intramontane depr- sions. It is shown that petroliferous reservoirs at great depths are characterized, regardless of lithology, by largely ssure-related capacity and permeability (clayey rocks included) changeable in space and through geological time. Much attention is paid to development of abnormally high formation pressures. Peculiarities in heat and mass transfer at deep levels are considered for different regions. The energetic formation model substantiated for deep uids explains different anomalies (baric, thermal, hydrogeochemical, mineralogical, and others) at deep levels of platforms. Based on hydrogeodynamic considerations, the theory of oil origin and formation of hydrocarbon elds is proposed. The book is of interest for oilmen, hydrogeo- gists, geologists, and specialists dealing with prospecting of petroliferous deposits as well as industrial, mineral, and thermal waters in deep formations of strati ed sedimentary basins. vii Contents 1 Existing Views on Fluidodynamics in Petroliferous Formations . . 1 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 2 Investigation Methods of Deep Fluidodynamics . . . . . . . . . . . 15 2. 1 Methods of Formation Pressure Reducing . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 2. 2 Assessment of Directions of Density-Variable Fluid Flows by the "Filtration Force" Method . . . . . . . . . . . . .

An interdisciplinary research unit consisting of 30 teams in the natural, economic and social sciences analyzed biodiversity and ecosystem services of a mountain rainforest ecosystem in the hotspot of the tropical Andes, with special reference to past, current and future environmental changes. The group assessed ecosystem services using data from ecological field and scenario-driven model experiments, and with the help of comparative field surveys of the natural forest and its anthropogenic replacement system for agriculture.

The book offers insights into the impacts of environmental change on various service categories mentioned in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005): cultural, regulating, supporting and provisioning ecosystem services. Examples focus on biodiversity of plants and animals including trophic networks, and abiotic/biotic parameters such as soils, regional climate, water, nutrient and sediment cycles. The types of threats considered include land use and climate changes, as well as atmospheric fertilization. In terms of regulating and provisioning services, the emphasis is primarily on water regulation and supply as well as climate regulation and carbon sequestration. With regard to provisioning services, the synthesis of the book provides science-based recommendations for a sustainable land use portfolio including several options such as forestry, pasture management and the practices of indigenous peoples. In closing, the authors show how they integrated the local society by pursuing capacity building in compliance with the CBD-ABS (Convention on Biological Diversity - Access and Benefit Sharing), in the form of education and knowledge transfer for application.

The demand for advanced management methods and tools for marine ecosystems is increasing worldwide. Today, many marine ecosystems are significantly affected by disastrous pollution from industrial, agricultural, municipal, transportational, and other anthropogenic sources. The issues of environmental integrity are especially acute in the Mediterranean and Red Sea basins, the cradle of modern civilization. The drying of the Dead Sea is one of the most vivid examples of environmental disintegration with severe negative consequences on the ecology, industry, and wildlife in the area. Strategic management and coordination of international remedial and restoration efforts is required to improve environmental conditions of marine ecosystems in the Middle East as well as in other areas. The NATO Advanced Study Institute (ASI) held in Nice in October 2003 was designed to: (1) provide a discussion forum for the latest developments in the field of environmentally-conscious strategic management of marine environments, and (2) integrate expertise of ecologists, biologists, economists, and managers from European, American, Canadian, Russian, and Israeli organizations in developing a framework for strategic management of marine ecosystems. The ASI addressed the following issues: Key environmental management problems in exploited marine ecosystems; Measuring and monitoring of municipal, industrial, and agricultural effluents; Global contamination of seawaters and required remedial efforts; Supply Chain Management approach for strategic coastal zones management and planning; Development of environmentally friendly technologies for coastal zone development; Modeling for sustainable aquaculture; and Social, political, and economic challenges in marine ecosystem management.

These proceedings deal with the relationship between species composition of freshwater phytoplankton and the trophic gradient. Particular regard is paid to the composite question, what lives where and why? Overview papers report the state of the art and suggest that the trophic spectrum appears to be a probabilistic outcome of several dimensions of variability that impinge upon phytoplankton species selection. Studies on community structure span all latitudes from those of Antarctica to equatorial Brazil, and also include reports on light and nutrient gradients, pH and fish-stock effects on species composition. Seasonal and longterm phytoplankton dynamics in lakes of varying trophic status are also considered. Finally, studies on the taxonomy and autoecology of some groups (e.g. Volvocales, Chrysophytes and Euglenophytes) living at the extremes of the trophic spectrum contribute to our knowledge of this usually neglected phytoplankton. This is the first time that a book covers such a topic, and it will prove an excellent source of information to anyone working on phytoplankton ecology and ecological indicators. Limnologists in general, algologists and the technical staff at water authorities will all benefit by reading this book.

The book explores how unused and under-used urban spaces - from grass verges, roundabouts, green spaces - have been made more visually interesting and more productive, by informal (and usually illegal) groups known as "guerrilla gardeners". The book focuses on groups in the English Midlands but the work is set in a broad international context and reveals how and why they undertake this illegal activity. Guerrilla gardening is usually viewed uncritically and promoted as a worthwhile activity: this study provides a more balanced evaluation and focuses on its contribution in terms of local food production.

This two-volume work is a testament to the increasing interest in the role of microbes in sustainable agriculture and food security. Advances in microbial technologies are explored in chapters dealing with topics such as plant-microbe interactions, rhizoremediation and cyanoremediation, and bio-immobilization. Volume II is a collection of research findings that invites readers to examine the application of microbes in pollution reduction, decontamination of agro- and aquatic ecosystems, and remediation of various toxic compounds. Highly readable entries attempt to close the knowledge gap between soil microbial associations and sustainable agriculture. Traditional agricultural management techniques have relied heavily on application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides; and recent land use change practices have led to over exploitation of natural resources. Strategies outlined here simplify a complicated picture of the way microbial communities can improve the quality of environment and eliminate food scarcity in the coming generations. This work is a significant contribution to research in this increasingly important discipline of soil sciences, and will appeal to researchers in microbiology, agriculture, environmental sciences, and soil and crop sciences.

The Pasoh Forest Reserve in Malaysia is one of the most species-rich ecological systems on our planet. Since the 1970s it has been the site of intensive research on lowland tropical rain forest across a diverse range of disciplines including ecology, forestry, meteorology, and hydrology. Research has focused on biodiversity and sustainable management of tropical rain forests as well as the role of tropical rain forests in maintaining global climate and carbon sinks. This book compiles diverse studies of the ecology and natural history of the Pasoh Forest Reserve and focuses on six areas: Physical settings and environment; Vegetation structure, diversity, and dynamics; Plant population and functional biology; Animal ecology and biodiversity; Plant–animal interactions; and Anthropogenic impacts and forest management. This book is of interest to tropical forest researchers worldwide in ecology, conservation biology, taxonomy, and forestry.

Evapotranspiration and its components (evaporation and transpiration) as a process is one of the basic terms of Earth's water balance; its importance is accented by the fact that transpiration is the vital element of the biomass production process. The second important property of evapotranspiration is its extreme consumption of solar energy, thus controlling the temperature of the atmosphere and creating favourable conditions for life. Evapotranspiration as an energy consuming process is also the connection between the energy and mass cycles of the Earth. Evapotranspiration is a process performing in the Soil-Plant -Atmosphere System (SPAS); therefore this book is presenting and quantifying it as a catenary process, describing transport of water in the soil, including root extraction patterns and methods of its evaluation. Transport of water through the plant and from the canopy to the atmosphere is also described and quantified. A variety of evapotranspiration (and its components evaporation and transpiration) calculation methods are described, starting from empirical methods up to the most sophisticated ones based on the solution of the transport equations of water and energy in the SPAS. The most important (and widely used) calculation method - modified Penman-Monteith method is described in details, ready to be used with data in the book only. Water balance method of evapotranspiration estimation as well as sap flow method description can be found in the book as well. The book can be used by hydrologists, biologists, meteorologists and other specialists as well as byecology students.

Key themes: soil hydrology - evapotranspiration - hydropedology- plant physiology -water movement in soils -evaporation -transpiration

Dr. Viliam Novak isa water resources scientist at the Institute of Hydrology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava (Slovakia)."

International concern in scientific, industrial, and governmental communi ties over traces of xenobiotics in foods and in both abiotic and biotic en vironments has justified the present triumvirate of specialized publications in this field: comprehensive reviews, rapidly published research papers and progress reports, and archival documentations. These three international publications are integrated and scheduled to provide the coherency essential for nonduplicative and current progress in a field as dynamic and complex as environmental contamination and toxicology. This series is reserved ex clusively for the diversified literature on "toxic" chemicals in our food, our feeds, our homes, recreational and working surroundings, our domestic an imals, our wildlife and ourselves. Tremendous efforts worldwide have been mobilized to evaluate the nature, presence, magnitude, fate, and toxicology of the chemicals loosed upon the earth. Among the sequelae of this broad new emphasis is an undeniable need for an articulated set of authoritative publications, where one can find the latest irr,portant world literature pro duced by these emerging areas of science together with documentation of pertinent ancillary legislation. Research directors and legislative or administrative advisers do not have the time to scan the escalating number of technical publications that may contain articles impbrtant to current responsibility. Rather, these individuals need the background provided by detailed reviews and the assurance that the latest information is made available to them, all with minimal literature searching.

Seismicity is a major trigger for landslides with often devastating effects. The Japan Landslide Society (JLS) therefore organized a meeting fully dedicated to the research area of earthquake induced landslides. The symposium covers all aspects of earthquake-induced landslides including the phenomena occurred in manmade embankments as well as in natural slopes in mountainous areas. In this comprehensive volume on landslide science the JLS presents the Proceedings of this First International Symposium on Earthquake-Induced Landslides, held in November 2012 in Kiryu, Japan.

Competition is one of the most important factors controlling the distribution and abundance of living creatures. Sperm cells racing up reproductive tracts, beetle larvae battling inside single seeds, birds defending territories, and trees interfering with the light available to neighbours, are all engaged in competition for limited resources. Along with predation and mutualism, competition is one of the three major biological forces that assemble living communities. Recent experimental work, much of it only from the last few decades, has enhanced human knowledge of the prevalence of competition in nature. There are acacia trees that use ants to damage vines, beetles that compete in arenas for access to dung balls, tadpoles that apparently poison their neighbours, birds that smash the eggs of potential competitors, and plants that associate with fungi in order to increase access to soil resources. While intended as an up-to-date reference work on the state of this branch of ecology, the many non-technical examples will make interesting reading for those with a general interest in nature.

Greatly expanded from the first prize-winning edition, there are entirely new chapters, including one on resources and another on competition gradients in nature. The author freely ranges across all major taxonomic groups in search of evidence. The question of whether competition occurs is no longer useful, the author maintains; rather the challenge is to determine when and where each kind of competition is important in natural systems. For this reason, variants of competition such as intensity, asymmetry and hierarchies are singled out for particular attention. The book concludes with the difficulties of finding general principles in complex ecological communities, and illustrates the limitations on knowledge that arise out of the biased conduct of scientists themselves.

Competition can be found elsewhere in living systems other than ecological communities, at sub-microscopic scales in the interactions of enzymes and neural pathways, and over large geographic areas in the spread of human populations and contrasting ideas about the world. Human societies are therefore also examined for evidence of the kinds of competition found among other living organisms. Using an array of historical examples, including Biblical conflicts, the use of noblemen's sons in the Crusades, the Viking raids in Europe, strategic bombing campaigns in the Second World War, and ethnic battles of the Balkans, the book illustrates how most of the aspects of competition illustrated with plants and animals can be extended to the interactions of human beings and their societies.

Fungal nanotechnology has great prospects for developing new products with industrial, agricultural, medicinal, and consumer applications in a wide range of sectors. The fields of chemical engineering, agri-food, biochemistry, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and medical device development all employ fungal products, with fungal nanomaterials currently used in applications ranging from drug development to the food industry and agricultural biotechnology. Fungal agents are an environmentally friendly, clean, non-toxic agent for the synthesis of metal nanoparticles and employ both intracellular and extracellular methods. The simplicity of scaling up and downstream processing and the presence of fungal mycelia which afford an increased surface area provide key advantages. In addition, the large spectrum of synthesized nanoparticle morphologies and the substantially faster biosynthesis rate in cell-free filtrate (due to the higher amount of proteins secreted in fungi) make this a particularly enticing route. Understanding the diversity of fungi in assorted ecosystems, as well as their interactions with other microorganisms, animals, and plants, underpins real and innovative technological developments and the applications of metal nanoparticles in many disciplines including agriculture, catalysis, and biomedical biosensors. Importantly, biogenic fungal nanoparticles show significant synergistic characteristics when combined with antibiotics and fungicides to offer substantially greater resistance to microbial growth and applications in nanomedicine ranging from topical ointments and bandages for wound healing to coated stents.

In my office I am encased in bookshelves which hold an accumulation of literature on ecology that represents the papers and books over the last 50 years. My students enjoy rummaging through this collection be cause it contains a record of the history of ecology and is full of sur prises. Some of the most recent material pertains to landscape ecology, a subject that literally emerged fully active at the Veldhoven Interna tional Congress organized by the landscape ecologists of The Nether lands in 1981. The subject has developed quickly. It has one or more journals, which publish short works. It has a series of text books. And, it has just begun a series on monographs. One of the textbooks in land scape ecology is titled Principles and Methods in Landscape Ecology and was written by the Italian ecologist Almo Farina in 1998. My stu dents like this text especially well because it is direct, to the point and comprehensive. "Farina" is on loan much of the time. In the present volume Almo Farina again addresses the subject of Landscape Ecology but from a different perspective than he took in his textbook. Landscape in Action focuses on the application of the princi ples and concepts to problem solving. The two books make a pair, with the first technical and conceptual and the second applied to problems of land and water at large scale."

This book brings together a selection of 21 original studies submitted to Biodiversity and Conservation that address aspects of management for the conservation of biodiversity. The topics addressed include: lessons from the Northern spotted owl saga, hidden costs of implementing the EU Habitats Directive, the importance of recently created agricultural wetlands, cutting reeds to create a sustainable habitat, impacts and control of feral cats, selecting areas to complement existing reserve systems, beneficial effects of rabbit warrens, effects of fences on large predator ranges, spatial structure of critical habitats and connectivity, effects of an agro-pasture landscape on biodiversity, community involvement, reserve selection in forests, germ-plasm interventions in agroforestry systems, shade coffee plantations and the protection of tree diversity, reserves and the reduction of deforestation rates in dry tropical forests, reconciling forest conservation actions with usage by and needs of local peoples, weed invasion in understory plant communities in tropical lowland forests, problems of patch area and connectivity in plant conservation, the need not to focus just on hot-spots, and partitioning conservation across elevations.

The organisms and communities considered embrace birds, coral reefs, various large and small mammals, reptiles, forest trees, and dune and boreal semi-natural grassland plants. The contributions are taken from situations being confronted in regions including the Andaman Islands, Brazil, Canary Islands, the Caribbean, Finland, Germany, Guinea, India, Italy, Mexico, Myanmar, Poland, South Africa, Spain, and the USA.

Collectively, the studies presented here provide a snap-shot of the types of management actions being undertaken for conservation and their efficacy. This makes the volume especially valuable for use in conservation biology courses.

Reprinted from Biodiversity and Conservation, volume 18, No 4 (2009)

The impact of environmental variability on ecological systems is an issue that has been at the forefront of ecological research for many years. Research is taking place on many fronts, including theoretical mathematical based analyses, natural ecosystem observation and experimentation.This book brings together contributions from these three fronts to provide readers with a comprehensive look at the challenges for ecological systems and ecological research alike.