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Books > Science & Mathematics > Biology, life sciences > Life sciences: general issues > Ecological science, the Biosphere
"Stream Ecosystems in a Changing Environment" synthesizes current
understanding in stream ecosystem ecology, emphasizing nutrient
cycling and carbon dynamics, and provides a forward-looking
perspective regarding the response of stream ecosystems to
environmental change. Stream ecosystem ecology has undergone major
advances in the past decade following a series of high-profile and
innovative research initiatives focusing on nutrient cycling and
metabolism. Each chapter includes a section focusing on anticipated
and ongoing dynamics in stream ecosystems in a changing
environment, and hypotheses regarding controls on stream ecosystem
functioning. These innovative sections provide a bridge between
papers published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and
researchers development of new ideas areas of study.
Provides a synthesis of the latest findings on stream ecosystems
ecology in one volumeIncludes thought exercises and discussion
activities throughout, providing valuable tools for learningOffers
conceptual models and hypotheses to stimulate conversation and
serve to advance research"
Ending hunger, achieving food security and promoting sustainable
development are at the top of the list of United Nations (UN)
sustainable global development priorities. In the times of high
population growth and increasing pressure of agricultural systems,
efficiency in use of natural resources has been at the epicenter of
sustainable agricultural. The concept of 'Input efficiency' implies
production of high quantity and quality of food, from using only
finite natural resources as inputs, in the form of mainly land,
water, nutrients, energy, or biological diversity. In this book,
editors provide a roadmap to the food, nutritional, and
environmental security in the agricultural systems. They share
insight into the approaches that can be put in practice for
increasing the input use efficiency in the cropping systems and
achieve stability and sustainability of agricultural production
systems. This book is of interest to teachers, researchers, climate
change scientists, capacity builders and policymakers. Also the
book serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and
graduate students of agriculture, agroforestry, agroecology, and
environmental sciences. National and international agricultural
scientists, policymakers will also find this to be a useful read.
This book is an inclusive coverage of advances in aquaculture
health management. It offers latest updates as well as explains the
novel concepts and issues related to aquatic animal health
management. To support the understanding of the concepts, there is
extensive use of illustrations. Chapters emphasize on the state of
art techniques and hold great promise for the sustainable
development of aquaculture. This book is of interest to teachers,
researchers, aquatic biologists, capacity builders and
policymakers. Also the book serves as additional reading material
for undergraduate and graduate students of aquatic sciences, marine
sciences, biotechnology, ecology, and environmental sciences.
National and international aquatic scientists, policy makers will
also find this to be a useful read.
Community Ecology of Tropical Birds, the tropical ecosystems is one
of the most biological diverse habitats on the earth. Seventy six
per cent of all centers of avian endemism occur in tropical regions
and the same is true for many plant and animal communities. Birds
are important component of biological diversity and their
ecological, cultural, recreational and economic benefits are
recognized universally. They act as vital links in many food webs
and often serve as highly visible biological indicators of
ecosystem health. Many bird populations are declining all over the
world due to habitat loss and fragmentation, predation, pesticide
use, invasive exotic species and other factors. This book is about
the ecology of tropical bird community, all together 12 chapters
are described and divided into two parts. The first part of this
book looks at the forest bird community including status and
distribution, species-abundance relationship, seasonal changes,
vertical distribution and habitat utilisation. The second part
provides detailed ecology of wetland bird community. This book will
be an invaluable resource for field scientist, researchers,
students, and naturalists in the field of Ornithology.
The state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, is one of the most densely
populated and developed areas in South America. Such development is
evident both in terms of industrialization and urbanization, as
well as in agriculture, which is heavily based on sugar cane,
Eucalyptus plantations and livestock. This intense land use has
resulted in great alteration of the original land cover and
fragmentation of natural ecosystems. For these reasons, it is
almost a paradox that jaguar, a species that requires large areas
of pristine forest to exist, is still found in some parts of the
state of Sao Paulo. It is possible that wild animals could leave in
coexistence with intense land use, or is it the case that such rare
encounters with large wild animals in Sao Paulo will disappear in
the near future? All ecologists are aware of the problems of
habitat changes caused by humans, but it was not until recent years
that researchers started to consider that the land used for
production could also serve as an important habitat for many
different kinds of wild species. This book is about this new
approach to conservation. It also highlights the important role
that sciences could and should have in this discussion in order to
better understand the problems and propose possible solutions.
What if the stories of trees and people are more closely linked
than we ever imagined? Winner of the World Wildlife Fund's 2020 Jan
Wolkers PrizeOne of Science News's "Favorite Books of 2020" A New
York Times "New and Noteworthy" BookA 2020 Woodland Book of the
YearGold Winner of the 2020 Foreword INDIES Award in Ecology &
EnvironmentBronze Winner of the 2021 Independent Publisher Book
Award in Environment/Ecology People across the world know that to
tell how old a tree is, you count its rings. Few people, however,
know that research into tree rings has also made amazing
contributions to our understanding of Earth's climate history and
its influences on human civilization over the past 2,000 years. In
her captivating book Tree Story, Valerie Trouet reveals how the
seemingly simple and relatively familiar concept of counting tree
rings has inspired far-reaching scientific breakthroughs that
illuminate the complex interactions between nature and people.
Trouet, a leading tree-ring scientist, takes us out into the field,
from remote African villages to radioactive Russian forests,
offering readers an insider's look at tree-ring research, a
discipline known as dendrochronology. Tracing her own professional
journey while exploring dendrochronology's history and
applications, Trouet describes the basics of how tell-tale tree
cores are collected and dated with ring-by-ring precision,
explaining the unexpected and momentous insights we've gained from
the resulting samples. Blending popular science, travelogue, and
cultural history, Tree Story highlights exciting findings of
tree-ring research, including the fate of lost pirate treasure,
successful strategies for surviving California wildfire, the secret
to Genghis Khan's victories, the connection between Egyptian
pharaohs and volcanoes, and even the role of olives in the fall of
Rome. These fascinating tales are deftly woven together to show us
how dendrochronology sheds light on global climate dynamics and
uncovers the clear links between humans and our leafy neighbors.
Trouet delights us with her dedication to the tangible appeal of
studying trees, a discipline that has taken her to austere and
beautiful landscapes around the globe and has enabled scientists to
solve long-pondered mysteries of Earth and its human inhabitants.
Landraces possess a very large genetic base in population structure
and are dynamic populations of cultivated plants with historical
origin, distinct identity, and without any formal crop improvement.
They are often genetically diverse, locally adapted, and associated
with traditional farming systems. Resistance genes to biotic and
abiotic stress factors, which are especially diversified in
landraces, are of great interest to plant breeders, faced with
global climate challenge. In addition, gene pools made of different
landraces grown in different ecological conditions can be used for
wheat breeding to enhance quality; yield and other desirable
agricultural parameters. An estimated 75% of the genetic diversity
of crop plants was lost in the last century due to the replacement
of high yielding modern varieties. There is, thus, an urgent need
to preserve existing species, not only for posterity but also as a
means to secure food supply for a rising world population. In this
book, we provide an overview of wheat landraces with special
attention to genetic diversities, conservation, and utilization.
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