This thorough review is based on observational satellite, airborne and in-situ data, scientific literature and technical reports, as well as the substantial experience of the authors, who hail from several Baltic Sea countries. They pay special attention to national practices, HELCOM and EMSA CleanSeaNet activities in oil pollution monitoring, and show different applications of the Seatrack Web model for oil spill drift prediction and the identification of illegal polluters, as well as for environmental risk assessment. Furthermore, some of the results on satellite monitoring of the Nord Stream gas pipeline construction in the Gulf of Finland are presented. This volume addresses the needs of specialists working in different fields of marine, environmental, and remote sensing sciences. It is a useful handbook on oil pollution for international and governmental agencies, as well as for policy makers who plan and manage oil and gas projects, the construction of ports and terminals, shipping, fishery, recreation, and tourist activities in the Baltic Sea. It also offers graduate and undergraduate students in marine and environmental sciences a valuable resource and reference work on the subject."

A variety of optimization and simulation models are now com- monly used to help water resource planners and managers identify, evaluate and predict themultiple impacts from va- rious actions or decisions one can make regarding the deve- lopment and management of a region's water resources. Cur- rent developments in computer technology are making it pos- sible to link these models to programs that provide an in- terface betwe- en the decision maker and their models and compu- ters. The volume discusses how these so-called deci- sion support systems can be best developed and used bythose involved in water resources planning and management.

Environmental sustainability issues in a fragile, semi-arid region and its coastal area, which experience climate changes from extreme drought conditions to the effects of hurricanes over a period of weeks to years, provide specific challenges for the ecosystems and the populations existing within the region. The research presented focuses on the problems and some solutions specific to the South Texas-Mexico border region, on both sides of the Rio Grande, focusing on water and air pollution. "

This volume offers a comprehensive survey and a close analysis of efforts to develop actionable climate information in support of vital decisions for climate adaptation, risk management and policy. Arising from submissions and discussion at the 2011 Open Science Conference (OSC) of the World Climate Research Program (WCRP), the book addresses research and intellectual challenges which span the full range of Program activities.

Today, biosensors are broadly applied in research, clinical diagnosis and monitoring, as well as in pharmaceutical, environmental or food analysis. In this work, the author presents the essentials that advanced students and researchers need to know in order to make full use of this technology. This includes a description of biochemical recognition elements, such as enzymes, antibodies, aptamers or even whole cells. Various signal transducers such as electrochemical and optical transducers, luminescence devices and advanced techniques such as quartz crystal microbalances and MEMS systems are covered as well. Current applications are introduced through various case studies, rounded out by a forward-looking chapter on the prospects for biosensor development offered by nanotechnology, lab-on-a-chip, and biomimetic systems.

Following the Fukushima nuclear accident, a large volume of monitoring data has been collected about the soil, air, dust, and seawater, along with data about an immense number of foods supplied to the market. Little is known, however, about the effect of radioactive fallout on agriculture, information about which is vital. Although more than 80% of the damaged area is related to agriculture, in situ information specifically for agriculture is scarce. This book provides data about the actual movement and accumulation of radioactivity in the ecological system-for example, whether debris deposited on mountains can be a cause of secondary contamination, under what conditions plants accumulate radioactive cesium in their edible parts, and how radioactivity is transferred from hay to milk. Because agriculture is so closely related to nature, many specialists with different areas of expertise must be involved in answering these questions. In the case of rice, researchers in rice cultivation as well as in soil, hydrology, and radioactivity measurement are working together to reveal the paths or accumulation of radioactivity in the field. For this purpose, the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences of The University of Tokyo has diverse facilities available throughout Japan, including farmlands, forests, and meadowlands. Many academic staff members have formed groups to conduct on-site research, with more than 40 volunteers participating. This book presents the data collected from the only project being systematically carried out across Japan after the Fukushima accident.

When managers and ecologists need to make decisions about the environment, they use models to simulate the dynamic systems that interest them. All management decisions affect certain landscapes over time, and those landscapes are composed of intricate webs of dynamic processes that need to be considered in relation to each other. With widespread use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), there is a growing need for complex models corporating an increasing amount of data. The open-source Spatial Modeling Environment (SME) was developed to build upon common modeling software, such as STELLA (R), and Powersim (R), among others, to create, run, analyze, and present spatial models of ecosystems, watersheds, populations, and landscapes. In this book, the creators of the Spatial Modeling Environment discuss and illustrate the uses of SME as a modeling tool for all kinds of complex spatial systems. The authors demonstrate the entire process of spatial modeling, beginning with the conceptual design, continuing through formal implementation and analysis, and finally with the interpretation and presentation of the results.A variety of applications and case studies address particular types of ecological and management problems and help to identify potential problems for modelers. Researchers and students interested in spatial modeling will learn how to simulate the complex dynamics of landscapes. Managers and decision makers will acquire tools for predicting changes in landscapes while learning about both the possibilities and the limitations of simulation models.

This book was developed from a workshop on the "Effective Use of Ecological Modeling in Management," held in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, on October 23-26, 2000. The workshop was sponsored by the Department of Defense's (DoD's) Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP), the Army Research Of?ce, and the Engineering Research and Development Center of the Corps of Engineers as well as by the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service. It was hosted by the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The organizing committee for the workshop included senior s- entists from ORNL,the USDA Forest Service,and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE). The members of the steering committee were John Barko,Paul Bradford,Bill Goran,Jeff Holland,Russell Harmon,and Mike Vasievich. They helped guide the workshop to a useful product by sugge- ing topics, speakers, and participants. Workshop attendees included senior ecological modelers within the Forest Service,DoD,other federal and state agencies, universities, and the private sector together with ecologic- resource managers in the Forest Service, DoD, and other government and nongovernment agencies and organizations. The book never could have come to fruition without the dedicated efforts of Fred O'Hara in editing each of the chapters and making sure that the text was complete and accurate and that standard methods of expression and design were used in the text, references, tables, and ?gures. His careful attention to the details and to effective communication is appreciated. Many people helped in bringing the book to completion.

Currently, spatial analysis is becoming more important than ever because enormous volumes of spatial data are available from different sources, such as GPS, Remote Sensing, and others.

This book deals with spatial analysis and modelling. It provides a comprehensive discussion of spatial analysis, methods, and approaches related to human settlements and associated environment. Key contributions with empirical case studies from Iran, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Nepal, and Japan that apply spatial analysis including autocorrelation, fuzzy, voronoi, cellular automata, analytic hierarchy process, artificial neural network, spatial metrics, spatial statistics, regression, and remote sensing mapping techniques are compiled comprehensively. The core value of this book is a wide variety of results with state of the art discussion including empirical case studies.

It provides a milestone reference to students, researchers, planners, and other practitioners dealing the spatial problems on urban and regional issues.

We arepleased to announce that this book has been presented with the 2011 publishing award from the GIS Association of Japan.
We would like to congratulate the authors

"

Ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) have a wide range of applications in clinical, environmental, food and pharmaceutical analysis as well as further uses in chemistry and life sciences. Based on his profound experience as a researcher in ISEs and a course instructor, the author summarizes current knowledge for advanced teaching and training purposes with a particular focus on ionophore-based ISEs. Coverage includes the basics of measuring with ISEs, essential membrane potential theory and a comprehensive overview of the various classes of ion-selective electrodes. The principles of constructing ISEs are outlined, and the transfer of methods into routine analysis is considered. Advanced students, researchers, and practitioners will benefit from this expedient introduction.

Climate and other environmental changes are drawing unprecedented concern and attention from national governments, international organizations and local communities. Global warming has left noticeable impacts on the environment and the ecosystems it supports (including humans), and has important implications for sustainable economic and social development in the future. Satellite observations of climate and environmental change have become an increasingly important tool in recent years in helping to shape the response of international communities to this critical global challenge. The book presents the latest advances in satellite-based remote sensing of the Earth's environment - ranging from applications in climate and atmospheric science to hydrology, oceanography, hydrology, geomorphology, ecology and fire studies. Introductory chapters also cover key technical aspects such as instrumentation, calibration, data analysis, and GIS tools for decision-making.

In the process of building and using models to comprehend the dynamics of the atmosphere, ocean and climate, the reader will learn how the different components of climate systems function, interact with each other, and vary over time. Topics include the stability of climate, Earths energy balance, parcel dynamics in the atmosphere, the mechanisms of heat transport in the climate system, and mechanisms of climate variability. Special attention is given to the effects of climate change.

Optimizing Stormwater Treatment Practices: A Handbook of Assessment and Maintenance provides the information necessary for developing and operating an effective maintenance program for stormwater treatment. The book offers instructions on how to measure the level of performance of stormwater treatment practices directly and bases proposed maintenance schedules on actual performance and historical maintenance efforts and costs. The inspection methods, which are proven in the field and have been implemented successfully, are necessary as regulatory agencies are demanding evaluations of the performance of stormwater treatment practices. The authors have developed a three-tiered approach that offers readers a standard protocol for how to determine the effectiveness of stormwater treatment practices currently in place.

"Distribution and Transformation of Nutrients and Eutrophication in Large-scale Lakes and Reservoirs: The Three Gorges Reservoir" presents key findings on early eutrophication in large-scale lakes and reservoirs, providing readers with an overview of lake management problems and the tools that can be applied to solve them. The broad spectrum of available tools is presented in detail, including environmental technological methods, ecotechnological methods and the application of models to determine the best management strategy.

The book is intended for environmental engineers and researchers in the fields of environmental science and ecological chemistry.

Professor Zhenyao Shen, Professor Junfeng Niu and Associate Professor Ying Wang work at the School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, China. Dr. Hongyuan Wang works at Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China. Dr. Xin Zhao works at Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute, China.

Modern Earth System Monitoring represents a fundamental change in the way scientists study the Earth System. In Oceanography, for the past two centuries, ships have provided the platforms for observing. Expeditions on the continents and Earth's poles are land-based analogues. Fundamental understanding of current systems, climate, natural hazards, and ecosystems has been greatly advanced. While these approaches have been remarkably successful, the need to establish measurements over time can only be made using Earth observations and observatories with exacting standards and continuous data. The 19 peer-reviewed contributions in this volume provide early insights into this emerging view of Earth in both space and time in which change is a critical component of our growing understanding.

"New Issues in Polar Tourism" traces and analyzes a decade of growing interest in the polar regions, and the consequent challenges and opportunities of increasing tourist traffic in formerly remote and seldom-visited places. The book arises from the recently-formed International Polar Tourism Research Network(IPTRN), and documents the outcomes of its 2010 conference, held at Sweden s Abisko Scientific Research Station."

This book provides a collection of selected articles that have been submitted to the Earth Observation and Global Changes (EOGC2011) Conference. All articles have been carefully reviewed by an international board of top-level experts. The book covers a wide variety of topics including Physical Geodesy, Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing, High-Resolution and Fast-Revisiting Remote Sensing Satellite Systems, Global Change & Change Detection, Spatial Modelling, GIS & Geovisualization. The articles document concrete results of current studies related to Earth Sciences. The book is intended for researchers and experts working in the area of Spatial Data Analysis, Environmental Monitoring/Analysis, Global Change Monitoring and related fields.

This volume comprises the proceedings of the International Workshop on Eco logical Goal Functions, held at the Schleswig-Holstein Cultural Center of Salzau, August 30 -September 4, 1996. The conference - first in a series - intended to be convened at Salzau at 1 -2 year intervals to address various aspects of theo retical and application-oriented ecology, was initiated, organized and carried out under the auspices of the Ecology Center of the Kiel University. It featured key note addresses, invited lectures, submitted papers, and posters. 32 contributions written by authors from eight countries, were selected to be presented in this book. From the very rich discussions of the workshop, some general characteristics emerged which might become important for a deeper understanding of the nature of evolving systems or, in other words, systems with a history, described by variables with a high degree of interdependence. These characteristics include the following: Speaking of 'goal functions' is a convenient 'fa on de parler', since a logical analysis of the formal structure of teleological and causal explanations shows that both are analogous with regard to the inherent structural typology and the basic mode of explanation. Teleological interpretations introduce motives or objectives of actors into the set of 'antecedens' conditions relevant for system evolution, and are consequently a subset of causal interpretations."

In the past decade, there has been a substantial increase of grid-feeding photovoltaic applications, thus raising the importance of solar electricity in the energy mix. This trend is expected to continue and may even increase. Apart from the high initial investment cost, the fluctuating nature of the solar resource raises particular insertion problems in electrical networks. Proper grid managing demands short- and long-time forecasting of solar power plant output.

"Weather modeling and forecasting of PV systems operation" is focused on this issue. Models for predicting the state of the sky, nowcasting solar irradiance and forecasting solar irradiation are studied and exemplified. Statistical as well as artificial intelligence methods are described. The efficiency of photovoltaic converters is assessed for any weather conditions.

"Weather modeling and forecasting of PV systems operation" is written for researchers, engineers, physicists and students interested in PV systems design and utilization.

This new work on energy and environmental modeling describes a broad variety of modeling methodologies, embodied in models of varying scopes and philosophies. Examples range from top-down integrated assessment models to bottom-up partial equilibrium models, to hybrid models.

The second volume of "Adaptation and Evolution in Marine Environments - The Impacts of Global Change on Biodiversity" from the series "From Pole to Pole" integrates the marine biology contribution of the first tome to the IPY 2007-2009, presenting overviews of organisms (from bacteria and ciliates to higher vertebrates) thriving on polar continental shelves, slopes and deep sea. The speed and extent of warming in the Arctic and in regions of Antarctica (the Peninsula, at the present ) are greater than elsewhere. Changes impact several parameters, in particular the extent of sea ice; organisms, ecosystems and communities that became finely adapted to increasing cold in the course of millions of years are now becoming vulnerable, and biodiversity is threatened. Investigating evolutionary adaptations helps to foresee the impact of changes in temperate areas, highlighting the invaluable contribution of polar marine research to present and future outcomes of the IPY in the Earth system scenario.

Leading experts present methodologies for basinwide approaches to water quality restoration. In 15 chapters the identification of pollution sources, definition of standards and their attainability, surface and groundwater modeling, remediation of contaminated soils and sediments, development and implementation of low cost treatment technologies, basinwide water quality management and remediation, and economic and institutional issues are covered. The book focuses on the situation in central and eastern European countries; however, the topics and solutions are of general interest and have worldwide applications.

In a world facing a growing water crisis, conflicts regarding water sharing and environmental issues are expected to grow, especially in transboundary river basins, where 40% of the world's population lives.
This book represents one of the first attempts to bring together methodologies and analytical tools from socio-economic, international policy, engineering, and water management specialists dealing with transboundary water resources. The book is divided into three parts. Part I introduces state--of-the-art concepts in institutional policy and conflict analysis. Part II presents engineering approaches and models for transboundary water management and conflict resolution. Part III analyzes cases in international river basins and enclosed seas.

The Siberian environment is a unique region of the world that is both very strongly affected by global climate change and at the same time particularly vulnerable to its consequences. The news about the melting of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean and the prospect of an ice-free shipping passage from Scandinavia to Alaska along the Russian north coast has sparked an international debate about natural resource exploitation, national boundaries and the impacts of the rapid changes on people, animals and plants. Over the last decades Siberia has also witnessed severe forest fires to an extent that is hard to imagine in other parts of the world where the po- lation density is higher, the fire-prone ecosystems cover much smaller areas and the systems of fire control are better resourced. The acceleration of the fire regime poses the question of the future of the boreal forest in the taiga region. Vegetation models have already predicted a shift of vegetation zones to the north under s- narios of global climate change. The implications of a large-scale expansion of the grassland steppe ecosystems in the south of Siberia and a retreat of the taiga forest into the tundra systems that expand towards the Arctic Ocean would be very signi- cant for the local population and the economy. I have studied Russian forests from remote sensing and modelling for about 11 years now and still find it a fascinating subject to investigate.

Following the discovery of large petroleum reserves in northern Alaska, the US Department of Energy implemented an integrated field and modeling study to help define potential impacts of energy-related disturbances on tundra ecosystems. This volume presents major findings from this study. A broad range of basic and applied research topics are examined, ranging from ecosystem physiology and biogeochemistry to landscape models that quantify the impact of road-building on tundra hydrology and ecosystem structure.
It is an important resource for researchers and students interested in arctic ecology, as well as for environmental managers concerned with practical issues of disturbances.