In twenty short books, Penguin brings you the classics of the environmental movement. From the Congo Basin to the traditions of the Kikuyu people, the lucid, incisive writings in The World We Once Lived In explore the sacred power of trees, and why humans lay waste to the forests that keep us alive. Over the past 75 years, a new canon has emerged. As life on Earth has become irrevocably altered by humans, visionary thinkers around the world have raised their voices to defend the planet, and affirm our place at the heart of its restoration. Their words have endured through the decades, becoming the classics of a movement. Together, these books show the richness of environmental thought, and point the way to a fairer, saner, greener world.

The continuously growing human population along the world s coasts will exacerbate the impact of human activities on all coastal environments. Restoration activities will therefore become increasingly important. In particular, sandy shores and coastal dunes will require significant restoration efforts because they are preferred sites for human settlement, industrial and urban development and tourism.

With this book experts in the field present a comprehensive review of restoration studies and activities, where successful and failed studies or approaches from around the world are contrasted and compared. A major asset the book provides is a compendium of studies showing that coastal dune restoration has many definitions and thus leads to many different actions.

This volume addresses those with an interest in conservation ecology and biology, coastal dune dynamics and geomorphology, and coastal management who are seeking information on the different strategies for coastal dune restoration applied in different regions of the world. Finally, it will be a valuable resource for coastal scientists and planners, as well as for local and state officials, residents of coastal communities, environmental advocates and developers.

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It is universally recognised that Venice and its lagoon are of such value that they constitute an international public good that must be preserved for humanity as a whole. But such an ambitious task requires a diversified, sustainable set of economic activities, mostly focused on the production of services and non-material goods. This complex issue is analyzed using different approaches, with a discussion of the case of Venice as an example of some of the most relevant problems concerning the relation between the environment and development in the contemporary world: the trade-off between preserving an ecosystem and considering it as an economic resource; the evolution of different urban growth scenarios and the preservation of a physical habitat; the role of immaterial production in urban economic development; the nature of tourism as a sustainable activity, considered from both from the environmental and cultural angles; the institutional aspect of governing a process of sustainable urban development. Readership: A unique resource for environmental and urban managers, policy analysts, students of sustainable development, and anyone else interested in the social and economic implications of preserving one of the most loved and celebrated cities in the world.

The prerequisite to investigating the underlying causes behind mass extinction is a profound understanding of the evolutionary history of both living and dead species. It is especially important to appreciate the significance of such studies in extinct organisms; especially in organisms that were abundant in a certain geologic era, but have subsequently dwindled or become extinct. Such studies should help to accurately evaluate patterns of evolution in extinct species lineages and help predict the same in its modern analogs. The book includescutting edge research in evolutionary biology that should serve as a starting point for conservation.

Although there are some biological processes that are supported by UV radiation, most organisms are stressed by it in various ways, e.g. through DNA damage.
Top international experts present an integrated overview of UV radiation and its effects on terrestrial, freshwater and marine Arctic biota. Increased stratospheric ozone depletion and the corresponding increase in ground levels of UV radiation as well as ambient, "natural" UV radiation as a key ecological factor in the Arctic spring and summer are discussed in detail. Additionally, basic information on Arctic ecosystems is given. The volume provides not only an excellent account of present-day knowledge of the subject, but also describes the state of the art on which future research can be built.

The concept of Place has become prominent in natural resource management, as professionals increasingly recognize the importance of scale, place-specific meanings, local knowledge, and social-ecological dynamics. "Place-Based Conservation: Perspectives from the Social Sciences" offers a thorough examination of the topic, dividing its exploration into four broad areas.
"Place-Based Conservation" provides a comprehensive resource for researchers and practitioners to help build the conceptual grounding necessary to understand and to effectively practice place-based conservation.

Reef ecosystems extend throughout the tropics. Exploited by small-scale fishers, reefs supply food for millions of people, but, worldwide, there are growing worries about the productivity and current state of these ecosystems. Reef fish stocks display many features of fisheries elsewhere. However, habitat spatial complexity, biological diversity within and among species, ecosystem intricacy and variable means of exploitation make it hard to predict sustainable modes and levels of fishing.

Provides an overview of international developments in urban ecology, with many examples from cities worldwide. In addition, this book presents a unique exchange of experiences and ideas, with a focus on cooperation between researchers and those involved in putting ideas into practice.
Topics include: aims and standards for ecological cities; the integration of ecologial, economic, social and cultural aspects; land use as a controlling factor; ecologically responsible mobility; and the integration of nature and landscape into urban development.

Most politicians have jumped on the conservation bandwagon, and nobody running for public office these days can afford to take an overtly anti environment stand. The fascination that children have for nature, the gen erous donations people make to conservation organizations, the votes cast for 'Green Parties, ' the continuing popularity of zoos and wildlife films, and the strong sales of books about the environment all provide evidence to politicians that the general public supports the idea of conservation. Conservation has become a major issue for governments. No longer is it necessary for conservationists to campaign for getting the cause on the agenda: it is already there, at least as a talking point. The issue now is how to convert this generalized interest into real action. And among the many priorities competing for attention, how is a govern ment (or a private organization) to decide wh at to do first? From a very limited budget - for budgets will always be limited - what is the package of activities that is most likely to lead to the results that the public wants? lan Spellerberg attempts to address these questions which are at the he art of modern conservation action. It is relatively easy to prescribe useful activities that will benefit both the environment and the public at large."

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is 344 400 square kilometres in size and is home to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. This comprehensive guide describes the organisms and ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef, as well as the biological, chemical and physical processes that influence them. Contemporary pressing issues such as climate change, coral bleaching, coral disease and the challenges of coral reef fisheries are also discussed.

In addition, the book includes a field guide that will help people to identify the common animals and plants on the reef, then to delve into the book to learn more about the roles the biota play.

Beautifully illustrated and with contributions from thirty-three international experts, The Great Barrier Reef is a must-read for the interested reef tourist, student, researcher and manager. While it has an Australian focus, it can equally be used as a baseline text for most Indo-Pacific coral reefs.

The book adopts an application-oriented approach for ecorestoration of coalmine degraded. The theoretical aspects of ecorestoration, and steps involved in ecorestoration process and experimental aspects of thorough analytical procedures have been discussed in detail. It emphasizes on the types of mining, land degradation, and biodiversity conservation while giving details of technical and biological steps, topsoil management, selection of plant species, seeding, nursery practices; adoption of innovative approaches like mulching, biofertlizer application, hydroseeding, superabsorbent; use of grass-legume mix; monitoring and aftercare of reclaimed sites; the indicators of sustainable ecorestoration; and Rules and Acts implemented and followed across the world. Best ecorestoration practices, mine closure issues, collection, laboratory analysis and interpretation of minesoil and topsoil samples, monitoring biological parameters, litterfall and tree growth analysis, erosion management, design of drainage and sedimentation retention basin, and brief description of tree species with identifying character for field people are all part of the book. [Message by Prominent Academician] It is now urgent that methods of coal mining be integrated with engineering for ecorestoration because the larger society will not accept devastated waste land. A book, coming out from the hands of one of the persistent researchers of the field, cannot be more timely. Jayanta Bhattacharya, PhD FNAE Professor, Department of Mining Engineering Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur-721302, India.

From the reviews:

..".is a "must" for serious field novices, and for seasoned middle-career and senior practitioners in hydrogeology, mainly those people who answer a calling to offer honest and accurate hydrogeological approximations and findings.

Any engineering geologist or groundwater geologist who claims capability as a "Hydrogeologist" should own this book and submit it to highlighting and page tabbing. Of course, the same goes for those who practice in karst terranes, as author LaMoreaux is one of the pioneers in this field, worldwide..." (Allen W. Hatheway)

The United States Government, cognizant of its responsibilities to future generations, has been sponsoring research for nine years into the causes, effects, and potential impacts of increased concentrations of carbon dioxide (C0 ) in the atmosphere. Agencies such as the National Science Foun 2 dation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) cooperatively spent about $100 million from FY 1978 through FY 1984 directly on the study of CO * The DOE, as the 2 lead government agency for coordinating the government' s research ef forts, has been responsible for about 60% of these research efforts. William James succinctly defined our purpose when he stated science must be based upon " ... irreducible and stubborn facts." Scientific knowledge can and will reduce the present significant uncertainty sur rounding our understanding of the causes, effects, and potential impacts of increasing atmospheric CO2* We have come far during the past seven years in resolving some underlyinig doubts and in narrowing the ranges of disagreement. Basic concepts have become less murky. Yet, much more must be accomplished; more irreducible and stubborn facts are needed to reduce the uncertainties so that we can improve our knowledge base. Uncertainty can never be reduced to zero. However, with a much improved knowledge base, we will be able to learn, under stand, and be in a position to make decisions.

LiDAR Principles, Processing and Applications in Forest Ecology introduces the principles of LiDAR technology and explains how to collect and process LiDAR data from different platforms based on real-world experience. The book provides state-of the-art algorithms on how to extract forest parameters from LiDAR and explains how to use them in forest ecology. It gives an interdisciplinary view, from the perspective of remote sensing and forest ecology. Because LiDAR is still rapidly developing, researchers must use programming languages to understand and process LiDAR data instead of established software. In response, this book provides Python code examples and sample data. Sections give a brief history and introduce the principles of LiDAR, as well as three commonly seen LiDAR platforms. The book lays out step-by-step coverage of LiDAR data processing and forest structure parameter extraction, complete with Python examples. Given the increasing usefulness of LiDAR in forest ecology, this volume represents an important resource for researchers, students and forest managers to better understand LiDAR technology and its use in forest ecology across the world. The title contains over 15 years of research, as well as contributions from scientists across the world.

Many people investigating the operation of large-scale environmentalist organizations see signs of power, knowledge and governance in their policies and projects. This collection indicates that such an analysis appears to be justified from one perspective, but not from another. The chapters in this collection show that the critics, concerned with the power of these organizations to impose their policies in different parts of the world, appear justified when we look at environmentalist visions and at organizational policies and programs. However, they are much less justified when we look at the practical operation of such organizations and their ability to generate and carry out projects intended to reshape the world.

James G. Carrier has taught and done research in Papua New Guinea, the United States and Great Britain. For the past decade he has studied the relationship among local fishers, conservationists and the tourism sector in Jamaica. He has published extensively on this research and on environmental protection generally.

Paige West is Tow Associate Professor of Anthropology at Barnard College and Columbia University. She had conducted research on the linkages between environmental conservation and international development, the material and symbolic ways in which the natural world is understood and produced, and production, distribution, and consumption of various commodities. Her work is focused on Papua New Guinea.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration has increased globally from about 280 ppm before the Industrial Revolution (Pearman 1988) to about 353 ppm in 1990. That increase, and the continuing increase at a rate of about 1.5 ppm per annum, owing mainly to fossil fuel burning, is likely to cause change in climate, in primary productivity of terrestrial vegetation (managed and unmanaged), and in the degree of net sequestration of atmospheric CO into organic form. The quantitative role 2 of the latter in attenuating the increase in atmospheric CO concentration itself is 2 an important but uncertain element of the global carbon-cycle models that are required to predict future increases of atmospheric CO concentration. 2 In my experience in workshops and other multidisciplinary gatherings, argument arises in discussion of this topic among different groups of scientists such as bioclimatologists, plant physiologists, biogeochemists and ecologists. Plant concentration physiologists are often impressed by the positive effect of higher CO 2 on plant growth under experimental controlled environments and argue that this would be at least partly expressed in the field for many species and communities.

In this book the authors have applied research knowledge to the solution of practical problems facing wildlife conservation in freshwater habitats. Subjects covered include: evaluation of the conservation interest of sites; practical protection and management of freshwater habitats; species conservation.

This volume is a collection of reports presented at the International NATO Advanced Research Workshop Conservation of the Biological Diversity as a Prerequisite for Sustainaible Development of the Black Sea Region. The seminar was held at Batumi - Kobuleti, Georgia, on the Black Sea during October 5 -12, 1996 with participants from the countries of the Black Sea Region -Georgia, Russia, the Ukraine, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, as well as Germany, Italy and the United States of America. The Black Sea Region is an essential and unique part of southern Europe because of its geographical, cultural and historical features. It is the cradle of European civilisation, together with Greece and Rome. For centuries it neighboured onto and interacted with the cultures of the northern and southern Mediterranean, the Christian and Moslim worlds, and was the route of conquerors and migrations of whole nations. Here are closely interwoven the cultures and customs of nations, economic and trade relations, the history of wars and civilised relations of neighbouring countries.

Grazing animals enjoy an ambiguous reputation in the field of nature conservation. Livestock are often treated as a scourge, yet native large herbivores form the prime attraction of many a reserve. This book gives the first comprehensive overview of the use of grazing as a tool in conservation management. Considering in turn the ecological and historical background, the impact of grazing on community structure, management applications and future prospects, this book examines issues such as the role of herbivores as keystone species, the assessment of habitat quality and the function of scientific models in advancing grazing management. Large herbivores are shown to be potentially powerful allies in the management of nature reserves, particularly in the maintenance, enhancement or restoration of biodiversity. Grazing and Conservation Management will appeal to conservation biologists and rangeland managers, providing them with a clearer understanding of grazing and conservation management.

With the rapid growth of global industrialization, there has been substantial consumption of fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas along with growing carbon dioxide emissions. Unprecedented environmental and ecological crisis clouded the world. Fortunately, the Climate Conference in Copenhagen signaled hope amid the sluggish global economic recovery. Countries worldwide have been braced for developing their scientific and industrial strategies in the era of post financial crisis with a green and low-carbon philosophy. In 2008, the UN unveiled a plan for green politics and green economy, which is well-received and carried out by countries worldwide. China s 30-year rapid economic development has attracted worldwide attention. However, how to develop in a sustainable manner when faced with acute contradictions between economic growth, resources and environment has posed great challenges to China. Therefore, it is of great significance for us to speed up the study of green development and find a rational growth model. This study is completed by Prof. Li Xiaoxi and the dedication of other leading thinkers in economics, management, environment and resources together with the help of China Economic Monitoring and Analysis Center (CEMA)."

The book begins by describing in detail the mechanisms of energy exchange radiative, convective, conductive and evaporative together with techniques for their determination. The discussion extends to the importance of CO2, ozone and methane, together with that of aerosol pollutants and the evolution of atmospheric CO2. Subsequent chapters apply the results of the biophysical methods to mammals, birds and aquatic animals. Discussion includes problems of shelter and shade for animals in tropical environments and techniques for the thermal evaluation for shelters and for several tree types. The details of heat exchange between animals and the environment are presented, in separate chapters covering Mammals and Birds and Aquatic Mammals. A chapter on Shade and Shelter describes the importance of shade for animals, factors of shade efficiency, the protections offered by shelter and methods of calculating the protection afforded by both shade and shelter. A Special Methods chapter offers a variety of techniques for evaluating cutaneous and respiratory evaporation, and practical methods for sampling of hairs and the evaluation of hair coat characteristics."

This is a book about fishermen's reasons for obeying fisheries law. The fish harvesting industry has become subject to state interference to an increasing extent over the past twenty years. As natural resources become scarce and subsequent fisheries regulations abound, the question of law-abidingness is brought to the public agenda. However, there is still little empirical data as regards the dynamics of compliance in this field, and this book aims to meet a demand for in-depth knowledge. The cases studied can be regarded as instances of economies dependent on the harvesting of natural resources for both household and the market, and the study aims to contribute to the building of more adequate theory on the dynamics of compliance in such economies. However, focusing on a specific type of setting seldom constitutes a safe escape route for getting away from more pervasive sociological questions, and it certainly does not in this case. As any attempt to explain social phenomena, this study is faced with the fundamental sociological question of how the acts of individuals can best be understood. The question concerns the interface between the individual and the collectivity - between collective morality and self-interest. It thus deals with classical sociological issues such as the nature and regulatory capacity of group norms and sanctions, and the forms and roles of rationality and strategic action.

The United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development (UNCED), held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, spawned a multitude of pro grammes aimed at assessing, managing and conserving the earth's biological diversity. One important issue addressed at the conference was the mountain environment. A specific feature of high mountains is the so-called alpine zone, i. e. the treeless regions at the uppermost reaches. Though covering only a very small proportion of the land surface, the alpine zone contains a rela tively large number of plants, animals, fungi and microbes which are specifi cally adapted to cold environments. This zone contributes fundamentally to the planet's biodiversity and provides many resources for mountain dwelling as well as lowland people. However, rapid and largely man-made changes are affecting mountain ecosystems, such as soil erosion, losses of habitat and genetic diversity, and climate change, all of which have to be addressed. As stated in the European Community Biodiversity Strategy, "the global scale of biodiversity reduction or losses and the interdependence of different species and ecosystems across national borders demands concerted international action". Managing biodiversity in a rational and sustainable way needs basic knowledge on its qualitative and quantitative aspects at local, regional and global scales. This is particularly true for mountains, which are distributed throughout the world and are indeed hot spots of biodiversity in absolute terms as well as relative to the surrounding lowlands.

The Asian beans and grams, the species of Vigna (subgenus Ceratotropis), include several legumes that are an essential component in the diets of a large proportion of Asia's population, and interest in these legumes is growing as ethnic cuisine spreads worldwide. However, this important group of legumes is little known compared to the closely related Phaseolus beans and soybean. That deficiency is addressed for the first time in this fully illustrated comprehensive conservation, genetics, taxonomic, and agricultural monograph on the genetic resources of the Asian Vigna. The book deals with the phylogeny of the group from the perspectives of morphological and molecular analyses, ex situ and in situ conservation, eco-geographical analyses, and research. In addition, morphological descriptions, keys, and eco-geographic details of each species in the group are provided. This genetic resources handbook and guide to the Asian Vigna will be a valuable reference for agriculturists, conservationists, taxonomists, other scientists, and students interested in the legumes and plant genetic resources.

From its inception, the U.S. Department of the Interior has been charged with a conflicting mission. One set of statutes demands that the department must develop America's lands, that it get our trees, water, oil, and minerals out into the marketplace. Yet an opposing set of laws orders us to conserve these same resources, to preserve them for the long term and to consider the noncommodity values of our public landscape. That dichotomy, between rapid exploitation and long-term protection, demands what I see as the most significant policy departure of my tenure in office: the use of science-interdisciplinary science-as the primary basis for land management decisions. For more than a century, that has not been the case. Instead, we have managed this dichotomy by compartmentalizing the American landscape. Congress and my predecessors handled resource conflicts by drawing enclosures: "We'll create a national park here," they said, "and we'll put a wildlife refuge over there." Simple enough, as far as protection goes. And outside those protected areas, the message was equally simplistic: "Y'all come and get it. Have at it." The nature and the pace of the resource extraction was not at issue; if you could find it, it was yours.