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Books > Science & Mathematics > Biology, life sciences > Hydrobiology
A concise but comprehensive introduction to the biology of standing
waters (lakes and ponds). As with other books in the Biology of
Habitats Series, the emphasis in this book is on the organisms that
dominate freshwater environments. Management and conservation
aspects are also considered. The first edition of the book
published in 1998 with a second, revised edition in 2005. There has
been significant development in the field since the last revision
appeared, particularly in the ecology of lakes and ponds in
subtropical and tropical areas, and a new revision of this now
classic text is timely.
As a society, we use more than 100,000 different industrial
compounds to promote health and treat disease, to grow food and to
access clean water. While technological developments have improved
our lives, most of these compounds end up in our oceans where they
threaten marine life and human health. The practice of ocean waste
disposal has had a long history and was initially believed to have
minimal associated costs. However, it is now clear that although we
can use the oceans for cheap waste treatment, we do this at the
expense of the other key benefits we derive from the sea, notably
human food supplies as well as its aesthetic value (including
opportunities for recreation and tourism). Many of the pollution
problems of previous decades appear to have been solved in the
developed world, or at least managed to minimise their
environmental impacts. However, despite treatment being available
for some waste products, a potent mixture of toxic compounds and
other potentially harmful additions continue to enter the marine
environment every day. So, have the problems of marine pollution
really been solved or have we simply generated a suite of different
and potentially more complex challenges? In this volume we consider
marine pollution from the perspective of the historical problems
that are now successfully managed or solved, the ongoing problems
and the emerging challenges that we face. These include hormone
mimics, the residues from pharmaceuticals, nanometre-sized
particles added to new materials, the millimetric plastics added to
shampoos and cosmetics, the artificial fibres in the clothes we
wear, and the noise and light pollution from our expanding
industries and cities. Marine Pollution is aimed at senior
undergraduates, masters and graduate level students studying marine
sciences. It will also serve as a useful reference for researchers
and professionals working in the fields of environmental
management, marine planning, marine environmental regulation and
protection, as well as those working for government departments,
environmental NGOs and marine environmental consultancies.
This volume is a collection of short essays articles on the
multidimensional aspects of the blue economy. It presents
perspectives on the concept and the essential ingredients of the
blue economy such as marine resources, maritime infrastructure and
marine environment. International cooperative approaches to promote
blue economy, the role of maritime governance and capacity building
are discussed in the context of implementing the blue economy. The
book also promotes the importance of sustainable utilization of the
oceans which lies at the core of the blue economy.
The general aim of this book is to explain the development of
several types of models using an extremely small number of
parameters in an attempt to find consistent properties of integral
living matter within aquatic ecosystems. Starting from a minimal
model of the whole study [ie: the ideal minimal ecosystem (IMES)],
the authors developed a series of statistical models (size spectra,
rank distribution, and regression models, including allometries).
They then proceeded from ataxonomic to taxonomic size spectra to
demonstrate and explain the high consistency of natural
communities. Several types of species size-frequency distributions
or "taxonomic size spectra" were applied, diminishing the
importance of rare species and the assemblage time-space
heterogeneity. A series of original studies written during the last
thirty years to develop condensed, formalised models and empirical
comparisons has demonstrated general patterns and the model's
drawbacks; hence, several cycles of modernisation were fulfilled,
revealing both the stability of natural aquatic communities and
small-scale variability of the general pattern. Comparisons of
several taxonomic hierarchy levels speak in favor of the
whole-assemblage origin of the statistical mechanisms, supporting
the long-term consistency of phytoplankton taxonomic size
structure. Specific changes in the taxonomic size spectrum fine
structure were evident and may be helpful for diagnostics, while
the spectrum general pattern consistency can be helpful for
monitoring and modeling the aim of this study. The consistency
difference between several levels of the phytoplankton taxonomic
hierarchy was demonstrated as a new phenomenon important for
modeling, monitoring, and ecological forecast. Though stochastic
dynamics of abundances and biomasses often emerge from experiments
and mathematical models, some predictable patterns and indices
emerged from large-scale studies of natural aquatic assemblages.
Mathematical models demonstrated the formation of long-tail
distributions produced by metabolic webs. Such consistency
phenomena lead to explanatory ecological models based on concepts
of the living whirl (G. Cuvier), living matter (V. Vernadsky),
dissipative structures, and biogeochemical cycles. Aquatic (marine
and freshwater) ecosystem management could be sufficiently
strengthened, applying reliable patterns and descriptors suitable
for forecasting and diagnostic purposes.
Resources tailored to the Cambridge International AS & A Level
Marine Science syllabus (9693), for first examination in 2017.
Cambridge International AS and A Level Marine Science Coursebook is
tailored to the Marine Science syllabus (9693) for first
examination in 2017, and is endorsed for full syllabus coverage by
Cambridge International Examinations. The coursebook includes
exercises to develop scientific skills such as problem-solving and
handling information; practical activities to help students develop
investigative skills; and international case studies to illustrate
phenomena in real-world situations. Exam-style questions and
self-assessment questions are provided to encourage students to
track their understanding. Students can also develop their maths
skills in science contexts. Answers to questions are found at the
back of the book.
Killer tales from an award-winning cinematographer and marine
biologist. Marine biologist and underwater cameraman Richard 'Shark
Tracker' Fitzpatrick wrangles sharks and other deadly marine
creatures for a living. From the coral gardens of the Great Barrier
Reef to the murky depths of the Amazon, Fitzpatrick shares his
real-life experiences with predators of the deep - from sharks and
box jellyfish to sea snakes. A mixture of mind-boggling anecdotes
and science provide an intimate insight into marine life and the
conservation issues at stake.
"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"
Vegetation communities in Australia's riverine landscapes are
ecologically, economically and culturally significant. They are
also among the most threatened ecosystems on the continent and have
been dramatically altered as a result of human activities and
climate change. Vegetation of Australian Riverine Landscapes brings
together, for the first time, the results of the substantial amount
of research that has been conducted over the last few decades into
the biology, ecology and management of these important plant
communities in Australia. The book is divided into four sections.
The first section provides context with respect to the spatial and
temporal dimensions of riverine landscapes in Australia. The second
section examines key groups of riverine plants, while the third
section provides an overview of riverine vegetation in five major
regions of Australia, including patterns, significant threats and
management. The final section explores critical issues associated
with the conservation and management of riverine plants and
vegetation, including water management, salinity, fire and
restoration. Vegetation of Australian Riverine Landscapes
highlights the incredible diversity and dynamic nature of riverine
vegetation across Australia, and will be an excellent reference for
researchers, academics and environmental consultants.
Among all the large whales on Earth, the most unusual and least
studied is the narwhal, the northernmost whale on the planet and
the one most threatened by global warming. Narwhals thrive in the
fjords and inlets of northern Canada and Greenland. These elusive
whales, whose long tusks were the stuff of medieval European myths
and Inuit legends, are uniquely adapted to the Arctic ecosystem and
are able to dive below thick sheets of ice to depths of up to 1,500
meters in search of their prey-halibut, cod, and squid. Join Todd
McLeish as he travels high above the Arctic circle to meet: Teams
of scientific researchers studying the narwhal's life cycle and the
mysteries of its tusk Inuit storytellers and hunters Animals that
share the narwhals' habitat: walruses, polar bears, bowhead and
beluga whales, ivory gulls, and two kinds of seals McLeish consults
logbooks kept by whalers and explorers and interviews folklorists
and historians to tease out the relationship between the real
narwhal and the mythical unicorn. In Colorado, he visits
climatologists studying changes in the seasonal cycles of the
Arctic ice. From a history of the trade in narwhal tusks to
descriptions of narwhals' vocalizations as heard through
hydrophones, Narwhals reveals the beauty and thrill of the narwhal
and its habitat, and the threat it faces from a rapidly changing
world. Watch the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHwaqdKyLCQ&list=UUge4MONgLFncQ1w1C_BnHcw&index=9&feature=plcp
This book is the fifth companion volume to 'An Introduction To
Using GIS In Marine Biology'. It is designed to augment the
information on using GIS in marine biology provided in that book,
and, indeed, to be used alongside it rather than to be used
independently as a stand-alone volume. Therefore, this book will be
of most interest to those who have already read 'An Introduction To
Using GIS In Marine Biology'. This book consists of five exercises
covering the practical use of GIS in marine biology using ESRI's
ArcGIS(r) 10.2 software. These exercises are based around creating
maps for reports and presentations. They range from making a map
template which allows you to quickly make new maps in a standard
format to creating a custom legend which allows you to repeatedly
apply the same symbols to multiple data layers and making
multi-part maps . The exercises are designed to be followed in the
order they are presented, and work with a specific data set, which
can be download separately for free. Working through these five
exercises will help the novice GIS user obtain experience making
maps for reports and presenations, and so develop their GIS skills.
Unlike most other GIS tutorials, this information is specifically
presented in a marine biological context and all the exercises use
real data from a marine biological study. Therefore, these
exercises are more likely to provide the kind of experience in
using GIS that marine biologists will find useful and applicable to
their own research. These exercises are presented in the same
easy-to-follow flow diagram-based format first introduced in the
'How To...' section of 'An Introduction To Using GIS In Marine
Biology'. They are accompanied by images which show the user how
their GIS project should look as they progress through the
exercises, allowing them to compare their own work to the expected
results. This is part of the PSLS series of books which use
Task-Oriented Learning (TOL) to teach the practical application of
research skills to the life sciences. This involves demonstrating
how these skills can be used in the specific circumstances in which
they are likely to be required rather than concentrating on
teaching theoretical frameworks or on teaching skills in a generic
or abstract manner. By seeing how the similar processes are used to
achieve a variety of different goals within a specific field, it
becomes easier for the reader to identify the general rules behind
the practical application of these processes and, therefore, to
transfer them to novel situations they may encounter in the future.
Table Of Contents:
Preface.
1. Introduction.
2. How To Use The ArcGIS 10.2 Software User Interface.
3. Exercise One: Creating A Map Template For A Project.
4. Exercise Two: Making And Using A Style File To Create A Custom
Legend For A Data Layer.
5. Exercise Three: Creating A Map With An Insert To Show Its
Location In The World.
6. Exercise Four: Creating A Multi-Part Map For Showing The
Distributions Of Multiple Species At Once.
7. Exercise Five: Creating A Map With An Accompanying Graph
Showing Additional Information.
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