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Books > Earth & environment > Geography > Physical geography
Originally published in 1988 Deforestation examines deforestation as a major environmental and development problem. It examines the issues of forests being cut in tropical and mountain areas, and how acid rain, pollution and disease wreak havoc in temperate zones. Some of the worst effects of deforestation have been changes in the world's climate system, erosion and flooding, desertification, wood short-ages and the disappearance of some floral and fauna species. This book challenges the belief that deforestation is due to entirely rapid population growth and agricultural expansion and emphasises the effects of commercial exploitation and poor planning and management. In concludes with a programme for reforestation using agro-forestry, appropriate cottage industries, improved international programmes, local land reforms and community participation.
Originally published in 1990 Tropical Resources presents in-depth coverage of the extremely diverse tropical environments, the resources to be found within the region and their production, and ecological management. The book discusses economic geography and ways of utilizing available resources, including those of tropical forests, wildlife, tidal wetlands and the sea. The book also include chapters on the development and land use of protected areas, the ecological aspects of pasture resources; and the impacts of economic development and population damage. In addition, studies are offered on tropical soils, including their distribution properties and management and the ecological processes at work in tropical forests. For geographers, economists and policymakers, the book provides a wealth of information on tropical resources and their potential development.
Originally published in 2002, Mountain Biodiversity deals with the biological richness, function and change of mountain environments. The book was birthed from the first global conference on mountain biodiversity and was a contribution to the International Year of Mountains in 2002. The book examines biological diversity as essential for the integrity of mountain ecosystems and argues that this dependency is likely to increase as environmental climates and social conditions change. This book seeks to examine the biological riches of all major mountain ranges, from around the world and using existing knowledge on mountain biodiversity, examines a broad range of research in diversity, including that of plants, animals, human and bacterial diversity. The book also examines climate change and mountain biodiversity as well as land use and conservation.
Originally published in 1982, Biogeographical Processes is a concise introduction to biogeography aimed at undergraduate students. It provides a detailed overview of man and his environment and includes data from such research projects as that of the International Biological Programme. The book argues that natural processes can be viewed as a datum line to which the human impact through time is added. It suggests that through this datum line, the man and the biological environment are inextricably linked. The book firstly examines the fundamental processes determining the distribution of plants and animals, and the interactions between such processes leading to the concept of the ecosystem. The book also examines major world ecosystems, or biomes, such as forests, grasslands and oceans as if they were in a natural condition and discusses the affect of human impact upon such systems. The book also discusses the alternative future relationships of man and other living organisms. Although over 30 years old, the book still contains a useful and detailed overview of biogeography. It will be of interest to students or lecturers in ecology, biology and the environmental sciences.
Originally published in 1981 Historical Plant Geography is an introductory treatment of historical plant geography and stresses the basic theoretical frame of the subject. The book is about neither the study of vegetation nor the concept of the ecosystem, instead focusing on the much older tradition concerned with analysing the geographical distribution of individual species and natural plant groups. Important areas are discussed, such as global plate tectonics and sea-floor spreading, plant maps are introduced and there is a basic treatment of recent advances in plant taxonomy. The book will appeal to students and academics of geography, botany, ecology and environmental sciences.
Approximately 1500 scientists from around the globe participated in the InternationalGrassland Congress at the University of Kentucky in 1981, sharing existingknowledge of grasslands and exploring methods for increasing the productivity oflivestock/forage systems so as to better feed mankind while maintaining or improvingenvironmental quality. Of the nearly 500 papers presented on previously unpublishedoriginal research or experimental research and development projects, 273 were selectedfor inclusion in this book. They cover the current basic and applied research on productionand utilization of forages from grasslands the world over.
Originally published in 1984, Themes in Biogeography presents a broad examination of biogeographical themes, extending across the field of plant and animal ecology and geography. The book provides a detailed and unique investigation into life and its environment and delves into not just geography, and ecology, but provides an interdisciplinary look at these areas across both biological and environmental sciences. The book examines biogeographical themes applying them to areas of research in soils and climate change, as well as in depth studies of plant communities and their animal associates. The book also discusses plants and animals through their taxonomic distribution, and deals with factors of plant geography, using both global and regional examples. This book will be of interest to biologists, ecologists and geographers alike.
Originally published in 1998, Southern Forested Wetlands is an up to date, one source compendium of current knowledge on the wetland ecology of America's southern forests. This book presents both the ecological and management aspects of these important ecosystems. The book was compiled by members of the Consortium for Research on southern forested wetlands, and was a collaboration of those working to conserve, study, and manage these economically and environmentally influential areas. The book covers geographic ranges from West Virginia to Florida, to Texas and inland north to Arkansas and Tennessee. It also addresses specific wetland types, including deep-water swamps, major and minor alluvial flood plains, pocosins and Carolina bays, mountain fens, pond cypress swamps, flatwoods wetlands, and mangroves.
Offering all aspects of humidity measurement and instrumentation, this work includes rudiments and theory, common applications, advantages and limitations of frequently-used sensors and techniques, and guidelines for installation, maintenance and calibration. The disk is intended for easy conversions of humidity parameters and units.
The seaside has always held a special position in British history as a place of rest, relaxation and recuperation. Over the last 200 years many have made their way to the coast, attracted by the long sunshine hours, the clean ozone-charged air and the opportunities for bathing in and even drinking sea-water. Although the early health resort ideal began to give way to more pleasure orientated themes in the nineteenth century, the seaside holiday was still regarded by many as a wholesome and invigorating break from inland urban life well into the twentieth century. Yet with ever increasing numbers of visitors and rising levels of coastal pollution, this was by no means a forgone conclusion. The Seaside, Health and the Environment in England and Wales since 1800 explores the ways in which English seaside resorts continually reinvented themselves to take account of contemporary trends in popular leisure and maintain their hold on the public's imagination. Particular account is paid to the interwar years when new obsessions with outdoor activities such as sunbathing and tanning were purposefully adopted by the industry to define the modern image of the resort holiday. For these and other reasons the seaside holiday reached new peaks of popularity in the 1930s and 1950s, yet, this very success placed enormous pressures on the environmental amenities that people came to enjoy. As this work shows, environmental stresses were manifold, particularly pollution of the resorts' prime assets, their beaches. As such, serious questions are raised concerning why it took such a long time for a determined effort to be made to reverse beach pollution, and the lessons to be learned regarding the impact of negative images of the coast as a zone of danger and infection.
A Vital Explanation of Water Law and Policy Because demand for and access to quality water far exceeds the current supply, it is increasingly critical to understand the state and federal laws and policies that govern water rights. From farming, fishing, and biology to manufacturing, mine operation, and public water supply, water regulation affects all strata of society. Determining U.S. Water Rights: Different Systems for Different Needs United States Water Law: An Introduction is a concise overview of law and policy related to U.S. water rights and regulation of water quantity and quality. This wide-ranging book reviews the two major systems used to determine rights in the western and eastern states. It explores these different systems, which are based on the divergent factors affecting the two regions - the immense amount of government-owned property and arid conditions in the west, and ownership of riparian land in the east. The author also covers western states that adhere to the "hybrid" system, which recognizes early riparian rights predating adoption of later appropriation systems, and he explains that most states recognize at least some riparian rights to the use of surface water. Special sections detail regulatory considerations such as Native American rights, environmental regulation, nuisance and tort law, and social theory. Tools to Aid Further ResearchTo elucidate basic principles and differences in water law, this book contains Internet links to state water codes and contact information for regulatory agencies that handle applications. It presents key federal case law and statutes and other features to reinforce the material. For law practitioners and environmentalists to property/business owners acquiring or retaining water rights, this is the ideal primer on water law, with numerous tools to aid in further research.
Written by Chris Maser, one of the architects of the sustainability movement, Interactions of Land, Ocean and Humans: A Global Perspective explores a critical number of the myriad aspects that comprise the great, reciprocal feedback loops between the mountain peaks, the deep sea, and everywhere in between. Maser's exploration of these connections gives us the tools required to open our imaginations and our scientific literacy, offering insights into the relationships between the land, sea, and people that could influence us toward better decisions. The author examines the hydrological cycle, hydrological continuum, and anthropogenic pollution of various kinds from the atmosphere to deep belowground. He also highlights connections by detailing how human behavior changes the atmosphere, which changes the oceans, which alters the climate, which alters the atmosphere and thus the ocean, and so on. The book then explores the biophysical commonalities between landscapes and seascapes, as well as the habitats, in each realm. It covers marine fisheries; marine protected areas; oceans as a commodity, as part of the global commons, as a biophysical living trust for which we are the trustees and the children of today and beyond are the beneficiaries; and more. Can we arrest this deleterious process? Yes, but it will take a dramatic shift in human behavior worldwide. Why? Because, just as the collective human behavior and lack of awareness caused the problems in the first place, the level of consciousness that caused the problem is not the level of consciousness that can fix it. We must shift our thinking from that which is symptomatic to that which is systemic if we are to have a sustainably productive environment through time. Maser gives us the understanding of the biophysical interactions among the lands, oceans, and peoples of the world needed to create sustainable solutions to environmental problems.
The latest cutting-edge research on flood pulsing and wetland restoration in North America Presenting the latest research from leaders in the field of restoration ecology, Flood Pulsing in Wetlands reflects the current movement to incorporate flood pulsing into wetland restoration efforts. Emphasizing how integral flood pulsing is to successful wetland restoration, the book’s contributors provide descriptions of restoration projects across North America in which flood pulsing has been primarily used to restore beneficial hydrodynamic conditions to floodplain areas, and improve or save vegetation, wildlife, and terrain. Detailing the importance and applicability of recreating flood-pulsed conditions on floodplains for successful restoration, the first chapter introduces the concept of flood pulse and its unique role in wetland restoration. The following chapters detail the strategies and results of individual projects and the impact flood pulsing had on the projects’ overall goals. Case studies detail the history of each region, such as the Southwest, including the Sonoran Desert communities and the Middle Rio Grande; the Missouri River in Montana; the Illinois River Valley; and the Southeast, including Brushy Lake, Arkansas. Also documented is the most famous case of flood pulsing used in the restoration of an entire landscape, the Kissimmee River project. Approaches used to restore specific plant and animal populations, the unique ecological concerns of each region, and the future outlook for each area are fully described. Extensive bibliographies for each chapter make Flood Pulsing in Wetlands: Restoring the Natural Hydrological Balance the essential reference for restoration ecologists, consultants in wetland restoration, government and restoration agency employees, land managers, ecologists, foresters, and geologists.
A concise textbook emphasizing sedimentary processes and flow in alluvial channels, this title provides comprehensive treatment of flow-bed transport interaction. It emphasizes water flows (basic principles and characterization), fluvial sediment, processes of erosion and sediment transport, bedforms that result from flow-bed sediment interactions in sand and gravel, flow and sedimentary processes in curved, braided and confluent channels, as well as aquatic habits.;The text provides a comprehensive synthesis of current knowledge about physical processes in alluvial channels, with an emphasis on the recent work on flow-bed sediment transport interactions. It is designed for students with an interest in fluvial studies as a part of physical geography, earth sciences, environmental sciences and ecology courses.
Since the 1980s, geography as an academic discipline has become more and more reflective, asking the key questions "what are we doing?" and "why are we doing it?" These questions have, so far, been more enthusiastically taken up by human geography rather than physical geography and this volume aims to redress that balance. Written and edited by an international group of physical geographers, this text comprises a collection of the writers' thoughts which reveal personal motivations and look at tensions in the worlds of meaning in which physical geography is involved. How are the meanings of the physical environment derived? Is the future of physical geography one where the only, or at least the dominant, meanings are framed in the contexts of environmental issues? Covering a diverse and lively selection of topics, the contributors of this book offer guides to the contemporary debates in the philosophy of physical geography, and introduce the reader to its wider cultural significance.
Originally published in 1987 Rates of Evolution is an edited collection drawn from a symposium convened to bring together palaeontologists, geneticists, molecular biologists and developmental biologists to examine some aspects of the problem of evolutionary rates. The book asks questions surrounding the study of evolution, such as did large morphological changes really occur rapidly at various times in the geological past, or is the fossil record too imperfect to be of value in assessing rates of morphological change? What is the measure of 'rapid' change? Is stasis at any taxonomic level established? Is it possible to relate genomic and morphological change? What is the role of regulatory and executive genes in controlling evolutionary change? Does the transfer of genetic material between different taxa provide the possibility of increasing evolutionary rates? Featuring contributions from leading researchers, this book will interest anthropologists, palaeontology and scientists of evolution and genetics.
This volume contains the papers contributed to the Nakase Memorial Symposium with the theme: Soft Ground Engineering in Coastal Areas, held in Yokusuka, Japan in November 2002. The meeting was organized as a tribute to Professor Ako Nakase, and was attended by 125 participants including his Japanese colleagues and friends from overseas. The topics covered included: fundamental Characteristics of Clay Soils; Estimation of consolidation settlement in large-scale reclamation; Soil improvement methods in coastal areas; Reuse of dredged soils and behaviour of coastal structures under earthquake; and Evaluation for the stability of coastal structures.
With the underpinning role of forage legumes in the nitrogen economy and animal productivity from temperate grasslands certain to expand in the future, particularly in regions where their potential has not yet been realized, it is essential that the wealth of information currently available is widely disseminated. This book serves the purpose with very detailed information on and illustrations of 35 selected forage legume species that will contribute to more efficient and viable grassland farming.
Originally published in 1933 Functional Affinities of Man, Monkeys and Apes gives a taxonomic and phylogenetic survey and the findings of diverse experimental investigations of lemurs, monkeys, and apes. The book discusses the inter-relationships of different Primates and emphasizes seldom-used approaches to the question of primate phylogeny. The book attempts to show how little they have been systematically tried, and argues for a regard to the proper place of functional investigations in the study of the classification and evolution of Primates. This book will be of interest to anthropologists, scientists and historians alike.
Originally published in 1915, The Natural Theology of Evolution looks at the concept of natural theology, examining the argument for the existence of God based on reason and ordinary experiences of nature. The book looks at natural theology in light of Darwin's theory of evolution, and how this important discovery affected belief in intelligent design. The book argues that the discovery of evolution, far from diminishing the existence of God, provides stronger proof for an intelligently designed earth and therefore the existence of God. This book provides a unique and interesting take on the debates surrounding evolution in the late 19th and early 20th century. It will be of interest to philosophers, historians of religion and natural historians alike.
Coastal zones are critical multiple-use resources, under pressure from constant demands from different sources - conservation, economic growth and social welfare. This book identifies the dilemmas of managing conservation and development in coastal areas. It offers important information on the management, conservation and social implications of coastal resources. The authors present a variety of participatory methods and techniques that can be used to show the success or otherwise of the different uses and how they affect the users. Their interdisciplinary analysis draws upon scientific knowledge as well as the latest social science insights on property rights and governance. The book is intended for researchers and students in geography, development studies and environmental planning, and also for practitioners in natural resource management and coastal zone management.
Coastal zones are critical multiple-use resources, under pressure from constant demands from different sources - conservation, economic growth and social welfare. This book identifies the dilemmas of managing conservation and development in coastal areas. It offers important information on the management, conservation and social implications of coastal resources. The authors present a variety of participatory methods and techniques that can be used to show the success or otherwise of the different uses and how they affect the users. Their interdisciplinary analysis draws upon scientific knowledge as well as the latest social science insights on property rights and governance. The book is intended for researchers and students in geography, development studies and environmental planning, and also for practitioners in natural resource management and coastal zone management.
Richard John Chorley was known as a leading figure in quantitative geography in the late 20th Century and played an instrumental role in bringing the use of systems theory to geography. This set of 7 reissued works either edited by or written by Chorley offers a great wealth of scholarship on geography and geomorphology.
This book breaks the ground in Geographical texts by transcending a strictly regional or topical focus. It presents the opportunities and constraints that mountains and their resources offer to local and global populations; the impacts of environmental and economic change, development and globalisation on mountain environments. Part of the Ecogeography series edited by Richard Hugget |
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