What do we mean when we use the term 'failed states'? This book presents the origins of the term, how it shaped the conceptual framework for international development and security in the post-Cold War era, and why. The book also questions how specific international interventions on both aid and security fronts - greatly varied by actor - based on these outsiders' perceptions of state failure create conditions that fit their characterizations of failed states. Susan L. Woodward offers details of international interventions in peacebuilding, statebuilding, development assistance, and armed conflict by all these specific actors. The book analyzes the failure to re-order the international system after 1991 that the conceptual debate in the early 1990s sought - to the serious detriment of the countries labelled failed or fragile and the concept's packaging of the entire 'third world', despite its growing diversity since the mid-1980s, as one.

In the first political analysis of unemployment in a socialist country, Susan Woodward argues that the bloody conflicts that are destroying Yugoslavia stem not so much from ancient ethnic hatreds as from the political and social divisions created by a failed socialist program to prevent capitalist joblessness. Under Communism the concept of socialist unemployment was considered an oxymoron; when it appeared in postwar Yugoslavia, it was dismissed as illusory or as a transitory consequence of Yugoslavia's unorthodox experiments with worker-managed firms. In Woodward's view, however, it was only a matter of time before countries in the former Soviet bloc caught up with Yugoslavia, confronting the same unintended consequences of economic reforms required to bring socialist states into the world economy.

By 1985, Yugoslavia's unemployment rate had risen to 15 percent. How was it that a labor-oriented government managed to tolerate so clear a violation of the socialist commitment to full employment? Proposing a politically based model to explain this paradox, Woodward analyzes the ideology of economic growth, and shows that international constraints, rather than organized political pressures, defined government policy. She argues that unemployment became politically "invisible," owing to its redefinition in terms of guaranteed subsistence and political exclusion, with the result that it corrupted and ultimately dissolved the authority of all political institutions. Forced to balance domestic policies aimed at sustaining minimum standards of living and achieving productivity growth against the conflicting demands of the world economy and national security, the leadership inadvertently recreated the social relations of agrarian communities within a postindustrial society.

This two-volume set provides a one-stop resource on invasive plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms that are threatening native ecosystems, agriculture, economies, and human health in the United States. Kudzu vine and field bindweed. Eurasian collared-doves, Burmese pythons, and black rats. The northern snakehead and the gypsy moth. All of these are examples of invasive species that have taken over or are threatening certain ecosystems-places where these organisms never naturally occurred. This two-volume work contains 168 entries on plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms that are invasive in the United States, providing a complete examination of the variety of organisms, pathways, distribution patterns, and impacts of non-native species introduced to this country. Encyclopedia of Invasive Species: From Africanized Honey Bees to Zebra Mussels begins with a background essay that illuminates the complexities of dealing with invasive animals and plants. Each entry provides information on the origins and invasion history of the species in question as well as a general description of the biology and ecology of each organism. Impacts-actual and potential, as well as management strategies-are addressed. Every species is depicted via photographs as well as maps that show its place of origin and invaded regions in the United States. This unique work presents fascinating scientific information as well as valuable insights about how seemingly minor events can drastically alter our environment. 79 entries on animal species and 89 entries on plants, including some fungi and microorganisms State-by-state lists of invasive animals and plants designated as noxious or invasive Maps accompany each entry, depicting the organism's original habitat and the regions to which it has now spread Tables on pathways of introduction and impacts of invasive plants Hundreds of photographs of featured plants, animals, and fungi A glossary of terms related to the biology and ecology of invasive species Appendixes containing information on organizations and legislation related to the prevention or control of invasive species

This volume in the Greenwood Guides to Biomes of the World covers grasslands, those biomes the cover vast areas of the landmass of earth. It covers the two major types of grassland biomes: the temperate grasslands (such as the North American prairie), and the tropical grassland (e.g. the African savanna), examining all aspects that define these biomes: - Vegetation - Geographical Distribution - Soil - Challenges posed by the environment - Adaptation of the plants and animals to the environment - Conservation efforts Maps, photos, diagrams, drawings, and tables accompany the text, as do sidebars that highlight habitats, species, and ecological relationships. The volume includes a bibliography of accessible resources for further research.

"Introduction to Biomes" is both a standalone summary to the concept of biomes and an introduction to the 8-volume series "Greenwood Guides to Biomes of the World."

The volume covers:

The biome concept and brief descriptions of vegetation, climate and distribution of the terrestrial and of the range of freshwater and aquatic biomes covered in the set.

Classifying life - how scientists discuss the taxonomic hierarchy and how it has been used to determine how to divide the world into regions based on living organisms.

The ecosystem concept - how this and other major concepts from ecology that are key to understanding biomes.

Terrestrial environments - the various climatic variables and climate types, and a discussion of our changing planet

Aquatic environments and life - how lifeforms and food chains make aquatic environments distinct from terrestrial biomes. Maps, photos, diagrams, drawings, and tables accompany the text, as do sidebars that highlight habitats, species, and ecological relationships.

The volume includes a bibliography of accessible resources for further research.

Understanding biomes--the communities of nature that share a similar climate and plant and animal life--is key to a student's success in biology, geography, and environmental studies. This book provides a thorough and accessible description of the climate, plant and animal life, origins and human impacts, and history of the scientific exploration of every major biome in the world. Chapters on the "human-dominated" biomes--urban areas and agricultural regions--illustrate how these frequently ignored communities are also an important part of the global environment. More than 90 maps and photographs help the reader visualize the extent and characteristics of each biome. This book divides the world's biomes into four principal types: Terrestrial, Freshwater, Marine, and Human-dominated. Comprehensive discussions enable readers to obtain a thorough understanding of each biome, and the convenient one-volume format allows easy comparison between aspects of each region. For example, a student can compare the typical characteristics of flora and fauna of the Continental Shelf and Deep Sea biomes, or the climates of the Tropical Rainforest and the Tundra. Current references to the latest scientific research provide a convenient starting point for those interested in more intensive investigations on such issues as the human impact on the distribution of natural biomes and the loss of biodiversity in the world.

What do we mean when we use the term 'failed states'? This book presents the origins of the term, how it shaped the conceptual framework for international development and security in the post-Cold War era, and why. The book also questions how specific international interventions on both aid and security fronts - greatly varied by actor - based on these outsiders' perceptions of state failure create conditions that fit their characterizations of failed states. Susan L. Woodward offers details of international interventions in peacebuilding, statebuilding, development assistance, and armed conflict by all these specific actors. The book analyzes the failure to re-order the international system after 1991 that the conceptual debate in the early 1990s sought - to the serious detriment of the countries labelled failed or fragile and the concept's packaging of the entire 'third world', despite its growing diversity since the mid-1980s, as one.

This unusual encyclopedia brings together in-depth information on more than 450 natural geographic features from around the world and offers an array of creative tools to promote critical thinking and classroom discussion. With Earth undergoing rapid environmental change, students and the general public alike should be knowledgeable about the world's geographic features. This authoritative, two-volume reference enables readers do just that. It describes continents and oceans; individual mountains, islands, caves, and rivers; and ecological entities such as wildlife refuges and national parks. Each entry provides a geographic overview of the feature's significance, location, description, geologic history, biota, protected areas, and environmental issues. But the coverage goes even deeper so that entries also discuss the cultural importance of each natural place, covering everything from indigenous beliefs to traditional folklore to contemporary legends. The encyclopedia stands apart from other works not only in the depth of its coverage but also in its range. It discusses lesser known as well as prominent geographical features and offers critical thinking aids that will help students see how the natural world relates to their daily lives. Teaching and learning tools include an appendix called "Opposing Viewpoints" that allows students to understand landforms involved in current conflicts and disputes as well as an "Activities/Discussion Questions" appendix. Provides a one-stop reference for students of geography and environmental and earth sciences Offers global coverage of diverse features, whether terrestrial, aquatic, geological, ecological, or physiographic Includes an overview of the various kinds of landforms of the world, how they are formed, and how they continue to change over time Explains each feature's origins and significance, as well as major environmental issues in which it's involved Indicates the importance of features to the development of Western science and contemporary scientific thought in fields such as evolutionary biology, paleontology, plate tectonics, and climate change Features a "Top 10s Appendix" to provoke student interest through statistics such as the tallest mountains, largest lakes, and longest rivers

"Yugoslavia was well positioned at the end of the cold war to make a successful transition to a market economy and westernization. Yet two years later, the country had ceased to exist, and devastating local wars were being waged to create new states. Between the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 and the start of the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina in March 1992, the country moved toward disintegration at astonishing speed. The collapse of Yugoslavia into nationalist regimes led not only to horrendous cruelty and destruction, but also to a crisis of Western security regimes. Coming at the height of euphoria over the end of the cold war and the promise of a ""new world order,"" the conflict presented Western governments and the international community with an unwelcome and unexpected set of tasks. Their initial assessment that the conflict was of little strategic significance or national interest could not be sustained in light of its consequences. By 1994 the conflict had emerged as the most challenging threat to existing norms and institutions that Western leaders faced. And by the end of 1994, more than three years after the international community explicitly intervened to mediate the conflict, there had been no progress on any of the issues raised by the country's dissolution. In this book, Susan Woodward explains what happened to Yugoslavia and what can be learned from the response of outsiders to its crisis. She argues that focusing on ancient ethnic hatreds and military aggression was a way to avoid the problem and misunderstood nationalism in post-communist states. The real origin of the Yugoslav conflict, Woodward explains, is the disintegration of governmental authority and the breakdown of a political and civil order, a process that occurred over a prolonged period. The Yugoslav conflict is inseparable from international change and interdependence, and it is not confined to the Balkans but is part of a more widespread phenomenon of political disintegration. Woodward's analysis is based on her first-hand experience before the country's collapse and then during the later stages of the Bosnian war as a member of the UN operation sent to monitor cease-fires and provide humanitarian assistance. She argues that Western action not only failed to prevent the spread of violence or to negotiate peace, but actually exacerbated the conflict. Woodward attempts to explain why these challenges will not cease or the Yugoslav conflicts end until the actual causes of the conflict, the goals of combatants, and the fundamental issues they pose for international order are better understood and addressed. "