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Environment is everything that is around us. All living things live in this environment naturally. But, the condition of our environment is depleting regularly. In 21st century, nature/ environment has faced new kind of tragic problems like various types of pollutions, climate change, shrinking natural landscapes, fast vanishing flora and fauna and depleting natural resources, human population explosion and resultant increasing greed, competition, consumerism etc. All these problems have cropped up due to thoughtless exploitation of various natural resources by we people and also due to our egoistic attitude towards nature. These anthropological activities have led the condition to a crisis stage and progress of technology has changed our thinking and life style. Therefore, environment needs its sustainable use and management of natural resources. The various chapters of the book cover all related disciplines of environment and anthropological activities. These chapters include: our environment, population and environment, urbanization stress on environment, consumerism and environmental degradation, society, technology and environment, environment and sustainable tourism, global warming–a byproduct of globalization, climate change and environment, radiation pollution – threat to environment, polythene pollution, toxic tour in homes, foods polluted by chemicals cause havoc, natural resources in 21st century, anthropogenic impact on planet earth, water crisis, rain water management, religious belief and environment protection, women and environmental protection, environmental protection through education, environmental protection and the judiciary, marching towards sustainability, sustainable development- new approach, changing environment: adaptive strategies and technologies. The book will be immense use to the ecologists, conservationists, foresters, NGOs, students, teachers and researchers engaged in environment science.

This 2-volume book covers the state-of-the-art of the research and practices on eco-design. It covers the latest topics in the field: e.g. global eco-design management, big data in eco-design, social perspectives in eco-design; as well as emphasizing the developments in emerging economies such as Asian countries. Eco-design of products and product-related services are indispensable to realize the circular economy and to increase resource efficiencies of our society. Eco-design practices are necessary both in developed countries and developing countries. The book chapters are contributed by the worldwide authors, especially authors from East Asian countries, European countries, and Southeast Asian countries, and contains selected presentations at the EcoDesign2017 symposium (10th International Symposium on Environmentally Conscious Design and Inverse Manufacturing).The second volume focus on assessment and management, including topics such as sustainable manufacturing and End of Life (EOL) management, sustainability assessment, policy and regulations and Incentives for eco-design.

This book provides comprehensive information on the rapidly developing field of urban horticulture for sustainable use of land resources and creating a better environment. It presents peer-reviewed chapters from leading international researchers in the field of horticulture technologies, environmental issues, urban horticulture, and landscaping and its role in society. It covers a wide array of topics on this subject and constitutes a valuable reference guide for students, professors, researchers, builders, and agriculturists concerned with urban horticulture, city planning, biodiversity, and the sustainable development of horticultural resources. Urban horticultural technologies facilitate the efficient use of available land in urban and residential areas, helping meet the demand for fresh fruits and vegetables to feed ever-growing urban populations. The amount of green space in urban areas is dwindling due to rising land prices, while the climbing numbers ofmulti-story buildings are producing various environmental and health issues. Technological advances provide tools and techniques for high-density and vertical cropping in small areas, promoting efficient and sustainable resource utilization. As such, urban horticulture is gaining importance in city planning – not only to bolster the food supply but also to improve the aesthetic value, environmental conditions, landscape, and business environment, while also reducing the consumption of fossil fuel in transportation.

This book focuses on the environmental components of sustainability, including aspects of resourcing and the environmental impacts of human societies. Marine and tropical forest ecosystems, food security and other natural resources, as well as technologies for the environmental control of societal impacts are examined. This volume is multi-disciplinary, but with a consistent focus on the natural environment. This 2-volume set discusses a wide range of topics concerning sustainability and human security in Asia, particularly South East Asia. The individual chapters have been contributed by authors from various fields, and due to the breadth of the material are separated into two thematic volumes. The set offers a valuable resource for professionals and researchers in the urban planning industry, postgraduates, policymakers, government officials and natural resources managers. In addition, it can be used in courses on Environmental Engineering, Agriculture and Forestry,Public Policy and Earth Science.

The aim of this open access book is to review and analyse the goods and services of bivalve shellfish. How they are defined, what determines the ecological functions that are the basis for the goods and services, what controversies in the use of goods and services exist, and what is needed for sustainable exploitation of bivalves from the perspective of the various stakeholders. The book is focused on the goods and services, and not on impacts of shellfish aquaculture on the benthic environment, or on threats like biotoxins; neither is it a shellfish culture handbook although it can be used in evaluating shellfish culture. The reviews and analysis are based on case studies that exemplify the concept, and show the strengths and weaknesses of the current applications. The multi-authored reviews cover ecological, economic and social aspects of bivalve goods and services. The book provides new insights for scientists, students, shellfish producers, policy advisors, nature conservationists and decision makers. This book is open access under the CC BY license.

El libro presenta bases y reflexiones hacia un futuro armónico entre el ser humano y la biota del planeta, a través de 10 capítulos, recorriendo los siguientes temas: la importancia de la agroecología; convergencias y diferencias entre agroecosistemas y hábitats naturales; el origen de la agricultura y su intensificación; soberanía alimentaria, energética y tecnológica; hipótesis agroecológicas y biodiversidad; la medición de la biodiversidad; investigación agroecológica y el caso de las hormigas en la caficultura colombiana; el suelo y su conservación; y manejo de herbívoros y enfermedades. El libro finaliza con un capítulo que discute las opciones agroecológicas para la biodiversidad.

This book presents a detailed case study of ecological and cultural interactions between the people and their natural environment at Roviana Lagoon, Solomon Islands, a land of rich biodiversity. This volume documents the subsistence lifestyle of the people and their indigenous ecological knowledge, analyzes the effects of recent socioeconomic changes on the people and ecosystem, and proposes future directions for sustainability. The contents have been designed to answer questions such as, “What kinds of factors have determined whether current human actions are sustainable or will result in a collapse of biocultural diversity in the Solomon Islands?”; “How do Solomon Islanders recognize nature and biodiversity conservation in traditional ways or under socioeconomic changes?”; and “How can harmony between humans and nature be achieved in the Solomon Islands under changing socioeconomic conditions?” A truly transdisciplinary approach is applied, integrating theories of human ecology, quantitative ethnobiology, and folk ecology and methods of vegetation surveys, ethnographic fieldwork, remote sensing, and health surveys, in order to link different domains of humans and the natural world. In addition, this work focuses on the importance of understanding of diversity not only in natural environments, but also in human societies, and will be a valuable source for many, especially ecologists, anthropologists, conservation practitioners, and rural development planners.

“Wetland Restoration: Shanghai Dalian Lake Project” introduces the whole Shanghai DaLian wetland restoration project, including the background investigation of the wetland, the overall planning of wetland restoration, its detailed design, engineering construction and engineering effects. This book appeals to readers especially due to its detailed data on wetland restoration. Readers can carry out a similar project step by step from the initial investigation to the last assessment by following the structure presented in this work. Through this book, we can get first-hand information on a wetland restoration, but it can also be valuable for other projects.Professor Shuqing An works at Nanjing University, China.

This book focuses on how marine systems respond to natural and anthropogenic perturbations (ENSO, overfishing, pollution, tourism, invasive species, climate-change). Authors explain in their chapters how this information can guide management and conservation actions to help orient and better manage, restore and sustain the ecosystems services and goods that are derived from the ocean, while considering the complex issues that affect the delicate nature of the Islands. This book will contribute to a new understanding of the Galapagos Islands and marine ecosystems.​

Containing the proceedings of the International Conference on Earth Science and Environmental Protection (ICESEP 2013), held in Kunming, China, the book brings together the work of academic scientists, leading engineers, industry researchers and scholarly students. The included papers cover research results from all aspects of Earth and Environmental Science and discuss the practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted. Topics covered include: Earth Resources; Agriculture; Environmental Science; Environmental Protection; Green Energy.

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.

When you look out your window, why are you so much more likely to see a robin or a sparrow than a Kirtland's warbler or a California condor? Why are some animals naturally rare and others so abundant? The quest to find and study seldom-seen jaguars and flamboyant Andean cocks-of-the-rock is as alluring to naturalists as it is vitally important to science. From the Himalayan slopes of Bhutan to the most isolated mountain ranges of New Guinea, The Kingdom of Rarities takes us to some of the least-traveled places on the planet to catch a glimpse of these unique animals and many others. As he shares stories of these species, Eric Dinerstein gives readers a deep appreciation of their ecological importance and the urgency of protecting all types of life — the uncommon and abundant alike. An eye-opening tour of the rare and exotic, The Kingdom of Rarities offers us a new understanding of the natural world, one that places rarity at the center of conservation biology. Looking at real-time threats to biodiversity, from climate change to habitat fragmentation, and drawing on his long and distinguished scientific career, Dinerstein offers readers fresh insights into fascinating questions about the science of rarity and unforgettable experiences from the field.

The book includes a broad spectrum of perspectives from different scientific disciplines (both the natural and social sciences) as well as practical knowledge. It gives a new insight into the Carpathian mountain region

Contamination of the different components of environment through industrial and anthropogenic activities have guided new eras of research. This has lead to development of strategies/methodologies to curtail/minimize environmental contamination. Research studies conducted all over the globe established that bioremediation play a promising role in minimizing environmental contamination. In the last decade, phytoremediation studies have been conducted on a vast scale. Initial research in this scenario focused on screening terrestrial plant species that remove contaminants from soil and air. Later, scientific community realized that water is a basic necessity for sustaining life on earth and quality of which is getting deteriorated day by day. This initiated studies on phytoremediation using aquatic plants. Role of aquatic plant species in cleaning water bodies was also explored. Many of the aquatic plant species showed potential to treat domestic, municipal and industrial wastewaters andhence their use in constructed wetlands for treating wastewaters was emphasized. The present book contains five chapters. First two chapters provide information about types of contaminants commonly reported in wastewaters and enlists some important and well studied aquatic plant species known for their potential to remove various contaminants from wastewater. Subsequent chapters deal with mechanisms involved in contaminant removal by aquatic plant species, and also provide detailed information about role of aquatic plant species in wetlands. Potential of constructed wetlands in cleaning domestic and industrial wastewaters has also been discussed in detail. The strategy for enhancing phytoremediation capacity of plants by different means and effectiveness of phytoremediation technology in terms of monitory benefits has been discussed in last chapter. Last chapter also emphasizes the future aspects of this technology.

Trotz 900 bi- oder multilateraler Umweltverträge bleiben die drängendsten Probleme des globalen Wandels ungelöst. Das internationale Organisationengefüge konnnte diesen Herausforderungen nicht effektiv und effizient begegnen. Daher entwickelt der Wissenschaftliche Beirat der Bundesregierung Globale Umweltveränderungen (WBGU) eine Vision für eine Reform der Vereinten Nationen im Umweltbereich ('Earth Alliance'). Die Earth Alliance umfaßt drei miteinander vernetzte Bereiche. Es wird erstens die Einrichtung einer unabhängigen Instanz vorgeschlagen, die auf besonders risikoreiche Entwicklungen des globalen Wandels (früh-)warnend hinweisen soll (Earth Assessment). Zweitens werden Änderungen des organisatorischen Kerns der internationalen Umweltpolitik empfohlen (Earth Organization). Drittens werden neue Wege zur Finanzierung globaler Umweltpolitik aufgezeigt (Earth Funding). Die Vorschläge des Beirats verstehen sich auch als Beitrag zur Rio+10-Konferenz.

The book deals with various consequences of major nuclear accidents, such as in 1986 in Chernobyl and in 2011 in Fukushima. The public is extremely interested in learning more about the movements and risks posed by radiation in the environment related to food supply and food safety. Radionuclides are found in air, water, soil and even in us not only after nuclear accidents because they occur also in nature. Every day, we ingest and inhale radionuclides in our air and food and the water. This book provides a solid underpinning of the basic physical-chemistry and biogeochemistry of naturally occurring and anthrop radioactivity. The mechanisms of radioactive element transfer in the atmosphere, tropospheric and stratospheric diffusion of radioactivity, environmental contamination from accidents and the impact of atmospheric pollution on the food chain, soil and plants, are analyzed and the analytical methods are illustrated. The question of natural radioactivity concentration in building materials is addressed too. While the book contains many case studies and data for Greece, it is of general value. It contributes to the development of international environmentally safe standards and economically reasonable standard regulations based on justified radiological, social and economical legislation concepts.

Ocean engineering is generally considered to be concerned with studies on the effects of the ocean on the land and with the design, construction and operation of vehicles, structures and systems for use in the ocean or marine environment. The practice of engineering differs from that of science in both motivations and objectives. Science seeks understanding of the principles of nature in terms of generalizations expressed as laws and classifications. Engineering seeks the application of knowledge of the physical and natural world to produce a benefit expressed as a device, system, material, and/or process. From the standpoint of the financial sponsors of an engineering project, the ideal approach is one of minimal risk in which only proven knowledge, materials and procedures are employed. There is frequent departure from this ideal in anticipation of the increased benefit expected from a large increase in performance of a structure or device. The process of acquiring this new capability is engineering research. Historically, ocean engineering developed with the application of engineering principles and processes to the design of ships and, later, to the machinery that propels them. In most societies, naval architecture and marine engineering are recognised as the origin of ocean engineering. In fact, the design of a ship constitutes the original systems engineering programme involving hydrodynamics/fluid flow, structural design, machinery design, electrical engineering and so on as well as requiring knowledge of the ocean environment (waves, corrosion, etc.).

Today western nations consume annually only a small percentage of their resources from the sea, despite the proclamation of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) by many. In contrast, most Pacific Basin Countries obtain more than a quarter of their annual needs from the ocean. Determination of greater rewards from the development of marine resources is markedly inhibited by the limited technical abilities available to locate and assess them. Knowledge of Exclusive Economic Zone resources is schematic and generalised, and a detailed understanding of the geology and processes relating to the economic use of the seafloor is both fragmentary and very basic. Technology for mapping the mineral resources of continental shelves and ocean areas, except in active offshore hydrocarbon provinces, has been largely developed in pursuit of scientific objectives and competence to rapidly appraise economic potential is limited. Similarly, the capability to characterise and evaluate the other resources of the seas is rudimentary. The development of ocean resources will become increasingly urgent as the growth of the world population and the depletion of land reserves combine to enhance demand. Also, increasing environmental constraints will limit the availability of traditional land-based resources; nevertheless, new offshore development must proceed in a manner whereby the marine environment is not plundered but protected and conserved. The challenge to develop ocean resources with responsible environmental stewardship will require greater leadership than the development of the technologies of exploitation.

Botanical aesthetics are the visual and embodied modes which inform the perception, understanding, and appreciation of plant life. Green Sense is an interdisciplinary study of human relationships to wild plants and the ‘cultures of flora'that may characterise a region. The book explores botanical aesthetics through a study of the South-West region of Western Australia; a biodiversity ‘hotspot'of international standing. Through a diverse range of materials, approaches, and perspectives, this title points to the interplay of values involved in cultures of flora, from visual aesthetics and scientific knowledge, to embodied appreciations and sensory entanglements. The book aims to better understand human relationships to wild plants, and offers an intriguing journey through science; poetry; philosophy; ethnography; Indigenous Australian knowledges; and regional tourism and memory studies.Green Sense will appeal to academic researchers, and all those interested in the hidden aspects of the human relationship with plants.

Political ecology and science studies have found fertile meeting ground in environmental studies. While the two distinct areas of inquiry approach the environment from different perspectives—one focusing on the politics of resource access and the other on the construction and perception of knowledge—their work is actually more closely aligned now than ever before. Knowing Nature brings together political ecologists and science studies scholars to showcase the key points of encounter between the two fields and how this intellectual mingling creates a lively and more robust ecological framework for the study of environmental politics. The contributors all actively work at the interface between these two fields, and here they use empirical material to explore questions of theoretical and practical import for understanding the politics that surround nature-society relations, from wildlife management in the Yukon to soil fertility in Kenya. In addition, they examine how various environmental knowledge claims are generated, packaged, promoted, and accepted (or rejected) by the different actors involved in specific cases of environmental management, conservation, and development. Finally, they ask what is at stake in the struggles surrounding environmental knowledge, how such struggles shape conceptions of the environment, and whose interests are served in the process.

The Mediterranean basin represents one of the most important “hot spots” of climate change in the world, with recent trends towards a hotter and drier climate being related to changes in atmospheric circulation patterns. Such changes can have significant impacts in the climate of this region but also on the natural environment and several socioeconomic activities. Among these patterns, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is one of the main forcing factors in the region with impact on extreme events such as droughts, severe precipitations or heat and cold waves, the availability of water resources, the ecological dynamics, the quality and quantity of crops, the migration and welfare of animal populations, the fisheries dynamics, the triggering of landslides and the air pollution and human health, among others. The aim of Hydrological, Socioeconomic and Ecological Impacts of the North Atlantic Oscillation in the Mediterranean Region, is to serve as an updated reference text that covers the wide range of evidences on the NAO impacts in the Mediterranean regions and from a multidisciplinary perspective. This volume constitutes a unique document to present the state of the art of the numerous studies undertaken on the hydrological, socioeconomic and ecological impact of the NAO, collecting the expertise of researchers from several complementary earth science fields (geography, hydrology, remote-sensing, climatology, agriculture, energy), but that have been lacking a common ground.

Land Degradation and Desertification: Assessment, Mitigation, and Remediation reports research results in sustainable land management and land degradation status and mitigation in 36 countries around the world. It includes background papers with continental and international perspectives dealing with land degradation and desertification studies. The book assembles various topics of interest for a large audience. They include carbon sequestration and stocks, modern techniques to trace the trends of land degradation, traditional and modern approaches of resource-base conservation, soil fertility management, reforestation, rangeland rehabilitation, land use planning, GIS techniques in desertification risk cartography, participatory ecosystem management, policy analyses and possible plans for action. Various climatic domains in Africa, Asia, Europe and The Americas are covered. The book will be of interest to a variety of environmental scientists, agronomists, national and international policy makers and a number of organizations dealing with sustainable management of natural resources.

Stable isotope ratio variation in natural systems reflects the dynamics of Earth systems processes and imparts isotope labels to Earth materials. Carbon isotope ratios of atmospheric CO2 record exchange of carbon between the biosphere and the atmosphere; the incredible journeys of migrating monarchs is documented by hydrogen isotopes in their wings; and water carries an isotopic record of its source and history as it traverses the atmosphere and land surface. Through these and many other examples, improved understanding of spatio-temporal isotopic variation in Earth systems is leading to innovative new approaches to scientific problem-solving. This volume provides a comprehensive overview of the theory, methods, and applications that are enabling new disciplinary and cross-disciplinary advances through the study of'isoscapes': isotopic landscapes.'This impressive new volume shows scientists deciphering and using the natural isotope landscapes that subtly adorn our spaceship Earth.', Brian Fry, Coastal Ecology Institute, Louisiana State University, USA'An excellent timely must read and must-have reference book for anybody interested or engaged in applying stable isotope signatures to questions in e.g. Anthropology, Biogeochemistry, Ecology, or Forensic Science regarding chronological and spatial movement, changes, or distribution relating to animals, humans, plants, or water.', Wolfram Meier-Augenstein, Centre for Anatomy & Human Identification, University of Dundee, UK'Natural resources are being affected by global change, but exactly where, how, and at what pace? Isoscapes provide new and remarkably precise answers.', John Hayes, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA'This exciting volume is shaping a new landscape in environmental sciences that is utilizing the remarkable advances in isotope research to enhanceand extend the capabilities of the field.', Dan Yakir, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel

The human interference with the climate system, the perturbation of the carbon cycle through massive release of greenhouse gases, caused by fossil fuel burning and land-use change, is threatening society and represents a key challenge for research and policies in the twenty-first century. Growing evidence of hum- induced climate change has raised public concern calling for urgent international policy actions. Initiatives culminated in the establishment of the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol (1997), where Parties for the first time agreed on legally binding commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is worth noting that the unfinished ‘sink'business, the Articles in the Kyoto Protocol dealing with terrestrial biospheric carbon dioxide sources and sinks, gave carbon cycle research a real boost. In the 1990s, the regional carbon balance and how the different ecosystems contribute at different timescales under different environmental conditions were hardly known. During the fourth Framework Programme (1994–1998), the European Union supported more than 20 research projects studying the components of the carbon cycle. These projects provided a solid basis for a more integrated attempt to tackle the research challenges and demands imposed by the Kyoto Protocol at European scale. Both the European Commission and the scientific community felt that it was time to develop an integrated carbon cycle research programme taking the new challenges on board.

Wetlands have been used for uncontrolled wastewater disposal for centuries. However, the change in attitude towards wetlands during the 1950s and 1960s caused the minimization of the use of natural wetlands for wastewater treatment (at least in developed countries). Constructed wetlands have been used for wastewater treatment for about forty years. Constructed wetland treatment systems are engineered systems that have been designed and constructed to utilize the natural processes for removal of pollutants. They are designed to take advantage of many of the same processes that occur in natural wetlands, but do so within a more controlled environment. The aim of this book is to summarize the knowledge on horizontal s- surface flow constructed wetlands (HF CWs) and objectively evaluate their treatment efficiency under various conditions. The information on this type of wastewater treatment technology is scattered in many publications but a comprehensive summary based on world-wide experience has been lacking. The book provides an extensive overview of this treatment technology around the world, including examples from more than 50 countries and examples of various types of wastewater treated in HF CWs.

Die rechtliche Regulierung des Problems invasiver gebietsfremder Arten in Deutschland. Teil 1: begriffliche und rechtstatsächliche Grundlagen. Teil 2: Analyse und Bewertung der völker-, europa- und nationalen umweltrechtlichen Vorschriften. Hier stellt die Autorin erhebliche Defizite fest: mangelhafte Umsetzung und Koordination, fehlende Konkretisierung. Ein Handlungsbedarf, auf den die Autorin mit konkreten Regelungsvorschlägen reagiert.

Since 1998, the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Food Quality (LNV) promotes development-orientated agricultural and environmental research and strengthening of North-South partnerships through its International Cooperation (DLO-IC) research programme. By 2005, some 70 collaborative North-South projects had been carried out. All science groups in Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR) were involved in the implementation of the programme and at least half the projects and activities undertaken were directly related to Rural Development and Sustainable Agriculture (RDSA). Facing new challenges with respect to sustainable development strategies for low-income countries, related to global environmental change and globalization of markets, an interdisciplinary Wageningen research group set out to draw lessons from the DLO-IC projects of the last eight years, stimulate discussion and support identification of a future research agenda for RDSA. In that process, special emphasis was given to lessons for future thinking about the contribution of agriculture to: 1) poverty alleviation and rural livelihoods; 2) food security, human nutrition and health; 3) environmental sustainability and natural resource management. In discussing the way ahead, a number of major research challenges, as well as policy questions are outlined. These include the interrelations between climate change and food security and environmental degradation, increased demand for biofuels and animal feed, and competing claims on natural resources, and rural development and livelihood strategies in low-income countries.

Fluctuations in the environmental conditions impacting life are ubiquitous. These fluctuations induce changes in the vital processes occurring within individual organisms (such as cellular metabolism) and the ecological processes occurring among individuals (such as competition, mutualism, and predation), ultimately leading to observable fluctuations in the commonly measured characteristics of ecological systems. From a very simple perspective, these processes are all modulators of environmental variability. We might best be able to understand the final form of this modulation – the impact of environmental variability on ecological systems - by building from an understanding of the responses of these life processes in isolation to an understanding of their responses in harmony. The impact of environmental variability on ecological systems is an issue that has been at the forefront of ecological research for many years. Research is taking place on many fronts, including theoretical mathematical based analyses, natural ecosystem observation and experimentation. This book brings together contributions from these three fronts to provide readers with a comprehensive look at the challenges for ecological systems and ecological research alike.

‘Homegardens'are integrated tree – crop – animal production systems, often in small parcels of land surrounding homesteads, and primarily found in tropical environments. These agroforestry systems, developed and nurtured by farmers through generations of innovation and experiment, are often cited as the epitome of sustainability, yet have been long neglected by the scientific community. Today, however, these age-old systems are receiving increasing attention owing to their perceived potential to mitigate environmental problems such as loss of biodiversity and rising levels of atmospheric CO2, while providing significant economic gains, as well as food and nutritional security to their owners. This multi-authored volume contains peer-reviewed chapters from the world's leading researchers and professionals in this topic. It summarizes the current state of knowledge on homegarden systems, with a view to using this knowledge as a basis for improving both homegardens and other similar multistrata agroforestry systems.

Carbon is chemically versatile and is thus the body and soul of biological, geological, ecological and economic systems. Its appropriation by humans through diversion of its biogeochemical cycle has been a mainstay of development. This domestication is characterized by a number of thresholds: control of fire, development of agriculture, expansion of Europe, fossil-fuel use and biotechnology. All have exacted an environmental toll, not least being climatic change and biodiversity loss. Carbon management now and in the future is a ‘hot'political issue. There is no existing book which focuses on the pivotal role of carbon in the environment and society and the ways in which carbon has been domesticated in time and space to generate wealth and political advantage. Students of environmental science, geography, biology and general science will find this work invaluable as a cross-disciplinary text.

The findings presented in this volume represent a concerted effort to develop a more inclusive form of reindeer management for northernmost Europe. Our guiding principle has been to foster a new paradigm of participatory research. We wish to move beyond the historical reliance on western approaches to basic and applied science. These have been concerned prim- ily with interactions between herded animals and the various components of their biophysical environment, e. g., plants, insects, predators, climate, and others. In our view,sociocultural and economic drivers,along with herders'experience-based knowledge,gain equal currency in the effort to understand how management may mitigate against the negative aspects of the challenges modern herding faces, while also exploring concepts of sustainability from different perspectives (see also Jernsletten and Klokov 2002; Kankaanpää et al. 2002; Ulvevadet and Klokov 2004). This broadening of the pool of disciplines and local,national,and int- national stakeholders in policy-relevant research invariably complicates v- tually all aspects of the research process. Multidisciplinary or, in our sense, transdisciplinary approaches also require extraordinary effort from all p- ticipants if they are to succeed. As such, those approaches should not be undertaken lightly, nor without personnel who possess appropriate expe- ence in cooperating with those of different disciplines and, preferably, also with relevant practitioners and public social and administrative institutions. In such settings the potential for misunderstandings is quite high.

The outstanding social and ecological roles of urban forests in the growth of cities has become widely known. In many parts of the world, despite or even because of continuing suburbanization, initiatives are being put forth to preserve urban forests, to develop them further and to make them acc- sible to the public. This volume focuses on a particular component of the urban forest - trix – urban wild woodlands. We understand these to be stands of woody plants, within the impact area of cities, whose form is characterized by trees and in which a large leeway for natural processes makes possible a convergence toward wilderness. The wilderness character of these urban woodlands can vary greatly. We differentiate between two kinds of w- derness. The “old wilderness” is the traditional one; it may return slowly to woodland areas when forestry use has been abandoned. The enhancement of wilderness is a task already demanded of urban and peri-urban forestry in many places. This book would like to direct the attention of the reader to a second kind of wilderness, which we call “new wilderness.” This arises on heavily altered urban-industrial areas where abandonment of use makes such change possible. The wild nature of urban abandoned areas was discovered in the 1970s through urban-ecological research. Since then, in a very short time, profound structural changes in industrial countries have led to h- dreds or thousands of hectares in urbanized areas becoming available for natural colonization processes.

Poole Harbour's unique combination of physical characteristics provide for a rich and productive ecological community recognised for its internationally significant bird populations and as a haven for the naturalisation of exotic species. But the Harbour is also exceptional in the extent to which it represents in microcosm the world-wide tensions between environment and development. The contrasts are sometimes startling: the narrow Harbour entrance separates an unspoilt natural environment of considerable importance from an urban landscape where property competes with Manhattan and Hong Kong Island in the world-wide table of real estate values. The Harbour serves as a port, fishing ground, a receiver of effluent and increasingly as a playground for the affluent. It also lies above Europe's largest on-shore oil-field.The Ecology of Poole Harbour brings together for the first time expert contributions in such a way as to provide a picture of the ecology of the Harbour system as a whole. It covers all the major habitats from reed beds and salt marshes to the extensive mudflats and unseen sub-tidal regions, while also examining in some detail a wide range of ecological phenomena and issues.• First expert overview of ecology of Poole Harbour as a whole

Ozone is a normal constituent of air but this gas becomes dangerous for living organism when its concentration in the troposphere is too high. Most previous studies of this substance examined it merely in its role as an earth screen for the biosphere or an air pollutant. This book will also view its derivatives (active oxygen species) at a molecular and cellular level, as substances that have both positive and negative effects on plant life. Plant cells will be considered as both recipients and sources of ozone, as well as possible biosensors and bioindicators for low and high concentrations of the compound.

Dynamic Modeling of Environmental Systems is a primer on using models to understand environmental problems. With their many natural, economic, political, and technical aspects, environmental problems require a systems approach. This book provides an introduction to modeling concepts and applications that is specifically geared toward the environmental field. Sections on modeling terminology, the uses of models, the model-building process, and the interpretation of output provide the foundation for detailed applications. After an introduction to the basics of dynamic modeling, the book leads students through an analysis of several environmental problems, including surface-water pollution, matter-cycling disruptions, and global warming. The scientific and technical context is provided for each problem, and the methods for analyzing and designing appropriate modeling approaches is provided. While the mathematical content does not exceed the level of a first-semester Calculus course, the book gives students all of the background, examples, and practice exercises needed both to use and understand environmental modeling. It is suitable for upper-level undergraduate and beginning-graduate-level environmental science courses. The text is also useful for environmental professionals seeking an introduction to modeling in their field.

When the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty entered into force on 14 January 1998, a new phase commenced for the Antarctic Treaty System. The parties to the Protocol are today confronting issues related to the implementation of a complex international environmental protection regime, both in international and domestic contexts. Several crucial implementation questions need to be solved in order to enhance and make possible the implementation of the Protocol. What would be the consequences for the parties of a possible failure in resolving the pending implementation issues, on what premises can the solutions be based, and what, then, are the options available? This book provides a systematic overview of the implementation issues in sections on jurisdiction, control and enforcement in the Antarctic (Part I), institutional support to the implementation of the Protocol (Part II), normative support to the implementation of the Protocol: an Antarctic liability regime (Part III), relationship with other international instruments and arrangements (Part IV), and, through a series of selected case-studies, issues involved in domestic implementation of the Protocol (Part V). This is a book that will appeal to Antarctic specialists and to all those interested in environmental law and policy.

This book presents the proceedings of a NATO Advanced Research Workshop which was also financially supported by the National Research Council of Italy. The Workshop was held from October 9 to 15, 1994, at the Centro Ettore Maiorana in Erice, Italy. Over 40 researchers from a wide variety of fields attended the Workshop, which brought to attention the ongoing research on various phenomena related to urban air pollution. The presence of high levels of atmospheric pollutants in the air of several urban centres of developed and developing countries causes a great concern among authorities and public opinion. Some 20% of the European population live in cities of more than 500,000 inhabitants and about 40% in cities of more than 50,000. Since exceedance of the Air Quality Guidelines has been observed to occur worldwide, a great effort has been addressed to the control of primary pollutants, but many problems related to secondary pollutants such as nitrogen containing species (nitrogen oxides, nitric and nitrous acid, ni trates) and photochemical oxidants (ozone, PAN and others) are far from being solved. The importance of atmospheric chemistry in understanding the processes occurring in urban atmospheres has been well recognised, thus there is a strong need to exchange experiences and results from urban centres in different Countries. Indeed, atmospheric pollution is very much dependent on the type of emissions which are very different according to the economic development of the urban centre under consideration.

An editorial by Wanless (1982), entitled'Sea level is rising - so what?', tells the case of an executive editor of a major city newspaper, who, when confronted with evi­ dence for a recent sea-level rise, replied:'That just means the ocean is six inches deeper, doesn't it?'. Whether his'so what?'attitude was real or put on to dike a threat of sensation, there is at present a wide and deepening interest in ongoing and future global sea-level change. This interest has grown along with the concern over global warming due to increasing levels of C02 and trace gases. A stage has been reached where investigators of climat- sea-level relationships call for long-term measurement programmes for ice-volume changes (using satellite altimetry) and changes in temperature and salinity of the oceans (ther­ mal expansion). This manual, however, is primarily concerned with sea­ level changes in the past, mainly since the end of the last glaciation. Its major objective is to help answer the ques­ tion:'how?', which, of course, is little else but to assist in the gathering of fuel for the burning question:'why?'Good fuel, hopefully, for the less smoke and ashes, and the more heat and light produced by that fire, the better scientists are enabled to develop a quantitative under­ standing of past, and hence of future, sea-level changes on different spatial and temporal scales.

From reviews of the first edition:'well organized... Recommended as an introductory text for undergraduates'-- AAAS Science Books and Films'well written and illustrated'-- Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

Nils Petter Gleditsch International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO) & Department of Sociology and Political Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trond­ heim This book could hardly have happened but for the end of the Cold War. The decline of the East-West conflict has opened up the arena for increased attention to other lines of conflict, in Europe and at the global level. Environmental disruption, not a new phenomenon by any means, is a chief beneficiary of the shift in priorities in the public debate. The Scientific and Environmental Affairs Divi­ sion of NATO has moved with the times and has defined environmental security as one of its priority areas for cooperation with Central and Eastern Europe and countries of the former Soviet Union. This book is the main output of an Advanced Research Workshop (ARW), held in Bolkesjl/l, Norway, 12-16 June 1996. I would like to acknowledge the personal support of L. Veiga da Cunha, Director of the Priority Area on Environmental Security. Research on these issues is now very much a collaborative effort across former lines of division in Europe. NATO encourages, indeed requires, that this be reflected in the composition of the participants, as well as the organizing committee. This meeting was organized by a group of five people from five different countries: Lothar Brock (Germany), Nils Petter Gleditsch (Norway), Thomas Homer-Dixon (Canada), Renat Perelet (Co-Director, Russia), and Evan Vlachos (USA).

Marine protected areas (MPAs) have an important role in marine conserva­ tion programmes around the world. Although most have been established relatively recently when compared with protected areas on land, there is considerable expertise on their identification, setting up and management. Some techniques have been adapted from those used on land. Others are novel, and unique to marine conservation. The chapters in this book give an insight into this fast developing field where experiment and innovation work alongside techniques which have been tried and tested. The guiding princi­ ples behind key stages in the setting up and management of MP As are described, and case studies illustrate how they have worked. While it is most encouraging to read about the successes, the case studies also point to difficulties which have been encountered. Not all of the examples are new or recent but, together, they illustrate what is happening in this field.