Conservation of the environment Books

Book SynopsisIn 1972, James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis began collaborating on the Gaia hypothesis. They suggested that over geological time, life on Earth has had a major role in both producing and regulating its own environment. Gaia is now an ecological and environmental worldview underpinning vital scientific and cultural debates over environmental issues. Their ideas have transformed the Earth and life sciences, as well as contemporary conceptions of nature. Their correspondence describes these crucial developments from the inside, showing how their partnership proved decisive for the development of the Gaia hypothesis. Clarke and Dutreuil provide historical background and explain the concepts and references introduced throughout the Lovelock-Margulis correspondence, while highlighting the major landmarks of their collaboration within the sequence of almost 300 letters written between 1970 and 2007. This book will be of interest to researchers in ecology, history of science, environmental histoTrade Review'Gaia – a hypothesis, a theory, a research program, a philosophy of nature. For the last half century, the astonishing work of James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis has cast and recast again a concept with implications for the atmosphere, Earth history, ecology, and exobiology. Both of them would have already stood as major figures in modern science; together, they gave us a concept that remains generative across fields. In this vital, remarkable volume of their letters, one can see the origin and development of Gaia, in the complementarity of their interventions, in their mutual support, in their occasional substantive disagreement. Bruce Clarke and Sébastien Dutreuil bring us a volume that will be read for decades across the very wide range of the environmental sciences.' Peter Galison, Joseph Pellegrino University Professor, Harvard University, USA'Indeed, Lovelock and Margulis found that they 'had something to say' together, a question they ask in 1971 in a letter! What they had to say changed my life and the lives of many people. Gaia is a polymorphous concept, hypothesis, planet, boundary object in conflict, and collaboration among scientists of different disciplines and persuasions, Earth systems' conceptual foundation, popular passion, and much more. Gaia matters, and Lovelock and Margulis gave us this generative formulation of the living Earth as a complex dynamic, self-organizing system. This collection – with its sober, extensive, enticing scholarly apparatus – makes the hairs of my arms stand up with pleasure and excitement. Here the reader will find unadorned letters between two very different kinds of professional scientist over many years of a complex personal and intellectual relationship. I am deeply grateful to the scholarship and passion of Bruce Clarke and Sébastien Dutreuil for this book.' Donna Haraway, University of California at Santa Cruz, author of Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene'Writing Gaia offers a fascinating window on the meeting of two great minds. This insightful set of correspondence and commentaries provides an unprecedented resource on the history of the Gaia concept.' Michael R. Dietrich, University of Pittsburgh, USA'Writing Gaia is a revealing and surprisingly entertaining record of the long intellectual and personal relationship between two idiosyncratic scientific geniuses and rebels from whose cerebral symbiosis and complex friendship was born the Gaia hypothesis, which profoundly changed how we think about Earth and life. The collected letters of Lovelock and Margulis, along with accompanying essays by some of their key collaborators, have been skillfully assembled with insightful commentary by Clarke and Dutreuil. The result is a riveting intellectual journey, spiced with gossip, intellectual feuds, and occasional moments of touching intimacy. This book will be required reading for students of Earth's biosphere and of modern history of science.' David Grinspoon, Astrobiologist and author of Earth in Human Hands'It is not hyperbole to say that microbiologist and cell biologist Lynn Margulis and atmospheric chemist James Lovelock were two giants of twentieth-century science. Margulis's serial endosymbiosis theory resolved the riddle of the origin of the eukaryotic cell, forever changing biology. Lovelock developed the Gaia hypothesis, a radically synthetic vision of life on Earth, in which Margulis became his chief collaborator. Published here for the first time, their correspondence provides a fascinating window into the lively interaction of two extraordinary minds and personalities, while also showing the evolution of the Gaia idea and its cultural and scientific reception. This is captivating reading, and I could not put it down!' James Strick, Professor and Chair of Program in Science, Technology and Society, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, USA'… a fascinating read that reproduces and contextualizes a four-decade-long conversation …' Paul Falkowski, Science'Writing Gaia charts the inside story of a long-running collaboration that gave birth to one of the most influential environmental ideas in the modern world … fascinating reading.' Adam Vaughan, New ScientistTable of ContentsPreface; Part I. 1970-1972: 1970; 1971; 1972; Part II. 1973-1979: 1973; 1974; 1975; 1976; 1977; 1978; 1979; Part III. 1980-1991: 1980; 1981; 1982; 1983; 1984; 1985; 1986; 1987; 1988; 1989; 1990; 1991; Part IV. 1992-2007: 1992; 1993; 1994; 1995; 1996; 1997; 1998; 1999; 2000; 2001; 2002; 2003; 2004; 2005; 2006; 2007; Part V. Commentaries on Lovelock and Margulis: Darwinizing Gaia W. Ford Doolittle; Gaia at the Margulis lab Betsey Dexter Dyer; Gaia and the water of life Stephan Harding; Gaia as a problem of social theory Bruno Latour; Befriending Gaia: My early correspondence with Jim Lovelock Tim Lenton; Gaia's pervasive influence Chris Rapley; Gaia's microbiome John F. Stolz; Tangled up in Gaia Tyler Volk Lovelock and Margulis Andrew Watson; Discovering geology, discovering Gaia Peter Westbroek; Glossary of names; Glossary of terms; Bibliography; Index.

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Book Synopsis**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER**In a world that seems so troubled, how do we hold on to hope?Looking at the headlinesthe worsening climate crisis, a global pandemic, loss of biodiversity, political upheavalit can be hard to feel optimistic. And yet hope has never been more desperately needed.In this urgent book, Jane Goodall, the world''s most famous living naturalist, and Douglas Abrams, the internationally bestselling co-author of The Book of Joy, explore through intimate and thought-provoking dialogue one of the most sought after and least understood elements of human nature: hope. In The Book of Hope, Jane focuses on her Four Reasons for Hope: The Amazing Human Intellect, The Resilience of Nature, The Power of Young People, and The Indomitable Human Spirit.Drawing on decades of work that has helped expand our understanding of what it means to be human and what we all need to do to help build a better wor

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Trade Review"A tightly written, thoroughly researched, almost encyclopedic book.”—The Cleveland Plain Dealer“[Prud’homme] patiently lays out the staggering extent of the world’s water problems.”—The New Yorker “A reader only has to look at the latest headlines to judge the timeliness of Alex Prud'homme's The Ripple Effect."—The Denver Post“The Ripple Effect is true to its title, following the myriad reverberations from our use and abuse of this most abundant, ubiquitous resource. The book plunges in and rarely comes up for air.”—Washington Post

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Book SynopsisIn this richly illustrated love letter to the wild places and natural wonders of North Carolina, Tom Earnhardt, lifelong conservationist, seamlessly ties deep geological time and forgotten species from our distant past to the unparalleled biodiversity of today.

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Book SynopsisThe world is undergoing unprecedented changes in many of the factors that determine its fundamental properties and their in- ence on society. These changes include climate; the chemical c- position of the atmosphere; the demands of a growing human population for food and ?ber; and the mobility of organisms, ind- trial products, cultural perspectives, and information ?ows. The magnitude and widespread nature of these changes pose serious challenges in managing the ecosystem services on which society depends. Moreover, many of these changes are strongly in?uenced by human activities, so future patterns of change will continue to be in?uenced by society''s choices and governance. The purpose of this book is to provide a new framework for n- ural resource management-a framework based on stewardship of ecosystems for human well-being in a world dominated by unc- tainty and change. The goal of ecosystem stewardship is to respond to and shape change in social-ecological systems in order to s-Trade ReviewFrom the reviews: “Throughout the work, chapter contributors link recent advances in the theory of resilience, sustainability, and vulnerability with practical issues related to the management of social-ecological systems. … This book introduces an intriguing new approach to the philosophy of resource management emphasizing proactive policies that shape change for sustainability, in contrast to current reactions to observed changes. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate through professional collections.” (R. L. Smith, Choice, Vol. 47 (3), November, 2009)Table of Contents1. A Framework for Understanding Change 2. MAnaging Ecosystems Sustainably 3.Human vulnerability, adaptation, and resilience 4. Dynamics of integrated social-ecological systems 5. Conservation and livelihoods: Sustaining and restoring the cultural connections to land 7. Landscape stewardship: Discovering the missing connections to sustain vulnerable systems. 8. Forest systems: Living with long-term change. 9.Drylands: Coping with uncertainty, thresholds, and changes in state 10. Lakes and rivers: Managing connections across temporal and spatial scales 11. Oceans and estuaries: Managing the commons 12. Food production systems: integrating technology sustainably 13. Urban and suburban landscapes: Manging the built environment 14. Planet Earth: Sustaining the life support systems of the planet 15. Strategies for managing uncertainty and change 16. Summary and Synthesis

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Book SynopsisThe nation's approach to managing environmental policy and protecting natural resources has shifted from the national government's top down, command and control, regulatory approach, used almost exclusively in the 1970s, to collaborative, multi-sector approaches used in recent decades to manage problems that are generally too complex, too expensive,, and too politically divisive for one agency to manage or resolve on its own. Governments have organized multi-sector collaborations as a way to achieve better results for the past two decades. We know much about why collaboration occurs. We know a good deal about how collaborative processes work. Collaborations organized, led, and managed by grassroots organizations are rarer, though becoming more common. We do not as yet have a clear understanding of how they might differ from government led collaborations.Hampton Roads, Virginia, located at the southern end of the Chesapeake Bay, offers an unusual opportunity to study and draw comparativTrade ReviewThe idea of participatory democracy and citizen involvement in agency decision making is not new. This is especially true for works on participatory decision making in environmental policy and watershed management. Unfortunately, what sounds like a great idea on the surface rarely works in practice as competing interests often get in the way of compromise and collaboration. This is where The Case for Grassroots Collaboration can prove to be a useful addition to the literature. The authors provide three case studies of situations where the approach did work--the Elizabeth River watershed, the Lynnhaven River watershed, and the Nansemond River watershed. . . .The authors synthesize the factors that led to success in these cases in order to provide a template for future use. This is what is necessary if citizens and policy makers are to bridge the gap between a promising theory and a generally elusive practice and make more widespread use of grassroots participation. For this reason, the work is recommended. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduate collections and above. * CHOICE *This is a richly detailed and carefully supported examination of an under-explored aspect of environmental protection, the role of grassroots organizations. The work is particularly valuable for the specific, well-documented characterizations of these organizations. The mix of history and interpretation, which constitute the heart of the book, is especially noteworthy. This mix provides the necessary scholarly framework within which the reader can place the concrete details that draw the reader into the content deeply. The Case for Grassroots Collaboration has the potential to add to the field's knowledge of an important yet emerging topic. -- Gerald Andrews Emison, Mississippi State UniversityThis work offers a fresh perspective on collaboration by focusing on citizen-based efforts to resolve complex problems. An in-depth examination of three grassroots environmental organizations reveals the power in voluntary collaboration as a catalyst for action. -- Madeleine W. McNamara, University of New OrleansThe Case for Grassroots Collaboration brings together the most current research on environmental collaboration, with a special focus on the potential of local, place-based initiatives to make a significant difference in ecological restoration efforts, such as the Chesapeake Bay. The book’s major theme, “restoring water quality one watershed at a time,” richly illustrated by three in-depth case studies, inspires hope for those discouraged by the limited success of government-led, large-scale environmental collaboration. The message, supported by evidence from these case studies, is that small successes in improving water quality support gains on a larger scale. The rich detail in the case studies, framed by current literature, is valuable to academic researchers, and accessible to citizens who are inspired by their own sense of place to make a difference. -- Christine Reed, University of Nebraska-OmahaTable of ContentsList of Figures List of Abbreviations Foreword Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1: Grassroots Collaborations to Solve Environmental Problems Chapter 2: A Framework for Collaboration: Building Social Capital, Improving Environmental Outcomes, and Maximizing Democratic Values Chapter 3: The Chesapeake Bay: Local Efforts, Regional Connections Chapter 4: Restoring Princess Elizabeth’s River Chapter 5: The Return of the Oyster to the Lynnhaven River Chapter 6: The Nansemond: A Tale of Two Rivers Chapter 7: Conclusion: One Watershed at a Time Appendix: List of Interviewees Reference List About the Authors Index

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Book SynopsisFor hundreds of years, farmers and fishing communities maintained the inlet to Ellisville Marsh, a picturesque piece of coastline ten miles south of Plymouth, Massachusetts. Recognized as one of the most environmentally sensitive and ecologically valuable places in the state, the salt marsh and estuary are home to a diverse array of wildlife and a range of habitats, including low-tide mudflats, a saltwater pond, intertidal zone, and fields of tall marsh grass.After agricultural and fishing activities faded away in the late twentieth century, it soon became apparent that protecting the marsh and its surroundings from development would not be enough to restore the natural equilibrium that had been lost when the inlet became blocked. Having witnessed government inaction over the years, Eric P. Cody and four other locals founded the Friends of Ellisville Marsh in 2007 to address erosion, revive tidal flows, and revitalize fisheries and wildlife in the face of climate change. Rescuing Ellisville Marsh presents the powerful case study of backyard activism, telling the story of a community that bonded with a natural place and decided to fight for it.Trade Review "Cody, in detailing the efforts and introducing us to the varied people who got involved—lawyers and botanists, sea mossers and lobstermen, a tribal chairperson, engineers, environmentalists, and a big dog named Veda—creates a moving and compelling ode, to a place, to a natural history, to people and the power that comes from focusing efforts and working with an environment . . . Cody’s deep and reverent attention to the natural world reminds us of its rewards, personally and environmentally."—Boston Globe “At a time when preventing climate change can seem daunting to the point of paralysis, stories about local, individual action appreciate in value. The author . . . buys a piece of coastal property on the Massachusetts South Shore and finds himself joining with neighbors to protect and then restore a salt marsh inlet. A fine-grained account of what is entailed in addressing the problems humans have caused as the built environment has ‘stranded the natural places.’”—HarvardMagazine “Cody offers an intimate portrait of this place, its history and people, and the natural life in and around the marsh. The side stories of the community near Ellisville Marsh, the joys of monitoring work on the marsh, and the battles to win permits and keep the inlet open, are compelling.”—Tim Traver, author of Sippewissett: Or, Life on a Salt MarshTable of Contents Preface Acknowledgments Main Characters Chronology Chapter 1: A Place Called Ellisville Marsh Chapter 2: How It Is, How It Was Chapter 3:Plants under Siege Chapter 4:The Crux of the Problem Chapter 5: Birth of a Backyard Movement Chapter 6: A Thousand Paper Cuts Chapter 7: Breaching the Spit Chapter 8: The Closer You Look Chapter 9: Invisible Birds Chapter 10: Detoxifying a Pond Chapter 11: Natural Wonders Chapter 12: Canary in the Coal Mine Conclusion Appendix A: “Ellisville History,” by Albert Marsh (1928– 2020) Appendix B: Facsimile of Letter from Plymouth Select Board to Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, May 15, 2018 Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThe Everglades is a unique wetland ecosystem that spans across central and south Florida. Not only popular in the state, but the Everglades is also an international interest for United States National Park travelers, environmentalists, and nature lovers. But conservation and protection are needed now more than ever due to human and natural changes. Readers will enjoy learning about the unique ecosystem while also get inspired on how to help the Everglades in their own ways.Everglades: An Ecosystem Facing Choices and Challenges, Second Edition, brings key updates to topics like invasive species, water conversation issues, and restoration efforts. New photos and updated sidebars and inserts give the second edition a much-deserved contemporary glance into what the Everglades is like today, and how locals, tourists, and all those interested in environmentalism can preserve and enhance its natural splendor.Author Anne E. Ake is not only revising the book with her own vast environmental and conservation knowledge but brings in expertise from colleagues and professionals in Everglades conservationism. Everglades has been praised by professors in the field, like Dr. Tom Poulson from Florida Atlantic University, in spaces like Everglades Literacy, a part of the Everglades Foundation. Join Ake as she uncovers the choices and challenges this beloved wetland ecosystem is facing today

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Book SynopsisThis unique collection of in-depth case studies from Latin America, Asia, Africa, Europe and North America demonstrates the importance of women and gender relations in plant genetic resource management and conservation. It provides a state-of-the-art overview of the concepts, relationships and contexts explaining the relatively hidden gender dimensions of people-plant relations. The contributors come from a rich range of disciplines including ethnobotany, geography, agronomy, anthropology, plant breeding, nutrition and development economics. They demonstrate how crucial women are to plant biodiversity management and conservation at household, village, and community levels; and how gender relations have a strong influence on the ways in which local people understand, manage, and conserve biodiversity. Continued access to biological resources is crucial to rural women‘s status and welfare, and their motivations therefore are a principal driving force countering processes of biological erosion. The contributors highlight the gender biases evident in much contemporary scientific research, policy and development practice. And they seek to contribute to a number of important debates, including the determinants of genetic erosion, the significance of gender in indigenous ethno-botanical knowledge systems, indigenous intellectual property rights systems and women‘s entitlements therein, and ecofeminist and other debates about the nature of gender-environment relations.Trade ReviewThis is a very important book. Taken together, the collected papers present a rich picture of the vital role played by peasant women around the world. They are struggling to preserve, in the face of modern agribusiness, the agricultural wisdom of the past and the diversity of plants that have been used for both food and medicine. It is vital that decision makers, especially in the developing world, heed the knowledge of these women who understand so well the art of a sustainable lifestyle. Women and Plants must be in the library of every individual who cares about the future of our planet.' Jane Goodall 'Women and Plants offers a uniquely gender-sensitive perspective on the management of biodiversity. These case studies empirically substantiate a broad range of cultures and ecologies, and offer keen insights for policy development and application.' Professor Nina L. Etkin, Associate Editor, Pharmaceutical Biology 'Focusing on traditional knowledge of indigenous people and local communities, and especially on the relationship between biodiversity and women in traditional societies worldwide, this book provides a well-marked path for the better understanding of biodiversity, its values and its importance for humans while at the same time highlighting community and ecosystem inter-relations.' Hamdallah Zedan, Executive Secretary to the Convention on Biodiversity 'At long last, the predominant role of women in the management of plant genetic resources has begun to be scientifically documented in this highly important book. While men were occupied by hunting and defending their territories, women were most likely domesticating many of the world's crops. Recognition that they hold much of the related knowledge and skills today is clearly overdue. But recognition is not enough - Farmer's Rights as per Article 9 of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture must be assured now and for the future, if we are to give farmers - both women and men - incentives to continue to be the developers and custodians of the world's genetic resources. All those with responsibilities for promoting the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources should certainly read this book.' Jose Esquinas Alcazar, Secretary of the Commission on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization, and Father of 'Farmers' Rights' 'Wonderfully rich in evidence, persuasive in its argument, and wide-ranging in coverage, this timely edited volume on the gendered nature of knowledge about biodiversity enriches both scholarship and policy. It points to the critical need not only of recognizing the specificity of womens knowledge about plant species, but of strengthening their conservation efforts and bringing their interests to bear in arrangements for biodiversity development and benefit sharing.' Bina Agarwal, Professor of Economics, Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi UniversityTable of Contents Foreword 1. Women and the Plant World: An Exploration - Patricia L. Howard Part 1: Culture, Kitchen and Conservation 2. Women in the Garden and Kitchen: The Role of Cuisine in the Conservation of Traditional House Lot Crops among Yucatec Mayan Immigrants - Laurie S. Z. Greenberg 3. Wild Food Plants and Arbëresh Women in Lucania, Southern Italy - Andrea Pieroni 4. Women and 'Wild' Foods: Nutrition and Household Food Security Among Rai and Sherpa Forager Farmers in Eastern Nepal - Ephrosine Daniggelis Part 2: Gender Relations, Women's Rights, and Plant Management 5. Farm Women's Rights and Roles in Wild Plant Food Gathering and Management in Northeast Thailand - Lisa Leimar Price 6. Gender and Entitlements in the Zimbabwean Woodlands: A Case Study of Resettlement - Allison Goebel Part 3: Gendered Plant Knowledge in Science and Society 7. 'Passing on the News': Women's Work, Traditional Knowledge and Plant Resource Management in Indigenous Societies of Northwestern North America - Nancy Turner 8. The Invisible Queen in the Plant Kingdom: Gender Perspectives in Medical Ethnobotany - Brij Kothari 9. The Gender of Crops in the Papua New Guinea Highlands - Paul Sillitoe Part 4: Plants, Women's Status and Welfare 10. Gendering the Tradition of Plant Gathering in Central Anatolia (Turkey) - Füsun Ertug 11. The Basket-Makers of the Central California Interior - Linda Dick Bissonnette 12. Exchange, Patriarchy and Status: Women's Homegardens in Bangladesh - Margot Wilson Part 5: Gender, Biodiversity Loss and Conservation 13. Losing Ground: Gender Relations, Commerical Horticulture and Threats to Local Plant Diversity in Rural Mali - Stephen Wooten 14. Modernization and Gender Dynamics in the Loss of Agrobiodiversity in Swaziland's Food System - Millicent Malaza 15. Arawakan Women and the Erosion of Traditional Food Production in Amazonas Venezuela - Shirley Hoffmann 16. Women and Maize Breeding: The Development of New Seed Systems in a Marginal Area of Southwest China - Yiching Song and Janice Jiggins

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Book SynopsisThe groundbreaking new concept that reveals the true and hazardous extent of our everyday water consumption. How much water does it take to make a cup of coffee? The answer may shock you: 140 litres! That's the true amount of water used in growing, producing, packaging and shipping the beans you use to make your morning coffee. Your lunchtime hamburger takes 2,400 litres and that favourite pair of blue jeans a whopping 11,000 litres. In fact, all the goods we buy - from food to clothing to computers - have a water cost in the form of virtual water: the powerful new concept that reveals the hidden facts of our real water consumption. At a time when the world's resources are being used up at increasingly alarming rates what can we do to help tackle the threat to our planet's most precious resource? World water expert Tony Allan - creator of the virtual water concept - shows the way. In this stimulating and enjoyable book he exposes the real impact of our modern lifestyle and shows how we as individuals, and governments globally, can make a vital contribution to managing our water use in a more sustainable and planet-friendly way.Trade Review'I heartily recommend the book as essential reading as is not only informative but also fun and easy to read.' - Barbara Frost, CE of WaterAidTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements 1. Getting wise about water 2. Beneath the surface 3. Well-fed, well-watered and well-paid 4. Big and beautiful 5. Keeping their heads above the water 6. Watertight The virtual-water gallery Index

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Book SynopsisThinking through the Environment: Green Approaches to Global History is a collection offering global perspectives on the intersections of mind and environment across a variety of discourses - from history and politics to the visual arts and architecture. Its geographical coverage extends to locations in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. A primary aim of the volume is, through the presentation of research cases, to gather an appropriate methodological arsenal for the study of environmental history. Among its concerns are interdisciplinarity, eco-biography, the relationship of political and environmental history and culturally varied interpretations and appreciations of space - from Bangladesh to the Australian outback. The approaches of the indigenous peoples of Lapland, Mount Kilimanjaro and elsewhere to their environments are scrutinised in several chapters. Balancing survival - both in terms of resource exploitation and of response to natural catastrophes - and environmental protection is shown to be an issue for more and less developed societies, as illustrated by chapters on Sami reindeer herding, Sudanese cattle husbandry and flooding and water resource-use in several parts of Europe. As the title suggests, the volume exposes the lenses - tinted by culture and history - through which humans consider environments; and also foregrounds the importance of rigor- ous 'thinking through' of the lessons of environmental history and the challenges of the environmental future.Trade Review'the book is highly recommended not only for all environmental historians >but also to other historians. The book offers fresh perspectives on history >in general and, above all, it provides evaluations of common methodological >tools and their application in environmental history that have often and >loudly been requested.' (Petri Juuti, Ymparistohistoria, Finnish Journal of >Environmental History) >'interest over a broad spectrum of themes' (Douglas Weiner, Environmental >History) >' its variety is deliberate and intriguing' (Richard Tucker, Environment and >History)Table of ContentsPreface, Timo Myllyntaus TABLE OF CONTENTS Part I. Approaching the Environment of the Past Chapter 1, Fiona Watson Interdisciplinarity as Disciplinary Co-operation: A Plea for the Future of Environmental History Chapter 2, Donald Worster Biography and Environmental History Chapter 3, Frank Uekoetter The Nazis and the Environment - a Relevant Topic? Part II. Cultural Perceptions of Landscapes Chapter 4, Dilshad Rahat Ara The Space of a Dwelling - the Temporal Boundaries of Vernacular Architecture in the Chittagong Hills, Bangladesh Chapter 5, Libby Robin Art and Environmental History: Perceptions of Place and Deep Time in the Australian Desert Chapter 6, Anu Eskonheimo Desertification - A Significant Problem? Diverse Environmental Literacy in the North Kordofan Area of Sudan Chapter 7, Timothy Clack Thinking Through Memoryscapes: Symbolic Environmental Potency on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania Chapter 8, Leena Rossi Oral History and Individual Environmental Experiences Part III. Indigenous Peoples and the Pressures of Modernisation Chapter 9, Helena Ruotsala Ancestors' Wisdom or Desktop Reindeer Management? The Role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Contemporary Reindeer Herding Chapter 10, Jukka Nyyssonen Identity Politics and the Alliance Building between the Sami Parliament and Conservationists in the Kessi Forest Dispute Part IV. Managing Flood Catastrophes Chapter 11, Jochen Seidel, Paul Dostal, Katrin Burger, Florian Imbery and Mariano Barriendos Analysis and Reconstruction of the Flood Catastrophe along the River Neckar (SW-Germany) in October 1824 Chapter 12, Guido Poliwoda Times of Flood - Times of Favour. Disaster Management and the Social Response to Catastroph- ic Floods: the Example of Saxony (1784-1845) Part V. Remoulding Rivers, Reshaping Societies Chapter 13, Erik Tornlund From Natural to Modified Rivers and Back? Timber Floating in Northern Sweden in 1850-1980 and the Use of Historical Knowledge in Today's Ecological Stream Restoration Chapter 14, Viktor Pal To Act or Not to Act: Water Problems in North-east Hungary after 1945

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Book SynopsisAN ACCESSIBLE INTRODUCTION TO BIODIVERSITY, CONSERVATION AND THE ECO-CULTURAL NATURE OF LANDSCAPES Key issues are addressed in short, focused chapters, supported by a detailed thousand-year timeline based on the British Isles. Rotherham is convinced that to conserve wildlife or ecology, and to heal the wounds of human impacts, we must understand our own history and how, over countless centuries, we have forged today's ecologies from our impacts on, and utilisation of, nature. He argues that the interlinked concepts of biodiversity, nature conservation and of sustainability are too often mixed with notions of 'wilderness' and 'nature' and 'naturalness'. Much of the biodiversity that we hope to conserve is the result of long-term interactions between people and nature. It is a 'cultural ecology', the product of the environment, history and tradition. Recognising that the landscapes around us are 'eco-cultural' not 'natural' is, Rotherham suggests, the key to understanding contemporary biodiversity and major challenges for ideas of future conservation and sustainability. The book introduces the background to humanity's interactions with Nature and the forces at work in shaping today's world. It is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the nature of the global environmental crisis and how we got here. In particular, it will be a stimulating guide to students and teachers or lecturers from sixth form and college to university. It will also appeal to the ordinary wildlife enthusiast wishing understand the past, and to gain insight into what might be in store for the future.Trade Review'essential to understanding the history of conservation and sustainability, humanity's devastating impact on biodiversity, and the survival of civilization'. JoAnn Valenti in Applied Environmental Education and Communication.Table of ContentsPART 1. NATURE, ECOLOGY AND HISTORY PART 2. HISTORY, ECOLOGY AND THE BODY ODOUR OF HUMANITY PART 3. REPAIRING THE DAMAGE AND ADAPTING TO CHANGE PART 4. FUTURE, PAST AND CONCLUSIONS GLOSSARY ANNOTATED AND FULL BIBLIOGRAPHIES INDEX

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