Earth Sciences, Geography & Environment Books

Book SynopsisThe Great Lakes ecosystem is recognised by many as an international natural resource that has been altered by human activities and climate variability. These alterations have led to degraded water quality, diminished habitat, lower native fish and wildlife populations, and an altered ecosystem. In response, the federal governments of the United States and Canada and the state and provincial governments in the Great Lakes basin are implementing several restoration activities. These activities range from mitigating the harmful effects of toxic substances in lake waters to restoring fish habitat. This books provides the reader with a background on and issues of the Great Lakes restoration initiative, as well as the action plan for the years 2010-2014.

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Book SynopsisClimate change is having a variety of impacts on natural resources in the United States, ranging from more severe drought to increased flooding, and is altering assumptions that have been central to water resource planning and management. The Department of Defense''s U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the Department of the Interior''s Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) have assessed water resource and infrastructure vulnerabilities and taken steps to develop guidance and strategies to adapt to the effects of climate change. This book examines actions taken by the Corps and Reclamation since 2009 to assess and respond to the potential effects of climate change on water infrastructure; and challenges, if any, faced by the Corps and Reclamation in assessing and responding to the potential effects of climate change on water infrastructure, and the steps the agencies are taking to address them.

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Book SynopsisThis book is about flooding, the risk it imposes on human well-being and related activities, and the main approaches used to deal with the impacts. The aim is to derive lessons for flood risk management. The book covers experiences from case studies in the five countries of Argentina, Australia, Botswana, Brazil and Taiwan. It indicates that in most areas around the world, floods disrupt human activities and also pose threats to human well-being whereas in other areas, particularly wetlands around the world, they are viewed as useful for the sustainability of ecosystems and human livelihoods. Due to climate variability and change, floods are expected to increase in frequency and intensity throughout the world. There is need to evaluate the current structural and non-structural approaches for dealing with flood risk and the impacts on human systems. Decision-making on the adoption of either structural or non-structural approaches to flood risk largely depends on information available and the means to achieve the intended objectives. Understanding the risk posed by flooding requires multidisciplinary assessments on the biophysical, socio-economic and cultural factors underlying the vulnerability of human systems. The book starts by identifying some methods which may be useful for flood assessments. Furthermore, it identifies the impacts of flooding and assesses the pros and cons of the related structural and non-structural responses. The challenges observed from the two main approaches are identified and suggestions are made for promoting flood risk management. Suggestions are made for strengthening support for non-structural approaches which are still inadequate in most developing countries, and require improvement in developed countries, given the increasingly complex nature of flood risk posed by extremes in climate variability.

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Book SynopsisStress may be defined as any negative effect or condition that a living organism may suffer. Abiotic stresses, such as salinity, drought, high and low temperatures, ozone, heavy metals, low concentration of nutrients in degraded soils, can cause deleterious effects in almost all phonological plant stages, from germination to full plant development. It has been estimated that 70% of the crop yield loss can be attributed to abiotic stresses, especially drought. It is known that plants respond readily when challenged by abiotic stresses by the modified regulation of many genes. This is a manifold response consisting of transcriptional and translational mechanisms that allow the adaptation of plants to many unfavourable environments. This book discusses the regulation of abiotic stress responses in plants; the structural aspects and functional regulation of late embryogenesis abundant genes and proteins conferring abiotic stress tolerance in plants; and dehydration responsive element binding transcription factors.

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Book SynopsisRecent research has demonstrated how gentrification and urban redevelopment can serve to promote and exacerbate socio-spatial stigmatisation directed at marginalised, socially vulnerably urban populations, a problem that is rendered particularly acute in the case of what has been termed the contested space of addiction treatment. This book discusses how methadone maintenance treatments and the gentrification battleground affect place promotion, spatial purification and the spectre of addiction and treatments. It also discusses urban planning for cougar presence in North America; urban planning and landscapes; the practices, challenges and benefits urban planning has for immigrants; the post-Olympic games'' spatial socio-economic vulnerability; urban low-income housing developments in Ghana; noise in an urban setting; public participation in urban planning; urban sustainability assessment systems; and changing patterns of internal migration in Venezuela.

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Book SynopsisThis book has the ambition of presenting sustainability issues in a simple way to students in the field of agriculture and the environment. There is much diversity in the viewpoints on the meaning of sustainability. Sustainability must be made operational in each specific context and scaled, and appropriate methods must be designed to achieve long-term goals for the environment, agriculture, energy and food security. The ultimate goal of the environment and agriculture is protecting soil and water to ensure food security for the growing population. This book discusses the integration of views pertaining to the sustainability of agriculture, the environment, renewable energy and food security.

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Book SynopsisCarbon capture and sequestration (or storage) -- known as CCS -- has attracted congressional interest as a measure for mitigating global climate change because large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from fossil fuel use in the United States are potentially available to be captured and stored underground and prevented from reaching the atmosphere. Large, industrial sources of CO2, such as electricity-generating plants, are likely initial candidates for CCS because they are predominantly stationary, single-point sources. Electricity generation contributes over 40% of U.S. CO2 emissions from fossil fuels. Currently, U.S. power plants do not capture large volumes of CO2 for CCS. This book covers only CCS and not other types of carbon sequestration activities, and it also aims to provide a snapshot of the DOE CCS program, including its current funding levels, together with some discussion of the program''s achievements and prospects for success in meeting its stated goals.

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Book SynopsisFood fraud, or the act of defrauding buyers of food or ingredients for economic gain -- whether they be consumers or food manufacturers, retailers, and importers -- has vexed the food industry throughout history. Some of the earliest reported cases of food fraud, dating back thousands of years, involved olive oil, tea, wine, and spices. These products continue to be associated with fraud, along with some other foods. Although the vast majority of fraud incidents do not pose a public health risk, some cases have resulted in actual or potential public health risks. This book provides an overview of issues pertaining to food fraud and "economically motivated adulteration" or EMA, a category within food fraud. The book also examines the approaches that FDA uses to detect and prevent economic adulteration of food and medical products and the challenges FDA faces in detecting and preventing economic adulteration and views of stakeholders on options for FDA to enhance its efforts to address economic adulteration.

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Book SynopsisMost food nutrition contains the phytochemicals for human health. Carotenoids and polyphenols, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids, might be especially responsible for their anti-oxidative capacity in vegetables and fruits. This volume will also focus on the relationship between their structure and functions.

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Book SynopsisIs the nature of the atmosphere really so predictable that, as James Mahoney confidently said, "we know that humans are influencing the climate. There''s no question about that"? (TE 2013) This view on the atmosphere can be contrasted with an opposing view by James Glassman, who warned us that "the real world is more unpredictable and uncertain than the idealised world that academics push for." (TE 2013a) Contrary to these opposing views (and other ones discussed in the book), aerology or the study of the atmosphere (in relation to predictability and non-predictability) are neither possible (or impossible) nor desirable (or undesirable) to the extent that the respective ideologues (on different sides) would like us to believe. Of course, this questioning of the opposing views on aerology does not mean that the study of predictability and non-predictability is useless, or that those fields (related to aerology) -- like meteorology, climatology, atmospheric physics, atmospheric chemistry, cloud physics, aeronomy, hydrology, atmospheric modelling, climate change, chaos theory, complexity theory, planetary science, and so on -- are unimportant. (WK 2013) In fact, neither of these extreme views is reasonable. Instead, this book offers an alternative (better) way to understand the future of aerology in regard to the dialectic relationship between predictability and non-predictability -- while learning from different approaches in the literature but without favouring any one of them (nor integrating them, since they are not necessarily compatible with each other). More specifically, this book offers a new theory (that is, the constructivist theory of aerology) to go beyond the existing approaches in a novel way and is organised in four chapters. This seminal project will fundamentally change the way that we think about aerology in relation to predictability and non-predictability from the combined perspectives of the mind, nature, society and culture, with enormous implications for the human future and what I originally called its "post-human" fate.

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Book SynopsisIs the nature of the atmosphere really so predictable that, as James Mahoney confidently said, "we know that humans are influencing the climate. There''s no question about that"? (TE 2013) This view on the atmosphere can be contrasted with an opposing view by James Glassman, who warned us that "the real world is more unpredictable and uncertain than the idealised world that academics push for". (TE 2013a) Contrary to these opposing views (and other ones discussed in the book), aerology or the study of the atmosphere (in relation to predictability and non-predictability) are neither possible (or impossible) nor desirable (or undesirable) to the extent that the respective ideologues (on different sides) would like us to believe. Of course, this questioning of the opposing views on aerology does not mean that the study of predictability and non-predictability is useless, or that those fields (related to aerology) -- like meteorology, climatology, atmospheric physics, atmospheric chemistry, cloud physics, aeronomy, hydrology, atmospheric modelling, climate change, chaos theory, complexity theory, planetary science, and so on -- are unimportant. (WK 2013) In fact, neither of these extreme views is reasonable. Instead, this book offers an alternative (better) way to understand the future of aerology in regard to the dialectic relationship between predictability and non-predictability -- while learning from different approaches in the literature but without favouring any one of them (nor integrating them, since they are not necessarily compatible with each other). More specifically, this book offers a new theory (that is, the constructivist theory of aerology) to go beyond the existing approaches in a novel way and is organised in four chapters. This seminal project will fundamentally change the way that we think about aerology in relation to predictability and non-predictability from the combined perspectives of the mind, nature, society and culture, with enormous implications for the human future and what I originally called its "post-human" fate.

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Book SynopsisThe peculiar characteristics of clays provide it with very interesting adsorption qualities, especially for polar or ionisable molecules. Some of these characteristics include the silicates'' sheet structure that makes a large surface area accessible for adsorption; the usually significant surface charge that can be responsible for strong electrostatic interactions; and clays'' swelling properties and presence of exchangeable surface cations that facilitate ion-exchange mechanisms. Added to their wide availability and associated low cost, these characteristics have motivated in recent years an increasing interest in utilising natural, processed or chemically-modified clays for the removal of organic contaminants from aqueous solutions. This book discusses the application of clay materials for the removal of organic compounds from contaminated waters. It also discusses several other topics that include time and temperature related behaviour of clays; mechanical treatment of clay minerals; the workability of natural clays and clays in the ceramics industry; recent advances in hydraulic performance of clay liners; and the genesis, properties and industrial applications of bauxitic lithomargic clay.

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Book SynopsisThis series covers leading-edge research focusing on the environment, including current research data on simulating future residential property losses from wildfire in Montana; potential impact of CO2 emissions on the seafloor; environmental factors versus distance of moths in forests; integration of bacterial genomics in plants for enhanced abiotic stress tolerance; advances in microbes-assisted phytoremediation of polychlorinated biphenyls; development of sustainable energy and applications; and climatic factors and soil moisture status during the production stage and its statistical relation with cotton production.

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Book SynopsisTemperate forests covering 34% of the Earth''s land have experienced human disturbances since ancient times and this is where the major industrial and agricultural enterprises are located nowadays. The heaviest human stress has been on European and North American ecosystems. Forest ecosystems are a major control of moisture circulation in watersheds. Boreal forests have been long recognised to influence global moisture circulation considerably. Therefore, it is logical to expect that further large-scale forest cover disturbances, such as catastrophic fires, large-scale insect outbreaks and forest logging, will affect the processes of water resource development and hydrological regime in any river basin. This book discusses the management and conservation of forest ecosystems in several areas in the world which include the Neotropics, Norway, United Kingdom and Siberia.

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Book SynopsisThis book compiles research summaries from a number of different focuses in the important field of food science.

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Book SynopsisThis book compiles research summaries from a number of different focuses in the important field of food science.

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Book SynopsisCongressional interest in Gulf Coast assistance has increased in recent years because of the significant amount of assistance provided to the region. Congress has also been interested in how the money has been spent, what resources have been provided to the region, and whether the money has reached the people and entities intended to receive the funds. This book provides information on federal financial assistance provided to the Gulf States after major disasters were declared in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas in response to the widespread destruction that resulted from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma in 2005 and Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008. This book also describes the various components of the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF), including what authorities have shaped it over the years; how FEMA determines the amount of the appropriation requested to Congress (pertaining to the DRF); and how emergency supplemental appropriations are requested. Information is also provided on funds appropriated in supplemental appropriations legislation to agencies other than the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

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Book SynopsisHuman activities around the world are producing increasingly large quantities of greenhouse gases (GHGs), the most abundant of which is carbon dioxide (CO2). In recent years, concerns about the effects those emissions might have on the climate have prompted Congress, federal regulators, and others to consider policies to reduce them. This book examines the unintended effects on the competitiveness of U.S firms of an economy wide policy, such as a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade program that would reduce emissions by imposing a price on them. The book also assesses the use of border adjustments, such as import tariffs and export subsidies, and transition assistance to mitigate those unintended effects.

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Book SynopsisThis third volume of "Climate, Energy, and Environment: Issues, Analyses, and Developments" presents current topical research in the study of climate change and existing law; U.N. convention on the law of the sea; a climate action plan to reduce methane emissions; clean coal loan guarantees and tax incentives; the oil spill liability trust fund; and environmental considerations in federal procurement.

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Book SynopsisWorks related to identification of harmful exhaust components from aviation engines have continued since the second half of the last century. These works focus on high-thrust turbine engines. For this, group testing and standardization procedures have been developed containing the admissible limits of exhaust components. Since 2007 works have been underway related to the identification of harmful exhaust components from engines of low power output that have not yet been included in the emissions legislation. These actions are particularly related to the measurements of the exhaust emissions from piston aviation engines and they are focused on the fuel applied for these engines. This book presents the results of the author''s own research work related to the issues of exhaust emissions from powertrains of aircraft and helicopters fitted with piston or turbine engines not yet included in the emission legislation. Research has been presented for turbocharged piston and jet engines aircraft. Test procedures have been presented related to the measurement of the exhaust emission under actual conditions of operation. The study presents analyses of the operating conditions of aviation engines, for which data from the on-board recording devices (flight parameters) have been used. Tests have been developed related to the engines operating under actual operating (in-flight) conditions. The methodology of the developed test has been validated based on a test dedicated for an aircraft fitted with a jet engine. The test results have been subject to a comparison with the results of tests applicable in the homologation procedures. Eventually, the authors proposed exhaust emissions tests dedicated to individual aircraft groups.

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Book SynopsisThis book compiles research biographical sketches and research summaries from a number of different focuses in the important field of food science.

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Book SynopsisMany governments acknowledge that environmental degradation and climate change pose international and trans-boundary risks to human populations, economies, and ecosystems that could result in a worsening of poverty, social tensions, and political stability. To confront these global challenges, countries have negotiated various international agreements to protect the environment, reduce pollution, conserve natural resources, and promote sustainable growth. While some observers have called upon developed countries to take the lead in addressing these issues, efforts are unlikely to be sufficient without similar measures being implemented in developing countries. Developing countries, however, focused on poverty reduction and economic growth, may not have the financial resources, technological know-how, or institutional capacity to deploy such measures. Therefore, international support for these areas has remained the principal method for governments to assist developing country action on global environmental problems. This book focuses on international funding for climate and environmental protection through the Climate Investment Funds, the Green Climate Fund, and the Global Environment Facility.

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Book SynopsisThis second volume of "Climate, Energy, and Environment: Issues, Analyses, and Developments" presents current topical research in the study of climate change science; ocean acidification; EPA regulation of greenhouse gases from mobile sources; the regional greenhouse gas initiative; economic benefits of increasing electric grid resilience to weather outages; and the European Union wind and solar electricity policies.

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Book SynopsisThis book compiles research summaries from a number of different focuses in the important field of food science.

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Book SynopsisSpeeding is defined as exceeding posted speed limits or driving too fast for conditions. This is a behaviour that some drivers engage in without recognising the risks or seriously considering the consequences. The most serious consequences of speeding are the fatalities and serious injuries that result from crashes. Over the last ten years, speeding has been consistently identified as a contributing factor in nearly one-third of all roadway fatalities nation-wide. Crashes involving speeding occur on all road types but are particularly prevalent on the local rural road system. This book provides information on how to develop a Speed Management Program that is tailored to meet the needs of local rural road practitioners. A Speed Management Program can be effective in lowering the number of speeding crashes and the resulting fatalities and serious injuries on local rural roads. Non-motorised modes of travel can also be expected along these roads. Non-motorised transportation is primarily comprised of biking, walking, equestrian, and horse-drawn vehicles but may also include other non-powered transportation devices. This book is also a guide to assist local rural road practitioners in making effective use of current practices and resources addressing non-motorised mobility and safety, thereby creating a more accommodating and viable transportation system for all road users.

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Book SynopsisEnvironmental noise is defined as the noise emitted from sources such as road, rail and air traffic, industries, construction and public works, and the neighborhood. Noise has been ranked high among forms of pollutions, which include air pollution, radioactive waste pollution, water pollutions, etc. In recent years, noise has received considerable worldwide attention as a result of the many studies linking noise pollution to various health effects that include auditory as well non-auditory health effects. It should be noted here that the effect of noise is seldom catastrophic, and is often only transitory. However, its adverse effects can be cumulative with prolonged or repeated exposure. Noise with daily activities and it causes sleep disruption, masking of speech, reduction in performance and the inability to enjoy one''s property or leisure time. It impairs the quality of life. In addition, several studies have linked extended exposure to high noise levels to cardiovascular diseases, including high blood pressure and irregular heartbeat. It has also been reported that high noise levels have an economic effects, especially tourism and real estate sectors, where it has been reported that the prices of houses tend to be higher in quite areas. There is also some evidence that noise can adversely affect general health and well-being in the same manner as chronic stress. Because of these factors, and the recent public awareness of the adverse effects of noise in the last few decades, many studies and noise monitoring programs have been established in various parts in the world. These studies and programs focus on measurements of perceived sound levels in communities, in the workplace (occupational noise), near airports and in public parks. A second area of research, which is getting more attention in recent years, focuses on assessing the effects of noise on individuals and communities, i.e. noise annoyance. This book discusses several topics that include driver style influence in the vehicle acoustic emissions in urban traffic; reaction to hybrid noise in communication; otoacoustic emissions by product distortion in metallurgical workers exposed to different doses of occupational noise; underwater noise pollution; and noise pollution in Zimbabwe.

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Book SynopsisThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has implemented all of the recommendations GAO made in its May 2011 report to improve the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) program. EPA''s UCMR program collects data on unregulated contaminants in the nation''s drinking water. EPA uses this data and other information to make decisions on whether to regulate additional drinking water contaminants. This book examines the extent to which EPA implemented GAO''s prior recommendations to improve the program and opportunities, if any, to strengthen it further; the factors EPA considered when it selected the UCMR3 contaminants and the limitations, if any, it faced in selecting them; and the extent to which UCMR data support regulatory determinations. It also discusses and summarises the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and its major programs and regulatory requirements.

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Book SynopsisLocal road practitioners across the country play a critical role in addressing crash risks at the local level and may be able to identify the specific or unique conditions that contribute to crashes within their jurisdictions. The Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) offers a foundation for consensus and focus. It defines key emphasis areas and strategies that impact local rural roads and provides a framework to accomplish safety enhancements at the local level. The LRSP helps communities take a proactive stance in reducing and preventing local road fatalities and injuries. This book guides the development of an LRSP. It provides information to local practitioners about identifying stakeholders and partnerships needed to build support, tools to analyse data, and resources to identify safety issues and select safety strategies.

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Book SynopsisVehicles carrying objects that are not properly secured pose a safety risk on our nation''s roadways. Debris that falls from a vehicle can collide with other vehicles or pedestrians, causing serious injuries or fatalities. According to data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were about 440 fatalities caused by roadway debris in 2010. However, the exact number of incidents resulting from vehicles carrying unsecured loads is unknown. This book examines NHTSA''s data collection efforts as well as states'' laws related to unsecured loads. It also discusses the extent that Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration''s (PHMSA) data reliably identify wetline safety risks; options for addressing wetline safety risks, and how well PHMSA has assessed the costs and benefits of addressing these risks through regulation.

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Book SynopsisOn 25 March 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) jointly proposed a rule defining the scope of waters protected under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The proposal would revise regulations that have been in place for over 25 years. This book describes the proposed rule and includes a table comparing the existing regulatory language that defines "waters of the United States" with the proposal. In 2006, the Supreme Court decided Rapanos v. United States, the most recent and well-known of three Supreme Court decisions wrestling with the question of which wetlands are covered by the wetlands permitting program in the Clean Water Act. This book also provides background including the pre-Rapanos Supreme Court opinions, then moves on to Rapanos itself and the Corps/EPA guidance documents.

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Book SynopsisFossil records indicate the Neotropical Dry Forests had a more continuous distribution in the recent geological past, especially in the late Pleistocene, more precisely at the end of the last glacial period. Seasonal Deciduous Forests are remnants of a broader continuous distribution that was present in the past, ranging from North-Eastern Brazil to Argentina in the Pleistocene dry period. This currently fragmented structure is the result of the dry, cold climate that caused the retraction of Wet Forests to riversides and the spread of seasonal forests. This book discusses the ecology, species diversity and sustainable management of dry forests. The topics include a biogeographical overview of the "lianescent clade" of violaceae in the Neotropical region; diversity and distribution of hymenoptera aculeate in mid-western Brazilian dry forests; the Brazilian "caatinga"; changes in the labile and recalcitrant organic matter fractions due to transformation of semi-deciduous dry tropical forest to pasture in the western llanos, Venezuela; ecology and management of the dry forests and savannas of the western Chaco region, Argentina; predicting pasture security in rangeland districts of Kenya using 1 km resolution spot vegetation sensor ndvi data.

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Book SynopsisSustainability has been increasingly embraced as an overarching policy goal, and communities have been called to be active participants on the path towards attaining a balance between fundamental human needs and ecological resilience. Community-based organizations (CBOs) can benefit from using GIS in building community assets and developing well-conceived sustainability initiatives, but GIS has not yet been widely used for those purposes in CBOs. This book illustrates how geographic information (such as maps) can be useful in community development drawing from service-learning GIS projects, and argue that economic theories of sustainability and spatial thinking can be of help in building sustainable community. It also discusses the application of vehicle routing problems for sustainable waste collection; spatio-temporal visualization and analysis techniques in GIS; GIS applications in modern crop protection; role of geographic information system for water quality evaluation; and the use of remote sensing and GIS for groundwater potential mapping in crystalline basement rocks.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents and discusses research in the field of earth science, with a focus on high resolution insight on the submarine mudflows of the gulf of Mexico; shale and its beneficial and dangerous characteristics for human beings; publicly available open access data and machine learning model-predictions applied with open source GIS for the entire Antarctic ocean: a first meta-analysis and synthesis from 53 charismatic species; a case study on ice sheets self-destructing and causing rapid climate change; conservation planning and management of limited water resources in arid and semi-arid areas as economic resources; laser Raman spectroscopy study on the growth zoning of feldspar, zircon and apatite; statistical prediction of winter rainfall in Patagonia (Argentina); and research of seismicity at an oceanic and sea bottoms.

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Book SynopsisThis book is written by internationally-famous biologists, ecologists, soil biologists and environmental scientists and managers who have been engaged in related fields for many years, which is the extension and supplement of the book: Shao HB(ed), Metal Contamination: Sources, Detection and Environmental Impact, NOVA Science Publishers, New York 2012, USA. This book consists of 13 chapters, four of which are review papers covering important aspects in regards to marshes ecology, plant abio-stress physiological and molecular mechanisms for sustainable marshes agriculture, heavy metals pollution status for water ecosystems and management in China, and the rest of which are research papers focusing on various topics, such as nitrogen and phosphorus release in coastal agricultural ecosystems in China; photosynthetic characterization of three dominant plant species in the Salt Marshes of the Yellow River Delta, China; A comparative study of salt resistance between two soybean species associated with osmotic and ionic stresses for cultivating soybean resources; Fluxes of CO2 and CH4 under different types of coastal salt marshes of the Yellow River Delta: Dynamic changes and driving factors across different seasons; A meta-analysis of the bacterial and archaeal diversity in wetland soils for sustainable management and the Alkali marshes of Central-Europe Ecology, management and nature conservation. This is an excellent book on the processes and environmental factors that influence marsh soil in the ecosystem. The case studies of different ecosystems contribute to a better understanding of the marshes performance and will be useful to those planning to restore contaminated lands. The publication will also serve as a valuable reference textbook to soil biologists, ecologists, agricultural scientists, environmental scientists, managers and students who are interested in marshes environmental sciences and affairs.

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Book SynopsisGrapes (Vitis spp.) are economically the most important fruit species in the world. Most cultivated vines belong to the European type (Vitis vinefera), the American bunch type (V. labrusca and its derivatives) or Muscadine type (V. rotundifolia). Grapes contain many of the most valuable elements necessary for life. In addition, it is known to have commendable medicinal qualities/properties, attributed mainly to polyphenols. They are famous as antioxidants, hormones, constituents of essential oils, natural neurotransmitters, and as having many other biological activities. Their antioxidant ability is known to confer many health benefits such as reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. They also provide antimicrobial activity for the plant''s own defense against invading pathogens. The diversity of structure and activity of phenolic compounds has resulted in a multiplicity of research areas such as chemistry, biotechnology, ecology, physiology, nutrition, medicine, and cosmetics. The understanding of grape and wine phenolics is an increasingly important requirement for managing wine styles efficiently and an important way to enhance their healthy benefit effects. The aim of this book is to describe grape production, its phenolic composition and the potential biomedical effects which are currently being researched. The areas of most interest at present and the subjects in which this interest is likely to continue or to increase in the following years have been selected. The book comprises 19 chapters, each written by authorities in the field with 59 contributing authors in total. Chapters are well referenced with regard to previous work, have appropriate chapter introductory sections accommodating non-specialists, students and experts in the field, and most end with a summary of conclusions and, in some cases, recommendations for future work or new standards, protocols or procedures.

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Book SynopsisIn the United States, Federal incentives for the deployment of wind and solar power projects are delivered primarily through the tax code, in the form of accelerated tax depreciation and tax credits that are based on either investment or production. Both wind and solar projects are equally eligible for accelerated tax depreciation, but tax credit eligibility varies by technology: solar is currently eligible for the investment tax credit ("ITC"), while wind is eligible for either the ITC or the production tax credit ("PTC"), though wind project sponsors typically choose the PTC. The PTC is a per-kilowatt-hour tax (kWh) credit for electricity generated using qualified energy resources. This book provides a brief overview of the renewable electricity PTC. It describes the credit; a legislative history; and presents data on PTC claims and discusses the revenue consequences of the credit. It also briefly considers some of the economic and policy considerations related to the credit. This book concludes by briefly noting policy options related to the PTC.

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Book SynopsisPublic attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs can strongly influence coastal management decision-making. Officials use surveys and other social science tools to identify the relationship between a community and its natural resources. Managing coastal resources often means making hard decisions about the best way to use those resources-especially when there are competing demands. Although there is no simple way to do this, economic methods can help coastal resource managers make better-informed decisions about managing the resource. This book provides insight into the various types and methods of survey research; discusses some of the most important considerations; offers a guide to the most common techniques; provides information about how economics can be applied to coastal resource management; provides some simple strategies for facilitators leading a participatory mapping process; introduces key elements and practices that will increase the success of a focus group effort; explains the role of a facilitator; describes how to plan and execute meetings that deliver results; discusses powerful photorealistic visualization; introduces key concepts surrounding visualization; and briefly describes a process for planning for an internally or externally conducted evaluation of a project or program.

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Book SynopsisDespite the fact that water covers two-thirds of the Earth''s surface, it is surprisingly vulnerable to human influence and activity. Marine ecosystems receive large amounts of a variety of pollutants from either treated or untreated wastewater. The extensive use of chemicals and their introduction into the environment has resulted in increased public concern for the potential threats to ecosystems, human health and safety. Persistent organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polybrominated diphenyl ethers and pesticides, as well as heavy metals, surfactants; endocrine disrupting chemicals or personal care products and pharmaceuticals are pollutants usually present in marine environments. This book focuses on discussing the types of marine pollutants. It provides topics on the environmental significance and management strategies available.

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Book SynopsisPlants have a very specific and efficient mechanism to obtain, translocate and store nutrients from the surrounding environment. The precise mechanism that helps a plant in nutrient translocation from root to shoot also, in the same way, transfers and stores toxic metals within their structure. Metal toxicity generally causes multiple direct or indirect effects on plants, affecting nearly all of their physiological functions. Plant tolerance to heavy metals depends largely on plant efficiency in uptake, translocation and sequestration of heavy metals in specific cell organelles or specialized tissues. The main purpose of this book is to present a holistic view of the recent advancement in the field of accumulation and remediation using plants, the green solar powered alternative to ameliorate heavy metal from the polluted environment. The key features of the book are related to metal transporters and metal accumulation mechanisms under heavy metal stress in plants, plant transcriptional regulation and responses under metal contamination, multiple toxic metal contaminations and its phytoremediation approaches etc. Based on the advancement of research in recent years, the information compiled in this book will bring an in-depth knowledge on the bioaccumulation of metals, their transportation in natural conditions or genetically modified plants and their strategy to cope with the toxicity to survive in the hostile environment.

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Book SynopsisCoastal areas across the United States are beginning to incorporate sea level rise adaptation into their community planning. One of the most challenging aspects of adapting to sea level rise is understanding the economic implications of future inundation risk, and the costs and benefits of different adaptation options. Communities are already grappling with difficult decisions about how to locate, maintain, and protect expensive community infrastructure such as roads, hospitals, and wastewater treatment plants. This book provides a framework that community leaders and planners can use to make more economically informed decisions about adapting to sea level rise and storm flooding. The four-step framework can be used to perform a holistic assessment of costs and benefits of different adaptation approaches across a community, or to focus in on select infrastructure. The book also discusses the expertise needed at each step in the process.

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Book SynopsisSustainable development is all about integrating all of our present day needs with the needs of society, the environment and global citizenship, in a way that does not compromise future generations. Sustainable development also promotes equality, independence, collaboration and empowerment. By maintaining all of our resources and protecting nature so that future generations can also benefit, we encourage a sustainable society and for the environment to grow. Sustainable development has one main objective, which is to create balance between our social, environmental and economic needs, whilst maintaining equality and justice. The way in which we have chosen to live our lives in the recent past has been responsible for the damage that has been caused to the environment. We are polluting the Earth and consuming far more resources than we produce and are therefore damaging the development of future generations. This book has been prepared in order to provide details regarding Sustainable Development and what is behind Sustainability.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the funding of roads and highways in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, England and Wales, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, South Africa, and Sweden. It provides a description of the infrastructure in the jurisdiction, information on the ownership and responsibility of the roads, and taxes or other ways of collecting money to fund the nation''s infrastructure. By revealing a multiplicity of approaches to the funding of road infrastructure, the report provides an opportunity to determine whether lessons can be learned from the experiences of other countries in funding roads and highways.

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Book SynopsisApproximately 70% of the surface of Earth is the bottom of the seafloor and about 80% of the seafloor is the deep seafloor (at deeper than 200m below the sea-surface). This book discusses the deep sea. It provides topics on the biodiversity, human dimension and ecological significance of the deep sea, including the metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analysis discoveries; the biodiversity and life-history strategies of deep sea megafauna in the Mediterranean Sea; and prokaryotes in metal deposits on the deep seafloor.

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Book SynopsisThe Arctic Council (Council) is a voluntary intergovernmental forum for Arctic States, with involvement of indigenous organisations and other stakeholders, to address various environmental and economic issues through projects and reports targeting a variety of subjects. Recent changes in the Arctic from a warming climate, such as decreased sea ice coverage making marine areas more accessible, have increased global attention to the region''s economic opportunities. This book examines the Council''s organisation and how it addresses environmental and economic development issues; how key U.S. agencies participate in the Council and any challenges; and agencies'' actions to implement and manage voluntary Council recommendations and any challenges.

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