Earth Sciences, Geography & Environment Books

Book SynopsisTrespassing is the leading cause of rail-related fatalities in the United States. A large proportion of these trespasser fatalities are from intentional acts (i.e., suicides). With a lack of systematic research and evaluation of the countermeasures that are currently in place as well as those that have been proposed, it is difficult for railroad carriers and communities that seek to select appropriate countermeasures that are likely to be effective at mitigating suicides. This book discusses the current information available on trespasser fatalities and the implementation of countermeasures in use internationally to prevent suicides on the railroad right-of-way. The book presents a discussion of each countermeasure according to various intervention points along the path to complete suicide on the railroad right-of-way.

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Book SynopsisThe Arid Mangrove Forest from Baja California Peninsula is a series of books that aim to understand the biodiversity, fisheries and economic value of this critical habitat. The book''s contents are devoted to making the reader aware of the great value of the mangrove trees in relation to their conservation and management. Mangrove forests along the Baja California Peninsula represent the northernmost population along Pacific Coast, and thus they are likely to be sourced populations for colonisation at higher latitudes as the climate becomes more favorable. Today, these populations are relatively small and fragmented, and prior research has indicated that they are poor in genetic diversity; however, in the actual global warming scenario, it is very likely that forest cover and genetic diversity will increase. Another relevant component of the book will be the biodiversity inventory, which is still in progress for many biological groups and will be taken into account in the present volume. The present volume will review and analyse some physical, biological and ecological factors that determine the success of these communities and their use in conservation or fishery management. Marine Protected Areas include several of the mangrove forests studied here, and the presented information is critical for appropriate management. The book is organised in ten chapters to evaluate based on study cases, the value of the forest in arid zones of the Baja California Peninsula and the surrounding areas worldwide. This book will be essential to understand the mangroves along Northwestern Mexico and will be a critical consulting book for the next generation of managers and nature lovers who want to understand our environment better.

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Book SynopsisThe Chinese government incorporated tourism and urbanisation as a key component for economic and social development in the Five-Year National Plan. This book starts with a general introduction to the concept of urbanisation and tourism development in the global environment. This is followed by a discussion of urbanisation in China and the Guangdong province. Chapter Two is a historical review, focusing on tourism and hotel development in China, particularly in the province of Gurangdong. China''s hotel rating system and influence factors on hotel development are also discussed. In Chapter Three, the definition and measurement of urbanisation are discussed through different disciplines and theories, and the related urbanisation studies in China are also discussed. In Chapter Four, the relationship of urbanisation and tourism development are elaborated, and the effect of urbanisation on tourism and hotel development are identified in Chapter Five through a case study. Urbanisation has been a remarkable social phenomenon in the world since the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries. It transformed the spatial and social configurations of human societies. However, this issue has rarely been investigated in literature concerning tourism and hospitality. This book attempts to build the link between urbanisation, tourism and hotel development at the provincial, regional and city levels, including the economy of mid-scale hotels and upscale hotels. This book provides insight to practitioners using macroeconomic factors in relation to tourism and hotel development.

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Book SynopsisWindstorms such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and severe and fast-moving thunderstorm complexes are among the most destructive and economically damaging hazards that affect the United States on an annual basis. Each year, windstorms claim lives, cause injuries, and result in billions of dollars in property damage. In recent decades, rapid development and population growth in areas at high risk of windstorm hazards have increased the Nation''s vulnerability. In 2004, as part of a Government-wide effort to counteract that trend, Congress called for the establishment a National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP), a coordinated approach to achieve major reductions in windstorm-related losses of life and property. In 2006, the SDR Windstorm Working Group delivered to Congress an initial Windstorm Impact Reduction Implementation Plan, which identified research activities needed to improve windstorm hazard mitigation and served as a guide for Federal agencies to coordinate new and existing research to fill knowledge gaps in understanding and forecasting windstorms. This book includes a new report for 2013-2014, which continues to fulfill the NSTC''s congressionally mandated responsibility to provide biennial reports on the NWIRP. Overall, it finds that the Program has successfully facilitated improvements in windstorm forecast models, warning systems, evacuation planning, structural-design technology, and community preparedness. This book discusses the Windstorm Impact Reduction Implementation Plan.

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Book SynopsisItaly''s peculiar cultural variability is the result of population movements and invasions from the Mediterranean Sea, which took place in both historical and prehistoric times. Due to many interesting places such as the city of Rome, Central Italy was endured by migrants, who have contributed to Italy''s culture, linguistics and also genetics. Chapter One reconstructs human demic movements in central Italy using both archeology and genetics. Chapter Two addresses issues in the conceptual context of land take, which is a change in agriculture, forestry, and other lands due to urbanisation and artificial land development, in Sardinian urban areas of Italy. Moreover, global warming has had a negative impact on water balance, natural systems, and agriculture activities. Chapter Three provides a seasonal analysis of crop evapotranspiration based on the Penman-Monteith equation in the Po River Delta in Italy.

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Book SynopsisThe physical and social fabric of the United States is sustained by a system of systems; a complex and dynamic network of interlocking and interdependent infrastructures ("critical national infrastructures") whose harmonious functioning enables the myriad actions, transactions, and information flow that undergird the orderly conduct of civil society in this country. The vulnerability of these infrastructures to threats -- deliberate, accidental, and acts of nature -- is the focus of greatly heightened concern in the current era, a process accelerated by the events of 9/11 and recent hurricanes, including Katrina and Rita. This book presents the results of the Commission''s assessment of the effects of a high altitude electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack on our critical national infrastructures and provides recommendations for their mitigation. Moreover, as of July 2015, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported taking several actions that could help address electromagnetic threats to the electric grid. This book also addresses the extent to which DHS has: taken action to address recommendations from the 2008 EMP Commission Report and coordinated with other principal federal agencies, such as DOE and industry stakeholders to mitigate risks to the electric grid from electromagnetic threats.

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Book SynopsisThe Department of Defense (DOD) is the single largest consumer of energy in the federal government, spending billions of dollars annually on petroleum fuels to support military operations. One of DOD''s strategic operational energy goals is to expand its energy supply options. Investing in alternative fuels -- liquid fuels, derived from non-petroleum feedstocks, whose use does not necessitate any modifications to platforms and equipment -- represents one means of potentially achieving this goal. This book reviews the extent to which DOD has purchased alternative fuels, and has demonstrated these fuels can meet its safety, performance, and reliability standards; has a process for purchasing alternative fuels for military operations that takes into consideration any cost differences between alternative and conventional fuels; and has used the DPA authorities to promote the development of a domestic biofuel industry.

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Book SynopsisIn the past decade, wildlife trafficking -- the poaching or other taking of protected or managed species and the illegal trade in wildlife and their related parts and products -- has escalated into an international crisis. Wildlife trafficking is both a critical conservation concern and a threat to global security with significant effects on the national interests of the United States and the interests of our partners around the world. As President Obama said in Tanzania in July 2013, on issuing a new Executive Order to better organise United States Government efforts in the fight against wildlife trafficking, wildlife is inseparable from the identity and prosperity of the world as we know it. We need to act now to reverse the effects of wildlife trafficking on animal populations before we lose the opportunity to prevent the extinction of iconic animals like elephants and rhinoceroses. Like other forms of illicit trade, wildlife trafficking undermines security across nations. Well-armed networks of poachers, criminals, and corrupt officials exploit porous borders and weak institutions to profit from trading in illegally taken wildlife. This book discusses national strategy, implementation plans, and restrictions on elephant ivory trade.

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Book SynopsisThis book consists of fourteen chapters covering important aspects in regards to various terrestrial ecosystems, wetlands, river systems, mine site rehabilitation, marsh ecology and heavy metals pollution. The authors were carefully selected from multiple countries, and this edited book aims to fill some of the information gaps in ecological restoration, particularly in under-researched ecosystems around the world. Our intended readership includes: planners of projects to restore and manage degraded ecosystems; practitioners who implement those plans; resource managers who oversee the sites; land management consultants; environmental authorities; and conservationists and students of natural resource management. We also hope that researchers and the public can find valued information for their future use and efforts. We hope that our work can bring scientists and policy-makers together to envision a sustainable future for ecosystem health and productivity management.

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Book SynopsisRiparian ecosystems occur in semi-terrestrial areas adjacent to water bodies and are influenced by freshwater. Riparian wetlands are defined as land areas adjacent to perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral streams, lakes or rivers. As a result, these areas have high water tables and periodic flooding. They support a wide range of wetland vegetation including emergent macrophytes, grasses and trees. Riparian zones and wetlands are among the most vulnerable natural ecosystems to both climate change and human impact, and they are likely to represent important hot spots for climate change adaptation. The riparian ecosystems, located at the interface between water and land, are extremely dynamic environments in terms of structure, function, diversity and strength of abiotic-biotic feedbacks. Nowadays, the riparian wetlands are strongly affected by both global climate change and human activity. For these reasons, there is a steady and even abrupt increase of scientific publications linked to riparian problems. A web search of "riparian" as a topic yielded more than 16,000 papers published between 1950 and 2015, with 7,000 of them have been published over the past five years and 10,500 produced over the preceding sixty years. This rise of scientific interest is, however, strongly biased geographically. A search of "riparian" in the titles of 4,773 scientific publications (1950-2015) yields high geographical bias with papers studying all aspects of riparian zones in the United States, Brazil, China, Canada, Africa and Europe, respectively, and only one in Russia. This book is intended to partially fill this gap by presenting nine chapters describing the studies of riparian and flood plain zones of Russia. The fourteen chapters of the book, written by the experts in the field of landscape geography, biogeochemistry, GIS techniques and biology cover two of the most important riparian zones of the world: the Amazon varzea and the Ob/Irtysh floodplains. A multidisciplinary approach across wide geographical scales and various techniques presented in this book will be interesting for a large community of scholars, students, and researchers from academic and private organisations.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides current research on terrestrial biomes. Chapter One demonstrates the severe conditions of arctic areas that lead to the formation of common characteristics for all complexes of soil microfungi. Chapter Two discusses plant and terrestrial microbial communities in the Alaskan tundra. Chapter Three examines spontaneous stand regeneration and herb layer restoration in post-fire woods 16 years after a forest fire. Chapter Four reviews regularities and features of differentiation and anthropogenic transformation of steppe vegetation. In Chapter Five, the capacity of combination of biomass and native microorganism for fique bagasse from farmers from a region of Colombia named Oriente Antioqueño, was studied with the objective to degrade the tetracolorisoftalonitril active ingredient.

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Book SynopsisThe Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 appropriated about $50 billion for recovery from Hurricane Sandy, part of which was intended for disaster resilience and hazard mitigation. This book reviews federal efforts to strengthen disaster resilience during Hurricane Sandy recovery. It addresses how federal recovery funds were used to enhance resilience; the extent to which states and localities were able to maximise federal funding to enhance resilience; and actions that could enhance resilience for future disasters.

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Book SynopsisMost U.S. households have consistent, dependable access to enough food for active, healthy living -- they are food secure. But a minority of American households experience food insecurity at times during the year, meaning that their access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources. USDA''s food and nutrition assistance programs increase food security by providing low-income households access to food, a healthful diet, and nutrition education. USDA also monitors the extent and severity of food insecurity in U.S. households through an annual, nationally representative survey sponsored and analysed by USDA''s Economic Research Service (ERS). Reliable monitoring of food security contributes to the effective operation of the Federal food assistance programs, as well as that of private food assistance programs and other government initiatives aimed at reducing food insecurity. This book presents statistics from the survey covering households'' food security, food expenditures, and use of Federal food and nutrition assistance programs in 2014.

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Book SynopsisThe seagrass meadows of the Northeast Coast of Brazil have the greatest area, biomass, biometrics and diversity of the Brazilian Coast. In this region, the seagrass diversity and plasticity may vary due to differences in environmental factors. Some natural aspects of the coastal environment or that which affect the coastal zone, mainly climatic (seasons of rains and winds) and geomorphological (bathymetry and substrate type), cause variations in seasonality and plasticity of the species, respectively. Chapter One in this book on aquatic ecosystems summarises the available information concerning how seagrass vary along the Northeast Coast of Brazil, as well as other ecological information. Chapter Two presents a brief historical overview of biological indicators, considering the assessment of water quality through microalgae from an environmental perspective and their role as natural bioindicators of the effects of eutrophication. Chapter Three provides a mixing zone analysis of surface brine discharges in coastal waters. Chapter Four studies the effect of low salinity on intertidal blue mussels from the White Sea.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides readers with the latest developments in environmental research. Topics covered include the results of various approaches that have been applied to assess the susceptibility of the Greek coasts to long term sea-level rise; water quality vulnerability in Yucatán, Mexico at the end of the International Decade for Action "Water for Life"; toxic and potentially toxic diatom blooms in Tunisian waters; acidic waste rock and tailing remediation in Australia; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons associated with the massive mortalities of pearl oysters at the Al-Khiran coast in Kuwait; the employment of the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris as a biosorbent for the extraction of chromium and mercury species from aqueous solutions; the utility of chloroplast petB&D and trnK intron in DNA barcoding of plant species; the future of Zimbabwes small farm peasant sector in relation to changing climatic conditions and recurrent harvest deficits, and the lack of development in small water bodies (SWBs) and irrigation systems to assist farmers to cope with changing precipitation patterns and droughts; and migration caused by climate change in the Shyamnagar region of Bangladesh.

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Book SynopsisThe first chapter in this fourth volume of "Climate, Energy, and Environment: Issues, Analyses, and Developments" presents current topical research in the study of green building services, which include construction, architecture, engineering, and related activities aimed at creating sustainable structures using environmentally responsible processes and materials. Chapter Two discusses industry trends, global competition, and federal support of U.S. solar photovoltaic manufacturing. Chapter Three identifies the mechanisms behind the surprising decline in U.S. petroleum consumption relative to both recent levels and past projections. Chapter Four discusses the scientific understanding of the effects of ocean acidification; the extent to which federal agencies have implemented the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009 (FOARAM); and additional actions, if any, that could be taken to advance the federal response to ocean acidification. Chapter Five provides a summary of recommendation for carbon dioxide storage in unconventional reservoirs workshop. Chapter Six concludes this volume with a description of the issues facing corrections policy and leadership as the impacts of climate change and its related consequences confront departments, agencies, and facilities in coming years.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides research on the geological formation of glaciers, as well as the effects of climate change to glaciers. The first chapter reviews recent and old applications of first principles physics to the modelling of glaciers and ice sheets. Chapter Two focuses on the physical-geographical factors of the development and evolution of the Debeli Manet glacier in Montenegro. Chapter Three studies high altitude temperature changes in the Tropical Andes over the last 15,000 years. Chapter Four summarizes the current knowledge of the biodiversity and ecology of microbial communities from glaciers. Chapter Five presents the results of investigations of mountain glaciers within the southeastern part of Russian Altai (SE Altai). The last chapter reports a continuation of direct field investigations, aiming to reveal whether supraglacial debris effect is increasing or decreasing in mass balance and glacier evolution with the course of time.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides readers with the latest developments in environmental research. Topics covered include methods for the production of resins using biological materials such as food crops, agri-food wastes, and non-edible materials, along with the versatility of its applications; the extinction reasons of the Atlantic salmon in the Elbe River; the possible use of spider webs as environmental pollution indicators; the production of synthetic wastewater; the growth and development of switchgrass managed for biofuel production; the variations in social discount rate policies of various countries around the world; the Mole National Park experience in Ghana; and the physical planning implication of informal sector activities on built environments in Nigeria.

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Book SynopsisAn increased demand for recycling has prompted the food industry to become more efficient in its handling of waste. Food waste is among the priority streams for waste prevention worldwide, as it is generated at large quantities at all levels of the food production and consumption chain, in both developed and developing countries, throughout the year. This book discusses practices, management and challenges of food waste. The first chapter discusses current agricultural development systems. Chapter Two presents a review of the works of research that have been developed in the last decade on the use of food wastes as sources of antioxidant compounds, such as polyphenols. Chapter Three provides a critical overview on the studies that deal specifically with food applications, mainly focusing on their potential as sources of fibers and associated phenolics and respective antioxidant activity. Chapter Four contributes to innovation in research on the valorisation techniques that have been developed for the use of food wastes as well as examines future directions in the field. Chapter Five reviews conventional methods currently applied in Vietnam for treatment of food waste, and then proposes a promising solution using anaerobic digestion technology. Chapter Six provides an overview of the generation of food waste within households in Greece and investigates the potential for prevention. Chapter Seven investigates heat generation and oxygen levels during the storage of soy sauce squeezing residue and fish meal, by-products of soy sauce and fish production and processing, respectively, by thermal analysis and gas chromatography. The final chapter discusses sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose properties, extraction technologies and xylooligosaccharides production.

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Book SynopsisAn invasive species (alternatively known as an alien, exotic, injurious, introduced or naturalised, non-native, nonindigenous, nuisance, or noxious species) refers to an animal or plant that is introduced into an environment where it is not native. The introduction of invasive species to the United States -- whether deliberate or unintentional -- rom around the globe can pose a significant threat to native animal and plant communities, and may result in extinctions of native animals and plants, species disruptions as native and non-native species compete for limited resources, reduced biodiversity, and altered terrestrial or aquatic habitats. This can result in a range of economic, ecologic, and cultural losses, including reduced agricultural output from U.S. farms and ranches; degradation of U.S. waterways, coastal areas, national parks, and forests; and altered urban, suburban, and rural landscapes. Very broadly, the unanswered question regarding invasive species concerns whose responsibility it is to ensure economic integrity and ecological stability in response to the actual or potential impacts of invasive species, and at what cost. As this book shows, the current answer is not simple. It may depend on answers to many other questions: Is the introduction deliberate or accidental? Does it affect agriculture? By what pathway does the new species arrive? Is the potential harm from the species already known? Is the species already established in one area of the country? Finally, if the answers to any of these questions are unsatisfactory, what changes should be made? This book outlines the nature of the invasive species threat, the ability to predict invasions, methods of pest prevention or control, gaps in regulation, and options for congressional action.

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Book SynopsisThis book compiles the works of many authors from some of the best academic institutions in the world, all related to Mexico''s contemporary general conditions. The main objective of this compilation is to examine Mexico as a whole, giving the reader an insight in its social, economic, political and environmental problems. For this purpose, the texts have been chosen in a way that after analysing a few of them, one will find them all correlated. The problems analysed in this book range from very recent (some of them occurring this past year) to others that go back decades or even centuries. In this sense, this contribution gives readers a historical perception of the problems captured. Some chapters develop scientific conclusions based on strict scientific research; however, the reader will find that the language is not overwhelming and the chapters can be thoroughly and easily read. Overall, it is a wonderful compilation made possible by all contributing authors and their interest to publish their most recent research on it. We hope that readers enjoy going through the pages of these chapters as they venture through contemporary Mexico, analysing topics from the environmental difficulties of Coahuila''s sand dunes to social changes in the Meseta Purépecha, passing through other topics, such as, the conditions of human rights protection in Mexico or the return of the PRI regime, among other great discussions. The authors'' interests are as different as their disciplines, but, in this case, diversity is important for maintaining multidisciplinary interpretations on the current needs of the Mexican society.

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Book SynopsisThis book discusses ecological perspectives, biodiversity and management of the Baltic and Black Seas. Chapter One reviews the role of the Russian section of the Gulf of Finland and its basin in the ecosystems of the Baltic Sea. Chapter Two studies spatio-temporal dynamics of ichthyoplankton biodiversity in different biotopes of the Baltic Sea. Chapter Three explores the abnormalities in the amphids of free-living nematodes in the Black Sea. Chapter Four discusses the role of defense systems to the adaptation to ecological conditions in the Black Sea ecosystem.

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Book SynopsisUnder the Superfund program, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) places some of the most seriously contaminated sites on the National Priorities List (NPL). At the end of fiscal year 2013, nonfederal sites made up about 90 percent of these sites. At these sites, EPA undertakes remedial action projects to permanently and significantly reduce contamination. Remedial action projects can take a considerable amount of time and money, depending on the nature of the contamination and other site-specific factors. This book examines, for fiscal years 1999 through 2013, the trends in the annual federal appropriations to the Superfund program and EPA expenditures for remedial cleanup activities at nonfederal sites on the NPL; and the number of nonfederal sites on the NPL, the number of remedial action project completions, and the number of construction completions at nonfederal NPL sites. Furthermore, the book examines how EPA addresses the cleanup of sites it has identified as eligible for the NPL; how the processes for implementing the Superfund Alternative (SA) and NPL approaches compare; and how SA agreement sites compare with similar NPL sites in completing the cleanup process.

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Book SynopsisWith an increasing role of tropical forests supporting a range of ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, water regulation, soil conservation, timber, non-timber forest products, carbon sequestration, and climate change mitigation, the importance of forest resources management has become very crucial. The tropical forests of Indochina countries are rich in biodiversity and carbon density, and thus are significant from social, ecological, political and economic aspects. These forests provide essential livelihoods to the local and indigenous people. Rapid economic growth, agriculture expansion, illegal logging, population growth, and urbanisation have been reported as major contributors to almost all cases of deforestation. Due to rapid development, forest resources are at a great risk. The FRA 2010 report shows that deforestation caused a loss of about 13 million hectares of tropical forests per year from the year 2000 to 2010. Therefore, there is an urgent need for better management of these resources. This book partially contributes towards climate change mitigation by implementing the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) mechanism. To mitigate climate change, most present studies are now concentrated on afforestation, reforestation and reducing deforestation and degradation. This book is focused on the application of multi-sensor remote sensing techniques to manage Cambodian forests for the effective implementation of the REDD+ mechanism. In this context, it is important to obtain reliable and consistent information of (a) forest cover, (b) deforestation, and (c) forest biomass to estimate CO2 emissions for the improvement of national carbon accounting. Additionally, this information will also be used for the development of the measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) system and for the management of forest resources to support sustainable forest management. Current knowledge is very limited with regard to the MRV system for REDD+ mechanism implementation. This book demonstrates the use of multi-sensor remote sensing techniques to manage the forest resources more sustainably. Further, it includes a concept on how precisely we can measure various forest parameters to minimise the uncertainty and to validate the results based on field data. The study is very much interdisciplinary in nature. It integrates core remote sensing techniques with the socio-economic angle of the REDD+ mechanism. It emphasises on remote sensing as a technique for ensuring the MRV of REDD+ initiatives, taking into consideration its cost effectiveness in implementation.

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Book SynopsisThe World Health Organization projects climate change will adversely affect health significantly over the next several decades. Some health effects of climate change are already being felt in the United States, according to assessments by the National Research Council, U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), and others. Since the federal government is the nations largest purchaser of health care services, federal health care expenditures could increase in future years due to climate-related impacts. This book addresses federal activities to enhance understanding about the risks climate change poses to public health; federal resources used by selected states and localities to address these risks; and challenges states and localities face and actions federal agencies could take to mitigate them. This book also provides a suggested sequence of steps that health departments can undertake to assess such health vulnerabilities associated with climate change.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides new research on the management strategies, environmental impacts and health risks of air pollution. Chapter One analyses historical air pollution data via linear regression and the time-series technique. Chapter Two provides a spatial analysis of air pollution from road transport within urban areas and its relation to health risks. Chapter Three presents the findings on the effects of short- and long-term exposure to air pollution on death rates in Belgrade, Serbia, based on a 6-year regular pollutant monitoring and the corresponding administrative records on mortality. Chapter Four discusses how bioaerosols impact the environment, and provides methods for reducing health risks. Chapter Five reviews a case study on heavy metals air pollution of mines in the Bregalnica River Basin.

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Book SynopsisPolicymakers at all levels of government are debating a wide range of options for addressing the nation''s faltering economic conditions. One option that is once again receiving attention is accelerated investments in the nation''s public infrastructure - that is, highways, mass transit, airports, water supply and wastewater, and other facilities - in order to create jobs while also promoting long-term economic growth. This book examines policy issues associated with using infrastructure as a mechanism to benefit economic recovery. Discussed are airline fees; factors which influence the extent of transit-oriented development; current law and legislative history of the federal excise tax on motor fuels and the highway trust fund; long-term financing of the highway trust fund; the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) Program; vehicle safety inspections; and seat belt use among long-haul truck drivers.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides readers with the latest developments in environmental research. Chapter One is an exertion providing up-to date information on mass concentration levels, sources, different types of particles associated with particulate matter (PM) and their effects on human health, climate and natural environment along with controlling methods. Chapter Two evaluates the impact of the foliar applications of seaweed extract (SWE) obtained from Ulva rigida species on salt stress tolerance in wheat plants (Triticum durum L.). Chapter Three addresses polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) origins, uptake dinamics, biotransformation, bioaccumulation and documented impacts over these marine animals, approaching a ''state of knowledge and setting an integrated basis for future tiered studies to estimate the actual human exposure risk through seafood consumption and giving support for future conservational measures. Chapter Four uses the Delphi method, analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy logic theory to establish a system of multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) to illustrate the influence of community resident participation on the effectiveness of sustainable green community development. Chapter Five reviews an empirical analysis on the factors influencing energy efficient residential renovations in Taiwan by using the Delphi method, analytical hierarchy process, and utility theory. Chapter Six focuses on dental caries, enamel hypoplasia and dental wear, which were observed in the populations of the Syrian lower Euphrates valley representing six cultures dated from the Early Bronze Age to the modern Islamic period. Chapter Seven discusses perfluoroalkylation of organic compounds by photoredox catalysis with organic dyes.

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Book SynopsisThis current book provides up-to-date research on the management, assessment and current challenges of coastal zones. Chapter One reviews the Coastal Area Management Programme (CAMP) of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP). Chapter Two introduces atypical example accounting for a comparative analysis between wetlands in Lebanon with different hydrology and aquifer characteristics. Chapter Three emphasizes a need for more careful monitoring of mosquito vector abundance and disease transmission in coastal zones and incorporating recent findings into coastal planning and management programs. Chapter Four aims to account for procedures taken by coastal, insular, and archipelagic states when claiming the extension of its oceanic limits.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides readers with the latest developments in environmental research. Chapter One presents the strongest wind erosions of the Sinjsko polje, a karst field situated in the Dalmatia, Croatian south region. Chapter Two provides an analysis for sediment formation by model experiments in karstic depressions. Chapter Three presents the effects of different water pollutants on different assays, biomonitors and biomarkers to evaluate the aquatic environment, as well as justify the importance of inclusion of mutagenicity and genotoxicity tests in water monitoring programs. Chapter Four focuses upon the role of spatial analysis in informing water management into the future and reviews the spatial analysis literature in water resources management/economics from a global and local scale. Chapter Five discusses the impact of climatic variation on reference crop evapotranspiration in the North-East hydrological region of Bangladesh. Chapter Six reviews the causes and impacts of land degradation in Pakistan and devises some improvement measures. Chapter Seven evaluates the impact of partially harvesting the lavender biomass. Chapter Eight introduces benefits and cost of green roof installation, and also gives a new insight into the cost-related issues of green roof installation from owners developers and governments perspectives. Chapter Nine examines the potential environmental risk of food waste management. Chapter Ten discusses the ecophysiology of entomopathogenic fungi used against insect pests of storage maize.

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Book SynopsisAuthentic and inspiring, Everything that Rises personalizes the realities of climate change by paralleling the relationship we have with our planet to the way we interact within our own homes. Many Millennials begin their professional lives in the background, working for causes unchosen by them, for wages barely enough to scrape by. Brianna Craft’s first internship, however, was assisting the Least Developed Countries Group during the United Nations’ climate change negotiations. ​Conditions were similar. The cause was not. Brianna is thrown directly into the middle of the talks. While working for those most ignored and affected by the climate crisis, she must find her own voice in rooms filled with the world’s most powerful people. A dynamic that painfully reminds her of what it felt like growing up in a house where the loudest voice always won. Four years later, she witnesses the adoption of the first universal climate change treaty, The Paris Climate Agreement. But despite the signing of the 2015 treaty, the crisis rages on. Brianna confronts her own history to further the cause and navigate the future.It will take all of us to save our home.Table of Contents1 A Conference of Parties 2 Climate Change and Me 3 Breathless 4 False Start 5 Compromised 6 Monster 7 The Traveling Show 8 Hope Springs 9 Stalemate 10 From Gambia with Love 11 The Triumph of Paris 12 Rebellion

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Book SynopsisThis title provides a basic overview of fog and how it forms. Easy-to-read text, labeled photos, and a photo glossary make this title perfect for beginning readers.

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Book SynopsisThis title provides a basic overview of rain and how it forms. Easy-to-read text, labeled photos, and a photo glossary make this title perfect for beginning readers.

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Book SynopsisThis title provides a basic overview of rain and how it forms. Easy-to-read text, labeled photos, and a photo glossary make this title perfect for beginning readers.

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Book SynopsisAn academic book examines Nepal's peasant society under global capitalism, emphasizing academia and civil society collaboration. Eight scholars explore peasant rights and economy, with Dr. Suresh Dhakal focusing on peasants as anthropological categories and ethnographic subjects.

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Book SynopsisAs defined by the EPA, an environmental management system refers to a set of processes and practices that enable an organization to reduce its environmental impacts and increase its operating efficiency. Accordingly, this book presents five chapters that introduce unique perspectives relating to the concept of environmental management. Chapter One describes the results of a large-scale study on the structure and governance of diverse ecosystem services of Bulgarian farms. Similarly, Chapter Two applies a holistic approach in the assessment of the competitiveness of agricultural holdings in Bulgaria as a whole, as well as in terms of their different specialization. Chapter Three includes information that enables the adequate identification of mine waste deposits, in order to evaluate the impact on human and ecological health, and to implement suitable alternatives for their environmental management. Chapter Four reviews the biomonitoring strategies employed to evaluate the negative environmental impact of mining waste, the remediation alternatives for mining-polluted sites, and environmental management approaches. Lastly, Chapter Five presents suggestions of actions for public managers and entrepreneurs of the solid waste sector with the perspective of process automation, waste destination, sustainability of the planet, and the reduction of waste production.Table of ContentsPreface; A Study on Structure and Governance of Ecosystem Services of Bulgarian Farms; Reexamining Competitiveness of Bulgarian Farms; Distribution and Composition of Metallic Mining Solid Wastes in the Central Mexico Region, and the Need for Adequate Environmental Management; Mining Waste Management Alternatives, Biological Monitoring and Bioremediation Strategies; Guidelines for Solid Waste Management: Overcoming Challenges and Exploit Opportunities; Index.

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Book SynopsisIncreasingly, we are finding that the web of communication between different species of animals and plants is quite complex, and can be described as spheres having much broader influences than we had previously supposed. For generations, people looked at forests and saw individual trees. But what they didn''t see was that the trees were connected below the ground by fungal mycelia that allowed nutrients to flow from one tree to another, as well as other chemical messages. In effect, the fungal mycelia are like the internet connecting trees within a forest, allowing the trees to "talk" to one another. Ecological communities, or biosemiospheres, are made up of many different species of plants and animals that depend on each other for the flow of energy. There are herbivores, carnivores, detritivores, predators and prey, primary producers such as plants and trees, and the interactions of all of the members of an ecological community can be modelled by the flow of energy within that community. While we look at all of the component species of an ecological community and see solid objects in the form of plants and animals, quantum theory tells us that these are really bundles of energy within a broader energetic field, currently hypothesized as the Higgs Field that connects everything. From the perspective of quantum theory, we can look at all of the species as bundles of energy that they exchange as they communicate, eat each other, die, and decompose. In that sense, a biosemiosphere is really a quantum biosemiosphere. This book will provide you with a lot of delights. First, there is the genius of taking such a breath-taking large view of the biotic world and placing it into semiotic and quantum terms. Then there is a rigorous philosophic discussion of why this is important and why we must take it seriously. Finally, there is a sprinkling of allusions throughout, that are a delight to chase down and savour, the way that you would savour a fine wine over an intellectual conversation with friends who think outside the box.

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Book SynopsisThis volume includes five chapters that detail recent advances in environmental research. Chapter One explores the potential of agroforestry to provide an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional agriculture, which produces climatologically negative effects. Chapter Two provides a general overview of optical biosensors and their applications in clinical diagnosis, food safety and security, and environmental biomonitoring. Chapter Three offers an overview of air quality monitoring. Chapter Four proposes pertinent information related to the prevailing state of the art on the importance of soybean lignocellulosic residues as raw materials of high potential for biorefineries and biofuels production. Lastly, Chapter Five presents case studies from France and Brazil concerning agroforestry in connection with international environmental law goals and sustainable development goals.Table of ContentsPreface; The Future of Agroforestry in the Face of Climate Change, with Special Reference to Venezuela; Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR): Applications in Clinical Diagnosis, Food Safety and Security, and Environmental Biomonitoring; State of the Art on Air Quality Monitoring; Soybean Lignocellulosic Biomass: A Sustainable Approach for Biofuels Production; The International Recognition of the Socio-Environmental Benefits of AS: How International Law Influences National Legislations?; Index.

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Book SynopsisForecasting is a technique that uses historical data as inputs to make informed estimates that are predictive in determining the direction of future trends. Eurasia comprises about 36% of the world's total area and about 70% of the world population. Eurasia comprises Asia and Europe, although, geographically, it is a single continent with arbitrary geological borders. Eurasia has been a home to the world's oldest civilizations and plays an important part in the mainstream history of the world. Eurasian countries have many common characteristics and forecasting of this region can prove to be of major help in integrated resources management, leading to sustainable development, optimum decision making of international world organizations and achieving goals of world peace. This book deals with the various aspects of social and environmental importance in this region, especially climate change and hydrological modelling and flood forecasting.

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Book SynopsisPhthalates are esters of phthalic acid that are groups of chemicals used mainly in the production of plastics. Phthalates are also called plasticizers and they make solid plastics flexible and soft. Besides plastics, phthalates are also used as raw materials and/or auxiliary chemicals in many industrial activities. Because of their widespread use, phthalates are very common in nature and are classified as non-persistent pollutants. Their harmful effects have started to be shown by studies conducted in the last 20-30 years which revealed that phthalates have endocrine disrupting effects, among other health consequences. This book deals with the various health and environmental effects of phthalates.

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