Handbook of Ecological and Ecosystem Engineering

Handbook of Ecological and Ecosystem Engineering PDF

Author: Majeti Narasimha Vara Prasad

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2021-05-25

Total Pages: 548

ISBN-13: 1119678609

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Learn from this integrated approach to the management and restoration of ecosystems edited by an international leader in the field The Handbook of Ecological and Ecosystem Engineering delivers a comprehensive overview of the latest research and practical developments in the rapidly evolving fields of ecological and ecosystem engineering. Beginning with an introduction to the theory and practice of ecological engineering and ecosystem services, the book addresses a wide variety of issues central to the restoration and remediation of ecological environments. The book contains fulsome analyses of the restoration, rehabilitation, conservation, sustainability, reconstruction, remediation, and reclamation of ecosystems using ecological engineering techniques. Case studies are used to highlight practical applications of the theory discussed within. The material in the Handbook of Ecological and Ecosystem Engineering is particularly relevant at a time when the human population is dramatically rising, and the exploitation of natural resources is putting increasing pressure on planetary ecosystems. The book demonstrates how modern scientific ecology can contribute to the greening of the environment through the inclusion of concrete examples of successful applied management. The book also includes: A thorough discussion of ecological engineering and ecosystem services theory and practice An exploration of ecological and ecosystem engineering economic and environmental revitalization An examination of the role of soil meso and macrofauna indicators for restoration assessment success in a rehabilitated mine site A treatment of the mitigation of urban environmental issues by applying ecological and ecosystem engineering A discussion of soil fertility restoration theory and practice Perfect for academic researchers, industry scientists, and environmental engineers working in the fields of ecological engineering, environmental science, and biotechnology, the Handbook of Ecological and Ecosystem Engineering also belongs on the bookshelves of environmental regulators and consultants, policy makers, and employees of non-governmental organizations working on sustainable development.

Niche Construction

Niche Construction PDF

Author: F. John Odling-Smee

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2013-02-15

Total Pages: 488

ISBN-13: 1400847265

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The seemingly innocent observation that the activities of organisms bring about changes in environments is so obvious that it seems an unlikely focus for a new line of thinking about evolution. Yet niche construction--as this process of organism-driven environmental modification is known--has hidden complexities. By transforming biotic and abiotic sources of natural selection in external environments, niche construction generates feedback in evolution on a scale hitherto underestimated--and in a manner that transforms the evolutionary dynamic. It also plays a critical role in ecology, supporting ecosystem engineering and influencing the flow of energy and nutrients through ecosystems. Despite this, niche construction has been given short shrift in theoretical biology, in part because it cannot be fully understood within the framework of standard evolutionary theory. Wedding evolution and ecology, this book extends evolutionary theory by formally including niche construction and ecological inheritance as additional evolutionary processes. The authors support their historic move with empirical data, theoretical population genetics, and conceptual models. They also describe new research methods capable of testing the theory. They demonstrate how their theory can resolve long-standing problems in ecology, particularly by advancing the sorely needed synthesis of ecology and evolution, and how it offers an evolutionary basis for the human sciences. Already hailed as a pioneering work by some of the world's most influential biologists, this is a rare, potentially field-changing contribution to the biological sciences.

Engineering Within Ecological Constraints

Engineering Within Ecological Constraints PDF

Author: National Academy of Engineering

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1996-03-22

Total Pages: 221

ISBN-13: 030917645X

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Engineering within Ecological Constraints presents a rare dialogue between engineers and environmental scientists as they consider the many technical as well as social and legal challenges of ecologically sensitive engineering. The volume looks at the concepts of scale, resilience, and chaos as they apply to the points where the ecological life support system of nature interacts with the technological life support system created by humankind. Among the questions addressed are: What are the implications of differences between ecological and engineering concepts of efficiency and stability? How can engineering solutions to immediate problems be made compatible with long-term ecological concerns? How can we transfer ecological principles to economic systems? The book also includes important case studies on such topics as water management in southern Florida and California and oil exploration in rain forests. From its conceptual discussions to the practical experience reflected in case studies, this volume will be important to policymakers, practitioners, researchers, educators, and students in the fields of engineering, environmental science, and environmental policy.

Linking Species & Ecosystems

Linking Species & Ecosystems PDF

Author: Clive G. Jones

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 403

ISBN-13: 1461517737

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I was asked to introduce this volume by examining "why a knowledge of ecosys tem functioning can contribute to understanding species activities, dynamics, and assemblages." I have found it surprisingly difficult to address this topic. On the one hand, the answer is very simple and general: because all species live in ecosystems, they are part of and dependent on ecosystem processes. It is impossible to understand the abundance and distribution of populations and the species diversity and composition of communities without a knowledge of their abiotic and biotic environments and of the fluxes of energy and mat ter through the ecosystems of which they are a part. But everyone knows this. It is what ecology is all about (e.g., Likens, 1992). It is why the discipline has retained its integrity and thrived, despite a sometimes distressing degree of bickering and chauvinism among its various subdisciplines: physiological, be havioral, population, community, and ecosystem ecology.

Environmental Engineering for the 21st Century

Environmental Engineering for the 21st Century PDF

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2019-03-08

Total Pages: 125

ISBN-13: 0309476550

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Environmental engineers support the well-being of people and the planet in areas where the two intersect. Over the decades the field has improved countless lives through innovative systems for delivering water, treating waste, and preventing and remediating pollution in air, water, and soil. These achievements are a testament to the multidisciplinary, pragmatic, systems-oriented approach that characterizes environmental engineering. Environmental Engineering for the 21st Century: Addressing Grand Challenges outlines the crucial role for environmental engineers in this period of dramatic growth and change. The report identifies five pressing challenges of the 21st century that environmental engineers are uniquely poised to help advance: sustainably supply food, water, and energy; curb climate change and adapt to its impacts; design a future without pollution and waste; create efficient, healthy, resilient cities; and foster informed decisions and actions.

Fundamentals of Ecosystem Science

Fundamentals of Ecosystem Science PDF

Author: Kathleen C. Weathers

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2021-07-26

Total Pages: 358

ISBN-13: 0128127627

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Fundamentals of Ecosystem Science, Second Edition provides a comprehensive introduction to modern ecosystem science covering land, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Featuring full color images to support learning and written by a group of experts, this updated edition covers major concepts of ecosystem science, biogeochemistry, and energetics. Case studies of important environmental problems offer personal insights into how adopting an ecosystem approach has helped solve important intellectual and practical problems. For those choosing to use the book in a classroom environment, or who want to enrich further their reading experience, teaching and learning assets are available at Elsevier.com. Covers both aquatic (freshwater and marine) and terrestrial ecosystems with updated information Includes a new chapter on microbial biogeochemistry Features vignettes throughout the book with real examples of how an ecosystem approach has led to important change in policy, management, and ecological understanding Demonstrates the application of an ecosystem approach in synthesis chapters and case studies Contains new coverage of human-environment interactions

Ecological Engineering

Ecological Engineering PDF

Author: William J. Mitsch

Publisher: Wiley-Interscience

Published: 1989-05-09

Total Pages: 494

ISBN-13:

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This international, interdisciplinary account presents a unified account of ecotechnology--the practice of ecologically sound approaches to engineering. The first section of the book introduces the basic concepts and principles of ecotechnology. The second section of the book comprises case studies of ecological engineering from around the world, including cases from Denmark, China, Japan, the United States, and Canada. Most of the examples are applications of aquatic ecosystems, such as hydrological modification, pollution control, wetland management, and lake, reservoir, and stream restoration. Chapters in the second section follow a common format--a survey of the problem or existing methodologies, a discussion of where and when these methods are ecologically sound, and a case study to illustrate in detail the proper use of the ecological engineering practice.

The Song Of The Dodo

The Song Of The Dodo PDF

Author: David Quammen

Publisher: Random House

Published: 2012-03-31

Total Pages: 706

ISBN-13: 1448137403

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Why have island ecosystems always suffered such high rates of extinction? In our age, with all the world's landscapes, from Tasmania to the Amazon to Yellowstone, now being carved into island-like fragments by human activity, the implications of this question are more urgent than ever. Over the past eight years, David Quammen has followed the threads of island biogeography on a globe-encircling journey of discovery.

Ecosystem Engineers

Ecosystem Engineers PDF

Author:

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2011-09-21

Total Pages: 437

ISBN-13: 0080548474

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The first book entirely devoted to this topic, Ecosystem Engineers begins with the history of the concept, presenting opposing definitions of ecosystem engineeing. These varied definitions advance the debate and move past trivial difficulties to crystallize key issues such as the value of process-based vs. outcome-based. Authors include case studies spanning a wide spectrum of species and habitats, including above and below-ground, aquatic and terrestrial, and extant and paleontological examples. These studies enable readers to understand how the categorization of species as ecosystem engineers allows scientists to forge new explanatory generalizations. Key for all ecologists and environmentalists, this book ultimately illustrates how to inform and manage natural resources. The only consolidated treatment available Provides definitions, case studies, and examples of ecological models Discusses how ecosystem engineering can inform and improve the management of natural resources Includes contributions from Clive Jones, the leading figure in the development of the ecosystem engineer concept, and many other eminent ecologists, such as Alan Hastings