Ecosystems and Human Well-being

Ecosystems and Human Well-being PDF Author: Joseph Alcamo
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Biodiversity
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
Ecosystems and Human Well-Being is the first product of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, a four-year international work program designed to meet the needs of decisionmakers for scientific information on the links between ecosystem change and human well-being. The book offers an overview of the project, describing the conceptual framework that is being used, defining its scope, and providing a baseline of understanding that all participants need to move forward. The Millennium Assessment focuses on how humans have altered ecosystems, and how changes in ecosystem services have affected human well-being, how ecosystem changes may affect people in future decades, and what types of responses can be adopted at local, national, or global scales to improve ecosystem management and thereby contribute to human well-being and poverty alleviation. The program was launched by United National Secretary-General Kofi Annan in June 2001, and the primary assessment reports will be released by Island Press in 2005. Leading scientists from more than 100 nations are conducting the assessment, which can aid countries, regions, or companies by: providing a clear, scientific picture of the current sta

Ecosystems and Human Well-being

Ecosystems and Human Well-being PDF Author: Joseph Alcamo
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Biodiversity
Languages : en
Pages : 272

Get Book Here

Book Description
Ecosystems and Human Well-Being is the first product of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, a four-year international work program designed to meet the needs of decisionmakers for scientific information on the links between ecosystem change and human well-being. The book offers an overview of the project, describing the conceptual framework that is being used, defining its scope, and providing a baseline of understanding that all participants need to move forward. The Millennium Assessment focuses on how humans have altered ecosystems, and how changes in ecosystem services have affected human well-being, how ecosystem changes may affect people in future decades, and what types of responses can be adopted at local, national, or global scales to improve ecosystem management and thereby contribute to human well-being and poverty alleviation. The program was launched by United National Secretary-General Kofi Annan in June 2001, and the primary assessment reports will be released by Island Press in 2005. Leading scientists from more than 100 nations are conducting the assessment, which can aid countries, regions, or companies by: providing a clear, scientific picture of the current sta

Dryland Ecohydrology

Dryland Ecohydrology PDF Author: Paolo D'Odorico
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9781402042591
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 358

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Book Description
Ecohydrology emerges as a new field of research aiming at furthering our understanding of the earth system through the study of the interactions between the water cycle and vegetation. By combining the analysis of biotic and abiotic components of terrestrial ecosystems, this volume provides a synthesis of material on arid and semiarid landscapes, which is currently spread in a number of books and journal articles. The focus on water-limited ecosystems is motivated by their high sensitivity to daily, seasonal, and decadal perturbations in water availability, and by the ecologic, climatic, and economic significance of most of the drylands around the world. Conceived as a tool for scientists working in the area of the earth and environmental sciences, this book presents the basic principles of eco-hydrology as well as a broad spectrum of topics and advances in this research field. The chapters collected in this book have been contributed by authors with different expertise, who work in several arid areas around the World. They describe the various interactions among the biological and physical dynamics in dryland ecosystems, starting from basic processes in the soil-vegetation-climate system, to landscape-scale hydrologic and geomorphic processes, ecohydrologic controls on soil nutrient dynamics, and multiscale analyses of disturbances and patterns.

Adaptation of Dryland Plants to a Changing Environment

Adaptation of Dryland Plants to a Changing Environment PDF Author: Zhiyou Yuan
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
ISBN: 2889633152
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 145

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Book Description


Dryland Opportunities

Dryland Opportunities PDF Author: Michael Mortimore
Publisher: World Conservation Union
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 100

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Book Description
Drylands cover 41 percent of the earth' s terrestrial surface. The urgency of and international response to climate change have given a new place to drylands in terms both of their vulnerability to predicted climate change impacts and their potential contribution to climate change mitigation. This book aims to apply the new scientific insights on complex dryland systems to practical options for development. A new dryland paradigm is built on the resources and capacities of dryland peoples, on new and emergent economic opportunities, on inward investment, and on the best support that dryland science can offer.

Fungi in Extreme Environments: Ecological Role and Biotechnological Significance

Fungi in Extreme Environments: Ecological Role and Biotechnological Significance PDF Author: Sonia M. Tiquia-Arashiro
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3030190307
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 625

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Book Description
Over the last decades, scientists have been intrigued by the fascinating organisms that inhabit extreme environments. These organisms, known as extremophiles, thrive in habitats which for other terrestrial life-forms are intolerably hostile or even lethal. Based on such technological advances, the study of extremophiles has provided, over the last few years, ground-breaking discoveries that challenge the paradigms of modern biology. In the new bioeconomy, fungi in general, play a very important role in addressing major global challenges, being instrumental for improved resource efficiency, making renewable substitutes for products from fossil resources, upgrading waste streams to valuable food and feed ingredients, counteracting life-style diseases and antibiotic resistance through strengthening the gut biota, making crop plants more robust to survive climate change conditions, and functioning as host organisms for production of new biological drugs. This range of new uses of fungi all stand on the shoulders of the efforts of mycologists over generations. The book is organized in five parts: (I) Biodiversity, Ecology, Genetics and Physiology of Extremophilic Fungi, (II) Biosynthesis of Novel Biomolecules and Extremozymes (III) Bioenergy and Biofuel synthesis, and (IV) Wastewater and biosolids treatment, and (V) Bioremediation.

Drought Resistance in Crops with Emphasis on Rice

Drought Resistance in Crops with Emphasis on Rice PDF Author: International Rice Research Institute
Publisher: Int. Rice Res. Inst.
ISBN: 9711040786
Category : Crop yields
Languages : en
Pages : 422

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Book Description


Plants surviving in extreme environment: Harnessing Soil-Plant–Microbial relationship to enhance crop health and productivity

Plants surviving in extreme environment: Harnessing Soil-Plant–Microbial relationship to enhance crop health and productivity PDF Author: Priyanka Chandra
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
ISBN: 2832548687
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 329

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Book Description


Valuing Variability

Valuing Variability PDF Author: International Institute for Environment and Development
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Arid regions
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


Keepers of Life

Keepers of Life PDF Author: Michael J. Caduto
Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing
ISBN: 9781555913878
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description
This interdisciplinary curriculum in botany and plant ecology focuses on environmental and stewardship issues using the framework of Native American stories as an introduction to the topics.

Agriculture in Dry Lands

Agriculture in Dry Lands PDF Author: I. Arnon
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0444599568
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 992

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Book Description
Throughout history, man has, by over-use, consistently reduced the productive capacity of dry lands. This degradation of one-third of the land area of the globe is, unfortunately, increasing. In recent years, world interest has turned to the problems of pollution of the environment and the impending food shortage as world population grows explosively. Thus the attention of international and other agricultural bodies has turned to the need for preserving and developing more effectively the agricultural potential of these areas.This book provides a comprehensive review of present knowledge of the agriculture of dry lands, with special emphasis on measures for conserving their natural resources. Management practices are described which aim at optimizing productivity of rainfed and irrigated agriculture without adverse effects on sustainability. Land use in the dry regions, and its evolution throughout history is described and analysed, and the lessons to be learnt from destructive technologies are stressed. In particular, current proposals for an alternative agriculture are discussed and their justification is questioned. This is a generalist work, which specialists can also find interesting, not only in their own discipline but as a concise way of acquainting themselves with the state-of-the-art in associated fields. Increasing specialisation with each discipline using its own vocabulary leads inevitably to communication problems, and the need for multi-disciplinary teams makes inter-discipline communication indispensible.