Biological Diversity


Book Description

One of the cornerstones of life's wonders is the vast array of species filling the planet. From plants to animals to humans, there is no shortage of beings to provide 'spice of life' variety is said to be. Periodically, scientists announce the discovery of a 'new' form of life, so it seems as if Earth is capable of producing new species just to keep us on our toes. At times, the immense breadth of living things can even feel overwhelming, as one pauses to ponder how numerically insignificant humans are when compared to the insect population. Given the biological diversity of the planet, it is incumbent upon humans to safeguard the natural beauty of the environment. To that end, conservation takes on special importance, necessitating the balancing of industrial expansion with preserving the flora and fauna surrounding us. This book is an important tool in understanding and researching the many different life forms spanning the globe. Collected here is a substantial and carefully selected listing of relevant literature on biological diversity and its conservation. Following this bibliography are author, title, and subject indexes to allow for further access to this information. The sheer bulk of the works about biological diversity can be so intimidating that a book such as this one becomes useful in sorting through the resources about the importance of life's variety.




Central America, Two Volume Set


Book Description

An integrated treatment of the principal fields of classical and applied geosciences of Central America, this authoritative two-volume monograph treats the region as a whole, exploring geology, earth resources and geo-hazards across political boundaries. It reviews the published literature, and supplements it with an abundance of information from o




Biodiversity Hotspots


Book Description

Biodiversity and its conservation are among the main global topics in science and politics and perhaps the major challenge for the present and coming generations. This book written by international experts from different disciplines comprises general chapters on diversity and its measurement, human impacts on biodiversity hotspots on a global scale, human diversity itself and various geographic regions exhibiting high levels of diversity. The areas covered range from genetics and taxonomy to evolutionary biology, biogeography and the social sciences. In addition to the classic hotspots in the tropics, the book also highlights various other ecosystems harbouring unique species communities including coral reefs and the Southern Ocean. The approach taken considers, but is not limited to, the original hotspot definition sensu stricto and presents a chapter introducing the 35th hotspot, the forests of East Australia. While, due to a bias in data availability, the majority of contributions on particular taxa deal with vertebrates and plants, some also deal with the less-studied invertebrates. This book will be essential reading for anyone involved with biodiversity, particularly researchers and practitioners in the fields of conservation biology, ecology and evolution.




Biodiversity and Cultural Property in the Management of Limestone Resources


Book Description

There is an enormous need and demand in East Asia for both housing and other building construction, and for the development of infrastructure for transport, water and other utility provision. At the very foundation of all this activity, there is a burgeoning demand for limestone, ... This involves cement production, as well as supply of lime, aggregates and dimensional stone. Limestone is found in all East Asian countries, and cement, the chief limestone product, is a common barometer of economic progress. Many World Bank-finance infrastructure projects use cement and are subject to careful screening to ensure compliance with the World Bank's environmental safeguard policies. This report draws attention to two key aspects of limestone resource management that could help minimize impacts: (i) the selection of an appropriate site for exploitation; and (ii) the management of selected sites during and after quarrying.Through a wide distribution of this report among the various stakeholders, such as, infrastructure engineers, environmental assessment professionals, biodiversity specialists, archaeologists, and other cultural property specialists, the future management of limestone resources of East Asia would receive much needed attention




Global Geographical Heritage, Geoparks and Geotourism


Book Description

This book explores the geographical, geomorphological, ecological, touristic and socioeconomic aspects of natural heritage, argues for the dynamic conservation of that heritage and explains its key characteristics, promotion, conservation and management to achieve sustainable development goals. Emerging concepts such as geodiversity, geographical heritage sites, geomonuments, geoparks and geotourism are increasingly being used by conservationists. At present, the development of geoparks is a major global theme involving the application of geosciences to promote the inclusive growth of society and the protection and conservation of our unique geoheritage. Currently, there are 147 UNESCO global geoparks across 41 countries, in addition to a number of national-level geoparks. Pursuing a holistic approach towards such sites will sensitise the general public to the need for geoconservation of significant geosites and promote it through geotourism. It is a crucial issue, as various countries around the world are eager to develop their geoparks and are working for the conservation of geoheritage sites at the national level. This unique book gathers contributions from 15 countries in the form of case studies analysing the realities on of geographical heritage, geoparks and geotourism. The respective chapters address the role of geoparks as essential tools for education, recreation and nature conservation. Given its scope, the book offers a valuable guide for geoscientists, planners, policymakers, civil society and anyone concerned about the conservation of geoheritage sites and geoparks for a sustainable future Earth.







The Routledge Handbook of Urbanization and Global Environmental Change


Book Description

This volume provides a comprehensive overview of the interactions and feedbacks between urbanization and global environmental change. A key focus is the examination of how urbanization influences global environmental change, and how global environmental change in turn influences urbanization processes. It has four thematic foci: Theme 1 addresses the pathways through which urbanization drives global environmental change. Theme 2 addresses the pathways through which global environmental change affects the urban system. Theme 3 addresses the interactions and responses within the urban system in response to global environmental change. Theme 4 centers on critical emerging research.




The Biology of Caves and Other Subterranean Habitats


Book Description

The second edition of this widely cited textbook continues to provide a concise but comprehensive introduction to cave and subterranean biology, describing this fascinating habitat and its biodiversity. It covers a range of biological processes including ecosystem function, evolution and adaptation, community ecology, biogeography, and conservation. The authors draw on a global range of examples and case studies from both caves and non-cave subterranean habitats. One of the barriers to the study of subterranean biology has been the extraordinarily large number of specialized terms used by researchers; the authors explain these terms clearly and minimize the number that they use. This new edition retains the same 10 chapter structure of the original, but the content has been thoroughly revised and updated throughout to reflect the huge increase in publications concerning subterranean biology over the last decade.




Encyclopedia of Caves and Karst Science


Book Description

The Encyclopedia of Caves and Karst Science contains 350 alphabetically arranged entries. The topics include cave and karst geoscience, cave archaeology and human use of caves, art in caves, hydrology and groundwater, cave and karst history, and conservation and management. The Encyclopedia is extensively illustrated with photographs, maps, diagrams, and tables, and has thematic content lists and a comprehensive index to facilitate searching and browsing.




Encyclopedia of Caves


Book Description

Encyclopedia of Caves, Third Edition, provides detailed background information to anyone with a serious interest in caves. This includes students, both undergraduate and graduate, in the earth, biological and environmental sciences, and consultants, environmental scientists, land managers and government agency staff whose work requires them to know something about caves and the biota that inhabit them. Caves touch on many scientific interests in geology, climate science, biology, hydrology, archaeology, and paleontology, as well as more popular interests in sport caving and cave exploration. Case studies and descriptions of specific caves selected for their special features and public interest are also included. This book will appeal to these audiences by providing in-depth essays written by expert authors chosen for their expertise in their assigned subject. - Features 14 new chapters and 13 completely rewritten chapters - Contains beautifully illustrated content, with more than 500 color images of cave life and features - Provides extensive bibliographies that allow readers to access their subject of interest in greater depth