Emerging Issues in Ecology and Environmental Science


Book Description

This book consists of full research papers submitted by scientists/faculty/research scholars who attended the conference on "Earth and Environment: Pollution and Prevention" held at Amity University, Noida from January 28-30, 2014 and had their abstracts published in the conference proceedings. The selected contributions mainly address contemporary issues related to environmental contamination such as industrial wastewater characterization and treatment, microplastics, temporal mount of air pollutants, atmospheric EC, ecofriendly catalytic technology for textile waste, dairy industry, waste water treatment, industrial air pollution, and plant isoprene emissions. The eight studies in the book will be of interest to environmental pollution researchers and students, as well as scientists interested in the proceedings from the" Earth and Environment: Pollution and Prevention" meeting.




Emerging Issues in Ecology and Environmental Science


Book Description

This book consists of full research papers submitted by scientists/faculty/research scholars who attended the conference on "Earth and Environment: Pollution and Prevention" held at Amity University, Noida from January 28-30, 2014 and had their abstracts published in the conference proceedings. The selected contributions mainly address contemporary issues related to environmental contamination such as industrial wastewater characterization and treatment, microplastics, temporal mount of air pollutants, atmospheric EC, ecofriendly catalytic technology for textile waste, dairy industry, waste water treatment, industrial air pollution, and plant isoprene emissions. The eight studies in the book will be of interest to environmental pollution researchers and students, as well as scientists interested in the proceedings from the" Earth and Environment: Pollution and Prevention" meeting. .




Grand Challenges in Environmental Sciences


Book Description

Scientists have long sought to unravel the fundamental mysteries of the land, life, water, and air that surround us. But as the consequences of humanity's impact on the planet become increasingly evident, governments are realizing the critical importance of understanding these environmental systemsâ€"and investing billions of dollars in research to do so. To identify high-priority environmental science projects, Grand Challenges in Environmental Sciences explores the most important areas of research for the next generation. The book's goal is not to list the world's biggest environmental problems. Rather it is to determine areas of opportunity thatâ€"with a concerted investmentâ€"could yield significant new findings. Nominations for environmental science's "grand" challenges were solicited from thousands of scientists worldwide. Based on their responses, eight major areas of focus were identifiedâ€"areas that offer the potential for a major scientific breakthrough of practical importance to humankind, and that are feasible if given major new funding. The book further pinpoints four areas for immediate action and investment.




Ecology, Environmental Science & Conservation


Book Description

Over the years, the scope of our scientific understanding and technical skills in ecology and environmental science have widened significantly, with increasingly greater emphasis on societal issues. In this book, an attempt has been made to give basic concepts of ecology, environmental science and various aspects of natural resource conservation. The topics covered primarily deal with environmental factors affecting organisms, adaptations, biogeography, ecology of species populations and species interactions, biotic communities and ecosystems, environmental pollution, stresses caused by toxics, global environmental change, exotic species invasion, conservation of biodiversity, ecological restoration, impact assessment, application of remote sensing and geographical information system for analysis and management of natural resources, and approaches of ecological economics. The main issues have been discussed within the framework of sustainability, considering humans as part of ecosystems, and recognising that sustainable development requires integration of ecology with social sciences for policy formulation and implementation.




Environmental Science and Pollution Control


Book Description

The principal aim of this book is to present the reader with a broad overview of the environment, its scope, significance and related issues along with the conceptual and practical aspects of pollution, pollution control methods and environmental impact assessment. Environmental Science and Pollution Control will help students gain a better understanding of environmental issues at the local, regional and global levels. Through engaging cases, examples and intriguing research data, this book will be an indispensable resource to readers who wish to gain conceptual clarity on the basics as well as emerging issues in the field of environmental studies. Key Features • Provides lucid explanation of the fundamentals of ecology, biodiversity and environmental pollution • Intricately links conceptual aspects with problem areas, their effects and legal implications • Covers major constitutional and legal provisions related to the environment • Each chapter is aided by recent case-lets, examples and extensive chapter-end review exercises




Societal Dimensions of Environmental Science


Book Description

Societal Dimensions of Environmental Science: Global Case Studies of Collaboration and Transformation, brings together several key examples of the successes and the challenges that exist for environmental stakeholders trying to strike a balance between science and the societal implications of the issues involved. This book provides important methods and approaches necessary for informed decision making and a better understanding of the common threads of learning, collaboration, negotiation, and compromise. It also explains that concepts and skills needed to better understand how specific project goals can be best achieved in the rapidly changing field of environmental management, by providing practical situations and solutions, across a global landscape. This book provides anyone who works in a community setting with the necessary tools and strategies for solving environmental problems and achieving the goals of an environmental project of any type and specifically addresses the topic of how to synthesize community engagement and the environmental science. It describes current environmental issues and lessons learned of what works and what doesn’t work in real situations, and why. It also highlights key examples, which can be used by both management practitioners and research scientists in their specific circumstances. Showcasing a unique compilation of the diverse and specific examples from societies in Asia, Oceania, North America, and the Middle East, with an equally diverse array of authorship, this book serves all policy makers, scientists, organizers, and community members that desire to build better group dynamics for addressing environmental issues.




Ecology and Ecosystem Conservation


Book Description

Meeting today’s environmental challenges requires a new way of thinking about the intricate dependencies between humans and nature. Ecology and Ecosystem Conservation provides students and other readers with a basic understanding of the fundamental principles of ecological science and their applications, offering an essential overview of the way ecology can be used to devise strategies to conserve the health and functioning of ecosystems. The book begins by exploring the need for ecological science in understanding current environmental issues and briefly discussing what ecology is and isn’t. Subsequent chapters address critical issues in conservation and show how ecological science can be applied to them. The book explores questions such as: • What is the role of ecological science in decision making? • What factors govern the assembly of ecosystems and determine their response to various stressors? • How does Earth’s climate system function and determine the distribution of life on Earth? • What factors control the size of populations? • How does fragmentation of the landscape affect the persistence of species on the landscape? • How does biological diversity influence ecosystem processes? The book closes with a final chapter that addresses the need not only to understand ecological science, but to put that science into an ecosystem conservation ethics perspective.




Contemporary Environmental Issues and Challenges in Era of Climate Change


Book Description

Over the last few decades, unprecedented global population growth has led to increased demand for food and shelter. At the same time, extraction of natural resources beyond the Earth’s resilience capacity has had a devastating effect on ecosystems and environmental health. Furthermore, climate change is having a significant impact in a number of areas, including the global hydrological cycle, ecosystem functioning, coastal vulnerability, forest ecology, food security, and agricultural sustainability. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), only immediate and sustained action will prevent climate change causing irreversible and potentially catastrophic damage to our environment. This book presents various scientific views and concepts, research, reviews, and case studies on contemporary environmental issues in changing climate scenarios and highlights different adaptation measures. Increasing awareness of modern-day patterns of climate change, it addresses questions often raised by environmental scientists, researchers, policymakers and general readers.




Physics in a New Era


Book Description

Physics at the beginning of the twenty-first century has reached new levels of accomplishment and impact in a society and nation that are changing rapidly. Accomplishments have led us into the information age and fueled broad technological and economic development. The pace of discovery is quickening and stronger links with other fields such as the biological sciences are being developed. The intellectual reach has never been greater, and the questions being asked are more ambitious than ever before. Physics in a New Era is the final report of the NRC's six-volume decadal physics survey. The book reviews the frontiers of physics research, examines the role of physics in our society, and makes recommendations designed to strengthen physics and its ability to serve important needs such as national security, the economy, information technology, and education.




Building a Foundation for Sound Environmental Decisions


Book Description

Over the past decades, environmental problems have attracted enormous attention and public concern. Many actions have been taken by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and others to protect human health and ecosystems from particular threats. Despite some successes, many problems remain unsolved and new ones are emerging. Increasing population and related pressures, combined with a realization of the interconnectedness and complexity of environmental systems, present new challenges to policymakers and regulators. Scientific research has played, and will continue to play, an essential part in solving environmental problems. Decisions based on incorrect or incomplete understanding of environmental systems will not achieve the greatest reduction of risk at the lowest cost. This volume describes a framework for acquiring the knowledge needed both to solve current recognized problems and to be prepared for the kinds of problems likely to emerge in the future. Many case examples are included to illustrate why some environmental control strategies have succeeded where others have fallen short and how we can do better in the future.