Dynamic Sedimentary Environments of Mangrove Coasts


Book Description

Dynamic Sedimentary Environments of Mangrove Coasts provides knowledge on the importance of sedimentary dynamics in managing mangrove forests. In the first part of the book, the editors seamlessly offer a general introduction of mangrove sedimentary dynamics. This leads into more in-depth information on soil surface elevation change, sea level rise, and the importance of sedimentary dynamics in the loss or gain of blue carbon. The book concludes the discussion of mangrove sedimentary dynamics by addressing the issues of climate change (e.g. sea level rise and blue carbon) on mangrove restoration and sediment. This book will assist coastal managers and academics in addressing the gaps in mangrove restoration and coastal management. As such, it will be a valuable reference for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, researchers, academics in the field of coastal restoration, and coastal management practitioners. Provides a state-of-the-art summary of research into sedimentary dynamics in mangrove forests Includes updates on issues of climate change-relevant to mangroves, such as blue carbon and sea level rise Presents scientific background and successful case studies for mangrove restoration that can solve problems relating to mangrove management




Riverine Ecosystem Management


Book Description

This open access book surveys the frontier of scientific river research and provides examples to guide management towards a sustainable future of riverine ecosystems. Principal structures and functions of the biogeosphere of rivers are explained; key threats are identified, and effective solutions for restoration and mitigation are provided. Rivers are among the most threatened ecosystems of the world. They increasingly suffer from pollution, water abstraction, river channelisation and damming. Fundamental knowledge of ecosystem structure and function is necessary to understand how human acitivities interfere with natural processes and which interventions are feasible to rectify this. Modern water legislation strives for sustainable water resource management and protection of important habitats and species. However, decision makers would benefit from more profound understanding of ecosystem degradation processes and of innovative methodologies and tools for efficient mitigation and restoration. The book provides best-practice examples of sustainable river management from on-site studies, European-wide analyses and case studies from other parts of the world. This book will be of interest to researchers in the field of aquatic ecology, river system functioning, conservation and restoration, to postgraduate students, to institutions involved in water management, and to water related industries.




Sediment Dynamics and Pollutant Mobility in Rivers


Book Description

This is the first interdisciplinary book on the mobilization of nutrients and pollutants in the water phase due to hydrodynamic processes. Coverage includes the formation of aggregates in turbulent water; flocks and biofilms from organic reactions; and the formation of new surfaces for re-adsorption of dissolved pollutants. The book gathers papers resulting from an International Symposium on Sediment Dynamics and Pollutant Mobility in River Basins in Hamburg, Germany, March, 2006.







River Dynamics


Book Description

Rivers are important agents of change that shape the Earth's surface and evolve through time in response to fluctuations in climate and other environmental conditions. They are fundamental in landscape development, and essential for water supply, irrigation, and transportation. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the geomorphological processes that shape rivers and that produce change in the form of rivers. It explores how the dynamics of rivers are being affected by anthropogenic change, including climate change, dam construction, and modification of rivers for flood control and land drainage. It discusses how concern about environmental degradation of rivers has led to the emergence of management strategies to restore and naturalize these systems, and how river management techniques work best when coordinated with the natural dynamics of rivers. This textbook provides an excellent resource for students, researchers, and professionals in fluvial geomorphology, hydrology, river science, and environmental policy.




Stream Ecosystems in a Changing Environment


Book Description

Stream Ecosystems in a Changing Environment synthesizes the current understanding of stream ecosystem ecology, emphasizing nutrient cycling and carbon dynamics, and providing a forward-looking perspective regarding the response of stream ecosystems to environmental change. Each chapter includes a section focusing on anticipated and ongoing dynamics in stream ecosystems in a changing environment, along with hypotheses regarding controls on stream ecosystem functioning. The book, with its innovative sections, provides a bridge between papers published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and the findings of researchers in new areas of study. - Presents a forward-looking perspective regarding the response of stream ecosystems to environmental change - Provides a synthesis of the latest findings on stream ecosystems ecology in one concise volume - Includes thought exercises and discussion activities throughout, providing valuable tools for learning - Offers conceptual models and hypotheses to stimulate conversation and advance research




Ecological Comparisons of Sedimentary Shores


Book Description

Sedimentary coasts with their unique forms of life and productive ecosystems are one of the most threatened parts of the biosphere. This volume analyzes and compares ecological structures and processes at sandy beaches, tidal mudflats and in shallow coastal waters all around the world. Analyses of local processes are paired with comparisons between distant shores, across latitudinal gradients or between separate biogeographic provinces. Emphasis is given to suspension feeders in coastal mud and sand, to biogenic stabilizations and disturbances in coastal sediments, to seagrass beds and faunal assemblages across latitudes and oceans, to recovery dynamics in benthic communities, shorebird predation, and to experimental approaches to the biota of sedimentary shores.




Fine Sediment Dynamics in the Marine Environment


Book Description

Cohesive sediment, or mud, is encountered in most water bodies throughout the world. Often mud is a valuable resource, synonymous with fertile land, enriching the natural environment and used as an important building material. Yet mud also hinders navigation and consequently, dredging operations have been carried out since ancient times to safeguard navigation. Unfortunately, many mud deposits are now contaminated, endangering the eco-system and increasing the costs of dredging operations. The transport and fate of mud in the environment are still poorly understood and the need for basic research remains. This text contains the proceedings of the INTERCOH-2000 conference on progress in cohesive sediment research. It was the sixth in a series of conferences initially started by Professor Ashish Mehta in 1984 as a "Workshop on Cohesive Sediment Dynamics with Special Reference to the Processes in Estuaries". During these conferences the character of the first workshop has always been maintained, that is, small scale and dedicated to the physical and engineering aspects of cohesive sediments, without parallel sessions, but with ample time for discussions during and after the presentations, and followed by a book of proceedings containing thoroughly reviewed papers. INTERCOH-2000 was integrated with the final workshop of the COSINUS project. This project was carried out as a part of the European MAST-3 programme, and almost all European cohesive sediment workers were involved. INTERCOH-2000 focused on the behaviour and modelling of concentrated benthic suspensions, i.e. high-concentrated near-bed suspensions of cohesive sediment. Special attention was paid to: sediment - turbulence interaction; flocculation and settling velocity; high-concentrated mud suspensions; processes in the bed - consolidation; processes on the bed - erosion; field observations on mud dynamics; instrumentation; and numerical modelling.




Sediment Transport in Aquatic Environments


Book Description

Sediment Transport in Aquatic Environments is a book which covers a wide range of topics. The effective management of many aquatic environments, requires a detailed understanding of sediment dynamics. This has both environmental and economic implications, especially where there is any anthropogenic involvement. Numerical models are often the tool used for predicting the transport and fate of sediment movement in these situations, as they can estimate the various spatial and temporal fluxes. However, the physical sedimentary processes can vary quite considerably depending upon whether the local sediments are fully cohesive, non-cohesive, or a mixture of both types. For this reason for more than half a century, scientists, engineers, hydrologists and mathematicians have all been continuing to conduct research into the many aspects which influence sediment transport. These issues range from processes such as erosion and deposition to how sediment process observations can be applied in sediment transport modeling frameworks. This book reports the findings from recent research in applied sediment transport which has been conducted in a wide range of aquatic environments. The research was carried out by researchers who specialize in the transport of sediments and related issues. I highly recommend this textbook to both scientists and engineers who deal with sediment transport issues.