Urban Ecology Studies of the Amphibians and Reptiles in the City of Plovdiv, Bulgaria


Book Description

This book summarizes all available knowledge about the species composition and spatial distribution of amphibians and reptiles in the city of Plovdiv, in South Bulgaria. It also traces the dynamics of their populations and communities, along the urban-to-rural gradient, in order to determine their frequency of occurrence in time and the Important Herpetological Areas in the city. The book also provides additional ecological, zoogeographical and conservational data to further its points. It is the first comprehensive study on the urban ecology of amphibians and reptiles in the city of Plovdiv.




Vertebrates and Invertebrates of European Cities:Selected Non-Avian Fauna


Book Description

Vertebrates and Invertebrates of European Cities: Selected Non-Avian Fauna is the first known account of the vertebrate and invertebrate fauna of several cities in Europe and throughout the rest of the world. It excludes birds, which are described in a companion volume. The book contains eleven chapters about nine cities distributed throughout Europe. The chapters start with the history of the cities, which is followed by a description of the abiotic features such as geology, climate, air and water quality and then a brief account of the habitats. The vertebrate chapters describe the fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals that are known to occur in each city together with their status and the habitats in which they occur, for example housing, industrial areas, parks, transport routes and rivers. The invertebrate chapters contain an account of the presence, status and habitats occupied by 6 - 8 of the major invertebrate groups including butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies, crickets and grasshoppers, beetles, molluscs, spiders, mites and springtails. This volume has been written and edited to be accessible to a wide range of interests and expertise including academic biologists, urban ecologists, landscape architects, planners, urban designers, undergraduates, other students and people with a general interest in natural history (especially cities) – not only in Europe but throughout the world.




Human Impact on Danube Watershed Biodiversity in the XXI Century


Book Description

The second-longest European river after the Volga, the Danube is one of the world’s most important rivers in terms of its geographical and historical significance. In recent history, it has served as a major international waterway and numerous cities, including four capitals, have been founded on its banks. The 2826km-long Danube has a watershed measuring 801,093 km2 that is now shared between 19 countries, from its source in the Black Forest to the Black Sea, into which it pumps an average of 827 km3 of water a year. This book describes and explains key landscape values interactions (geographical, cultural and natural heritage). It also identifies the threats and various types of human impact affecting this system in all the countries of the Danube River Basin, based on the investigations and perspectives of a team of experienced naturalists, and in the context of the early 21st century, in which the human-nature relationship is still far from balanced. These studies demonstrate how biodiversity, conservation and ecological studies can help us successfully promote mutual cooperation and combine our efforts to address problems as a responsible continent.




Urban Herpetology


Book Description







Women in Biotechnology


Book Description

Johannes Klumpers Biotechnologies, such as genetic engineering, cloning and biodiversity, raise many legal and ethical concerns, so it is important that people understand these issues and feel able to express their opinions. This is why the European Commission has been, for a number of years, supporting actions to improve communication among scientists in these diverse areas. The project ‘Women in Biotechnology’ (WONBIT), financed under the 6th Framework programme of the European Commission, is an excellent example of what can be done to target opinion-formers such as scientists, economists and lawyers in bottom-up activities, and to encourage a debate on gender issues triggered by developments in the life sciences. WONBIT gave rise to a successful international conference highlighting the importance of adopting good practices and ethical considerations in parallel with the rapid pace of progress in biotechnology – from a woman’s point of view. In particular, the conference addressed women in decision-making positions in b- technology with specific reference to scientific excellence, social competencies and management qualities as well as issues relating to environment, society and the younger generation. But it did not stop there: a key part of the conference was dedicated to stimulating public debate among non-specialists, which has led to a number of recommen- tions to policy-makers on better communication in biotechnology, on taking better account of the gender aspects of research, and on involving more women in the decision-making process that surrounds developments in biotechnology.




The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds


Book Description

Presenting an integrated picture of the distribution and abundance of the breeding birds of Europe, this text compiles and organizes bird survey data from all over Europe. Over 100 regional and national atlases have been produced, surveying areas from such obscure regions as Madeira and the Azores. It describes the present and allows the reader to predict success of future conservation initiatives and the failures of further habitat loss and degradation.




Contemporary Tourism


Book Description

Now in its second edition, Contemporary Tourism: an international approach presents a new and refreshing approach to the study of tourism, considering issues such as the changing world order, destination marketing, tourism ethics, pro-poor tourism and implications for the patterns and flow of tourism in the future.




The Ecology and Behavior of Amphibians


Book Description

Consisting of more than six thousand species, amphibians are more diverse than mammals and are found on every continent save Antarctica. Despite the abundance and diversity of these animals, many aspects of the biology of amphibians remain unstudied or misunderstood. The Ecology and Behavior of Amphibians aims to fill this gap in the literature on this remarkable taxon. It is a celebration of the diversity of amphibian life and the ecological and behavioral adaptations that have made it a successful component of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Synthesizing seventy years of research on amphibian biology, Kentwood D. Wells addresses all major areas of inquiry, including phylogeny, classification, and morphology; aspects of physiological ecology such as water and temperature relations, respiration, metabolism, and energetics; movements and orientation; communication and social behavior; reproduction and parental care; ecology and behavior of amphibian larvae and ecological aspects of metamorphosis; ecological impact of predation on amphibian populations and antipredator defenses; and aspects of amphibian community ecology. With an eye towards modern concerns, The Ecology and Behavior of Amphibians concludes with a chapter devoted to amphibian conservation. An unprecedented scholarly contribution to amphibian biology, this book is eagerly anticipated among specialists.




Anagram Solver


Book Description

Anagram Solver is the essential guide to cracking all types of quiz and crossword featuring anagrams. Containing over 200,000 words and phrases, Anagram Solver includes plural noun forms, palindromes, idioms, first names and all parts of speech. Anagrams are grouped by the number of letters they contain with the letters set out in alphabetical order so that once the letters of an anagram are arranged alphabetically, finding the solution is as easy as locating the word in a dictionary.