- Table View
- List View
A Love Letter To The Planet
by Thich Nhat HanhA passionate appeal for ecological mindfulness and strengthening our relationship to the Earth. Based on the best selling The World We Have.
Love, Life, and Elephants: An African Love Story
by Daphne SheldrickDaphne Sheldrick, whose family arrived in Africa from Scotland in the 1820s, is the first person ever to have successfully hand-reared newborn elephants. Her deep empathy and understanding, her years of observing Kenya's rich variety of wildlife, and her pioneering work in perfecting the right husbandry and milk formula have saved countless elephants, rhinos, and other baby animals from certain death. In this heartwarming and poignant memoir, Daphne shares her amazing relationships with a host of orphans, including her first love, Bushy, a liquid-eyed antelope; Rickey-Tickey-Tavey, the little dwarf mongoose; Gregory Peck, the busy buffalo weaver bird; Huppety, the mischievous zebra; and the majestic elephant Eleanor, with whom Daphne has shared more than forty years of great friendship. But this is also a magical and heartbreaking human love story between Daphne and David Sheldrick, the famous Tsavo Park warden. It was their deep and passionate love, David's extraordinary insight into all aspects of nature, and the tragedy of his early death that inspired Daphne's vast array of achievements, most notably the founding of the world-renowned David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the Orphans' Nursery in Nairobi National Park, where Daphne continues to live and work to this day. Encompassing not only David and Daphne's tireless campaign for an end to poaching and for conserving Kenya's wildlife, but also their ability to engage with the human side of animals and their rearing of the orphans expressly so they can return to the wild, Love, Life, and Elephants is alive with compassion and humor, providing a rare insight into the life of one of the world's most remarkable women.
Loved Clothes Last: How the Joy of Rewearing and Repairing Your Clothes Can Be a Revolutionary Act
by Orsola de Castro'It's important that everyone with an interest in fashion reads this book so we can live on a healthier planet' Arizona Muse 'The most timely book you'll read this year' India Knight* * * * * Running out of space for the clothes you can't stop buying? Curious about how you can make a difference to the environmental challenges our planet faces? Join Orsola's care revolution and learn to make the clothes you love, last longer.This book will equip you with a myriad of ways to mend, rewear and breathe new life into your wardrobe to achieve a more sustainable lifestyle. By teaching you to scrutinise your shopping habits and make sustainable purchases, she will inspire you to buy better, care more and reduce your carbon footprint by simply making your loved clothes last longer.Following Orsola's practical tips to lavish care and attention on the clothes you already own will not only have a positive environmental impact, but will be personally rewarding too: hand wash, steam and spot clean your clothes, air dry instead of tumble drying, or revive your clothes by sewing or crocheting.Fast fashion leaves behind a trail of human and environmental exploitation. Our wardrobes don't have to be the finish line; they can be a starting point. We can all care, repair and rewear. Do you accept the challenge?* * * * *'An incredibly thoughtful, must-read guide' Kenya Hunt'A must read for anyone who wants to understand the fashion industry as an outsider and wants direction as to where we go next' Aja Barber
The Lovely and the Wild
by Louise De Lawrence Glen LoatesWinner of the 1969 John Burroughs Medal <p><p> From childhood Louise de Kiriline Lawrence dreamed of settling one day in an unspoiled, tranquil spot and living in harmony with nature. This beautifully written book is the story of her dream come true. <p> Truly a labour of love, The Lovely and the Wild is the product of an exceptional woman's profound joy at being part of the limitless world of nature. <p> Louise de Kiriline Lawrence passes over in a single sentence a fascinating life "which does not belong to this book." Born in Sweden, daughter of a naturalist, she served as a translator to an American military mission during the Russian Revolution, and was in charge of a Russian military hospital. She was a delegate of the Swedish Red Cross Expedition to the Volga region during the great famine of 1922 before emigrating to Canada.
Loving and Studying Nature: Celebrating the Earth through History, Culture and Education (International Explorations in Outdoor and Environmental Education #10)
by Malcolm SkilbeckThis volume investigates crucial ways in which nature has been apprehended, understood and valued in different cultures and over time. It is grounded in current global concerns about growing threats to the natural environment. Through a critical appraisal of specific examples, it ranges widely over historical and contemporary attitudes and behaviours.It presents a wide ranging analysis of selected ideas and attitudes in the evolution mainly of western civilisation, from the time of the cave artists to the present day. It argues for preservation and conservation of the natural resources and beauty of the earth in the face of religious supernatural arguments and the rise of consumer capitalism and consumerism.
Loving Orphaned Space: The Art and Science of Belonging to Earth
by Mrill IngramHow we relate to orphaned space matters. Voids, marginalia, empty spaces—from abandoned gas stations to polluted waterways—are created and maintained by politics, and often go unquestioned. In Loving Orphaned Space, Mrill Ingram provides a call to action to claim and to cherish these neglected spaces and make them a source of inspiration through art and/or remuneration. Ingram advocates not only for “urban greening” and “green planning,” but also for “radical caring.” These efforts create awareness and understanding of ecological connectivity and environmental justice issues—from the expropriation of land from tribal nations, to how race and class issues contribute to creating orphaned space. Case studies feature artists, scientists, and community collaborations in Chicago, New York, and Fargo, ND, where grounded and practical work of a fundamentally feminist nature challenges us to build networks of connection and care. The work of environmental artists who venture into and transform these disconnected sites of infrastructure allow us to rethink how to manage the enormous amount of existing overlooked and abused space. Loving Orphaned Space provides new ways humans can negotiate being better citizens of Earth.
Loving This Planet: Leading Thinkers Talk About How to Make A Better World
by Helen CaldicottConversations on sustainability, renewable energy, and other pressing issues: &“A level of intellectual discussion all too absent in our national discourse.&” —Booklist A co-founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility, named one of the most influential women of the twentieth century by the Smithsonian Institute, Helen Caldicott presents a valuable collection of her interviews with prominent figures and environmentalists—in which she: *Scrutinizes our unsustainable dependence on nuclear energy *Explores how the United States could transition to renewable energy *Raises awareness about issues such as deforestation and sea-level rise Extending well beyond the scope of conventional environmental discussions, this book gives us Martin Sheen on grassroots movements and unionized labor; Chris Hedges on the costs of standing up for your morals; and award-winning actress Lily Tomlin on contemporary politics, in a sarcastic and witty exchange at once hilarious and inspiring—and also includes interviews with Maude Barlow, Bill McKibben, Jonathan Schell, Daniel Ellsberg, Lester Brown, Frances Fox Piven, Bob Herbert, and more. &“A treasure trove of anecdotes featuring high-profile politicians, academics, and celebrities . . . Surprising statistics about nuclear waste storage, rising sea levels, and military spending serve as an alarm, but Caldicott and her collaborators also offer many innovative solutions.&” —Publishers Weekly &“God bless Helen Caldicott.&” —Los Angeles Times
Low Carbon Cities: Transforming Urban Systems
by Steffen LehmannLow Carbon Cities is a book for practitioners, students and scholars in architecture, urban planning and design. It features essays on ecologically sustainable cities by leading exponents of urban sustainability, case studies of the new directions low carbon cities might take and investigations of how we can mitigate urban heat stress in our cities’ microclimates. The book explores the underlying dimensions of how existing cities can be transformed into low carbon urban systems and describes the design of low carbon cities in theory and practice. It considers the connections between low carbon cities and sustainable design, social and individual values, public space, housing affordability, public transport and urban microclimates. Given the rapid urbanisation underway globally, and the need for all our cities to operate more sustainably, we need to think about how spatial planning and design can help transform urban systems to create low carbon cities, and this book provides key insights.
Low-Carbon Consumption in China: Residential Behavior, Corporate Practices and Policy Implication
by Zhaohua Wang Bin ZhangThis book explores China’s low-carbon consumption in the context of residential behaviour, corporate practices and policy Implication. It first calculates the carbon and ecological footprints of residential consumption, including both direct and indirect emissions, before discussing Chinese residential behavioural aspects and determinants of electricity saving, low-carbon transportation, low-carbon product purchasing, and e-waste recycling. The authors then investigate the relationship between industrial growth and carbon emissions, using the example of the iron and steel industry to examine the motivation for energy intensive industries to reduce carbon emissions. They also consider energy efficiency and inter-company collaboration on carbon emission reduction. Lastly, the book describes the major low-carbon policies in China and their impact, economic cost and public acceptance.
The Low-Carbon Contradiction: Energy Transition, Geopolitics, and the Infrastructural State in Cuba (Critical Environments: Nature, Science, and Politics #13)
by Gustav CederlofIn the pursuit of socialism, Cuba became Latin America’s most oil-dependent economy. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the country lost 86 percent of its crude oil supplies, resulting in a severe energy crisis. In the face of this shock, Cuba started to develop a low-carbon economy based on economic and social reform rather than high-tech innovation. The Low-Carbon Contradiction examines this period of rapid low-carbon energy transition, which many have described as a "Cuban miracle" or even a real-life case of successful "degrowth." Working with original research from inside households, workplaces, universities, and government offices, Gustav Cederlöf retells the history of the Cuban Revolution as one of profound environmental and infrastructural change. In doing so, he opens up new questions about energy transitions, their politics, and the conditions of a socially just low-carbon future. The Cuban experience shows how a society can transform itself while rapidly cutting carbon emissions in the search for sustainability.
The Low-Carbon Cookbook & Action Plan: Reduce Food Waste and Combat Climate Change with 140 Sustainable Plant-Based
by Alejandra SchraderWINNER IN THE FOOD WASTE CATEGORY OF THE GOURMAND WORLD COOKBOOK AWARDS FOR THE UNITED STATESDiscover how to reduce the carbon footprint sitting on your dinner plateFrom the farmers to the delivery trucks and everything in between, there are countless people and processes involved in getting meat and produce from where they're made to your kitchen. This recipe book highlights the difficulties and pleasures of eating sustainably!If you're looking for a way to combat climate change from your kitchen, this cookbook will help you with your goals. It includes: • An introduction to the climate crisis and what the low-carbon diet is • Expert tips and advice on how to eat a low-carbon diet • Science-backed information on how to shop and cook smart by making the most-climate friendly choices • 140 plant-based recipes made with fresh, wholesome, and seasonal ingredients that can help you lower your carbon footprint and foodprint You may not think your food has anything to do with global warming, but in reality, the food industry has an undeniable impact on the environment and contributes one-fourth of our global greenhouse gas emissions. You can take a few small steps to help lower that number by introducing a low-carbon diet into your kitchen and life - and The Low-Carbon Cookbook will show you exactly how. Determining a food&’s carbon cost can be difficult. From examining the impact of the supply chain for foods to evaluating the carbon footprint of various plant-based options, this cookbook shows you exactly how to make the most environmentally friendly food choices. Packed with over 140 delicious recipes made with sustainable ingredients, this climate-friendly cooking book will teach you how to calculate your footprint, reduce your meat and dairy intake, and eat seasonal and local. • • • &“The Low-Carbon Cookbook is a welcome roadmap for home chefs of any level who care about the future of our planet and making conscious food choices. Alejandra Schrader blends detailed research with vibrant, delicious recipes that make eating a climate-friendly diet possible. With this delightful thought-provoking book, everyone can start making changes in how they eat today that will have a big impact on our planet tomorrow. In these times of climate crisis, this is a must-read for all who care about food, our climate, and all the living beings who share our planet.&” – Abby Maxman, president and CEO of Oxfam America &“When Alejandra writes about the relationship between the food we eat and the impact it has on the environment, she&’s not just doing it on a hunch—she&’s done the research and shares it in a way that&’s not polarizing or politicizing. By setting the table with food and facts, Alejandra provides anyone who cares about the food they eat with plenty of inspiration for creating meals that taste—and do—good.&” – Courtney Hazlett, executive producer and creator, Netflix&’s Restaurants on the Edge &“Our planet is in a crisis. Food systems are in a crisis. Rates of malnutrition—stunting and starvation and obesity—are on the increase. Many countries around the world have adopted farming and production patterns that are designed for convenient consumption and mass calories rather than the sustainability of the planet and good health. With more than 30,000 edible plants available on Earth, it&’s criminal we have come to rely on 3 crops for more than 60% of our calories. It&’s crucial we understand the relationship between nutrition and the health of our bodies—as well as planetary health—in order to care for our planet and to change food systems for the better. However, we can&’t talk about planetary health,
Low-Carbon Development: Latin American Responses to Climate Change
by Augusto De la Torre Pablo Fajnzylber John NashThis book, the companion volume to 'Low Carbon, High Growth: Latin American Responses to Climate Change', examines some of the major threats posed by climate change to the region's economies, societies, and biodiversity. It describes the patterns of greenhouse gas emissions in the Latin America and Caribbean region and in specific countries, finding that the future trajectory could be increases in emissions relative to other regions. 'Low-Carbon Development' explains why it is in the region's best interest to participate actively in global efforts to reduce emissions and what type of global climate change architecture could allow the countries to make their most effective contributions. Finally, the book lays out an agenda for domestic policies and investments to help the countries adapt to climate change while reducing their emissions profiles. It will be useful to policy makers, civil society organizations, and researchers working in climate change.
Low Carbon Development: Key Issues (Key Issues in Environment and Sustainability)
by Frauke Urban Johan NordensvardLow Carbon Development: Key Issues is the first comprehensive textbook to address the interface between international development and climate change in a carbon constrained world. It discusses the key conceptual, empirical and policy-related issues of low carbon development and takes an international and interdisciplinary approach to the subject by drawing on insights from across the natural sciences and social sciences whilst embedding the discussion in a global context. The first part explores the concept of low carbon development and explains the need for low carbon development in a carbon constrained world. The book then discusses the key issues of socio-economic, political and technological nature for low carbon development, exploring topics such as the political economy, social justice, financing and carbon markets, and technologies and innovation for low carbon development. This is followed by key issues for low carbon development in policy and practice, which is presented based on cross-cutting issues such as low carbon energy, forestry, agriculture and transportation. Afterwards, practical case studies are discussed from low carbon development in low income countries in Africa, middle income countries in Asia and Latin America and high income countries in Europe and North America. Written by an international team of leading academics and practitioners in the field of low carbon development, this book is essential reading for students, academics, professionals and policy-makers interested in the fields of low carbon development, climate change mitigation, climate policy, climate change and development, global environmental change, and environment and development.
The Low-Carbon Good Life (Routledge-SCORAI Studies in Sustainable Consumption)
by Jules PrettyThe Low-Carbon Good Life is about how to reverse and repair four interlocking crises arising from modern material consumption: the climate crisis, growing inequality, biodiversity loss and food-related ill-health. Across the world today and throughout history, good lives are characterised by healthy food, connections to nature, being active, togetherness, personal growth, a spiritual framework and sustainable consumption. A low-carbon good life offers opportunities to live in ways that will bring greater happiness and contentment. Slower ways of living await. A global target of no more than one tonne of carbon per person would allow the poorest to consume more and everyone to find our models of low-carbon good lives. But dropping old habits is hard, and large-scale impacts will need fresh forms of public engagement and citizen action. Local to national governments need to act; equally, they need pushing by the power and collective action of citizens. Innovative and engaging and written in a style that combines storytelling with scientific evidence, this book will be of great interest to students and scholars of climate change, sustainability, environmental economics and sustainable consumption, as well as non-specialist readers concerned about the climate crisis.
Low Carbon Politics: A Cultural Approach Focusing on Low Carbon Electricity (Routledge Studies in Energy Policy)
by David TokeLow Carbon Politics focuses on how policies and institutions have influenced the deployment of renewable energy and nuclear power in the electricity sector. Cultural theory is used to analyse this. Egalitarian pressures have had a profound influence on technological outcomes, not merely in securing the deployment of renewable energy but also in increasing the costs of nuclear power. Whereas in the 1970s it might have been expected that individualist, market based pressures allied to dominant hierarchies would deliver nuclear power as the main response to problems associated with fossil fuels, a surprising combination has emerged. Egalitarian and individualist pressures are, together, leading to increasing levels of deployment of renewable energy. This work finds that electricity monopolies tend to favour nuclear power whereas competitive arrangements are more likely to lead to more renewable energy being deployed. It covers developments in a number of countries including USA, UK, China, South Africa and also Germany and Denmark. This book will be of great relevance to students, academics and policymakers with an interest in energy policy, low carbon politics and climate change.
Low Carbon Transition: Sustainable Agriculture in the European Union
by Dalia Streimikiene Indre Siksnelyte-Butkiene Tomas BalezentisLow-carbon transition is a shift from an economy that depends heavily on fossil fuels to a sustainable, low-carbon energy economy. This book analyzes the role of renewables in driving the low-carbon transition in agriculture, explores the circular bio-based economy, and examines policies and strategies designed to facilitate low-carbon transition in agriculture, greenhouse gas mitigation, and adaptation trends in the European Union agriculture sector. It provides new knowledge and understanding about the impact of low-carbon energy transition, emphasizes the key role of renewable energy in a wide range of agricultural activities, and offers alternative sustainable solutions to current practices.Features Discusses a novel approach on low-carbon transition that is not considered by the majority of studies Emphasizes the urgent need to minimize the carbon and environmental footprint of the EU agriculture and food system through low-carbon energy transition Provides theoretical background of sustainable agriculture and explains the decarbonization path of agriculture. Investigates the role of renewables, new technologies, business models, and practices in agriculture while assessing their socioeconomic and environmental effects. Presents a case study on the applications of low-carbon transition policies in selected EU member states and analyses in details various implications. This book is suitable for senior undergraduate and graduate students, professionals in agriculture, researchers, and policy makers interested in sustainable agriculture and renewable energy usage and their economics.
Low Carbon Transition in Emerging Economies: Climate Policy, Carbon Pricing and the Effect on Employment (Routledge Explorations in Environmental Economics)
by Erkin ErdoğanMany emerging economies are in the front line of the devastating impacts of global warming such as desertification and extreme weather events but, for historical and political reasons, they follow ambitious growth targets with seemingly little concern for climate change and environmental degradation. Focusing on the case of Turkey, this book investigates the economic impacts of possible climate change policies to help meet the required mitigation targets and transition to a low carbon economy. In order to reach the net-zero targets by 2050 in compliance with the Paris Agreement, Turkey must introduce policies that promote low carbon investments, green jobs and low carbon employment more broadly. This book explores the empirical evidence on the effectiveness of a carbon pricing mechanism by developing an econometric VAR model to analyse key data sets. This time series analysis provides insights on a macro level, dealing with aggregate data in which the role and complexity of micro interferences disappears, allowing for the discovery of patterns and changes over time. Thus, the book contributes to the literature on methodology by arguing that time series analysis is one of the best fitting approaches to estimate possible impacts of climate change policies in an economy. Additionally, the results of the model are compared and contrasted with similar data from other emerging economies to identify potential common policy solutions between countries at a similar stage of development. This book is vital reading for researchers interested in climate policy, the economics of climate change and environmental economics.
Low Carbon Transitions for Developing Countries (Routledge Studies in Low Carbon Development)
by Frauke UrbanGlobal climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our times and in order to tackle this carbon emissions need to be mitigated. China and India have recently become some of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters. Transitions to low carbon energy, for reducing emissions that lead to climate change, are therefore an urgent priority for China and India and at a global level. This is the first book focusing on low carbon energy transitions for emerging economies such as China and India, assessing the opportunities and barriers for transitions to renewable and low carbon energy as climate change mitigation options. It uses energy modelling to assess the China’s power sector, the economy of Beijing and rural Indian households that do not have access to electricity. The research evaluates the environmental, technical, socio-economic and policy implications of these low carbon transitions, concluding that they are possible in China and India and they can considerably contribute to climate change mitigation. This interdisciplinary book will be of interest to scholars, students, practitioners and policy-makers working in the fields of energy and development, energy policy, energy studies and modelling, climate policy, climate change mitigation, climate change and development, low carbon development, sustainable development, environment and development and environmental management.
Low-Grade and Nonconventional Sources of Manganese (Routledge Revivals)
by David B. BrookesThis book, first published in 1966, reports the results of a pilot study devoted to understanding the middle-term resource situation for one metal – manganese. Two factors bring the different parts of the manganese supply-demand picture together, one economic and the other political, both of which are examined in detail in this report. Low-Grade and Nonconventional Sources of Manganese will be of interest to students of environmental studies.
Low Intensity Breeding of Native Forest Trees in Argentina: Genetic Basis for their Domestication and Conservation
by Mario J. Pastorino Paula MarchelliGlobal climate change requires the development of programs that consider the active restoration of degraded forests and the use of native trees in afforestation to preserve the natural environment. International commitments like the UN REDD program, the Montréal Process and the Convention on Biological Diversity call for the breeding of species rarely contemplated by large industrial companies. Low-intensity breeding is the most rational strategy for those species: simple but robust, and not dependent on continuously increasing funding, and therefore effective even with a relatively small budget. It commonly focuses on high genetic diversity rather than improving economic traits and adaptability rather than productivity. Controlled crosses with full pedigrees typical of high-intensity breeding are replaced by open pollination. This book presents state-of-the-art breeding strategies from the last two decades for several forest tree species of prime importance in the natural forests of Argentina. They are distributed in the three main forestry ecoregions of the country: the subtropical dry forest (Chaco), the subtropical rain forests (Yungas and Alto Paraná rainforests) and the temperate forests of Patagonia. The book also discusses the genetic patterns of the selected species defined using genetic markers together with the analysis of the variation in quantitative traits. Further, it examines the crucial features of their reproductive biology, such as the mating system and gene flow and describes the current breeding programs. Lastly, it presents the latest developments in genetic resources and their emerging applications, concluding with some reflections and perspectives related to the conditioning imposed by climate change.
The Lower Damodar River, India
by Kumkum BhattacharyyaInterweaving the human aspects of river control with analysis of hydro-physical data, including historical data over the last few centuries, this monograph is a comprehensive evaluation of the Damodar's lower reaches. While the Damodar River isn't an exceptional tropical river, nor does it feature classic examples of river control structures, it is unusual and worthy of study due to the fact that nowhere else in the tropical world have riverine sandbars been used as a resource base as well as for permanent settlements. Based on their knowledge of river stages, the inhabitants have fine-tuned their land use to flood events, applying a concept of flood zoning to the riverbed. Every available space has been utilized rationally and judiciously. This rare human-environmental study analyzes the remarkable way in which immigrants unfamiliar with the riverine environment have adapted to the altered hydrologic regime of the river. In doing so they have demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of the flood regime and the vagaries of an unpromising environment in their land use, cropping and settlement patterns. Spurred on by restricted social and economic mobility and sometimes political constraints, these self-settled refugees have learned to adapt to their environment and live with the floods. Bhattacharyya's text is particularly timely, as anthropogenic processes of this kind have not been adequately studied by geographers.
The Lower Danube River: Hydro-Environmental Issues and Sustainability (Earth and Environmental Sciences Library)
by Abdelazim Negm Liliana Zaharia Gabriela Ioana-ToroimacThis book provides essential information and recent findings on hydro-environmental issues in the Lower Danube River, particularly its hydrological and hydromorphological processes; physico-chemical features; climate and water-related hazards; and not only the biodiversity and quality but also the sustainable management and governance of its hydro-environment. Accordingly, it presents a broad range of scientific information on the lower sector of the second-longest river in Europe, which holds major economic importance and has been severely impacted by human pressures, especially since the second part of the last century. The engineering works (e.g. dams, reservoirs, levees, channelization, etc.) on the Danube and its tributaries, despite their benefits to society, have altered its flow and significantly reduced its sediment load, with consequences for hydromorphological processes and aquatic ecosystems. These ecosystems have also been affected by pollution from various sources. To promote sustainable management of the Danube River and its watershed, several strategies and measures have been developed by a number of institutions, from the European level to the national and regional levels (commissions, national authorities, non-governmental organizations, etc.). Compared to the upper and middle sectors of the Danube, the lower sector has received less attention in the international scientific literature in terms of hydro-environmental issues. The book fills this gap and provides current and original insights and findings from recent studies conducted by scientists from three countries drained by the Lower Danube River and its tributaries: Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia. This unique book will be of great scientific interest to professional engineers, policy planners and policymakers in the three countries mentioned above, helping them to implement their own sustainable development plans. It also offers a valuable resource for graduate students, researchers and stakeholders.
Lowland Grassland and Heathland Habitats (Habitat Guides)
by Elizabeth PriceGrasslands are everywhere: agricultural land, playing fields and road verges; but while species-poor, intensively managed grasslands are widespread, colourful semi-natural grasslands and heathlands, buzzing with life, are scarce. These semi-natural habitats are ancient, cultural landscapes, which are of considerable, if not international importance for biodiversity. However, despite targets for the conservation and restoration of these valuable grasslands and heathlands, these habitats continue to decline before our eyes. Lowland Grassland and Heathland Habitats contrasts the uniformity of intensively managed grassland with the diversity of traditionally managed grasslands and heathlands. It examines topics of concern to the ecologist or habitat manager such as causes of the loss and deterioration of these habitats, including inappropriate management, eutrophication and climate change. It then evaluates opportunities for positive change, such as conservation, restoration and creation. A series of case-studies illustrates the pressures on some lowland grassland and heathland habitat types and looks at ways to enhance them for biodiversity. This habitat guide features illustrated species boxes of typical plants and animals, as well as a full species list, a series of projects on the ecology of grassland and heathland species, a colour plate section, up-to-date references and information, and a full glossary. It will provide students and environmentalists with a deeper understanding of the nature and importance of lowland grasslands and heathlands.
The Lowland Maya Area: Three Millennia at the Human-Wildland Interface
by Arturo Gómez-Pompa Michael F. Allen Scott L. Fedick Juan J. Jiménez-OsornioWhat can we learn from the people of the Maya Lowlands? Integrating history, biodiversity, ethnobotany, geology, ecology, archaeology, anthropology, and other disciplines, The Lowland Maya Area is a valuable guide to the fascinating relationship between man and his environment in the Yucatán peninsula. This book covers virtually every aspect of the biology and ecology of the Maya Lowlands and the many ways that human beings have interacted with their surroundings in that area for the last three thousand years. You'll learn about newly discovered archaeological evidence of wetland use; the domestication and use of cacao and henequen plants; a biodiversity assessment of a select group of plants, animals, and microorganisms; the area's forgotten cotton, indigo, and wax industries; the ecological history of the Yucatán Peninsula; and much more. This comprehensive book will open your eyes to all that we can learn from the Maya people, who continue to live on their native lands, integrating modern life with their old ways and teaching valuable lessons about human dependence on and management of environmental resources. The Lowland Maya Area explores: the impact of hurricanes and fire on local environments historic and modern Maya concepts of forests the geologic history of the Yucatán challenges to preserving Maya architecture newly-discovered evidence of fertilizer use among the ancient Maya cooperation between locals and researchers that fosters greater knowledge on both sides recommendations to help safeguard the future The Lowland Maya Area is an ideal single source for reliable information on the many ecological and social issues of this dynamic area. Providing you with the results of the most recent research into many diverse fields, including traditional ecological knowledge, the difficult transition to capitalism, agave production, and the diversity of insect species, this book will be a valuable addition to your collection. As the editors of The Lowland Maya Area say in their concluding chapter: If we are to gain global perspective from the changing Maya world, it is that understanding space and time is absolutely critical to human persistence. Understanding how the Maya have interacted with their environment for thousands of years while maintaining biodiversity will help us understand how we too can work for sustainable development in our own environments.
Lowlands: Development And Management
by NORIHIKO MIURA; MADHIRA R.MADHAV; KENICHI KOGAThis text presents up-to-date knowledge regarding lowlands, which are lands affected by fluctuating water levels. By collating and examining relevant information concerning lowlands in one volume, this text should be of use to engineers, planners, managers, administrators and scientists.