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Wetland Environments: A Global Perspective
by James S. Aber Firooza Pavri Susan AberWetlands - swamp, marsh, bayou, tundra and bog - are places that are rarely visited and often misunderstood but they have, in fact, conspicuous roles in the physical, biological and cultural geography of the world. They are intrinsically beautiful environments where one may see the natural and essential values in the interaction of water, soil, vegetation, wildlife, and humans. Wetlands occur at the confluence of unique terrestrial, hydrological and climatic conditions that give rise to some of the most biodiverse regions of the world. They also play vital roles in the cycling and storage of key nutrients, materials and energy through the Earth?s system. A complete study of wetland environments requires the assessment of their physical and biological attributes, properties and functions of these ecosystems, and the economic, political and social aspects that mediate their use globally. A systems approach is taken throughout this book which emphasizes the interactions between these elements of wetland ecosystems. Moreover, selected case studies from across the world are used to illustrate wetland characteristics and circumstances. This book is intended to foster a greater awareness and appreciation of wetlands, promote a culture of conservation and wise management, and spread the knowledge that wetlands are important, indeed crucial, elements of the global environment. Our attempts to understand, manage and enhance wetlands in the twenty-first century are part of the larger effort to maintain a sustainable Earth. Readership: Introductory or intermediate level undergraduates taking courses on wetland environments Additional resources for this book can be found at: www.wiley.com/go/aber/wetland.
Wetland Indicators: A Guide to Wetland Formation, Identification, Delineation, Classification, and Mapping, Second Edition
by Ralph W. TinerUnderstand the current concept of wetland and methods for identifying, describing, classifying, and delineating wetlands in the United States with Wetland Indicators - capturing the current state of science's role in wetland recognition and mapping.Environmental scientists and others involved with wetland regulations can strengthen their knowledge about wetlands, and the use of various indicators, to support their decisions on difficult wetland determinations. Professor Tiner primarily focuses on plants, soils, and other signs of wetland hydrology in the soil, or on the surface of wetlands in his discussion of Wetland Indicators.Practicing - and aspiring - wetland delineators alike will appreciate Wetland Indicators' critical insight into the development and significance of hydrophytic vegetation, hydric soils, and other factors. Features Color images throughout illustrate wetland indicators. Incorporates analysis and coverage of the latest Army Corps of Engineers delineation manual. Provides over 60 tables, including extensive tables of U.S. wetland plant communities and examples for determining hydrophytic vegetation.
Wetland Landscape Characterization: Practical Tools, Methods, and Approaches for Landscape Ecology, Second Edition
by Ricardo D. Lopez John G. Lyon Lynn K. Lyon Debra K. LopezWetlands are, by their very nature, ephemeral and transitional, which makes them challenging to characterize. Yet the need for characterizing wetlands continues to grow, particularly as we develop a better understanding of the wealth of ecosystem services that they provide. This book provides practical tools and methods to help practitioners more effectively locate, identify, and map the extent of wetlands, and therefore better understand the importance of wetlands to society and the larger landscape. The authors address jurisdictional, regulatory, and practical applications from the scientific, engineering, and lay perspectives. Numerous techniques, examples, figures, and lessons learned supply the ideas and solutions needed for solving the complex issues associated with wetlands. This second edition has been updated throughout and includes more techniques, examples, and illustrations.
Wetland Management and Sustainable Livelihoods in Africa
by Adrian Wood Alan Dixon Matthew McCartneyIn this book the authors argue for a paradigm shift in the way African wetlands are considered. Current policies and wetland management are too frequently underpinned by a perspective that views agriculture simply as a threat and disregards its important contribution to livelihoods. In rural areas where people are entrenched in poverty, wetlands (in particular wetland agriculture) have a critical role to play in supporting and developing peoples' livelihoods. Furthermore, as populations rise and climate change takes grip they will be increasingly important. The authors argue that an approach to wetland management that is much more people focused is required. That is an approach that instead of being concerned primarily with environmental outcomes is centred on livelihood outcomes supported by the sustainable use of natural wetland resources. The authors stress the need for Integrated Water Resource Management and landscape approaches to ensure sustainable use of wetlands throughout a river catchment and the need for wetland management interventions to engage with a wide range of stakeholders. They also assess the feasibility of creating incentives and value in wetlands to support sustainable use. Drawing on nine empirical case studies, this book highlights the different ways in which sustainable use of wetlands has been sought, each case focusing on specific issues about wetlands, agriculture and livelihoods.
Wetland Plants: A Source of Nutrition and Ethno-medicines
by Maryam Akram Butt Muhammad Zafar Mushtaq Ahmed Shabnum Shaheen Shazia SultanaDue to their high nutritive value and the presence of secondary metabolites, wetland plants can be consumed by humans as food and utilized as medicinal drugs. Significant numbers of ethno-botanic resources have been reported to extract useful compounds, which can be used as pharmaceuticals. Wetland plants are also very valuable as an energy source, as fuel for fish smoking and for domestic energy. These plants can be harvested as wild stock, or cultivated in flooded paddies for aquaculture, food and for livestock fodder. All parts of plants can be utilized for foodstuff, compost, mulch, medicine, and for construction. Wetland Plants: A Source of Nutrition and Ethnomedicine aims to promote public understanding of this remarkable resource, exploring not only their role in the ecosystem but also their nutritional and medicinal purposes. Based on original research, the text focuses on species identification (with original pictures of wetland plants including morphological features), nutritive value and ethno-medicinal uses. This book serves as an important and basic reference material for further research into the basic biological as well as the applied medicinal aspects of traditional medicinal wetland plants.
Wetland Restoration for Endangered Species Recovery: A Multidisciplinary Case Study of Big Meadow Bog, Brier Island, Nova Scotia (Environmental Contamination Remediation and Management)
by Nicholas M. Hill Sarah Hines Nelson J. O’DriscollThis book provides an overview of the history of this site and the complex effects of the hydrological and ecological changes through the landscape changes, vegetation adaptation, biovector contamination, and ultimately habitat restoration. Big Meadow Bog (Brier Island, Nova Scotia, Canada) is a wetland ecosystem with a history of human disturbance. It was ditched for small-scale blueberry production in the 1950s, which significantly altered the hydrology of the system and resulted in vegetation changes and colonization by 3000+ pairs of herring gulls by the 1980s. It is also host to the endangered plant species Eastern Mountain Avens which was the impetus for restoration of the site. This book provides the background to the restoration decisions, the monitoring and science post-restoration and the lessons learned from the science and through collaboration with government and community.
Wetland Soils: Genesis, Hydrology, Landscapes, and Classification, Second Edition
by Michael J. Vepraskas Christopher B. CraftA Major Revision of the Previous EditionWetland Soils: Genesis, Hydrology, Landscapes, and Classification, Second Edition contains 11 new chapters and additional updates written by new authors with a broad range of related field and academic experience. This revised work augments the previous material on wetland functions and restorations, while ma
Wetland Techniques
by James T. Anderson Craig A. DavisWetlands serve many important functions and provide numerous ecological services such as clean water, wildlife habitat, nutrient reduction, and flood control. Wetland science is a relatively young discipline but is a rapidly growing field due to an enhanced understanding of the importance of wetlands and the numerous laws and policies that have been developed to protect these areas. This growth is demonstrated by the creation and growth of the Society of Wetland Scientists which was formed in 1980 and now has a membership of 3,500 people It is also illustrated by the existence of 2 journals (Wetlands and Wetlands Ecology and Management) devoted entirely to wetlands. To date there has been no practical, comprehensive techniques book centered on wetlands, and written for wetland researchers, students, and managers. This techniques book aims to fill that gap. It is designed to provide an overview of the various methods that have been used or developed by researchers and practitioners to study, monitor, manage, or create wetlands. Including many methods usually found only in the peer-reviewed or gray literature, this 3-volume set fills a major niche for all professionals dealing with wetlands.
Wetlands
by Ben A. LepageThe science of wetlands and our understanding of these complex ecosystems have improved considerably. The emergence of multidisciplinary strategies is providing new opportunities and innovative approaches to address issues such as climate change and coastal protection. This book, with contributions from 19 specialists from academia, government, and industry, provides a trans-disciplinary approach to the understanding wetlands science, drawing together a wide range of expertise. Topics covered include the physical aspects that shape different wetlands around the world, as well as wetlands ecology, regulation, policy, and related social and economic issues. Featuring contributions from some of the world's leading wetlands researchers and practitioners, this book provides an invaluable resource for undergraduate and post-graduate training in all aspects of wetlands management, conservation, and construction. It is also a useful auxiliary text for researchers working across disciplines in fields such as wetlands science, law, landscape architecture, environmental engineering, conservation ecology, and related disciplines.
Wetlands: Biology And Ecology
by William J. Mitsch James G. Gosselink Christopher J. Anderson M. Siobhan FennessyWETLANDS The definitive guide to wetlands for students and professionals alike Wetlands rank among the most productive but also the most vulnerable ecosystems. They break down toxins and help maintain aquatic ecosystems, provide both permanent and temporary homes for key species, and contribute enormously to biodiversity and global ecological health. In recent years the importance of wetlands has been increasingly well understood, and their management and restoration has become a particular focus of environmental research. Wetlands provides a thorough and comprehensive overview of wetlands, updated to reflect the latest research findings and methodological approaches, as it has done for more than a generation. The new edition has been optimized for classroom use, breaking down the topic into four parts: introduction to wetlands, the wetland environment, wetland ecosystems, and wetland management. Readers of the sixth edition of Wetlands will also find: A detailed discussion of the role of wetlands in improving water quality, protection from storm damage, and other ecosystem services The latest approaches and examples of wetland creation and restoration A thorough discussion of the impacts of climate change on wetlands, and how to mitigate them Wetlands is essential reading for students and professionals in ecology, environmental engineering, and water resource management.
Wetlands and Habitats
by Yeqiao WangAuthored by world-class scientists and scholars, The Handbook of Natural Resources, Second Edition, is an excellent reference for understanding the consequences of changing natural resources to the degradation of ecological integrity and the sustainability of life. Based on the content of the bestselling and CHOICE-awarded Encyclopedia of Natural Resources, this new edition demonstrates the major challenges that the society is facing for the sustainability of all well-being on the planet Earth. The experience, evidence, methods, and models used in studying natural resources are presented in six stand-alone volumes, arranged along the main systems of land, water, and air. It reviews state-of-the-art knowledge, highlights advances made in different areas, and provides guidance for the appropriate use of remote sensing and geospatial data with field-based measurements in the study of natural resources. Volume 3, Wetlands and Habitats, provides fundamental information on wetlands and their integral functions as a productive ecosystem. The topics it covers include wetlands biodiversity, wetlands classification and monitoring, floods, river ecosystems, pollution, and more. New to this edition are discussions on wetland vegetation, assessment of current wetland health status, restoration, sea-level rises and coastal storm, vulnerability to human impacts, and lakes and wetlands remote sensing. This volume demonstrates the key processes, methods, and models used through many case studies from around the world. Written in an easy-to-reference manner, The Handbook of Natural Resources, Second Edition, as individual volumes or as a complete set, is an essential reading for anyone looking for a deeper understanding of the science and management of natural resources. Public and private libraries, educational and research institutions, scientists, scholars, and resource managers will benefit enormously from this set. Individual volumes and chapters can also be used in a wide variety of both graduate and undergraduate courses in environmental science and natural science at different levels and disciplines, such as biology, geography, earth system science, and ecology.
Wetlands and Lakes of the World
by Devashish KarThe occurrence and description of wetlands in India with reference to those around the world is detailed in a sequential manner from local, provincial, regional, and national to global scenario in this book, “Wetlands and Lakes of the World”. The book also deals with a systematic, sequential and comprehensive treatment of the Limnology (physico-chemical and biological features) and Fisheries of the Wetlands in India and is well supported by author’s original data. As Limnology and Fishery Science are interlinked, this book attempts to provide a holistic view of both the fields, along with their methodologies. The book has numerous examples from the local environment that go along with the explained theoretical concepts. Furthermore, a unique feature of the book is that it deals with the protocols of various Limnological methodologies, thus, making it a handy guide for lab and field studies. The book has distinguished itself by incorporating chapter based on Global Information System or GIS. The book also has an up to date Bibliography and summary at the end of each chapter with text on various aspects, particularly, generally not much dealt with aspects like fisherfolk, their fish catching devices, fishing centers, fish markets and, above all, their socio-economic conditions supported by author’s original data. In Brief.. “Wetlands and Lakes of the World” is, a humble treatise to provide the undergraduates with a text concentrating on the common, fundamental features of all aquatic systems, and the for the postgraduates, researchers, policy makers, administrators, etc.with the details of processes and applications with examples.
Wetlands Conservation: Current Challenges and Future Strategies
by Sanjeev Sharma Pardeep SinghWetlands Conservation An up-to-date overview of approaches for addressing wetlands degradation and its effects on ecosystem services, human health, and other ecosystems Wetlands are essential sources of biodiversity, water purification, groundwater replenishment, flood control, storm protection, sediment retention, recreation and tourism, and more. Human exploitation of natural resources over the past 200 years has caused significant wetlands degradation and loss. Although the Ramsar Convention of 1971 drafted polices for wetland conservation and responsible use, many wetland sites remain inadequately conserved or managed. Maintaining the ecological balance and equilibrium of wetlands requires a clear understanding of the vital role of wetlands, the difficulties they face, and the policies enacted for their protection. Wetlands Conservation: Current Challenges and Future Strategies summarizes both current and emerging management strategies, trends, and policies regarding wetlands protection around the world. The authors provide accurate scientific information on wetlands while discussing the effects of climate change, global warming, modernization in agriculture, and other key topics. Designed to assist in the development of future solutions for wetlands conservation and management strategies, this important volume: Highlights the environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural importance of wetlands Identifies the factors responsible for the failure of many conservation initiatives Describes the natural and anthropogenic factors of wetlands degradation Discusses the role of community-based wetlands conservation and management Explores Ramsar wetlands conservation and its impacts worldwide Wetlands Conservation: Current Challenges and Future Strategies is an invaluable resource for graduate and postgraduate students, researchers, ecologists, policymakers, conservation organizations, and others working in the field of natural resources management.
Wetlands Ecology: Eco-biological uniqueness of a Ramsar site (East Kolkata Wetlands, India)
by Susanta Kumar Chakraborty Poulomi Sanyal Ratnadeep RayThis book discusses current knowledge and challenges with the ecological management and conservation of wetlands, with a focus on the East Kolkata Wetlands of India. This area is referred to as a Ramsar Site, a designation given to areas with special protection statuses, since it is the largest natural waste recycling system in the world. The site faces many threats to its biodiversity and ecosystem functioning due to anthropogenic activity in the region, and therefore an assessment of the ecosystem services, bio-ecological uniqueness, and issues stemming from climate change and human impacts is needed to develop protection strategies for the future ecological functioning and sustainability of the wetlands. The authors use GIS and remote sensing techniques to assess and monitor harmful industrial and environmental impacts on the wetlands, and to inform mitigation and conservation strategies in the face of ongoing threats such as pollution, habitat destruction and bioinvasion. The book also highlights various social and economic aspects tied to the functioning and management of the wetlands, along with ecological, biological, and physio-chemical considerations. The study will be of use to students and researchers in aquatic ecology, biodiversity, and environmental sustainability and conservation, as well as to environmental planners, engineers, and policymakers.
Wetlands: Ecosystem Services, Restoration and Wise Use (Ecological Studies #238)
by Shuqing An Jos T. A. VerhoevenThis volume explores major wetland ecosystem services, such as climate cooling and water quality improvement, and discusses the recent wetland conservation and restoration activities in China and neighboring countries. The role of wetlands in either cooling or warming the climate is analyzed as the net balance between carbon sequestration and emissions of methane and nitrous oxide. Wetlands start off having a net warming effect on the climate but in time switch to net cooling. Further, they remove 40% of the N and P from run-off and groundwater flow in agricultural areas, but wetlands need to amount to 10% of the total catchment area to make a difference.Reflecting on the recent large investment in wetland ecological studies in China and neighboring countries, the book addresses invasive species in coastal wetlands as well as the protection and wise use of tidal flats around the Yellow Sea. It also presents promising regional case studies on wetland restoration. The book is intended for academics, students and practitioners in the field of wetland ecology, management and restoration, as well as consultants and professionals working in conservation, wise use and environmental policy.
Wetlands: Monitoring, Modelling and Management
by Tomasz Okruszko Edward Maltby Jan Szatyłowicz Dorota Świątek Wiktor KotowskiWetlands are complex and dynamic ecological systems incorporating two important, inter-linked components: hydrology and vegetation. Modelling wetland components and processes reveals the nature of wetland systems and helps to predict the effects of environmental change. The main goal of much current research is the construction of a vigorous and sp
Wettability (Surfactant Science)
by John C. BergPresents current knowledge of intermolecular interactions, the dynamics of wetting and the importance of wettability phenomena in processes and products, detailing the considerations required for wettability in multicomponent systems. Underlying theory and experimental methods are described.
Wettbewerbsanalyse für Ingenieure (essentials)
by Ekbert HeringEine Wettbewerbsanalyse untersucht systematisch die Stärken und die Schwächen des eigenen Unternehmens in Bezug auf die maßgeblichen Wettbewerber. Ist die eigene Position relativ zu den Wettbewerbern bekannt, so kann durch bestimmte Maßnahmen eine Stärkung der relativen Wettbewerbsfähigkeit erreicht werden. Ausgehend vom Porter´schen Ansatz der wirkenden Wettbewerbskräfte im Markt werden die Chancen und Gefahren sowie die Stärken und Schwächen des betrachteten Unternehmens relativ zu den Wettbewerbern bestimmt. Mit Hilfe von strategischen Karten und die Visualisierung mit Hilfe von Gefahrenkreise der fünf Wettbewerbskräfte sowie der Portfolio-Technik kann die Bedrohungsgefahr unmittelbar erkannt werden. Dadurch können gezielt Maßnahmen zur Steigerung der Wettbewerbsfähigkeit von Produkten und Dienstleistungen von Unternehmen eingeleitet werden. Diese erhöhen den Erfolg (d. h. Umsatz und Ertrag) des Unternehmens.
Wetting and Spreading Dynamics, Second Edition (Surfactant Science #12)
by Victor M. Starov Manuel G. VelardeThis book explains how surface forces acting at the three-phase contact line determine equilibrium, hysteresis contact angles, and other equilibrium and kinetics features of liquids when in contact with solids or other immiscible liquids. It examines the interaction of surface forces, capillary forces, and properties of the transition zone between the bulk liquid and solid substrate. New chapters cover spreading of non-Newtonian liquids over porous substrates, hysteresis of contact angles on smooth homogeneous substrates, equilibrium and hysteresis contact angles on deformable substrates, and interaction of foams with porous substrates. Written for both newcomers and experienced researchers.
Wetting Experiments
by Eli Ruckenstein Gersh BerimWetting Experiments contains experimental wetting studies related to biological problems, polymers, and catalysts. An understanding of wetting is important for numerous practical applications, such as preparing self-cleaning surfaces, manufacturing artificial blood vessels, and developing new lubricants and nonadhesive dishes. As part of Wetting: Theory and Experiments, Two-Volume Set, this volume provides new insights into wetting experiments and fills a need not addressed by other books. Biology-related studies are devoted to the problem synthetic materials selection for use in biological media. Polymers are examined to estimate various surface characteristics, such as the ability of polymeric solids to alter their surface structures between different environments to minimize their interfacial free energy. Aimed at engineers, physical scientists, and materials scientists, this volume addresses the key areas of wetting, providing insights valuable to the field.
Wetting Theory
by Eli Ruckenstein Gersh BerimWetting Theory discusses the numerous practical applications of wetting, such as preparing self-cleaning surfaces, manufacturing artificial blood vessels, and developing new lubricants and nonadhesive dishes. As part of Wetting: Theory and Experiments, Two-Volume Set, this volume provides new, critical insights into the theory of wetting. Chapters are arranged to allow readers to follow the development of a suggested approach (static and dynamic properties of wetting) and how these tools are applied to specific problems. Main attention is given to nanoscale wetting (nanodrops on solid surfaces, liquid in the nanoslit) on the basis of microscopic density functional theory and fluid dynamics on solid surfaces on the basis of hydrodynamic equations. Aimed at engineers, physical scientists, and materials scientists, this volume addresses the key areas of wetting, providing invaluable insights to the field.
Wetware: A Computer in Every Living Cell
by Dennis Bray&“A beautifully written journey into the mechanics of the world of the cell, and even beyond, exploring the analogy with computers in a surprising way&” (Denis Noble, author of Dance to the Tune of Life). How does a single-cell creature, such as an amoeba, lead such a sophisticated life? How does it hunt living prey, respond to lights, sounds, and smells, and display complex sequences of movements without the benefit of a nervous system? This book offers a startling and original answer. In clear, jargon-free language, Dennis Bray taps the findings from the discipline of systems biology to show that the internal chemistry of living cells is a form of computation. Cells are built out of molecular circuits that perform logical operations, as electronic devices do, but with unique properties. Bray argues that the computational juice of cells provides the basis for all distinctive properties of living systems: it allows organisms to embody in their internal structure an image of the world, and this accounts for their adaptability, responsiveness, and intelligence. In Wetware, Bray offers imaginative, wide-ranging, and perceptive critiques of robotics and complexity theory, as well as many entertaining and telling anecdotes. For the general reader, the practicing scientist, and all others with an interest in the nature of life, this book is an exciting portal to some of biology&’s latest discoveries and ideas. &“Drawing on the similarities between Pac-Man and an amoeba and efforts to model the human brain, this absorbing read shows that biologists and engineers have a lot to learn from working together.&” —Discover magazine &“Wetware will get the reader thinking.&” —Science magazine
Weyl and the Problem of Space: From Science to Philosophy (Studies in History and Philosophy of Science #49)
by Julien Bernard Carlos LoboThis book investigates Hermann Weyl’s work on the problem of space from the early 1920s onwards. It presents new material and opens the philosophical problem of space anew, crossing the disciplines of mathematics, history of science and philosophy. With a Kantian starting point Weyl asks: among all the infinitely many conceivable metrical spaces, which one applies to the physical world? In agreement with general relativity, Weyl acknowledges that the metric can quantitatively vary with the physical situation. Despite this freedom, Weyl “deduces”, with group-theoretical technicalities, that there is only one “kind” of legitimate metric. This construction was then decisive for the development of gauge theories. Nevertheless, the question of the foundations of the metric of physical theories is only a piece of a wider epistemological problem.Contributing authors mark out the double trajectory that goes through Weyl’s texts, from natural science to philosophy and conversely, always through the mediation of mathematics. Readers may trace the philosophical tradition to which Weyl refers and by which he is inspired (Kant, Husserl, Fichte, Leibniz, Becker etc.), and explore the mathematical tradition (Riemann, Helmholtz, Lie, Klein) that permitted Weyl to elaborate and solve his mathematical problem of space. Furthermore, this volume analyzes the role of the interlocutors with whom Weyl discussed the nature of physical space (Einstein, Cartan, De Sitter, Schrödinger, Eddington). This volume features the work of top specialists and will appeal to postgraduates and scholars in philosophy, the history of science, mathematics, or physics.
The Whale and the Reactor: A Search for Limits in an Age of High Technology, Second Edition
by Langdon Winner“In an age in which the inexhaustible power of scientific technology makes all things possible, it remains to be seen where we will draw the line, where we will be able to say, here are possibilities that wisdom suggest we avoid.” First published to great acclaim in 1988, Langdon Winner’s groundbreaking exploration of the political, social, and philosophical implications of technology is timelier than ever. He demonstrates that choices about the kinds of technical systems we build and use are actually choices about who we want to be and what kind of world we want to create—technical decisions are political decisions, and they involve profound choices about power, liberty, order, and justice. A seminal text in the history and philosophy of science, this new edition includes a new chapter, preface, and postscript by the author.
Whale Fall Café
by Jacquie SewellOne medium-size whale carcass delivers as much food to the dark, cold ocean depths as 4,000 years of sinking food particles. When a dead whale arrives, the café opens for business, and who better than Dan Tavis to show us the bizarre deep-ocean diners who show up? Hagfish, zombie worms, sleeper sharks—this group of patrons is stranger than the denizens of the Mos Eisley Cantina in Star Wars. A fish in a lab coat, piloting a deep-sea submersible, is our guide to the weirdly fascinating goings-on miles beneath the ocean surface. The backmatter includes rare whale-fall photos from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Dr. Robert Vrijenhoek of MBARI and Dr. Craig Smith, a deep-ocean ecologist at the University of Hawaii, have helped Jacquie Sewell to ensure scientific accuracy.