Download or read book Tropical Conservation written by A. Alonso Aguirre and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 521 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The tropics and subtropics are home to about 75% of the global human population. Cultural, economic, and political circumstances vary enormously across this vast geography of some 170 countries and territories. The regions not only harbor the world's poorest countries but their human populations are growing disproportionally faster than in temperate zones. Some countries are developing rapidly -- Brazil, China, India, and Mexico being obvious examples, while others still remain in the poverty trap. This region contains an astonishing proportion of global biodiversity; some 90% of plant and animal species by some measures. Its contribution to human well-being is astounding. It was the birthplace for our species; and it hosts a myriad of plant and animal species which products feed us, keep us healthy, and supply us with a variety of material goods. The tropics and subtropics are also a natural laboratory where some of humanity's most important scientific discoveries have been made. Such biodiversity has enormous implications for research priorities, capacity building, and policy to address the challenges of conserving this region. Tropical Conservation: Perspectives on Local and Global Priorities drew the majority of its contributors from this growing pool of scientists and practitioners working in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. It introduces important conservation concepts and illustrates their application as the authors directly capture real world experiences in their home countries in preventing biodiversity loss and sustaining ecological health. Today, no part of the world can be viewed in isolation, and we further codify and integrate a range of approaches for addressing global threats to nature and environmental sustainability, including climate change and emerging diseases. Five sections structure the major themes.

Download or read book Urban Stormwater Management in the United States written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2009-03-17 with total page 611 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The rapid conversion of land to urban and suburban areas has profoundly altered how water flows during and following storm events, putting higher volumes of water and more pollutants into the nation's rivers, lakes, and estuaries. These changes have degraded water quality and habitat in virtually every urban stream system. The Clean Water Act regulatory framework for addressing sewage and industrial wastes is not well suited to the more difficult problem of stormwater discharges. This book calls for an entirely new permitting structure that would put authority and accountability for stormwater discharges at the municipal level. A number of additional actions, such as conserving natural areas, reducing hard surface cover (e.g., roads and parking lots), and retrofitting urban areas with features that hold and treat stormwater, are recommended.

Download or read book Disaster Resilience written by National Academies and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2012-12-29 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No person or place is immune from disasters or disaster-related losses. Infectious disease outbreaks, acts of terrorism, social unrest, or financial disasters in addition to natural hazards can all lead to large-scale consequences for the nation and its communities. Communities and the nation thus face difficult fiscal, social, cultural, and environmental choices about the best ways to ensure basic security and quality of life against hazards, deliberate attacks, and disasters. Beyond the unquantifiable costs of injury and loss of life from disasters, statistics for 2011 alone indicate economic damages from natural disasters in the United States exceeded $55 billion, with 14 events costing more than a billion dollars in damages each. One way to reduce the impacts of disasters on the nation and its communities is to invest in enhancing resilience-the ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from and more successfully adapt to adverse events. Disaster Resilience: A National Imperative addresses the broad issue of increasing the nation's resilience to disasters. This book defines "national resilience", describes the state of knowledge about resilience to hazards and disasters, and frames the main issues related to increasing resilience in the United States. It also provide goals, baseline conditions, or performance metrics for national resilience and outlines additional information, data, gaps, and/or obstacles that need to be addressed to increase the nation's resilience to disasters. Additionally, the book's authoring committee makes recommendations about the necessary approaches to elevate national resilience to disasters in the United States. Enhanced resilience allows better anticipation of disasters and better planning to reduce disaster losses-rather than waiting for an event to occur and paying for it afterward. Disaster Resilience confronts the topic of how to increase the nation's resilience to disasters through a vision of the characteristics of a resilient nation in the year 2030. Increasing disaster resilience is an imperative that requires the collective will of the nation and its communities. Although disasters will continue to occur, actions that move the nation from reactive approaches to disasters to a proactive stance where communities actively engage in enhancing resilience will reduce many of the broad societal and economic burdens that disasters can cause.

Download or read book Google Earth Engine Applications written by Lalit Kumar and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2019-04-23 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a rapidly changing world, there is an ever-increasing need to monitor the Earth’s resources and manage it sustainably for future generations. Earth observation from satellites is critical to provide information required for informed and timely decision making in this regard. Satellite-based earth observation has advanced rapidly over the last 50 years, and there is a plethora of satellite sensors imaging the Earth at finer spatial and spectral resolutions as well as high temporal resolutions. The amount of data available for any single location on the Earth is now at the petabyte-scale. An ever-increasing capacity and computing power is needed to handle such large datasets. The Google Earth Engine (GEE) is a cloud-based computing platform that was established by Google to support such data processing. This facility allows for the storage, processing and analysis of spatial data using centralized high-power computing resources, allowing scientists, researchers, hobbyists and anyone else interested in such fields to mine this data and understand the changes occurring on the Earth’s surface. This book presents research that applies the Google Earth Engine in mining, storing, retrieving and processing spatial data for a variety of applications that include vegetation monitoring, cropland mapping, ecosystem assessment, and gross primary productivity, among others. Datasets used range from coarse spatial resolution data, such as MODIS, to medium resolution datasets (Worldview -2), and the studies cover the entire globe at varying spatial and temporal scales.

Download or read book A Framework for Assessing Effects of the Food System written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2015-06-17 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How we produce and consume food has a bigger impact on Americans' well-being than any other human activity. The food industry is the largest sector of our economy; food touches everything from our health to the environment, climate change, economic inequality, and the federal budget. From the earliest developments of agriculture, a major goal has been to attain sufficient foods that provide the energy and the nutrients needed for a healthy, active life. Over time, food production, processing, marketing, and consumption have evolved and become highly complex. The challenges of improving the food system in the 21st century will require systemic approaches that take full account of social, economic, ecological, and evolutionary factors. Policy or business interventions involving a segment of the food system often have consequences beyond the original issue the intervention was meant to address. A Framework for Assessing Effects of the Food System develops an analytical framework for assessing effects associated with the ways in which food is grown, processed, distributed, marketed, retailed, and consumed in the United States. The framework will allow users to recognize effects across the full food system, consider all domains and dimensions of effects, account for systems dynamics and complexities, and choose appropriate methods for analysis. This report provides example applications of the framework based on complex questions that are currently under debate: consumption of a healthy and safe diet, food security, animal welfare, and preserving the environment and its resources. A Framework for Assessing Effects of the Food System describes the U.S. food system and provides a brief history of its evolution into the current system. This report identifies some of the real and potential implications of the current system in terms of its health, environmental, and socioeconomic effects along with a sense for the complexities of the system, potential metrics, and some of the data needs that are required to assess the effects. The overview of the food system and the framework described in this report will be an essential resource for decision makers, researchers, and others to examine the possible impacts of alternative policies or agricultural or food processing practices.

Download or read book Wetlands and Human Health written by C Max Finlayson and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-08-03 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book addresses the interactions between wetlands and human health and well-being. A key feature is the linking of ecology-health and the targeting of practitioners and researchers. The environmental health problems of the 21st Century cannot be addressed by the traditional tools of ecologists or epidemiologists working in their respective disciplinary silos; this is clear from the emergence and re-emergence of public health and human well-being problems such as cholera pandemics, mosquito borne disease, and episodic events and disasters (e.g. hurricanes). To tackle these problems requires genuine cross-disciplinary collaboration; a key finding of the recently concluded Millennium Ecosystem Assessment when looking at human well-being and ecosystem health. This book brings the disciplines of ecology and health sciences closer to such a synthesis for researchers, teachers and policy makers interested in or needing information to manage wetlands and human health and well-being issues.

Download or read book The Civil Engineering Handbook written by W.F. Chen and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2002-08-29 with total page 2898 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First published in 1995, the award-winning Civil Engineering Handbook soon became known as the field's definitive reference. To retain its standing as a complete, authoritative resource, the editors have incorporated into this edition the many changes in techniques, tools, and materials that over the last seven years have found their way into civil

Download or read book Handbook of Sweeteners written by S. Marie and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-11-21 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The study of sweetness and sweeteners has recently been an area well served by books at all levels, but this volume was planned to fill what we perceived as a gap in the coverage. There appeared to be no book which attempted to combine a study of sweetness with a thorough but concise coverage of all aspects of sweeteners. We set out to include all the important classes of sweeteners, including materials which do not yet have regulatory approval, so that clear comparisons could be made between them and their technological advantages and disadvantages. To achieve our first aim, of sufficient depth of coverage, the accounts within this volume are comprehensive enough to satisfy the requirements of a demanding readership, but cannot be exhaustive in a single volume of moderate proportions. The second aim, of breadth and conciseness, is satisfied by careful selection of the most pertinent material. For the purposes of this book, a sweetener is assumed to be any substance whose primary effect is to sweeten a food or beverage to be consumed, thus including both the nutritive and non-nutritive varieties, from the ubiquitous sucrose to the lesser known, newer developments in alternative sweeteners. The volume has its contents structured in a logical manner to enable it to be used in an ordered study of the complete subject area or as a convenient reference source.

Download or read book Staphylococci in Human Disease written by Kent B. Crossley and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-10-13 with total page 640 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Staphylococci remain the most important cause of hospital-acquiredinfections in the U.S. and MRSA has become the most common cause ofskin and soft tissue infection in many parts of the world. There is now a much greater understanding of the physiology andevolution of the staphylococci and this new edition reflects therapid advancements in knowledge about this pathogen and provides acomprehensive review from both clinical and basic scienceperspectives. The first section addresses the basic biology of thestaphylococci, their molecular genetics, host defenses and hostevasion, virulence determinants, mechanisms of antibioticresistance, and laboratory techniques. The second section dealswith epidemiology, and the third section provides an overview ofthe varied clinical manifestations of human staphylococcalinfections. The fourth section covers prevention and treatment ofthese often life-threatening infections. Written by experts from around the globe, this book is essentialreading for all clinicians and basic scientists studying thestaphylococci.

Download or read book Lectures on Quantum Mechanics written by Jean-Louis Basdevant and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-05-26 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beautifully illustrated and engagingly written, Twelve Lectures in Quantum Mechanics presents theoretical physics with a breathtaking array of examples and anecdotes. Basdevant’s style is clear and stimulating, in the manner of a brisk lecture that can be followed with ease and enjoyment. Here is a sample of the book’s style, from the opening of Chapter 1: "If one were to ask a passer-by to quote a great formula of physics, chances are that the answer would be ‘E = mc2’.... There is no way around it: all physics is quantum, from elementary particles, to stellar physics and the Big Bang, not to mention semiconductors and solar cells."

Download or read book Drones for Biodiversity Conservation and Ecological Monitoring written by Ricardo Díaz-Delgado and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2019-12-18 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have already become an affordable and cost-efficient tool to quickly map a targeted area for many emerging applications in the arena of ecological monitoring and biodiversity conservation. Managers, owners, companies, and scientists are using professional drones equipped with high-resolution visible, multispectral, or thermal cameras to assess the state of ecosystems, the effect of disturbances, or the dynamics and changes within biological communities inter alia. We are now at a tipping point on the use of drones for these type of applications over natural areas. UAV missions are increasing but most of them are testing applicability. It is time now to move to frequent revisiting missions, aiding in the retrieval of important biophysical parameters in ecosystems or mapping species distributions. This Special Issue shows UAV applications contributing to a better understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem status, threats, changes, and trends. It documents the enhancement of knowledge in ecological integrity parameters mapping, long-term ecological monitoring based on drones, mapping of alien species spread and distribution, upscaling ecological variables from drone to satellite images: methods and approaches, rapid risk and disturbance assessment using drones, mapping albedo with UAVs, wildlife tracking, bird colony and chimpanzee nest mapping, habitat mapping and monitoring, and a review on drones for conservation in protected areas.

Download or read book Lake Erie and Lake St Clair Handbook written by S. J. Bolsenga and published by Wayne State University Press. This book was released on 1993 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn about the wonders of Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair in this fascinating and readable book. The most comprehensive reference source available about the lakes, Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair Handbook is an ideal guide for anglers, boaters, swimmers, beach walkers—anyone who uses and enjoys the lakes. The handbook explains, in simple terms, the reasons for the scenic beauty and the natural events that occur in the coastal and offshore waters of Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair, including the St. Clair, Detroit, and Niagara rivers extending from Sarnia, Ontario, to Niagara-on-the-Lake, New York. Individual chapters focus on the land, air, water, and life forms that comprise the natural history and environment of the region—the shoreline topography, wind and weather patterns, water temperature cycles and water level changes, the ecology, and indigenous animal life. Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair Handbook enhances our understanding and appreciation of the lakes and their surroundings by addressing fundamental questions about the Lake Erie region: • how Lake Erie was formed through glacial processes • why daily and seasonal weather patterns occur • causes of the water currents and waves • causes of temperature patterns in the lakes • the location of productive reef features • the species of fish and birds found in the area • the importance of the wetlands • the effect of current and past pollution on the aquatic life in the lakes

Download or read book Physics for Scientists and Engineers written by Paul M. Fishbane and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 1280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Index Medicus written by and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 1616 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vols. for 1963- include as pt. 2 of the Jan. issue: Medical subject headings.

Download or read book A Research Review of Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2019-04-05 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Coral reef declines have been recorded for all major tropical ocean basins since the 1980s, averaging approximately 30-50% reductions in reef cover globally. These losses are a result of numerous problems, including habitat destruction, pollution, overfishing, disease, and climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions and the associated increases in ocean temperature and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations have been implicated in increased reports of coral bleaching, disease outbreaks, and ocean acidification (OA). For the hundreds of millions of people who depend on reefs for food or livelihoods, the thousands of communities that depend on reefs for wave protection, the people whose cultural practices are tied to reef resources, and the many economies that depend on reefs for fisheries or tourism, the health and maintenance of this major global ecosystem is crucial. A growing body of research on coral physiology, ecology, molecular biology, and responses to stress has revealed potential tools to increase coral resilience. Some of this knowledge is poised to provide practical interventions in the short-term, whereas other discoveries are poised to facilitate research that may later open the doors to additional interventions. A Research Review of Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs reviews the state of science on genetic, ecological, and environmental interventions meant to enhance the persistence and resilience of coral reefs. The complex nature of corals and their associated microbiome lends itself to a wide range of possible approaches. This first report provides a summary of currently available information on the range of interventions present in the scientific literature and provides a basis for the forthcoming final report.

Download or read book World Intellectual Property Report written by World Intellectual Property Organization and published by WIPO. This book was released on 2015 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: WIPO's latest World Intellectual Property Report (WIPR) explores the role of IP at the nexus of innovation and economic growth, focusing on the impact of breakthrough innovations.

Download or read book B A S I C written by and published by . This book was released on 1966 with total page 1468 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: