Download or read book Resilience Thinking written by Brian Walker and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2012-06-22 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Increasingly, cracks are appearing in the capacity of communities, ecosystems, and landscapes to provide the goods and services that sustain our planet's well-being. The response from most quarters has been for "more of the same" that created the situation in the first place: more control, more intensification, and greater efficiency. "Resilience thinking" offers a different way of understanding the world and a new approach to managing resources. It embraces human and natural systems as complex entities continually adapting through cycles of change, and seeks to understand the qualities of a system that must be maintained or enhanced in order to achieve sustainability. It explains why greater efficiency by itself cannot solve resource problems and offers a constructive alternative that opens up options rather than closing them down. In Resilience Thinking, scientist Brian Walker and science writer David Salt present an accessible introduction to the emerging paradigm of resilience. The book arose out of appeals from colleagues in science and industry for a plainly written account of what resilience is all about and how a resilience approach differs from current practices. Rather than complicated theory, the book offers a conceptual overview along with five case studies of resilience thinking in the real world. It is an engaging and important work for anyone interested in managing risk in a complex world.
Download or read book Ecosystems and Human Well being written by Joseph Alcamo and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ecosystems and Human Well-Being is the first product of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, a four-year international work program designed to meet the needs of decisionmakers for scientific information on the links between ecosystem change and human well-being. The book offers an overview of the project, describing the conceptual framework that is being used, defining its scope, and providing a baseline of understanding that all participants need to move forward. The Millennium Assessment focuses on how humans have altered ecosystems, and how changes in ecosystem services have affected human well-being, how ecosystem changes may affect people in future decades, and what types of responses can be adopted at local, national, or global scales to improve ecosystem management and thereby contribute to human well-being and poverty alleviation. The program was launched by United National Secretary-General Kofi Annan in June 2001, and the primary assessment reports will be released by Island Press in 2005. Leading scientists from more than 100 nations are conducting the assessment, which can aid countries, regions, or companies by: providing a clear, scientific picture of the current sta
Download or read book The Structure and Dynamics of Human Ecosystems written by William R. Burch and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2017-08-22 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A landmark book that strives to provide both grand theory and practical application, innovatively describing the structure and dynamics of human ecosystems As the world faces ever more complex and demanding environmental and social challenges, the need for interdisciplinary models and practical guidance becomes acute. The Human Ecosystem Model described in this landmark book provides an innovative response. Broad in scope, detailed in method, at once theoretical and applied, this grand study offers an in-depth understanding of human ecosystems and tools for action. The authors draw from Goethe’s Faust, classic anthropology and sociology studies, contemporary ecosystem ecology, Buddhist ethics, and more to create a paradigm-shifting model and a major advance in interdisciplinary ecology.
Download or read book Ecosystems and Human Health written by Crescentia Y. Dakubo and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2010-11-16 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ecosystems and Human Health introduces Ecohealth as an emerging field of study, traces its evolution, and explains its applications in cross-disciplinary and holistic programs. Its integrative approach not only focuses on managing the environment to improve health, but also analyzes underlying social and economic determinants of health to develop innovative, people-centered interventions.
Download or read book Ecosystem Ecology written by David G. Raffaelli and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2010-03-04 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What can ecological science contribute to the sustainable management and conservation of the natural systems that underpin human well-being? Bridging the natural, physical and social sciences, this book shows how ecosystem ecology can inform the ecosystem services approach to environmental management. The authors recognise that ecosystems are rich in linkages between biophysical and social elements that generate powerful intrinsic dynamics. Unlike traditional reductionist approaches, the holistic perspective adopted here is able to explain the increasing range of scientific studies that have highlighted unexpected consequences of human activity, such as the lack of recovery of cod populations on the Grand Banks despite nearly two decades of fishery closures, or the degradation of Australia's fertile land through salt intrusion. Written primarily for researchers and graduate students in ecology and environmental management, it provides an accessible discussion of some of the most important aspects of ecosystem ecology and the potential relationships between them.
Download or read book An Ecosystem Services Approach to Assessing the Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2013-12-20 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the Gulf of Mexico recovers from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, natural resource managers face the challenge of understanding the impacts of the spill and setting priorities for restoration work. The full value of losses resulting from the spill cannot be captured, however, without consideration of changes in ecosystem services-the benefits delivered to society through natural processes. An Ecosystem Services Approach to Assessing the Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico discusses the benefits and challenges associated with using an ecosystem services approach to damage assessment, describing potential impacts of response technologies, exploring the role of resilience, and offering suggestions for areas of future research. This report illustrates how this approach might be applied to coastal wetlands, fisheries, marine mammals, and the deep sea-each of which provide key ecosystem services in the Gulf-and identifies substantial differences among these case studies. The report also discusses the suite of technologies used in the spill response, including burning, skimming, and chemical dispersants, and their possible long-term impacts on ecosystem services.
Download or read book Ecosystems and Human Well Being written by Neville Ash and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2010-04-05 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) is the most extensive study ever of the linkages between the world's ecosystems and human well-being. It is one of the most important conservation initiatives ever undertaken, and the ecosystem services paradigm on which it is based provides the standard for practice. This manual supplies the specific tools that practitioners of the paradigm need in order to extend their work into the future. The manual is a stand-alone "how to" guide to conducting assessments of the impacts on humans of ecosystem changes. It builds on the experiences and lessons learned from the MA global and sub-global assessment initiatives, with chapters written by well-known participants in those initiatives. It also includes insights gained from service-focused assessment activities since the completion of the MA in 2005.
Download or read book Nature s Contributions to People On the Relation Between Valuations and Actions written by Marie Stenseke and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2021-08-26 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Urban Forests written by J. Blum and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2017-03-03 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This title includes a number of Open Access chapters. This new research compendium focuses on urban forestry research and management, while also considering the sociological and community aspects. The book looks at the benefits of urban forests with respect to urban sustainability and human health; issues related to expanding the urban tree canopy; managing urban forests in a community context; and improving our understanding of urban forests through research and practice.
Download or read book Ecosystems and Human Health written by Richard B. Philp and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2013-03-27 with total page 441 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the second edition of this text was published, many new environmental incidents have occurred, including another nuclear disaster, a mine disaster in the United States, and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Updated throughout the text, Ecosystems and Human Health: Toxicology and Environmental Hazards, Third Edition explores the broad range of environmental and human health aspects of chemical and biological hazards—from natural toxins and disasters to man-made pollutants and environmental crises. The book begins with the basic principles of pharmacology and toxicology, risk analysis, and air, water, and soil pollution. It then examines various toxicants and hazards, such as airborne hazards, halogenated hydrocarbons, metals, and organic solvents. Chapters also discuss food additives and contaminants, pesticides, hormone disrupters, radiation hazards, and natural environmental hazards such as venomous and toxic animals. The text reviews the Chernobyl nuclear crisis and the Walkerton drinking water tragedy, as well as other disasters, assessing some of their long-term effects, now that sufficient time has elapsed since their occurrence. With updates in every chapter, this third edition contains significant expansion of information on the genetics of chemical carcinogenesis, global warming, food additives, invasive species in the Great Lakes, nuclear accidents, and more. The book describes how chemical toxins and biological hazards can impact the environment and the people who live in it. The author presents numerous examples of the relationship between ecosystem health and human health. He emphasizes the need to consider the environmental impact of human activities and includes many real-world examples and new case studies.
Download or read book The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity Ecological and Economic Foundations written by Pushpam Kumar and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2012-12-20 with total page 454 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Human well-being relies critically on ecosystem services provided by nature. Examples include water and air quality regulation, nutrient cycling and decomposition, plant pollination and flood control, all of which are dependent on biodiversity. They are predominantly public goods with limited or no markets and do not command any price in the conventional economic system, so their loss is often not detected and continues unaddressed and unabated. This in turn not only impacts human well-being, but also seriously undermines the sustainability of the economic system. It is against this background that TEEB: The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity project was set up in 2007 and led by the United Nations Environment Programme to provide a comprehensive global assessment of economic aspects of these issues. This book, written by a team of international experts, represents the scientific state of the art, providing a comprehensive assessment of the fundamental ecological and economic principles of measuring and valuing ecosystem services and biodiversity, and showing how these can be mainstreamed into public policies. This volume and subsequent TEEB outputs will provide the authoritative knowledge and guidance to drive forward the biodiversity conservation agenda for the next decade.
Download or read book Vegetation Dynamics Changing Ecosystems and Human Responsibility written by and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2023-07-26 with total page 562 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vegetation Dynamics, Changing Ecosystems and Human Responsibility provides an overview of vegetation dynamics, which is the science of natural, near-natural, and human-influenced changes in vegetation over time and space. We can find chapters about almost every viewpoint of this very diverse segment of our science and in connection with almost every main type of terrestrial ecosystem.
Download or read book Linking Coastal Ecosystems and Human Well being written by IUCN Ecosystems and Livelihoods Group Asia and published by IUCN. This book was released on 2008 with total page 61 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Ecohealth Research in Practice written by Dominique F. Charron and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-11-25 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is about doing innovative research to achieve sustainable and equitable change in people’s health and well-being through improved interactions with the environment. It presents experiences from the field of ecosystem approaches to health (or ecohealth research) and some insights and lessons learned. It builds on previous literature, notably Forget (1997), Forget and Lebel (2001), Lebel (2003), and Waltner-Toews et al. (2008). Through case-studies and other contributions by researchers supported by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the book presents evidence of real changes in conditions of people, their health, and the ecosystems that support them. These changes were derived from applications of an ecosystem approach to health in developing regions of the world. The book also illustrates the resulting body of applied, participatory, and action research that improved health and environmental management in developing countries and, in many cases, influenced policies and practices.
Download or read book Arctic Alpine Ecosystems and People in a Changing Environment written by Jon Børre Ørbaek and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-01-10 with total page 446 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The European Arctic and Alpine regions are experiencing large environmental changes. These changes may have socio-economic effects if the changes affect the bioproduction, which form the basis for the marine and terrestrial food chains. This uniquely multidisciplinary book presents the various aspects of contemporary environmental changes in Arctic and Alpine Regions.
Download or read book Tropical Ecosystems and Ecological Concepts written by Patrick L. Osborne and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2012-02-09 with total page 537 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introductory textbook using the entire range of tropical ecosystems - terrestrial, freshwater and marine - to illustrate and explain major ecological concepts.
Download or read book Linking Social and Ecological Systems written by Fikret Berkes and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2000-04-13 with total page 480 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is usually the case that scientists examine either ecological systems or social systems, yet the need for an interdisciplinary approach to the problems of environmental management and sustainable development is becoming increasingly obvious. Developed under the auspices of the Beijer Institute in Stockholm, this new book analyses social and ecological linkages in selected ecosystems using an international and interdisciplinary case study approach. The chapters provide detailed information on a variety of management practices for dealing with environmental change. Taken as a whole, the book will contribute to the greater understanding of essential social responses to changes in ecosystems, including the generation, accumulation and transmission of ecological knowledge, structure and dynamics of institutions, and the cultural values underlying these responses. A set of new (or rediscovered) principles for sustainable ecosystem management is also presented. Linking Social and Ecological Systems will be of value to natural and social scientists interested in sustainability.
