Following the Fukushima nuclear accident, a large volume of monitoring data has been collected about the soil, air, dust, and seawater, along with data about an immense number of foods supplied to the market. Little is known, however, about the effect of radioactive fallout on agriculture, information about which is vital. Although more than 80% of the damaged area is related to agriculture, in situ information specifically for agriculture is scarce. This book provides data about the actual movement and accumulation of radioactivity in the ecological system—for example, whether debris deposited on mountains can be a cause of secondary contamination, under what conditions plants accumulate radioactive cesium in their edible parts, and how radioactivity is transferred from hay to milk. Because agriculture is so closely related to nature, many specialists with different areas of expertise must be involved in answering these questions. In the case of rice, researchers in rice cultivation as well as in soil, hydrology, and radioactivity measurement are working together to reveal the paths or accumulation of radioactivity in the field. For this purpose, the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences of The University of Tokyo has diverse facilities available throughout Japan, including farmlands, forests, and meadowlands. Many academic staff members have formed groups to conduct on-site research, with more than 40 volunteers participating. This book presents the data collected from the only project being systematically carried out across Japan after the Fukushima accident.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Following the Fukushima nuclear accident, a large volume of monitoring data has been collected about the soil, air, dust, and seawater, along with data about an immense number of foods supplied to the market. Little is known, however, about the effect of radioactive fallout on agriculture, information about which is vital. Although more than 80% of the damaged area is related to agriculture, in situ information specifically for agriculture is scarce. This book provides data about the actual movement and accumulation of radioactivity in the ecological system—for example, whether debris deposited on mountains can be a cause of secondary contamination, under what conditions plants accumulate radioactive cesium in their edible parts, and how radioactivity is transferred from hay to milk. Because agriculture is so closely related to nature, many specialists with different areas of expertise must be involved in answering these questions. In the case of rice, researchers in rice cultivation as well as in soil, hydrology, and radioactivity measurement are working together to reveal the paths or accumulation of radioactivity in the field. For this purpose, the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences of The University of Tokyo has diverse facilities available throughout Japan, including farmlands, forests, and meadowlands. Many academic staff members have formed groups to conduct on-site research, with more than 40 volunteers participating. This book presents the data collected from the only project being systematically carried out across Japan after the Fukushima accident.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Environmental Monitoring/Analysis; Agriculture; Food Science; Plant Ecology; Animal Ecology; Marine & Freshwater Sciences

Listed by Unglue.it.

This book is a collection of chapters, concerning the developments within the Agroecology field of study. The book includes scholarly contributions by various authors pertinent to Agricultural and Biological Sciences. Each contribution comes as a separate chapter complete in itself but directly related to the book's topics and objectives. The target audience comprises scholars and specialists in the field.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This book, “Agroecosystems – Very Complex Environmental Systems”, aims to present an update on different aspects associated with the importance of sustainable agriculture. It was our intention to gather information from diverse sources in this volume and to give some real-life examples, extending the appreciation of the complexity of this subject in a way that may stimulate new approaches in relevant fields.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This book, “Agroecosystems – Very Complex Environmental Systems†, aims to present an update on different aspects associated with the importance of sustainable agriculture. It was our intention to gather information from diverse sources in this volume and to give some real-life examples, extending the appreciation of the complexity of this subject in a way that may stimulate new approaches in relevant fields.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This open access multi-authored book presents a 'state of the science' synthesis of knowledge on the biodiversity of Angola, based on sources in peer-reviewed journals, in books and where appropriate, unpublished official reports. The book identifies Angola as one of the most biologically diverse countries in Africa, but notes that its fauna, flora, habitats and the processes that drive the dynamics of its ecosystems are still very poorly researched and documented. This 'state of the science' synthesis is for the use of all students of Angola's biodiversity, and for those responsible for the planning, development and sustainable management of the country's living resources. The volume brings together the results of expeditions and research undertaken in Angola since the late eighteenth century, with emphasis on work conducted in the four decades since Angola's independence in 1975. The individual chapters have been written by leaders in their fields, and reviewed by peers familiar with the region.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This open access book discusses the concepts, methodologies, approaches, and strategies of nexus between biodiversity, health, and sustainable development.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This open access book discusses the concepts, methodologies, approaches, and strategies of nexus between biodiversity, health, and sustainable development.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This open access book explores a new conceptual framework for the sustainable management of the boreal forest in the face of climate change. The boreal forest is the second-largest terrestrial biome on Earth and covers a 14 million km2 belt, representing about 25% of the Earth’s forest area. Two-thirds of this forest biome is managed and supplies 37% of global wood production. These forests also provide a range of natural resources and ecosystem services essential to humanity. However, climate change is altering species distributions, natural disturbance regimes, and forest ecosystem structure and functioning. Although sustainable management is the main goal across the boreal biome, a novel framework is required to adapt forest strategies and practices to climate change. This collaborative effort draws upon 148 authors in summarizing the sustainable management of these forests and detailing the most recent experimental and observational results collected from across the boreal biome. It presents the state of sustainable management in boreal forests and highlights the critical importance of this biome in a context of global change because of these forests' key role in a range of natural processes, including carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and the maintaining of biodiversity. This book is an essential read for academics, students, and practitioners involved in boreal forest management. It outlines the challenges facing sustainable boreal forest management within the context of climate change and serves as a basis for establishing new research avenues, identifying future research trends, and developing climate-adapted forest management plans.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This open access book is a compilation of case studies that provide useful knowledge and lessons that derive from on-the-ground activities and contribute to policy recommendations, focusing on the relevance of social-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS) to “transformative change.” The concept of “transformative change” has been gaining more attention to deal with today’s environmental and development problems, whereas both policy and scientific communities have been increasingly calling for transformative change toward sustainable society. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has planned to start the so-called “assessment on transformative change” if approved by the IPBES plenary to be held in 2021. At present, the idea of transformative change, including its scope, methodologies, approaches and strategies, are yet to be clarified. By bringing together all of the different concerns and interests in the land/seascape, SEPLS approaches could provide practical and experience-based insights for understanding and gauging transformative change and identifying determinants of such change. This book explores how SEPLS management relates to the idea of transformative change to further the discussion of sustainable transitions in advancing sustainability science. The introductory chapter is followed by case study chapters offering real-world examples of transformative change as well as a synthesis chapter clarifying the relevance of the case study findings to policy and academic discussions. It will be of interest to scholars, policymakers and professionals in the fields related to sustainable development.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This open access book introduces the function, implementation and governance of green infrastructure in Japan and other countries where lands are geologically fragile and climatologically susceptible to climate change. It proposes green infrastructure as an adaptation strategy for climate change and biodiversity conservation. In the face of climate change, dams, levees and floodways built as disaster prevention facilities do not sufficiently function against extraordinary events such as mega-floods and tsunami disasters. To prevent those disasters and loss of biodiversity in various ecosystems, we should shift from conventional hard measures to more adaptive strategies using various functions that natural and semi-natural ecosystems provide. Green infrastructure is an interconnected network of waterways, wetlands, woodlands, wildlife habitats and other natural areas that support native species, maintain natural ecological processes, sustain air and water resources and contribute to the health and quality of life for communities and people. Green infrastructure has mainly been discussed from adaptation strategy perspectives in cities and urban areas. However, to protect cities, which are generally situated at downstream lower elevations, we explore the preservation and restoration of forests at headwater basins and wetlands along rivers from a catchment perspective. In addition, the quantitative examination of flood risk, biodiversity, and social-economic benefits described in this book brings new perspectives to the discussion. The aim of this book is to accelerate the transformative changes from gray-based adaptation strategies to green- or hybrid-based strategies to adapt to climate change. The book provides essential information on the structure, function, and maintenance of green infrastructure for scientists, university students, government officers, and practitioners.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This open access book describes the serious threat of invasive species to native ecosystems. Invasive species have caused and will continue to cause enormous ecological and economic damage with ever increasing world trade. This multi-disciplinary book, written by over 100 national experts, presents the latest research on a wide range of natural science and social science fields that explore the ecology, impacts, and practical tools for management of invasive species. It covers species of all taxonomic groups from insects and pathogens, to plants, vertebrates, and aquatic organisms that impact a diversity of habitats in forests, rangelands and grasslands of the United States. It is well-illustrated, provides summaries of the most important invasive species and issues impacting all regions of the country, and includes a comprehensive primary reference list for each topic. This scientific synthesis provides the cultural, economic, scientific and social context for addressing environmental challenges posed by invasive species and will be a valuable resource for scholars, policy makers, natural resource managers and practitioners.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This volume examines the applicability of landscape urbanism theory in contemporary landscape architecture practice by bringing together ecology and architecture in the built environment. Using participatory planning of green infrastructure and application of nature-based solutions to address urban challenges, landscape urbanism seeks to reintroduce critical connections between natural and urban systems. In light of ongoing developments in landscape architecture, the goal is a paradigm shift towards a landscape that restores and rehabilitates urban ecosystems. Nine contributions examine a wide range of successful cases of designing livable and resilient cities in different geographical contexts, from the United States of America to Australia and Japan, and through several European cities in Italy, Portugal, Estonia, and Greece. While some chapters attempt to conceptualize the interconnections between cities and nature, others clearly have an empirical focus. Efforts such as the use of ornamental helophyte plants in bioretention ponds to reduce and treat stormwater runoff, the recovery of a poorly constructed urban waterway or participatory approaches for optimizing the location of green stormwater infrastructure and examining the environmental justice issue of equative availability and accessibility to public open spaces make these innovations explicit. Thus, this volume contributes to the sustainable cities goal of the United Nations.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This open access book presents and analyzes the results of more than 30 years of long-term ecological research in riparian forest ecosystems with the aim of casting light on changes in the dynamics of riparian forests over time. The research, focusing on the Ooyamazawa riparian forest, one of the remaining old-growth forests in Japan, has yielded a number of interesting outcomes. First, it shows that large-scale disturbances afford various trees opportunities for regeneration and are thus the driving force for the coexistence of canopy trees in riparian forests. Second, it identifies changes in reproductive patterns, highlighting that seed production has in fact quantitatively increased over the past two decades. Third, it describes the decline in forest floor vegetation caused by deer grazing and reveals how this decline has affected bird and insect populations. The book illustrates the interconnectedness of phenomena within an ecosystem and the resultant potential for cascade effects and also stresses the need for long-term ecological studies of climate change impacts on forests. It will be of interest to both professionals and academics in the field of forest science.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This open access book presents up-to-date analyses of community-based approaches to sustainable resource management of SEPLS (socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes) in areas where a harmonious relationship between the natural environment and the people who inhabit it is essential to ensure community and environmental well-being as well as to build resilience in the ecosystems that support this well-being. Understanding SEPLS and the forces of change that can weaken their resilience requires the integration of knowledge across a wide range of academic disciplines as well as from indigenous knowledge and experience. Moreover, given the wide variation in the socio-ecological makeup of SEPLS around the globe, as well as in their political and economic contexts, individual communities will be at the forefront of developing the measures appropriate for their unique circumstances. This in turn requires robust communication systems and broad participatory approaches. Sustainability science (SuS) research is highly integrated, participatory and solutions driven, and as such is well suited to the study of SEPLS. Through case studies, literature reviews and SuS analyses, the book explores various approaches to stakeholder participation, policy development and appropriate action for the future of SEPLS. It provides communities, researchers and decision-makers at various levels with new tools and strategies for exploring scenarios and creating future visions for sustainable societies.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Modern greenhouse technology has revolutionized the food supply chain scenario over the past 40 years. Closed-field cultivation by means of agri-cubes, plant factories, vertical farming structures, and roof-top solar greenhouses has become the backbone of sustainable agriculture for producing all-year-round fresh fruits and vegetables. This book is an attempt to explore several profound questions such as how digital technology and simulation models have saved energy in commercial greenhouses, and why growers prefer LPWAN sensors and IoT monitoring devices over the traditional timer-based controllers? How artificial intelligence is capable of performing microclimate prediction and control, and what considerations should be taken into account for implementing desiccant evaporative cooling systems? With case-study examples and field experiments, each chapter highlights some of the most recent solutions and adaptation strategies toward improving the efficiency and sustainability of closed-field crop production systems.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Organic crop production is the science and art of growing field crops, fruits, vegetables, and flowers by adopting the essential principles of organic agriculture in soil building and conservation, pest management, and heirloom variety conservation. This book provides detailed insights into organic farming in agriculture, biological efficacy in the management of plant diseases, organic nutrient management, socio-economic dimensions of adoption of conservation practices, nonchemical weed control, plant growth promoting fungi for phytostimulation, nanotechnological approaches, and finally vermicomposting. The book primarily focuses on research and development based organic agriculture and horticulture production technologies, and has attempted to abridge information on organic crop production of the major food grain crops. The book also contains comprehensive information on the various related dimensions of organic crop production.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Peatlands are formed in limited areas and have significant effects on our planet. As a result of their use peatlands are continually shrinking on a daily basis. This edited book, Peat, is intended to provide an overview of different perspectives of peat material in relevant disciplines. We hope that this book will contribute to the expectations and needs of all relevant disciplines that share their findings for future research.

Listed by Unglue.it.

In the coming years, farmers will face difficult challenges throughout the world in terms of climate change, water scarcity, and environmental issues caused by conventional agricultural technologies. Effective management of natural resources can be encouraged by orienting the common agricultural practices towards the functional biodiversity concept in designing and implementing sustainable and eco-friendly cropping systems. In the framework of polycrop science, this book provides basic principles and several case studies of polycrop utilization in various regions of the world as a method of functional biodiversity amplification through species associations that maximize the productivity per unit of land area, suppress the growth and development of weeds, and reduce the amount of harmful pests and insects.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Recent human migrations, technological advances, agricultural activities, and climate change-induced phenomenon have forced plants to increasingly adapt to new environments. This book highlights current morphological, anatomical, physiological, molecular, and genomic advances in plant defense mechanisms. These advances, including epigenetic mechanisms, have been linked to observed phenotypic plant plasticity. Researchers have found intriguing plant interactions and novel mechanisms, which have increased our understanding of how sessile plants adapt to and thrive in challenging environments. The studies in this book consider the resilience and sustainability of plant genomes and epigenomes and the role they will play in the next generation of food systems.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Plant reproductive ecology has emerged as an indispensable discipline for enhancing crop productivity and conserving biodiversity. The adaptive significance of variation in traits associated with floral biology, pollination, seed dispersal, and seedling establishment is an integral component of plant reproductive ecology and evolutionary biology. This book explores the diversity of flower symmetry and the evolutionary patterns of internal structures of generative organs in angiosperms. The rapidly emerging global crisis of declining pollinators poses a major threat to food security. As such, the book also covers the diversity of plant-pollinator interactions, the impact of non-native exotic plant communities on native plants and pollinators, and strategies for the restoration of pollinator communities.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This open access book provides new perspectives on circular economy and space, explored towards the definition of regenerative territories characterised by healthy metabolisms. Going beyond the mere reuse/recycle of material waste as resources, this work aims to understand how to apply circularity principles to, among others, the regeneration of wastescapes. The main focus is the development over time, and in particular the way how spatial planning and strategies respond to new unpredictable urgencies and opportunities related with territorial metabolisms. The book specifically focuses on living labs environments, where it is possible to tackle complex problems through a multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder approach - including the use of digital spatial decision support environment – which could be able to include all the involved stakeholders. Through a spatial scope of circularity, this book describes several examples including among others ideas from different contexts such as Italy, The Netherlands, Belgium and Vietnam. Through including reflections on methodology and representation, as well as on solutions for circular and healthy metabolisms, the book provides an excellent resource to researchers and students.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This Open Access volume aims to methodologically improve our understanding of biodiversity by linking disciplines that incorporate remote sensing, and uniting data and perspectives in the fields of biology, landscape ecology, and geography. The book provides a framework for how biodiversity can be detected and evaluated—focusing particularly on plants—using proximal and remotely sensed hyperspectral data and other tools such as LiDAR. The volume, whose chapters bring together a large cross-section of the biodiversity community engaged in these methods, attempts to establish a common language across disciplines for understanding and implementing remote sensing of biodiversity across scales. The first part of the book offers a potential basis for remote detection of biodiversity. An overview of the nature of biodiversity is described, along with ways for determining traits of plant biodiversity through spectral analyses across spatial scales and linking spectral data to the tree of life. The second part details what can be detected spectrally and remotely. Specific instrumentation and technologies are described, as well as the technical challenges of detection and data synthesis, collection and processing. The third part discusses spatial resolution and integration across scales and ends with a vision for developing a global biodiversity monitoring system. Topics include spectral and functional variation across habitats and biomes, biodiversity variables for global scale assessment, and the prospects and pitfalls in remote sensing of biodiversity at the global scale.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Listed by Unglue.it.

In our rapidly growing and changing world, the sustainable management of Earth’s resources has become an urgent global priority. Resource Management in Agroecosystems provides a compass for navigating this complex terrain. It offers a multifaceted exploration of resource management from sustainable agricultural practices to water and energy optimization, soil conservation, and biodiversity preservation. This book delves deep into the strategies needed to harmonize food production with environmental stewardship. Beyond addressing challenges, this book also spotlights opportunities, inviting readers to embark on a transformative journey. With profound gratitude to our authors, reviewers, and publishers, we invite you to join us in this intellectual odyssey. Let Resource Management in Agroecosystems guide you toward a more sustainable and resilient future, where the needs of humanity harmonize with the well-being of our planet.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This book includes twenty-one comprehensive chapters addressing various soil and crop management issues, including modern techniques in enhancing crop production in the era of climate change. There are a few case studies and experimental evidence about these production systems in specific locations. Particular focus is provided on the state-of-the-art of biotechnology, nanotechnology, and precision agriculture, as well as many other recent approaches in ensuring sustainable crop production. This book is useful for undergraduate and graduate students, teachers, and researchers, particularly in the fields of crop science, soil science, and agronomy.

Listed by Unglue.it.

The Molecular Basis of Plant Genetic Diversity presents chapters revealing the magnitude of genetic variations existing in plant populations. Natural populations contain a considerable genetic variability which provides a genomic flexibility that can be used as a raw material for adaptation to changing environmental conditions. The analysis of genetic diversity provides information about allelic variation at a given locus. The increasing availability of PCR-based molecular markers allows the detailed analyses and evaluation of genetic diversity in plants and also, the detection of genes influencing economically important traits. The purpose of the book is to provide a glimpse into the dynamic process of genetic variation by presenting the thoughts of scientists who are engaged in the generation of new ideas and techniques employed for the assessment of genetic diversity, often from very different perspectives. The book should prove useful to students, researchers, and experts in the area of conservation biology, genetic diversity, and molecular biology.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This unique and attractive open access textbook combines the beauty of macroscopic pictures of plant stems with the corresponding colorfully stained images of anatomical micro-structures. In contrast to most botanical textbooks, it presents all the stem characteristics as photographs and shows the microscopic reality.The amount of text is reduced to a minimum, and the scientific information is highlighted with short legends and labeled photographs, allowing readers to focus on the pictures to easily understand how the anatomical structures relate to genetic, ecological, decomposition and technical influences. It includes a chapter devoted to simple anatomical preparation techniques, and further chapters showing the cell content, cell walls, meristematic tissues and stem structures of all major taxonomic units and morphological growth forms in various ecological and climatic regions from subarctic to equatorial latitudes, as well as structures of fossil, subfossil and technically altered wood.This textbook appeals to students and researchers in the fields of plant anatomy, taxonomy, ecology, dendrochronology, history, plant pathology, and evolutionary biology as well as to technologists.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Plant stem construction; Plant cell contents; Plant cell walls; Plant meristems; Anatomy of pteridophyta; Stem evolution; Plant ecology; Wood degradation; Fossilization; Plant morphology

Listed by Unglue.it.

This book presents the results from the palynological and paleoecological studies conducted with my participation in Southwestern Bulgaria during the period 1985-2020. The study area has always played a key role in the investigation of the Late Quaternary vegetation history in Bulgaria since the middle of the past century. With the development of the research methods (pollen analysis, determination of plant macrofossils, radiocarbon dating, sediment analysis, computer software, etc.) in the last decades it turned out to be a challenge for me to evaluate critically again and synthesize the paleoecological information. In my opinion, such an approach allows us to reveal in more details the general trends of the postglacial vegetation development for the last 18000-15000 years and to take also into account the role of humans in transforming the natural environment after the establishment of agriculture and the practice of stockbreeding in this part of the country along the Struma river.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This open access book applies a social ecological systems (SES) lens to conservation-based development in Patagonia, bringing together authors with historical, contemporary, and future-oriented perspectives in order to increase understanding of the social and environmental implications of nature-based tourism and other forms of conservation-based territorial development. By focusing on Patagonia (as a region) and its various forms of conservation-based development, this book contributes one of the first collections of South American based lessons and will be valuable to researchers and practitioners, both locally and around the world, seeking to better understand complex interconnections between social and ecological environments, and pursue a similar path to resilience and sustainability.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This book looks at vegetation changes across the world. The use of normalized difference vegetation index, CORINE Land Cover, geographical information systems and remote sensing to monitor vegetation changes is highlighted. Conversion of dense forests into agricultural land, grazing areas or settlements and land cover changes in a Miombo woodland are reported. The role of neotropical forests as carbon pool stores and a reservoir of global biodiversity is explored. Influence of climate on island forest vegetation types, structure and diversity is reported in detail. Restoration of a degraded wildlife corridor through re-establishing native vegetation in India is also documented. Finally, the role of apomixes, a form of asexual reproduction via seed, in propagation of neotropical plants is discussed.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This book contemplates methodologies that can be used in the teaching of future experts in agriculture and plant cultivation. It expresses the need for knowledge transfer for good territorial management in the current era of climate change. In most cases, land management at the planetary level is sustainable, but today's society demands sustainable development. To improve the training of technicians in sustainable development methodologies, this book presents some methods and techniques compatible with ecodevelopment.

Listed by Unglue.it.

In diesem Open Access Buch werden erstmals übergreifend die Entwicklungen bis 2030 in den Sektoren in Deutschland, welche die größte Fläche beanspruchen – Land- und Forstwirtschaft sowie Siedlung und Verkehr – aufgezeigt und die Wechselwirkungen zwischen Landnutzung und Klimawandel analysiert. Aufbauend auf einem akteursgestützten Diskurs von Handlungsoptionen zur Minderung von Treibhausgasemissionen sowie zur Anpassung an den Klimawandel werden unterschiedliche Landnutzungsstrategien entwickelt. Dabei wird auf die verschiedenen Schwerpunkte wie Klimaschutz, Bioenergie, Natur- und Umweltschutz sowie Klimaanpassung eingegangen. Die möglichen Auswirkungen der verschiedenen Strategien auf Nahrungs- und Rohstoffproduktion, Bioenergie, Umwelt und Natur sowie sozio-ökonomische Konsequenzen werden modellgestützt analysiert. Anhand der Ergebnisse zeigen die Autorinnen und Autoren sowohl auf, wie die Landnutzung in Deutschland zum Klimaschutz beitragen kann, als auch die Konflikte, die mit anderen gesellschaftlichen Zielen bestehen. Das Buch liefert eine Grundlage für die Debatte um eine klimawandeloptimierte Landnutzung in Deutschland.

Listed by Unglue.it.