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Written by a team of international researchers, scientists, and academics, Perspectives of World Food and Agriculture 2004 comprises the latest, most up-to-date information in global agricultural. With a list of international contributors that reads like a «Who’s Who?» in agricultural research, this volume brings together some of the most cutting-edge agricultural research being done today. This popular annual publication includes: Global agricultural statistics Trends in the food marketing system Agricultural policies Global food insecurity (a contribution from UNFAO) Ethics of agriculture Success in developing sustainable agriculture systems Efficacy and safety of plant biotechnology An invited review by the World Food Laureate Researchers and research libraries alike will delight in the «Frontiers» portion of this book. As its name suggests, this section delivers reports on the latest breakthroughs in agriculture research. Aimed at faculty in colleges of agriculture, undergraduate and graduate students, policy makers, government and industry scientists, public libraries, farmers and agribusiness operators, this book is the key to keeping current on agricultural research and policy.

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This book explores human exposure and consumer risk assessment in response to issues surrounding pesticide residues in food and drinking water. All the three main areas of consumer risk assessment including human toxicology, pesticide residue chemistry and dietary consumption are brought together and discussed. Includes the broader picture – the environmental fate of pesticides Takes an international approach with contributors from the European Union, USA and Australia Highlights the increasing concerns over food safety and the risks to humans

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Once a purely technical sub-discipline of hydrology, water quality management is now a social and political discipline, with concerns ranging from ensuring adequate health standards to preserving biological diversity and ecosystem integrity. This book goes beyond the technical manuals and specialty publications to provide support and guidance for the everyday decisions made by water-quality managers. Water Quality: Management of a Natural Resource addresses the rarely touched upon social, biophysical, land-use and policy considerations, which reflect the issues that confront managers and decision-makers. In a series of incisive reviews, experts address key topics in modern water resource management and case studies illustrate the successes and failures of past management efforts. Water Quality: Management of a Natural Resource develops and presents a management view requiring an awareness of: the social context of management, new ecological theories, and how policy is implemented in different situations and countries.

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As a novel endeavour in ecological science, this book focuses on a major issue in organismal life on Earth:species coexistence. The book crosses the usual disciplinary boundaries between palaeobiology, ecology and evolutionary biology and provides a timely overview of the patterns and processes of species diversity and coexistence on a range of spatio-temporal scales. In this unique synthesis, the author offers a critical and penetrating examination of the concepts and models of coexistence and community structure, thus making a valuable contribution to the field of community ecology. There is an emphasis on clarity and accessibility without sacrificing scientific rigour, making this book suitable for both advanced students and individual researchers in ecology, palaeobiology and environmental and evolutionary biology. Comprehensive and contemporary synthesis. Pulls together the aggregate influence of evolution and ecology on patterns in communities. Balanced mix of theory and empirical work. Clearly structured chapters with short introduction and summary.

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The majority of undergraduate texts in invertebrate zoology (of which there are many) fall into one of two categories. They either offer a systematic treatment of groups of animals phylum by phylum, or adopt a functional approach to the various anatomical and physiological systems of the better known species. The Invertebrates is the first and only textbook to integrate both approaches and thus meet the modern teaching needs of the subject. This is the only invertebrate textbook to integrate systematics and functional approaches. The molecular systematics sections have been completely updated for the new edition. Strong evolutionary theme which reflects the importance of molecular techniques throughout. Distills the essential characteristics of each invertebrate group and lists diagnostic features to allow comparisons between phyla. New phyla have been added for the new edition. Stresses comparisons in physiology, reproduction and development. Improved layout and illustration quality. Second edition has sold 14000 copies. Nature of the first edition: 'Students will like this book. It deserves to succeed.'

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Ecological economics is an exciting interdisciplinary field of study that combines insights from the natural sciences, economics, philosophy and other fields to develop innovative approaches to environmental problems. It draws on a wide range of analytical perspectives, some radical others more conventional, to build a more complete understanding of human-ecosystem interactions. Current research in the field includes work on nature conservation, land use planning, pollution control, natural resource management, and environmental impact assessment/evaluation. Ecological Economics provides a comprehensive introduction to the core themes, presented in a clearly structured style, with chapters tailored specifically to readers without any economic or philosophical training. There is an emphasis throughout on the complementary roles of economics, ethics and ecology in environmental decision-making processes. The book reviews the evolution of important ideas in the field, explores the fundamental philosophies underlying different approaches to environmental problems, explains in detail the specific tools and techniques used in these approaches, and gives numerous examples of how they can be applied. Special importance is attached to understanding both the advantages and limitations of different analyses, in order to provide a balanced and coherent view of how these different approaches interrelate and how their roles vary in different contexts. Written by three authors specializing in ecology, economics and philosophy, this textbook provides an excellent introduction to the field of ecological economics for students in the natural sciences and other environmental disciplines. It will also be of interest to a wide range of professionals and researchers involved in environmental management and policy, and thers including economists seeking to broaden their knowledge of new methodologies and approaches. Further reading suggestions and extensive references are provided for those interested in pursuing particular themes beyond the introductory level. The first introductory ecological economics text written specifically for natural scientists. Assumes no prior knowledge of economics or philosophy. Emphasises the complementary roles of ecology, economics and ethics in environmental decision-making processes. An emphasis on clarity and accessibility throughout.

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In this age of increasing human domination of the Earth's biological and physical resources, a basic understanding of ecology is more important than ever. Students need a textbook that introduces them to the basic principles of ecological science, one that is relevant to today's world, and one that does not overwhelm them with detail and jargon. Peter Cotgreave and Irwin Forseth have designed this book to meet the needs of these students, by providing a basic synthesis of how individual organisms interact with their physical environment, and with each other, to generate the complex ecosystems we see around us. The unifying theme of the book is biodiversity-its patterns, causes, and the growing worldwide threats to it. Basic ecological principles are illustrated using clearly described examples from the current ecological literature. This approach makes the book valuable to all students studying ecology. Examples have been chosen carefully to represent as wide a range of ecosystems (terrestrial and aquatic, northern and southern hemisphere) and life forms (animal, plant and microbe) as possible. Particular attention is paid to consequences of global change on organisms, populations, ecological communities and ecosystems. The end result is a text that presents a readable and persuasive picture of how the Earth's natural systems function, and how that functioning may change over the coming century. Features include: · strong coverage of applied and evolutionary ecology · applications of ecology to the real world · a question-orientated approach · the only comprehensive treatment of ecology written for the introductory student · an emphasis on definitions of key words and phrases · an integration of experimental, observational and theoretical material · examples drawn from all over the world and a wide variety of organisms · a logical structure, building from the response of individual organisms to physical factors, through population growth and population interactions, to community structure and ecosystem function · suggested further reading lists for each chapter · boxes to explain key concepts in more depth · dedicated textsite featuring additional information and teaching aids www.blackwellpublishing.com/cotgreave Peter Cotgreave is an animal ecologist who has worked for the University of Oxford and the Zoological Society of London. His research interests centre on abundance and rarity within animal communities. Irwin Forseth is a plant physiological ecologist who has taught introductory ecology and plant ecology at the University of Maryland since 1982. His research focuses on plant responses to the environment. The authors have studied organisms as diverse as green plants, insects and mammals in habitats from deserts to tropical rainforests. They have worked in ecological research and education in Africa, Asia, North and South America, Europe and the Caribbean.

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Vegetation Ecology is a comprehensive account of plant communities and their environments. Written by leading experts in their field from four continents, this up-to-date, innovative text: covers the composition, structure, ecology, diversity, distribution and dynamics of plant communities, with an emphasis on functional adaptations to the abiotic and biotic processes governing plant communities; reviews the modern developments in vegetation ecology in a historical perspective; presents a coherent view on vegetation ecology while integrating population ecology, dispersal biology, biotic interactions, herbivory, interactions with soil organisms and ecosystem ecology; and tackles applied aspects of vegetation ecology, notably nature management, restoration ecology and global change studies. Aimed at advanced undergraduates, graduates and researchers in plant ecology, geography, forestry and nature conservation, Vegetation Ecology takes an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach and will be welcomed as an essential reference for plant ecologists the world over.

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Freshwater ecosystems are under increasing pressure as human populations grow and the need for clean water intensifies. The demand for ecologists and environmental managers who are trained in basic freshwater ecology has never been greater. Students and practitioners new to the field of freshwater ecology and management need a text that provides them with an accessible introduction to the key questions while still providing sufficient background on basic scientific methods. Gerry Closs, Barbara Downes and Andrew Boulton have written a text that meets the requirements of these students. Following an introduction to scientific methodology and its application to the study of ecology, several key concepts in freshwater ecology are reviewed using a wide range of scientific studies into fundamental and applied ecological questions. Key ecological questions that are explored in a freshwater context include the role of animal dispersal and predators on freshwater community structure and the impact of pollutants and introduced species on freshwater ecosystems. This book represents the only freshwater ecology textbook that is specifically aimed at an introductory level. It will also be a useful primer for students who have not previously taken a specialized freshwater course but who require an accessible overview of the subject. General reviews on the methods of science, influence of scale, and the main features of freshwater systems. Coverage of several fundamental and applied ecological questions. A logical structure in each chapter that builds from a general observation of an ecological pattern, to an exploration of the various scientific approaches that can be used to investigate such patterns. Suggested further reading lists for each chapter.

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This modern textbook of biological oceanography is aimed at students taking oceanography, marine biology and marine sciences courses. It covers recent developments such as the molecular techniques (including sequence data) that have allowed a re-examination of the ocean's microbial ecology and the role of the various trophic groups in biogeochemical cycling, carbon flow and climate control. Major topics covered include phytoplankton bloom, microbial food web, marine biogeography, global climate change and an overview of fisheries oceanography. Difficult concepts are explained in a straightforward manner, making this book accessible to undergraduates, graduates and researchers alike. Features a chapter on important numerical models which have become indispensable in biological oceanography. Further details of key terms and important topics are highlighted in boxes Models, formulas, methodologies, and techniques are described and explained throughout. An Instructor manual CD-ROM for this title is available. Please contact our Higher Education team at [email protected] for more information.

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