Basics of Environmental Science

✍ Scribed by Michael Allaby

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 340
• Edition: 2
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The new edition of this popular student text offers an engaging introduction to environmental study. It covers the entire breadth of the environmental sciences, providing concise, non-technical explanations of physical processes and systems and the effects of human activities. In this second edition the scientific background to major environmental issues is clearly explained. These include: * global warming * genetically modified foods * desertification * acid rain * deforestation * human population growth * depleting resources * nuclear power generation * descriptions of the 10 major biomes. Special student text features include illustrations and explanatory diagrams, boxed case studies, concepts and definitions.

✦ Table of Contents

Book Cover......Page 1
Title......Page 4
Contents......Page 5
List of Figures......Page 8
List of Tables......Page 12
Preface to the Second Edition......Page 14
Introduction......Page 18
Environmental interactions, cycles, and systems......Page 21
Ecology and environmentalism......Page 24
History of environmental science......Page 27
Changing attitudes to the natural world......Page 30
Further reading......Page 34
Earth Sciences......Page 36
The formation of rocks, minerals, and geologic structures......Page 40
Weathering......Page 44
The evolution of landforms......Page 47
Coasts, estuaries, sea levels......Page 51
Energy from the Sun......Page 54
Albedo and heat capacity......Page 59
The greenhouse effect......Page 61
The evolution, composition, and structure of the atmosphere......Page 68
General circulation of the atmosphere......Page 71
Oceans, gyres, currents......Page 76
Weather and climate......Page 81
Glacials, interglacials, and interstadials......Page 85
Dating methods......Page 90
Climate change......Page 93
Climatic regions and floristic regions......Page 98
Further reading......Page 103
Notes......Page 104
Physical Resources......Page 107
Eutrophication and the life cycle of lakes......Page 112
Salt water, brackish water, and desalination......Page 116
Irrigation, waterlogging, and salinization......Page 120
Soil formation, ageing, and taxonomy......Page 124
Transport by water and wind......Page 128
Soil, climate, and land use......Page 132
Soil erosion and its control......Page 136
Mining and processing of fuels......Page 140
Mining and processing of minerals......Page 147
Further reading......Page 152
Biosphere......Page 154
Major biomes......Page 158
Nutrient cycles......Page 164
Respiration and photosynthesis......Page 168
Energy, numbers, biomass......Page 177
Ecosystems......Page 180
Succession and climax......Page 185
Arrested successions......Page 189
Colonization......Page 193
Stability, instability, and reproductive strategies......Page 196
Simplicity and diversity......Page 200
Homoeostasis, feedback, regulation......Page 205
Limits of tolerance......Page 209
Further reading......Page 214
Biological Resources......Page 217
Evolutionary strategies and game theory......Page 223
Adaptation......Page 227
Dispersal mechanisms......Page 231
Wildlife species and habitats......Page 235
Biodiversity......Page 239
Fisheries......Page 244
Forests......Page 250
Farming for food and fibre......Page 256
Human populations and demographic change......Page 266
Genetic engineering......Page 267
Further reading......Page 274
References......Page 275
Environmental Management......Page 278
Zoos, nature reserves, wilderness......Page 282
Pest control......Page 286
Restoration ecology......Page 291