Ecosystems And People

Author : Brian Walker
Publisher : Island Press
ISBN 13 : 1597266221
Total Pages : 192 pages
Book Rating : 4.22/5 ( download)

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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.

Author : William R. Burch
Publisher : Yale University Press
ISBN 13 : 0300231636
Total Pages : 313 pages
Book Rating : 4.32/5 ( download)

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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.

Author : Joseph Alcamo
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.87/5 ( download)

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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

Author : Crescentia Y. Dakubo
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 1441902066
Total Pages : 236 pages
Book Rating : 4.61/5 ( download)

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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.

Author : David G. Raffaelli
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780521513494
Total Pages : 174 pages
Book Rating : 4.99/5 ( download)

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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.

Author : National Research Council
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309288487
Total Pages : 247 pages
Book Rating : 4.84/5 ( download)

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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.

Author : Jon Børre Ørbaek
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 3540485147
Total Pages : 446 pages
Book Rating : 4.48/5 ( download)

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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.

Author : Kanchan Ratna Chopra
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 662 pages
Book Rating : 4.48/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Ecosystems and Human Well-Being written by Kanchan Ratna Chopra and published by . This book was released on 2005-12-14 with total page 662 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the knowledge of possible outcomes, what kind of actions should we take? The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment scored 74 response options for dealing with declines in ecosystem services and biodiversity, and managing drivers such as climate change and nutrient loading. This third volume in the MA series analyzes the track record of past policies and the potential of new ones. The challenge of reversing the degradation of ecosystems while meeting increasing demands for their services can be met only with significant policy and institutional changes. However, a difficult set of obstacles stand in the way. Policy makers must keep in mind that there are both trade-offs and synergies between human well-being, ecosystems, and ecosystem services, and that decisions regarding these tradeoffs are difficult and often contentious. The Responses volume ultimately establishes which policy options have the greatest chance to overcome the obstacles and generate positive outcomes. It will serve as an invaluable guide to the creation of stronger policy frameworks for the future.

Author : John Tillman Lyle
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 296 pages
Book Rating : 4.53/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Design for Human Ecosystems written by John Tillman Lyle and published by . This book was released on 1999-03 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author, an ecological designer, explores methods of designing landscapes which function like natural ecosystems.

Author : Richard B. Philp
Publisher : CRC Press
ISBN 13 : 146656721X
Total Pages : 441 pages
Book Rating : 4.14/5 ( download)

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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.