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The impact of globalization on the environment is a much debated issue. Using case-studies from Latin America, this book sets out these debates and presents new empirical evidence on the key questions. ... Read more

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This book provides the reader a broad grounding in the science of Earth Observation (EO) of our changing planet. It contains a comprehensive sequenced discussion covering the significant themes of global change, their cause, and how they can be monitored through time. In doing so, it represents a good source of basic information, and a general overview of the status of remote sensing technology. The text will serve as an invaluable reference for managers and researchers, regardless of their specialty, while also appealing to students of all ages. ... Read more

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Global Environmental Change and Agriculture offers a comprehensive perspective on the consequences and possible policy solutions for climatic change as we move into the twenty-first century.It assesses the impact of potential future global climate change on agriculture and the need to sustain agricultural growth for economic development.The book begins by examining the role of international research institutions in overcoming environmental constraints on sustainable agricultural growth and economic development.The authors then discuss how agricultural research systems may be restructured to respond to global environmental problems such as climate change and loss of genetic diversity.The discussion then extends to consider environmental accounting and indexing, to illustrate how environmental quality can be included formally in measures of national income, social welfare and sustainability.The third part of the book focuses on the effects of and policy responses to climate change.Chapters examine the effect of climate change on production, trade, land use patterns and livelihoods.They consider impacts on the distribution of income between developed and developing countries and between different social classes within the developing world, where agriculture remains a major economic activity.The authors take an economy-wide perspective to draw lessons for agricultural, trade, land use and tax policy.This book will be of special interest to agricultural, development and environmental economists as well as policy analysts in government and at international agencies confronting practical problems of environmental and economic assessment. ... Read more

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Current climate models diverge in their assessment of global warming that will result from the anthropogenic increase in trace gases. This is because they differ in their representation of the hydrological cycle (water vapour, clouds, snow and sea ice, soil moisture) and because a direct validation in terms of sensitivity is not possible. Indirect methods and approaches are therefore necessary to verify the models efficiently. The book provides an overview on different validation approaches. The use of satellite data is particularly stressed. ... Read more

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This book presents a state-of-the-art analysis of the microbiology of the trace gases that affect climate and environmental quality. The microbiological sources and sinks of methane, nitrogen oxides, sulfur gases, halocarbons and other trace gases are reviewed and current work described. Techniques for the detection and analysis of gases and the bacteria that produce and metabolize them are presented. The book is a compilation of chapters prepared by leading authorities in their fields, covering the whole range of trace gas microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology and genetics. The impact and role of human activities on gas sources and sinks are also identified. ... Read more

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This is a timely book in light of increasing concern over global warming and environmental pollution. It describes a simulation system based on sets of computer algorithms for comprehensive analysis of data from global and regional monitoring systems. Chapters in the theoretical part of the book contain descriptions of rigorous algorithms and global environmental models. The applied part considers specific problems of environmental dynamics in areas such as the Arctic and the Caspian-Aral Seas. The purpose of this book is to develop a universal information technology to estimate the state of environmental subsystems functioning under various climatic and anthropogenic conditions. Applied mathematicians, hydrologists, geophysicists, socio-economists and other researchers of global change will find a wealth of information in this book. ... Read more

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Data assimilation is considered a key component of numerical ocean model development and new data acquisition strategies. The basic concept of data assimilation is to combine real observations via estimation theory with dynamic models. Related methodologies exist in meteorology, geophysics and engineering. Of growing importance in physical oceanography, data assimilation can also be exploited in biological and chemical oceanography. Such techniques are now recognized as essential to understand the role of the ocean in a global change perspective.
The book focuses on data processing algorithms for assimilation, current methods for the assimilation of biogeochemical data, strategy of model development, and the design of observational data for assimilation. ... Read more

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In this book, the authors demonstrate how alpineenvironments throughout the world are particularly vulnerable toglobal environmental change. Alpine populations will often be affectedearliest and most significantly, for example through extreme weathersystems, and their scope for adaptation is relatively limited. Drawingon the natural and social sciences, particularly economics, this booksupplies a broad picture of the diverse issues involved.

The authors show that observed changes in natural phenomena, such asacidity and fish toxicity in high altitude lakes, clearly support thethesis on ongoing global change induced by humans. They then analyzethe manifold socio-economic impacts of global environmental changewhich are likely to be felt in various sectors and industriesincluding tourism, insurance and water cycle management. It is shownthat adaptation options though limited can be improved, such as innatural hazard management. Finally the authors evaluate the variousmitigation options available for policymakers in agriculture, energyproduction, transport and land use planning. ... Read more

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This is the first attempt to promote good practice in global change science at schools and universities. Thirty chapters written by practitioners from eleven countries outline present trends, dealing with successful innovations and problems associated with interdisciplinary courses. They are arranged in three principal sections: one setting the scene, the second describing various courses and the third advancing specific teaching strategies and ideas. ... Read more

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The book addresses the threat of climate change to world food security, by providing an authoritative review of climate change and surprise, contrasting trends in world food security, case studies of food and the environment, and chapters on adaptive responses. It reviews: trends in agriculture and food security - projections of the incidence and distribution of hunger over the next few decades; the risk and global impacts of climate change on agricultural systems, relying on alternative models of world agricultural potential that have simulated the impacts of climate change; vulnerability and multiple threats to sustainable agriculture; studies of local impacts and responses; and strategies to limit climate change and improve food security. ... Read more

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The Earth experienced numerous cold and warm climatic excursions in the past. There is growing evidence that one of the factors that caused these changes was solar variability. In 35 chapters, leading experts present and discuss the physical mechanisms linking solar forces to the Earth's atmosphere and climate. Among other topics, the solar anomaly in the 17th century and the concomitant little ice age are covered. ... Read more

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Selected papers from the International Conference "Global Environmental Change: Challenges for Science and Society in South-Eastern Europe" held 19-21 May 2008 in Sofia, Bulgaria. Covers changes in climate, land use, carbon and water cycles, air quality, etc. ... Read more

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The main focus of the book is the last deglaciation - a period of intense and rapid climatic changes which affected the global climate approximately 20,000 to 50,000 years ago. Special emphasis is placed on the timing of the last deglaciation in order to provide a common absolute chronological framework for the numerous researchers in the field. Accordingly, results obtained from the various scientific disciplines, relevant for the chronological problem, are reviewed and discussed: from glaciology, varved clay sedimentology, paleomagnetism, dendrochronology and radiochronology (14C and U/Th). ... Read more

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Since the beginning of man's existence on Earth, the adequacy of available water has been as important as any other factor for man's survival and prosperity. The volume comprises comprehensive reviews on: Paleoenvironments of arid land, climate-water-man interactions, water resources in the Minoan era, ancient Greek examples of avoiding water shortages, climatic changes in the eastern Mediterranean region since 5000 B.C., climatic evolution in ancient civilizations based on fossil studies, impact of climatic changes on groundwater and Mediterranean wetlands. The book is written for civil and agricultural engineers, hydrologists, geologists, environmental scientists and researchers. It is also useful as a reference to consulting engineers, agriculturists, environmentalists and students. ... Read more

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This book is an up-to-date synthesis of the biologicallyinterlinked global biogeochemical cycles of C, N, P and S.Processes and models involving theflow of these elements inand between the global reservoirs of ocean, atmosphere,biosphere and land are emphasized.Human-inducedperturbations to the global cycles are discussed andtherole of these space scales of global change is considered,from the geologic to the present and the future. Feedbackmechanisms that enchance orameliorate global change are animportant feature. The book is strongly interdisciplinary inscope. ... Read more

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Biomass burning profoundly affects atmospheric chemistry, the carbon cycle, and climate and may have done so for millions of years. Bringing together renowned experts from paleoecology, fire ecology, atmospheric chemistry, and organic chemistry, the volume elucidates the role of fire during global changes of the past and future. Topics covered include: the characterization of combustion products that occur in sediments, including char, soot/fly ash, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; the calibration of these constituents against atmospheric measurements from wildland and prescribed fire emissions; spatial and temporal patterns in combustion emissions at scales of individual burns to the globe. ... Read more

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Scientists concerned with the processes occurring in the stratosphere are becoming more and more aware of the role that the stratosphere may play in the global climate and in global change in general. This book focuses on the basic processes taking place in the stratosphere and on the stratospheric changes which may occur from either natural or anthropogenic forcing. Of major concern here is the consequence of the increasing Antarctic Ozone Hole and the possibility of similar processes occurring at northern latitudes. One of the expected consequences of the change in the stratospheric composition, mainly ozone depletion, is the change in the penetration of UV-B in the troposphere, at the surface, and in the top layers of the ocean. Monitoring and modeling of those changes are still in infancy, even though the implications may be of utmost importance for the entire biosphere. Several aspects of these consequences with regard to aquatic ecosystems, terrestrial vegetation and human health are presented by experts in these fields. ... Read more

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This book treats in detail the physical, chemical, and dynamic processes that influence atmospheric ozone in the lower stratosphere and upper troposphere. It describes general circulation models of these processes and discusses their further improvement. The observed features of ozone changes in these regions from satellite and ground-based measurements and future monitoring strategies are presented. ... Read more

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The character of the Earth's surface is constantly changing as a result of the interactions of the great circulations of energy, water and materials that create the biogeochemical cycles between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, cryosphere and biosphere.

In addition human actions, from social and environmental interplay - often termed human ecology - have to be seen as part of a whole Earth system, impacting on biogeochemical cycles to produce feedbacks and responses. Some resulting impacts are readily expected, but others are less easily anticipated and all affect global environmental change.

The task of Volume Three of the Encyclopedia is to look at and analyse the interactions, feedbacks and causes from a holistic viewpoint and report upon some of the key aspects of human knowledge that are required for an integrated science.

Coverage includes:

• Human disturbance of the Earth system

• Global land cover and land use

• Global population trends

• Trends in global emissions

• Water use: Future trends, and environmental and social impacts

• Rice and its spread

• Environmental change and human health

• Environmental changes driven by civil conflict and war