ALBERT

Description / Table of Contents: Part I. Soils, Geographical and Climatic Features, Eco-Resources, and Desertification -- Chapter 1. Potential Threats to Soil Functions and Mitigation Options for Sustainable Uses -- Chapter 2. Perspectives of Geography, Environment, and Physiography of Kuwait -- Chapter 3. Climate and Climate Change Aspects of Kuwait -- Chapter 4. Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity of Kuwait and Proposed Eco-Resources Management Strategies – A Review -- Chapter 5. Desertification – A Central Problem to Restore Ecosystems -- Part II. Water Resources, Salinization Aspects and Modeling -- Chapter 6. Current Status, Challenges and Future Management Strategies for Water Resources of Kuwait -- Chapter 7. Groundwater Salinization in Kuwait: A Major Threat to Indigenous Ecosystems -- Chapter 8. Predicting the Behavior of the Salt/Fresh-Brackish Water Transition Zone During Scavenger Well Pumping: 1. Numerical Model Development and Testing -- Chapter 9. Predicting the Behavior of the Salt/Fresh-Brackish Water Transition Zone During Scavenger Well Pumping: 2. Model Application in Kuwait and Pakistan -- Part III. Terrestrial Ecosystems and their Management -- Chapter 10. Terrestrial Habitats and Ecosystems of Kuwait -- Chapter 11. Native Vegetation and Flora of Kuwait -- Chapter 12. Wildlife of the Terrestrial Ecosystems of Kuwait -- Chapter 13. Major Threats to the Terrestrial Ecosystems and Proposed Conservation Practices -- Chapter 14. Kuwait Deserts and Ecosystems in the Context of Changing Climate -- Part IV. Agriculture, Food Security and Water Footprint of Crops -- Chapter 15. Prospective of Agricultural Farming in Kuwait and Energy-Food-Water-Climate Nexus -- Chapter 16. Agricultural Water Footprint of Major Crops in Kuwait Compared to the World Average – A Review.

Description / Table of Contents: 1. Introduction to Rangeland Wildlife Ecology and Conservation -- Part I Rangeland Ecosystems and Processes -- 2. Rangelands of Western North America -- 3. A History of North American Rangelands -- 4. Western Rangeland Livestock Production Systems and Grazing Management -- 5. Manipulation of Rangeland Wildlife Habitats -- 6. Role and Management of Fire in Rangelands -- 7. Water is Life: Importance and Management of Riparian Areas for Rangeland Wildlife -- 8. Rangeland Biodiversity -- Part II Species Accounts -- 9. Prairie Grouse -- 10. Sage-Grouse -- 11. Quails -- 12. Rangeland Songbirds -- 13. Wetland Birds of Rangelands -- 14. Avian Predators in Rangelands -- 15. Burrowing Rodents -- 16. Mesocarnivores of Western Rangelands -- 17. Black-tailed and Mule Deer -- 18. White-tailed Deer -- 19. Pronghorn -- 20. Elk -- 21. Feral Equids -- 22. Mountain Ungulates -- 23. American Bison -- 24. Large Carnivores -- 25. Amphibians and Reptiles -- 26. Insects in Grassland Ecosystems -- Part III Social-Ecological Considerations -- 27. Wildlife, Rural Communities, and the Rangeland Livelihoods they Share: Opportunities in a Diverse Economies Approach -- 28. Living with Predators: A 20-year Case Study in the Blackfoot River Watershed of Montana -- 29. A Perspective on Rangeland and Wildlife Disciplines: Similarities Over Differences -- 30. Future of Rangeland Wildlife in North America.

Description / Table of Contents: 1 Introduction -- Part I: Forest and woodland biomes -- 2 White sand ecosystems in the Amazon basin: geographic distribution, distinctive features, and ecology. An overview -- 3 The forests of the Rio Negro basin in the north-western Amazon: a phytosociological classification -- 4 Amazon caatinga complex: sclerophyllous vegetation on nutrient-poor white sand soils -- Part II: Meadow biomes -- 5 Mapping white-sand ecosystems by integrating Global PALSAR-2 and SENTINEL-1 with NDVI (LANDSAT data) -- 6 The study areas: landscapes and soils -- 7 Soil properties, formation, distribution, and classification -- 8 Origin and sources of sand: from highlands to lowlands -- 9 Sand dynamics and distribution: a geo-sedimentological approach -- 10 Features and trends of meadow landscape evolution -- 11 Meadow phytodiversity: flora, endemism, vegetation types, and geographic distribution patterns -- 12 Synthesis: white-sand and meadow-vegetation relationships.

Description / Table of Contents: 0. Introduction - Ecologist in Wonderland -- Part 1. Linking Ecotoxicology and Ecology -- Chapter 1. Basic Concepts of Ecological Risk Assessment -- Chapter 2. Population-level assessment -- Chapter 3. Population models of extinction -- Chapter 4. Population level assessment using the canonical model -- Part 2. Models for ecotoxicology -- Chapter 5. Species Sensitivity Distribution in Ecological Risk Assessment -- Chapter 6. BLM: A model for predicting metal toxicities -- Chapter 7.Mathematical models for chemical mixtures -- Chapter 8.Statistics and related topics.

Description / Table of Contents: SECTION I. Natural and human environment of coastal ecosystems -- Chapter 1. Ecological modelling and conservation on the coasts of Mexico -- Chapter 2. SE Pacific: the ecosystem and its use along the Chilean and Peruvian coast -- SECTION II. Marine ecosystem models in the South East Pacific coast -- Chapter 3. Modelling the Northern Humboldt Current Ecosystem; from winds to predators -- Chapter 4. Marine ecosystem models in the South Pacific coast -- Chapter 5. Keystone Species Complexes and macroscopic properties for improving ecosystem-based conservation practices in kelp forest along the north-central Chilean coast -- Chapter 6. Exploring alternative management policies for benthic ecological systems of northern Chile (SE Pacific) -- SECTION III. Central Pacific, Caribbean and Atlantic coastal ecosystem models -- Chapter 7. How much biomass must remain at the sea after fishing to conserve ecosystem -- functioning? The case of the Monterey sardine in the Gulf of California, Mexico -- Chapter 8. Dynamic and spatial model of the coral reef of Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reserve (Caribbean Sea) for assessment harvest scenarios: short-term responses -- Chapter 9. Ecological role of sharks assessed by Ecopath models -- SECTION IV. System-based conservation and management: conclusions -- Chapter 10. Graph theory in food webs: uses and applications for conservation of marine ecosystems -- Chapter 11. Modelling aim the conservation of coastal marine ecosystem in Latin America.

Description / Table of Contents: C ontents -- Part 1. Theory -- To Understand Economics, Follow the Money: To Understand Ecosystems, Follow the Energy -- Two Views of Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation -- Why I Wrote this Book -- Dualities Still Impede Conservation Efforts -- The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform of Biodiversity -- Targets for Conservation -- Evolving Objectives -- Literature Review -- Updating Ecosystem Ecology -- References -- What Can We Learn by Studying Ecosystems that We Can’t Learn from Studying Populations? -- The Predator-Prey Conundrum -- The Serengeti Ecosystem -- Evolution in the “Ecological Theater” -- Predator-Prey Interactions Tell Only Part of the Story -- Evolution in the “Thermodynamic Theater” -- References -- A Thermodynamic Definition of Ecosystems -- Ecosystems in the 20th Century -- Cycling of Strontium-90 -- Cesium-137 in Food Chains -- Recycling of Isotopes in Norwegian Sheep -- Ecological Energetics -- Is it Time to Bury the Ecosystem Concept? -- A Thermodynamic Definition of Life -- A Thermodynamic Definition of Ecosystems -- The Phase Transition between Order and Chaos -- References -- Thermodynamic Characteristics of Ecosystems -- Equilibrium -- The Equilibrium Law -- Thermodynamic Equilibrium -- Open Thermodynamic Systems -- Ecosystems are Thermodynamically Open Non-Equilibrium Systems -- Work is Performed by Non-equilibrium Systems -- Advantage of a Thermodynamically Open System -- 4.3 Ecosystems are Entropic -- 4.4 Ecosystems are Cybernetic -- Cybernetic Systems -- Economic Systems are Cybernetic Ecosystems are Cybernetic -- The Ecosystem Feedback Function -- Indirect vs. Direct Feedback -- Deviation Dampening and Amplifying Feedback -- Set Points -- Ecosystems are Autocatalytic -- Ecosystems have Boundaries -- Ecosystems are Hierarchical -- Hierarchy in Physical Systems -- Hierarchy in Ecological Systems -- Common Currencies -- Macro-and Micro-System Models -- Why an Ecosystem Model that Includes Everything is not Possible -- A Nested Marine Community -- Ecosystems are Deterministic -- Ecosystems are Information Rich -- An Engineering Definition of Information -- Information to Facilitate Exchange -- High Energy Information -- Low Energy Information -- Information Theory -- Genetic Information -- Ecosystems are Non-Teleological -- Criticisms of Ecosystem Models -- References -- Ecosystem Control: A Top-Down View -- Two Ways to Look at Systems -- Composing and Decomposing Trophic Webs -- Decomposers in Soil Organic Matter -- Decomposers in Marshes and Mangroves -- Control of Systems -- Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up -- Top-Down Exogenous Control -- Exogenous Impacts and Stability -- Top-Down Endogenous Control -- Endogenous Control through Nutrient Recycling -- Autocatalysis -- Control of Microbial Activity -- Inhibition of Microbial Activity by Leaf Sclerophylly -- Inhibition of Microbial Activity Chemical Defenses -- Inhibition of Microbial Activity by Ecological Stoichiometry -- The Synchrony Principle -- The Decay Law -- Direct Nutrient Cycling -- The Role of Animals -- Indirect Interactions -- Marine Systems -- Nutrient and Energy Recycling -- Exogenous Control -- Control in Lakes -- Control in Managed Ecosystems -- References -- Ecosystem Control: A Bottom-Up View -- Species as Arbitrageurs of Energy -- Relation Between Rate of Flow and Mass in Hydraulic Systems -- Relation Between Population Biomass and Rate of Energy Flow -- Equilibrium -- Mechanisms of Adjustment -- Adjustments and Climate Change -- Bird Populations -- Dis-equilibrium -- Population Instability vs. Ecosystem Instability -- Control by Interactions: Direct vs. Indirect -- Indirect Interactions -- Direct Interactions -- Predator – Prey -- Mutualisms -- Competition -- Decomposition -- Parasitism and Disease -- Commensalism and Amensalism -- Persistence of Negative Interactions -- References -- Ecosystem Stability -- Background -- A Thermodynamic Definition -- Regime Shift -- Metastability -- Pulsed Stability -- Resistance and Resilience -- Species Richness and Functional Stability -- Species Richness and Cultural Values -- Keystone Species, and Population and Ecosystem Stability -- 7.5.1 Keystone Species in the Yellowstone region of Wyoming -- References -- 8. Case Studies of Ecosystem Control and Stability -- Walden -- “Harmony in Nature” -- Feedback Produces Nature’s “Harmony” -- Feedback Mechanisms -- Perturbations in Amazon Rain Forests -- Top-Down Control -- The San Carlos Project: A Small-scale, Low Intensity, Short Duration Disturbance -- 8.3.2 The Jarí Project: A Large-scale, High Intensity, Long Duration Disturbance -- Bottom-Up Control -- The El Verde Project -- The Long-Term Ecological Research Project in Puerto Rico -- The Lago Guri Island Project -- The Biological Dynamics of Tropical Rainforest Fragments Project -- What have Case Studies Taught us about Stability of Tropical Ecosystems? -- Tropical Ecosystems are Stable -- Tropical Ecosystems are Unstable -- Energy Flow in Tropical Savannas and Rain Forests -- Insects in Tropical Ecosystems -- Application of Lessons to Other Regions -- Relevance to Temperate Zones -- Relevance to Aquatic Ecosystems -- The Experimental Lakes Project (Ecosystem Control of Species) -- Lake Mendota Studies (Species Control of Ecosystems) -- 8.7 Case Studies as Tests of Thermodynamic Theory -- References -- Entropy and Maximum Power -- Entropy -- 9.2 Entropy in a Steel Bar -- Thermodynamic Equilibrium -- Entropic Gradients -- Capturing and Storing Entropy -- Evapotranspiration and Entropy Reduction -- Life is a Balance between Storing and Releasing Entropy -- The Law of Maximum Entropy Production -- Energy for Metabolism as well as Growth -- Unassisted Entropy Capture is a Unique Characteristic of Life.-9.6Entropy Storage by Ecosystems -- 9.6.1 What Causes Entropy to be Stored? -- 9.7 Capturing Pressure -- 9.8 Entropy and Time -- 9.8.1 Time’s Speed Regulator -- Efficiency of Energy Transformations -- Passage of Time for Cats -- 9.9The Maximum Power Principle.-9.10 Optimum Efficiencies for a Truck and its Driver.-9.11 Sustainability -- References -- A Thermodynamic View of Succession -- 10.1 The Population View -- 10.2 The Thermodynamic View -- 10.2.1 Leaf Area Index and Succession -- 10.2.2 Power Output as a Function of Leaf Area Index -- 10.2.3 What Causes Changes in Leaf Area Index? -- 10.2.4 Maximum Entropy Production Principle -- 10.2.5 Successional Ecosystems Move Further from Thermodynamic Equilibrium -- 10.2.6 Entropy Storage by Animals -- 10.3 The Strategy of Ecosystem Development -- A Problem with Odum’s Strategy -- Why Power Output Continues to Increase -- Revised Definition of Maximum Power -- Costs of Ecosystem Stabilization -- Transactional Costs -- Succession, Power Output, and Efficiency -- 10.5.1 Kleiber’s Law -- Are Ecosystems Spendthrifts? -- Interactions Between Species Facilitate Increase in Power Output -- Facilitation -- Tolerance -- Inhibition -- Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis -- Nutrient Use Efficiency during Succession -- Succession Following Logging vs Following Agriculture -- 10.10 Thermodynamic View of Succession: Implications for Resource Management -- References -- Panarchy -- The Universal Cycle of Systems -- Panarchy -- Thermodynamic Interpretation of the Sacred Rules -- 11.2.1 Growth and Consolidation -- 11.2.2 Collapse -- Renewal -- Sub-systems -- Panarchy over 2 Billion Years of Evolution -- Consolidation, Bureaucracy and System Collapse -- Bureaucracy in Action (Case Studies) -- Case Study: Panarchy in the Georgia Piedmont -- Thermodynamic Interpretation -- References -- 12. A Thermodynamic View of Evolution -- 12.1 Life – A Physicist's View -- 12.1.1 Life is Produced by Capturing Entropy -- 12.1.2 The Origin of Life -- 12.2 Two Approaches to Evolution -- 12.2.1 The Eco-Evo-Devo View -- 12.2.2 The Thermodynamic View -- 12.2.3 Fitness -- 12.2.4 The “Goal” of Evolution -- 12.3 The Relationship between Species and Environment -- 12.3.1 Evolution’s “Theater” -- 12.3.2 Is Evolution Stochastic or Deterministic? -- 12.4 Ecosystem Evolution -- 12.4.1 Succession was the Clue -- 12.4.2 Ecosystems Moved away from Equilibrium -- 12.4.3 Thermodynamic Mechanisms -- 12.4.4 Biological Mechanisms -- 12.4.5 Ecosystem Fitness -- 12.4.6 Ecosystems Evolve One Step at a Time -- 12.5. The Origin of Ecosystems -- 12.5.1 Origin of Feedback Loops -- 12.5.2 Origin of Trophic Levels -- 12.5.3 Why are there Trophic Levels? -- 12.6 The “Goal” of Ecosystem Evolution -- 12.6.1 Conflicting Goals? -- 12.6.2 “Motivations” of Species -- 12.6.3 The Earth Ecosystem -- 12.6.4 Why is there Resistance to the Idea of Ecosystem Evolution? -- 12.6.5 Evolution of Economic Systems -- 12.7 A Thermodynamic Model of Ecosystem Evolution -- 12.7.1 Network Models -- 12.7.2 Increase in Complexity of Trophic Webs -- 12.7.3 Evolution of Trophic Webs -- 12.7.4 Life Moves Ashore -- 12.8 Biodiversity and the Five Great Extinctions -- 12.8.1 The Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) Boundary Extinction -- 12.8.2The Amazing Sustainability of Trophic Chains -- 12.8.3 A Test of Thermodynamic Theory -- 12.9 Panarchy and Evolution -- 12.10 Thermodynamic Requirements for Living Systems on Other Planets -- References -- -- Why is Species Diversity Higher in the Tropics? -- 13.1 Tropical Explorations -- 13.2 A Few Theories -- 13.3 A Thermodynamic Explanation -- 13.3.1 The Latitudinal Energy Gradient -- 13.3.2 The Latitudinal Productivity Gradient -- 13.3.3 The Data -- 13.3.4 Other Factors Affecting Productivity -- 13.4 Empirical Evidence for a High Productivity High Diversity Correlation -- 13.5 Humboldt’s Enigma -- 13.5.1 Are Productivity and Species Richness Correlated on Tropical -- Mountains? -- 13.6 The Mechanism Linking Productivity and Diversity -- 13.7 Answer to “Why is Species Diversity Higher in the Tropics?” -- 13.7.1 Differences within the Tropics -- 13.8 Why is Species Diversity Low at High Latitudes? -- 13.9 An Economic Perspective on D.

Description / Table of Contents: Introduction -- Biomes: Concepts, Characteristics and Terminology -- Profiles of Angola’s Biomes and Ecoregiens -- Landscapes: Geology, Hydrology and Geomorphology.

Description / Table of Contents: 1 Treeline Research in Himalaya: Current Understanding and Future Imperatives -- 2 Capturing Himalayan Timberline Dimensionand Ecological Attributes In Warming Climate Through Team Science -- 3 Temperature lapse rate in different himalayan treeline environments: regional analysis of patterns, seasonality and variability -- 4 Relationship between timberline elevation and climate in sikkim himalaya -- 5 The treeline ecotone in Rolwaling Himal, Nepal: Pattern-process relationshipsand treeline shift potential -- 6 Challenges of timberline mapping in the himalaya: a case study of sikkim himalaya -- 7 Mapping the Spatial Patterns of Biodiversity Along the Alpine Treeline Ecotone in EasternHimalaya Using Information Theory -- 8 Quantifying Variation In Canopy Height From Lidar Data As A Function Of Altitude Along Alpine Treeline Ecotone In Indian Himalaya -- 9 Patterns of Plant Taxonomic, Life-form and Phylogenetic Diversity at a Treeline Ecotone in Northwestern Himalaya: Role of Aspect and Elevation -- 10 Vegetation Structure along an Elevation Gradient at the Treeline Ecotone of Eastern Himalayan forests in Sikkim -- 11 Patterns of Plant Species Richness across the Himalayan Treeline Ecotone -- 12 Lichen Diversity in High Elevations of Western Himalaya with special reference to Treeline Ecotone: Conservation and Indicator Value -- 13 Community-Level Lichen Diversity Assessment In Alpine Zone Of Indian Himalaya: Climate Change Implications -- 14 Lower Plants of Tungnath-Chopta Timberline Zone, Garhwal Himalaya -- 15 Phenological response of treeline ecotone tree species to global warming in Western Himalaya -- 16 Water Relations Of The Indian Himalayan Treeline Species -- 17 Herbaceous Vegetation Structure And Phenology At Treeline Ecotone In Relation To Natural Snowmelt -- 18 Responses Of Herbaceous Species Of Alpine Treeline To Elevated Co2 -- 19 Age-Girth Stand Structure of Himalayan fir and Growth-NDVI relationship in the Treeline transects of western Himalaya: An ecological perspective -- 20 Response Of Radial Growth In Abies Pindrow (Royle Ex D.Don) Royle To Climate At Treeline Ecotone In The Northwestern Himalaya -- 21 Pastoralism in Timberline Forests of Western Himalaya -- 22 Treeline Research In The Nepal Himalaya: Status And Future Prospects. .

Description / Table of Contents: Chap 1: Disturbance ecology: a guideline -- Chap 2: Definitions and quantifications -- Chap 3: Concepts -- Chap 4: Abiotic disturbances -- Chap 5: Biotic disturbances -- Chap 6: Anthropogenic disturbances -- Chap 7: Disturbances in global change -- Chap 8: Disturbances and management.

Description / Table of Contents: Section 1 -- Chapter 1. Introduction -- Section 2. Plant Diversity -- Chapter 2. Status, issues and challenges of biodiversity:Lower plants (Non-vascular) -- Chapter 3. Status, issues and Challenges of Biodiversity:Higher Plants -- Chapter 4. Status, issues and challenges of biodiversity: Trees and Shrubs -- Chapter 5. Underutilized Plant Strength of India -- Section 3. Faunal Diversity -- Chapter 6. Status, Issues and Challenges of Biodiversity: Invertebrate -- Chapter 7. Diversity, Distribution and Endemicity of Herpetofauna in Different Biogeographic Zones and Biodiversity Hotpots of India -- Chapter 8. Status, Issues, and Challenges of Biodiversity: Wild Animals -- Chapter 9. Indian Avian Diversity:Status, Challenges and Solutions -- Chapter 10. Status, Issues and Challenges of Indian Livestock Biodiversity -- Section 4. Ecosystem Diversity -- Chapter 11. Agricultural Crop Diversity: Status, Challenges and Solutions -- Chapter 12. Biodiversity of Agriculturally Important Insects: Status, Issues and Challenges -- Chapter 13. Biodiversity Issues and Challenges:Non-Agriculture Insects -- Chapter 14. Status, issues and challenges of biodiversity: Forest Insects -- Chapter 15. Status, Issues and Challenges of Biodiversity: Marine Biota -- Chapter 16. Diatoms the living jewels their biodiversity, phycosphere and associated phenotypic plasticity: a lesson to learn from current pandemic of corona virus -- Chapter 17. Plant Diversity at Ecosystems level in India: Dynamics and Status -- Chapter 18. Faunal Diversity at Ecosystems level in India: Dynamics and Status -- Section 5. Challenges and reasons of Biodiversity loss -- Chapter 19. Challenges on Account of Invasive Alien Terrestrial Plants -- Chapter 20. Alien Invasive Aquatic Fauna:Challenges and Mitigation -- Chapter 21. Reasons of Biodiversity Loss in India -- Section 6. Efforts Conservation -- Chapter 22. Conservation of National Biodiversity: Efforts of the Indian Government -- Chapter 23. Legal Framework for Conservation of Biodiversity in India -- Chapter 24. Index.