Книга рассказывает о том, что происходило в смутных глубинах времен, отделенных от наших дней сотнями миллионов лет, задолго до появления самых древних динозавров. Затопленная теплыми морями, постоянно меняющаяся территория Сибири (в пределах древнего материка Ангариды), была идеальным местом для развития первичных организмов. Именно здесь установлены самые крупные из когда-либо существовавших на Земле ископаемых барьерных рифов. Они в несколько раз превышали объем и протяженность современного гиганта органического происхождения – Большого барьерного рифа Австралии. На территории Сибири собраны крупнейшие коллекции фауны докембрия и палеозоя. Наиболее яркие, и в то же время типичные формы стали главными персонажами книги.
Сборник «Развитие арктических территорий: тенденции, проблемы, перспективы» раскрывает многомерность темы развития Арктики и происходящих в ней процессов. Российская Арктика рассматривается как долгосрочный и многовекторный с точки зрения развития макрорегион. Сборник научных статей будет интересен широкому кругу читателей, заинтересованных арктической тематикой и современными тенденциями её развития: государственным и муниципальным служащим, руководителям коммерческих компаний, специалистам по проектному управлению; студентам и преподавателям по направлениям: связи с общественностью, экология, природопользование, геология, политология, социология, экономика и управление, юриспруденция; а также общественным деятелям, руководителям общественных организаций.
Research in insect population dynamics is important for more reasons than just protecting forest communities. Insect populations are among the main ecological units included in the analysis of stability of ecological systems. Moreover, it is convenient to test new methods of analyzing population and community stability on the insect-related data, as by now ecologists and entomologists have accumulated large amounts of such data. In this book, the authors analyze population dynamics of quite a narrow group of insects – forest defoliators. It is hoped that the methods proposed herein for the analysis of population dynamics of these species may be useful and effective for analyzing population dynamics of other animal species and their effects and role in global warming. What can insects tell us about our environment and our ever-changing climate? It is through studies like this one that these important answers can be obtained, along with data on the insects and their behaviors themselves. The authors present new theories on modeling and data accumulation, using cutting-edge processes never before published for such a wide audience. This volume presents the state-of-the-art in the science, and it is an essential piece of any entomologist’s and forest engineer’s library.
An interdisciplinary framework for managing sustainable agrifood supply chains Supply Chain Management for Sustainable Food Networks provides an up-to-date and interdisciplinary framework for designing and operating sustainable supply chains for agri-food products. Focus is given to decision-making procedures and methodologies enabling policy-makers, managers and practitioners to design and manage effectively sustainable agrifood supply chain networks. Authored by high profile researchers with global expertise in designing and operating sustainable supply chains in the agri-food industry, this book: Features the entire hierarchical decision-making process for managing sustainable agrifood supply chains. Covers knowledge-based farming, management of agricultural wastes, sustainability, green supply chain network design, safety, security and traceability, IT in agrifood supply chains, carbon footprint management, quality management, risk management and policy- making. Explores green supply chain management, sustainable knowledge-based farming, corporate social responsibility, environmental management and emerging trends in agri-food retail supply chain operations. Examines sustainable practices that are unique for agriculture as well as practices that already have been implemented in other industrial sectors such as green logistics and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Supply Chain Management for Sustainable Food Networks provides a useful resource for researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, regulators and C-level executives that deal with strategic decision-making. Post-graduate students in the field of agriculture sciences, engineering, operations management, logistics and supply chain management will also benefit from this book.
Already renowned as a user-friendly beginners’ guide to soil science, Soil Science Simplified, 6th Edition is an updated version of the beloved textbook that includes even more thorough applications of soil science to interdisciplinary fields. It includes the most recent research concerning uses of soil in municipal, engineering, and other areas, conversion agriculture covering no-till, hoe-till, and the methodology of cover crops, crop rotations, N contribution, and worldwide trends in conversion agriculture. The experienced authors have fully revised and updated the fundamental chapters on physical, chemical, and biological properties to create an ideal introductory text.
Describes the basics of ROS metabolism in plants and examines the broad range of ROS signaling mechanisms New discoveries about the effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on plants have turned ROS from being considered a bane into a boon, because their roles have been discovered in many plant developmental processes as signaling molecules. This comprehensive book teaches about the role of ROS metabolism in plants and how they affect various developmental processes. It also discusses in detail the advancements made in understanding the ROS signaling. Reactive Oxygen Species in Plants: Boon Or Bane – Revisiting the Role of ROS begins by presenting the basic introduction to ROS and deciphers the detailed knowledge in ROS research. It then examines the broad range of ROS signaling mechanisms as well as how they may be beneficial for plants and human beings. This book also describes both the bane and boon aspects of ROS with their impact on plants, and how the recent revelations have compelled us to rethink ROS turning from stressors to plant regulators. ● Compiles, for the first time, the wholesome knowledge in ROS research and their cellular signaling ● Includes new discoveries and in-depth discussions about the advancements made in the field ● Discusses reactive oxygen species which are involved in a broad range of biological processes Reactive Oxygen Species in Plants: Boon Or Bane – Revisiting the Role of ROS will help scientists to utilize the functions of ROS signaling for plants and also enable readers to gain a deeper knowledge of ROS research and signaling. It is highly recommended for researchers, scientists, and academicians in plant science as well for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Forages, Volume I, Seventh Edition is the most comprehensive text available for teachers of undergraduate Forages courses. This edition will provide students with a good balance of scientific principles, to aid in integrating the concepts they learn, and practical information on forage identification, plant characteristics, management, and utilization that can be used by forage management practitioners. Grassland ecosystems are extremely complex, including the plant/animal interface as well as the soil/climate/forage interface and the text must support understanding and integration of all of these considerations. The coverage of the science behind the plant characteristics and responses make the book applicable in many parts of the world, while other region-specific management information relates mainly to North America. This edition has been updated to address emerging areas of study, including the use of forage plants as bioenergy crops. The editors also address the renewed national interest in environmental issues such as water quality, global climate change and eutrophication in the Gulf. This edition also addresses the role of forages for wildlife habitat and food sources, another area of increased interest in recent years. These revisions respond to the generational change taking place among forage scientists and teachers in recent years.
During the nineteenth century, ivory hunting caused a substantial decrease of elephant numbers in southern Africa. Soon after that, populations of many other large and medium-sized herbivores went into steep decline due to the rinderpest pandemic in the 1890s. These two events provided an opportunity for woodland establishment in areas previously intensively utilized by elephants and other herbivores. The return of elephants to currently protected areas of their former range has greatly influenced vegetation locally and the resulting potential negative effects on biodiversity are causing concern among stakeholders, managers, and scientists. This book focuses on the ecological effects of the increasing elephant population in northern Botswana, presenting the importance of the elephants for the heterogeneity of the system, and showing that elephant ecology involves much wider spatiotemporal scales than was previously thought. Drawing on the results of their research, the authors discuss elephant-caused effects on vegetation in nutrient-rich and nutrient-poor savannas, and the potential competition between elephants on the one hand and browsers and mixed feeders on the other. Ultimately this text provides a comprehensive review of ecological processes in African savannas, covering long-term ecosystem changes and human-wildlife conflicts. It summarises new knowledge on the ecology of the sub-humid African savanna ecosystems to advance the general functional understanding of savanna ecosystems across moisture and nutrient gradients.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plants, 2nd Edition has been hailed as a major contribution to the plant sciences literature and critical acclaim has been matched by global sales success. Maintaining the scope and focus of the first edition, the second will provide a major update, include much new material and reorganise some chapters to further improve the presentation. This book is meticulously organised and richly illustrated, having over 1,000 full-colour illustrations and 500 photographs. It is divided into five parts covering: Compartments, Cell Reproduction, Energy Flow, Metabolic and Developmental Integration, and Plant Environment and Agriculture. Specific changes to this edition include: Completely revised with over half of the chapters having a major rewrite. Includes two new chapters on signal transduction and responses to pathogens. Restructuring of section on cell reproduction for improved presentation. Dedicated website to include all illustrative material. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plants holds a unique place in the plant sciences literature as it provides the only comprehensive, authoritative, integrated single volume book in this essential field of study.
Bioenergy and biofuels are generated from a wide variety of feedstock. Fuels have been converted from a wide range of sources from vegetable oils to grains and sugarcane. Second generation biofuels are being developed around dedicated, non-food energy crops, such as switchgrass and Miscanthus, with an eye toward bioenergy sustainability. Bioenergy Feedstocks: Breeding and Genetics looks at advances in our understanding of the genetics and breeding practices across this diverse range of crops and provides readers with a valuable tool to improve cultivars and increase energy crop yields. Bioenergy Feedstocks: Breeding and Genetics opens with chapters focusing primarily on advances in the genetics and molecular biology of dedicated energy crops. These chapters provide in-depth coverage of new, high-potential feedstocks. The remaining chapters provide valuable overview of breeding efforts of current feedstocks with specific attention paid to the development of bioenergy traits. Coverage in these chapters includes crops such as sorghum, energy canes, corn, and other grasses and forages. The final chapters explore the role of transgenics in bioenergy feedstock production and the development of low-input strategies for producing bioenergy crops. A timely collection of work from a global team of bioenergy researchers and crop scientists, Bioenergy Feedstocks: Breeding and Genetics is an essential reference on cultivar improvement of biomass feedstock crops.