Suchergebnisse

The people of Scotland are set to make history in 2014. As the country's future governance continues to provoke debate and inspire opinion, 'Scotland's Future' takes an impartial view of constitutional change and what it means for Scotland

Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface to the Eighth Edition -- About the Companion Website -- Chapter 1 Introduction -- 1.1 The Development of Ideas -- 1.2 The Anthropocene -- 1.3 The Development of Human Population and Stages of Cultural Development -- 1.4 Hunting and Gathering -- 1.5 Humans as Cultivators and Keepers -- 1.6 Mining and Metals -- 1.7 Modern Industrial and Urban Civilizations -- 1.8 The Great Acceleration -- 1.9 Methods of Study -- Guide to Reading -- Chapter 2 The Human Impact on Vegetation -- 2.1 Human Impacts on Nature -- 2.2 Vegetation Change: Introduction -- 2.3 The Use of Fire -- 2.4 Fires: Natural and Anthropogenic -- 2.5 Some Consequences of Fire Suppression -- 2.6 Some Effects of Fire on Vegetation -- 2.7 The Role of Grazing -- 2.8 Deforestation -- 2.9 Tropical Forests -- 2.10 The Forest Transition -- 2.11 Secondary Rain Forest -- 2.12 The Human Role in the Creation and Maintenance of Savanna -- 2.13 The Spread of Desert Vegetation on Desert Margins -- 2.14 The Maquis of the Mediterranean Lands -- 2.15 The Prairies and Other Mid‐latitude and High‐altitude Grasslands -- 2.16 Post‐glacial Vegetational Change in Britain and Europe -- 2.17 Lowland Heaths -- 2.18 Introduction, Invasion, and Explosion -- 2.19 Air Pollution and Its Effects on Plants -- 2.20 Forest Decline -- 2.21 Miscellaneous Causes of Plant Decline -- 2.22 The Change in Genetic and Species Diversity -- 2.23 Conclusion: Threats to Plant Life -- Guide to Reading -- Chapter 3 The Human Impact on Animals -- 3.1 Domestication of Animals -- 3.2 Dispersal and Invasions of Animals -- 3.3 Human Influence on the Expansion of Animal Populations -- 3.4 Causes of Animal Contractions and Decline: Pollution -- 3.5 Habitat Change and Animal Decline -- 3.6 Other Causes of Animal Decline -- 3.7 Animal Extinctions in Prehistoric Times

Dust storms, produced by the removal of surface materials from the world's drylands, are a vital component of the environment. This is because of their role in biogeochemical cycling, their potential influence on climate, their role in sediment accumulation and their influence on human affairs. This book, which is exhaustively referenced, explores and summarises recent research on where dust storms originate, why dust storms are generated, where dust is transported and deposited, the nature of dust deposits and the changing frequency of dust storms over a range of time-scales.

Intro -- Title page -- Copyright page -- Preface to the Seventh Edition -- About the Companion Website -- Part I: The Past and Present -- 1: Introduction -- The development of ideas -- The development of human population and stages of cultural development -- Hunting and gathering -- Humans as cultivators, keepers and metal workers -- Modern industrial and urban civilizations -- 2: The Human Impact on Vegetation -- Introduction -- The use of fire -- Fires: natural and anthropogenic -- Some consequences of fire suppression -- Some effects of fire on vegetation -- The role of grazing -- Deforestation -- Secondary rain forest -- The human role in the creation and maintenance of savanna -- The spread of desert vegetation on desert margins -- The maquis of the Mediterranean lands -- The prairies and other mid-latitude and high-altitude grasslands -- Post-glacial vegetational change in Britain and Europe -- Lowland heaths -- Introduction, invasion and explosion -- Air pollution and its effects on plants -- Forest decline -- Miscellaneous causes of plant decline -- The change in genetic and species diversity -- Conclusion: threats to plant life -- 3: Human Influence on Animals -- Domestication of animals -- Dispersal and invasions of animals -- Human influence on the expansion of animal populations -- Causes of animal contractions and decline: pollution -- Habitat change and animal decline -- Other causes of animal decline -- Animal extinctions in prehistoric times -- Modern-day extinctions -- 4: The Human Impact on the Soil -- Introduction -- Salinity: natural sources -- Human agency and increased salinity -- Irrigation salinity -- Dryland salinity -- Urban salinity -- Interbasin water transfers -- Coastal zone salinity -- Consequences of salinity -- Reclamation of salt-affected lands -- Lateritization -- Accelerated podzolization and acidification.

Deserts are areas of great landform diversity and distinctiveness. In the past there was a shortage of desert World Heritage nominations. This situation persists, though shows some improvement. However, there are also desert landform complexes associated with mixed World Heritage sites and sites on various national World Heritage tentative lists. There are also two desert UNESCO Global Geoparks, both of which are in China. In recent years there has been the development of geotourism in arid regions and this has led to a greater interest in the economic value of geoconservation. However, there are various landscape threats that need consideration and management, including off-road driving, military activity, urbanization, river diversions, quarrying and mining, development associated with energy industries, and anthropogenic climate changes. In this paper, the concentration is on warm desert landscapes, and on conservation of geomorphological features, rather than, for instance, sites of particular stratigraphic or paleontological value.

"The Anthropocene is a major new concept in the Earth sciences and this book examines the effects on geomorphology within this period. Drawing examples from many different global environments, this comprehensive volume demonstrates that human impact on landforms and land-forming processes is profound, due to various driving forces, including: use of fire; extinction of fauna; development of agriculture, urbanisation, and globalisation; new methods of harnessing energy. The book explores the ways in which future climate change due to anthropogenic causes may further magnify effects on geomorphology, with respect to future hazards such as floods and landslides, the state of the cryosphere, and sea level. The book concludes with a consideration of the ways in which landforms are now being managed and protected. Covering all major aspects of geomorphology, this book is ideal for undergraduate and graduate students studying geomorphology, environmental science and physical geography, and for all researchers of geomorphology"--