Basics of Environmental Science

About this book

New edition of this popular textbook covering the natural environments and how they function. It provides concise, non-technical explanations of physical processes and systems and the effects human activities have upon them. Environmental issues included are global warming, genetically modified foods, desertification, acid rain, deforestation, human population growth, and nuclear power generation.

Contents

Part 1 Introduction: what is environmental science?; environmental interactions, cycles and systems; ecology and environmentalism; history of environmental science; changing attitudes to the natural world. Part 2 Earth sciences: formation and structure of the earth; the formation of rocks, minerals, and geologic structures; weathering; the evolution of landforms; coasts, estuaries, sea levels; energy from the sun; albedo and heat capacity; the greenhouse effect; the evolution, composition, and structure of the atmosphere; general circulation of the atmosphere; oceans, gyres, currents; weather and climate; glacials, interglacials, and interstadials; dating methods; climate change; climatic regions and floristic regions. Part 3 Physical resources: fresh water and the hydrological cycle; eutrophication and the life cycles of lakes; salt water, brackish water, and desalination; irrigation, waterlogging, and salinization; soil formation, ageing, and taxonomy; transport by water and wind; soil, climate, and land use; soil erosion and its control; mining and processing of fuels; mining and processing of minerals. Part 4 Biosphere: biosphere, biomes, biogeography; nutrient cycles; respiration and photosynthesis; trophic relationships; energy, numbers, biomass; ecosystems; succession and climax; arrested successions; colonization; stability, instability, and reproductive strategies; simplicity and diversity; homeostasis, feedback, regulation; limits of tolerance. Part 5 Biological resources: evolution; evolutionary strategies and game theory; adaption; dispersal mechanisms; wildlife species and habitats; biodiversity; fisheries; forests; farming for food and fibre; human populations and demographic change; genetic engineering. Part 6 Environmental management: wildlife conservation; 57: Zoos, nature reserves, wilderness; pest control; restoration ecology; world conservation strategies; pollution control; transnational pollution.

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