Horizons in earth science research Volume 1 / Benjamin Veress and Jozsi Szigethy, editors.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Veress, Benjamin.

Szigethy, Jozsi.

Series:

Horizons in earth science research series.

Horizons in earth science research series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Range ecology.

Soil degradation.

Desertification.

Physical Description:

xx, 534 p. : ill.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York : Nova Science Publishers, 2010.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This work examines the degradation of rangelands and its potential ecological and socio-economic implications. Also discussed are the traditional management of dehesa systems, with a focus on the problems and advantages of the livestock diversification which characterize them.

Contents:

Intro

HORIZONS IN EARTH SCIENCE RESEARCH VOLUME 1

CONTENTS

PREFACE

Chapter 1 DEGRADATION OF RANGELANDS: CAUSES, ECOLOGICAL, WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

Climate, Soil and Vegetation Characteristics of Rangelands

The Value of Rangelands

Degradation of Rangelands

Collapse of Traditional Resources Management Systems and Institutions

Land Tenure Confusion and Changes

Competition between Pastoralism and Agriculture

Development policies and their contribution to rangelands degradation

Overgrazing by livestock

Sedentarization and development projects

Desertification in Africa

CAUSES OF DESERTIFICATION IN AFRICA

1. Climate Change

2. Deforestation

3. Ecological and Socio-Cultural Cause of Desertification

4. Effects of Modernization and Urbanization

Consequences of Desertification

Conclusion

CASE STUDY ON RANGELAND CHANGES IN EAST AFRICA

Ecological Characteristics and Land Use Changes in the Amboseli Region Maasai Land

Study Site

Methods

Field Based Range Condition Assessment

RESULTS

Community Perceptions on Range Condition Changes, Trends and Their Impacts

Study Site 1: Inkisanjani

Study Site II: Elang'ata-Nkima

DISCUSSION

CONCLUSION

Way Forward

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

REFERENCES

APPENDIX 1. INDICATORS OF RANGE CONDITION CHANGES IN THE GROUP RANCHES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS/MANIFESTATIONS AS DESCRIBED BY THE COMMUNITY ELDERS

APPENDIX 2. TRENDS IN LOCAL LIVELIHOODS, THE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES IN THE GROUP RANCHES AS DESCRIBED BY THE COMMUNITY ELDERS

Local livelihoods

Environment &amp

Natural Resources.

APPENDIX 4. INDICES USED TO CHARACTERIZE RANGE CONDITION AT ELANG'ATA-NKIMA IN KUKU GROUP RANCH

APPENDIX 5. HERBACEOUS PLANT SPECIES OBSERVED AT INKISANJANI IN KUKU GROUP RANCH DURING THE STUDY

APPENDIX 6. HERBACEOUS PLANT SPECIES OBSERVED AT ELANG'ATA-NKIMA IN KUKU GROUP RANCH DURING THE STUDY

Chapter 2 CROWDED DESERTS: CO2 FERTILIZATION EFFECTS ON FOREST GROWTH

What Does It Mean "Desertification"

The Scientists' Opinion

Desertification Processes

Urban Deserts

Deforestation

Afforestation1

Environment and Population

Man and Nature

Building Destruction

Nature and Architecture

New Trends in Architecture

History

The Modern History

Forests as Living Resources

Tourism Development

Spaces Occupied by Tourism

European Tourism and Coasts Protection: Cases Study

Local Case Study: Comacchio

Local Case Study 2: Fregene

WEB

Chapter 3 SECONDARY SALINIZATION OF SOILS IN THE ARAL BASIN AS A FACTOR OF ANTHROPOGENIC DESERTIFICATION

Study Area

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Chapter 4 DESERTS: MODERN STUDIES INFLUENCE INTERPRETATION OF ORIGINS AND DEMISE OF ANCIENT DESERTS

TEXT

1. Desert Definition

2. Intermittant from Phanerozoic to Present - Plate Tectonic Location

3. Global Atmospheric Control of Deserts

4. Ancient Deserts and Past Glacial/Interglacial Conditions

GLACIAL/INTERGLACIAL CYCLES

INTERMITTENT NATURE OF SAND TRANSPORT AND DEPOSITION

THE NEAR FUTURE

CONCLUSIONS

Chapter 5 MANAGEMENT OF SPANISH RANGELANDS (DEHESAS): AN EXAMPLE OF SUSTAINABLE USE

1. INTRODUCTION: THE DEHESA AS AN AGRO-SILVO-PASTORAL SYSTEM.

2. DEHESA LIVESTOCK SYSTEMS: TECHNICAL, STRUCTURAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SYSTEMS OF PRODUCTION

2.1. Genetic Base

2.2. Breeding

2.3. Feed

2.4. Products Obtained

2.5. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Dehesa Systems

2.5.1. Strengths

2.5.2. Weaknesses

3. THE CAP AND DEHESA LIVESTOCK FARMS

3.1. The CAP Reform of 2003

3.1.1. The reform in the beef sector

3.1.2. The reform in the sheep and goat sector

3.2. The CAP Reform of 2008 (CAP Health Check)

3.3. Influence of the CAP on Dehesa Livestock Farms

4. CONCLUSION

Chapter 6 DESERT RIPARIAN VEGETATION AND GROUNDWATER IN THE ARID REGION, NORTHWESTERN CHINA

STUDY AREA AND MONITORING

Monitoring

Ecological Water Delivery Project

RESPONSE OF WATER TABLE TO THE WATER DELIVERY

Transverse Orientation

The Incidence of Groundwater in Transverse Orientation

Lengthways Orientation

RESPONSE OF VEGETATION TO THE CHANGE OF GROUNDWATER TABLE

Relationship between Vegetation and Groundwater Depth before Water Delivery

Response of Vegetation to the Water-Table Changes after the Water Deliveries

Relationship between Species Diversity and Groundwater Status

Effect of Groundwater Table Depth on Species Ecological Niche

Indicating Appropriate Groundwater Depth

ECOLOGICAL WATER REQUIREMENT ESTIMATION

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Groundwater Table and EWDP

Response of Vegetation to the Change of Groundwater Table

Ecological Water Requirement

Chapter 7 ESTIMATION OF SCALAR SURFACE FLUXES USING SURFACE RENEWAL ANALYSIS: OVERVIEW AND CASE STUDY OVER NATURAL GRASSLAND

1. INTRODUCTION

2. SURFACE RENEWAL ANALYSIS

A Brief Description of the Beginning

Estimation of Ramps Dimensions Using Structure Functions

Principles for Flux Estimation.

3. THE PARAMETER α

A Summary of the Beginning

Estimating Parameter α

4. REMARKS ON FLUX ESTIMATION

5. SR FLUX ESTIMATES OVER RANGELAND

6. CASE OF STUDY OVER GRASSLAND

The Site and Climate Features

The Experimental Set-up and Data Processing

Comparison Procedure

Results

8. CONCLUSIONS

Chapter 8 ISOTOPIC METHODOLOGIES: A VALUABLE TOOL TO STUDY STREAM WATER-GROUNDWATER INTERACTIONS

2. GROUNDWATER AND STREAMS: THE RIVERINE SYSTEMS

3. ENVIRONMENTAL TRACERS: STATE OF THE ART OF THE RESEARCH ON STREAM-AQUIFER INTERACTIONS

3.1. Stable isotopes

3.2. Chemical tracers

3.3. Radioactive tracers

Chapter 9 STATUS OF ISOTOPE LIMNOLOGY-INDIAN CONTEXT

2. CASE STUDIES

2.1. Lakes of Northern India

2.1.1. Nainital Lake, Uttarakhand State

2.1.1.1. Hydrological water balance

2.1.1.2. Sedimentation rate and pattern

2.1.2. Other lakes in northern and central India

2.2. Largest Freshwater Lake in Kerala State, Southern India

2.2.1. Hydrodynamics and interaction with groundwater

2.2.2. Sedimentation rate and pattern

2.3. Freshwater and Saline Lakes in Rajasthan State, Western India

2.3.1. Freshwater reservoirs near jhamarkotra rock phosphate mine

2.3.2. Saline lakes

2.4. Freshwater Lakes of Schirmacher Oasis, East Antarctica

3. CONCLUSIONS

Chapter 10 FROM MOUNTAIN ANTHROPOLOGY TO MONTOLOGY? AN OVERVIEW OF THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACH TO MOUNTAIN STUDIES

BACKGROUND: FROM MOUNTAIN ANTHROPOLOGY TO MONTOLOGY?

The Early Comparative Cultural Ecology Approach

Toward Montology?

MOUNTAIN ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN AND OZARK HIGHLANDS.

The Southern Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina

The Historical Connection between Southern Appalachia and the Ozarks

The Arkansas Ozark Highlands

Appalachian Studies

Theoretical Developments within the Discipline of Appalachian Studies

Ozark Studies?

Chapter 11 ON FLOW DURING CRYSTALLIZATION

1. INTRODUCTION AND RELEVANT LITERATURE

2. TWO-LAYER MODEL

3. SINGLE-LAYER MODEL

4. SOME REMARKS

Chapter 12 SOIL MICROFUNGI OF THE NEGEV DESERT, ISRAEL - ADAPTIVE STRATEGIES TO CLIMATIC STRESS

SITE DESCRIPTION AND SAMPLING DESIGN

Edaphic Characteristics

STRUCTURE OF MYCOBIOTA

Species Composition

Adaptive Microfungal Complexes

ISOLATE DENSITY AS A QUANTITATIVE CHARACTERISTIC OF MICROFUNGAL COMMUNITIES

ADAPTIVE VARIATION OF DIVERSITY CHARACTERISTICS OVER SPACE AND TIME

Chapter 13 ARID RANGELAND DEGRADATION IN AN OIL-RICH GULF STATE

INERTIA OF PERCEIVED HERITAGE AND PRO-AGRICULTURAL POLICIES

SITE DESCRIPTION AND METHODS

THREATS TO DDCR ECOLOGY

Groundwater Depletion

Habitat Fragmentation

Exotic Species Invasion

HISTORICAL GRAZING PATTERNS

Before Unification

After Unification

Current

CONSEQUENCES OF OVERGRAZING

Botanical Consequences

Zoological Consequences

Livestock Consequences

CAUSES OF OVERSTOCKING

Agricultural Policy and Laws

Resource Ownership

Environmental Awareness

Heritage

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

LITERATURE CITED

Chapter 14 APPLICATIONS OF SURFICIAL GEOELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY TECHNIQUE IN HYDROGEOLOGY DOMAIN FOR CHARACTERIZING SALINE GROUNDWATER IN SEMI-ARID REGIONS

GEOLOGY AND GROUNDWATER.

GEOELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY SURVEYS.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-61122-337-7

OCLC:

923657638