Basics of Environmental Science

(Rick Simeone) #1

Tables



  • 1 Introduction How to Use This Book xiii



      1. What is environmental science?





      1. Environmental interactions, cycles, and systems





      1. Ecology and environmentalism





      1. History of environmental science





      1. Changing attitudes to the natural world



      • Further reading

      • Notes

      • References





  • 2 Earth Sciences



      1. Formation and structure of the Earth





      1. The formation of rocks, minerals, and geologic structures





      1. Weathering





      1. The evolution of landforms





      1. Coasts, estuaries, sea levels





      1. Energy from the Sun





      1. Albedo and heat capacity





      1. The greenhouse effect





      1. The evolution, composition, and structure of the atmosphere





      1. General circulation of the atmosphere





      1. Oceans, gyres, currents





      1. Weather and climate





      1. Glacials, interglacials, and interstadials





      1. Dating methods





      1. Climate change





      1. Climatic regions and floristic regions

        • Further reading

        • Notes

        • References







  • 3 Physical Resources



      1. Fresh water and the hydrologic cycle





      1. Eutrophication and the life cycle of lakes





      1. Salt water, brackish water, and desalination





      1. Irrigation, waterlogging, and salinization





      1. Soil formation, ageing, and taxonomy





      1. Transport by water and wind





      1. Soil, climate, and land use





      1. Soil erosion and its control





      1. Mining and processing of fuels





      1. Mining and processing of minerals

        • Further reading

        • Note

        • References







  • 4 Biosphere



      1. Biosphere, biomes, biogeography





      1. Major biomes





      1. Nutrient cycles





      1. Respiration and photosynthesis





      1. Trophic relationships





      1. Energy, numbers, biomass





      1. Ecosystems





      1. Succession and climax





      1. Arrested successions





      1. Colonization





      1. Stability, instability, and reproductive strategies





      1. Simplicity and diversity





      1. Homoeostasis, feedback, regulation





      1. Limits of tolerance



      • Further reading

      • References





  • 5 Biological Resources



      1. Evolution





      1. Evolutionary strategies and game theory





      1. Adaptation





      1. Dispersal mechanisms





      1. Wildlife species and habitats





      1. Biodiversity





      1. Fisheries





      1. Forests





      1. Farming for food and fibre





      1. Human populations and demographic change





      1. Genetic engineering



      • Further reading

      • Notes

      • References





  • 6 Environmental Management



      1. Wildlife conservation





      1. Zoos, nature reserves, wilderness





      1. Pest control





      1. Restoration ecology





      1. World conservation strategies





      1. Pollution control



    • 63 Hazardous waste



      1. Transnational pollution



      • Further reading

      • References



    • End of book summary

    • Glossary

    • Bibliography

    • Index



  • 2.1 Structure of the Earth Figures

  • 2.2 Plate structure of the Earth and seismically active zones

  • 2.3 The mountain-forming events in Europe

  • 2.4 Stages in the development of an unconformity

  • 2.5 Gradation of clay and sand to laterite

  • 2.6 Slope development

  • 2.7 Drainage patterns

  • 2.8 Deposition of sand and formation of an estuarine sand bar

  • 2.9 The development of a sea cliff, wave-cut platform, and wave-built terrace

  • 2.1 0Average amount of solar radiation reaching the ground surface

  • 2.11 Absorption, reflection, and utilization of solar energy

  • 2.12 The greenhouse effect

  • 2.13 Anticipated changes in concentration of three greenhouse gases

    • 2.14 IPCC estimates of climate change if atmospheric CO

      • doubles





  • 2.15 Structure of the atmosphere

  • 2.16 Chemical composition of the atmosphere with height

  • 2.17 Seasons and the Earth’s orbit

  • 2.18 General circulation of the atmosphere

  • 2.19 The development of cells in jet streams and high-level westerlies

  • 2.2 0Weather changes associated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation events

  • 2.21 Ocean currents

  • 2.22 Formation of cloud at a front

  • 2.23 Distribution of cloud around frontal systems

  • 2.24 Parts of the Earth covered by ice at some time during the past 2 million years

  • 2.25 Temperature changes since the last glacial maximum

  • 2.26 Orbital stretch

  • 2.27 Wobble of the Earth’s axis

  • 2.28 Variations in axial tilt (obliquity of the ecliptic)

  • 2.29 World climate types

  • 2.3 0Floristic regions

  • 3.1 Water abstraction

  • 3.2 Principal cities bordering the Rhine

  • 3.3 The Rhine basin, draining land in six countries

  • 3.4 The life cycle of a lake

  • 3.5 Evolution of a lake into dry land, marsh, or bog

  • 3.6 Multistage flash evaporation

  • 3.7 Mole drainage

  • 3.8 Saltwater intrusion into a freshwater aquifer

  • 3.9 Soil drainage

  • 3.1 0Profile of a typical fertile soil

  • 3.11 Flood plain development from meander system

  • 3.12 Modern soil developed over flood plain alluvium and glacial till

  • 3.13 Profiles of four soils, with the vegetation associated with them

  • 3.14 World distribution of soil orders

  • 3.15 Two types of terracing for reducing runoff

  • 3.16 Effect of a windbreak in reducing wind speed

  • 3.17 Types of coal mines

  • 3.18 Structural oil and gas traps

  • 3.19 Blast furnace and steel converter

  • 4.1 Biomes and climate

  • 4.2 Marine zones and continental margin

  • 4.3 The nitrogen cycle

  • 4.4 The carbon cycle

  • 4.5 Photosynthesis

  • 4.6 Simplified food web in a pond

  • 4.7 Simplified heathland food web

  • 4.8 Pyramid of numbers per 1000 m^2 of temperate grassland

  • 4.9 Flow of energy and nutrients

  • 4.1 0Ecosystem

  • 4.11 Forest stratification

  • 4.12 Succession to broad-leaved woodland

  • 4.13 Succession from a lake, through bog, to forest

  • 4.14 The effect of fire on species diversity

  • 4.15 Effect of grazing on succession

  • 4.16 Establishment of colonizers in an area of habitat

  • 4.17 Island colonization as a ratio of immigration to extinction

  • 4.18 Population growth and density

  • 4.19 J-and S-shaped population growth curves

  • 4.2 0Resilience and stability

  • 4.21 The edge effect

  • 4.22 Speed governor of a steam engine

  • 4.23 Feedback regulation of a population

  • 4.24 Density-dependent feedback regulation

  • 4.25 Limits of tolerance and optimum conditions

  • 4.26 Plant response to temperature

  • 5.1 Effects of natural selection

  • 5.2 Mendelian inheritance

  • 5.3 The Prisoner’s Dilemma

  • 5.4 Optimum foraging strategy

  • 5.5 Adaptive radiation of Darwin’s finches

  • 5.6 Adaptation by mangroves to different levels of flooding

  • 5.7 Common pattern for passive dispersal

  • 5.8 Expansion of the European starling’s range in North America 1915–5

  • 5.9 Habitats in a pond

  • 5.10 Population size needed for a 95 per cent probability of persisting 100 years

  • 5.11 Species richness

  • 5.12 Range and population increase

  • 5.13 World fisheries catch (marine and freshwater) 1972–92

  • 5.14 North Sea herring stocks 1960–90

  • 5.15 Commercial fishing methods

  • 5.16 Percentage of land area under forest in various countries

  • 5.17 Tree cover in the British Isles about three thousand years ago

  • 5.18 Traditional tree management

  • 5.19 Ploughing and sowing

  • 5.2 0Indices of per capita food production 199 0–94

  • 5.21 World production of cereals during the 1990s

  • 5.22 Rate of world population growth

  • 5.23 World population 1850–2025 (median estimate)

  • 5.24 Estimates of the rate of global population increase since

  • 5.25 One method of genetic engineering

  • 6.1 Effects on a population of fragmentation of habitat

  • 6.2 Population structure for three species within a habitat

  • 6.3 Island wildlife refuges

  • 6.4 Pesticide use and crop yield

  • 6.5 Even-sized droplets from the teeth of an ultra-low-volume pesticide sprayer

  • 6.6 A hand-held ultra-low-volume sprayer

  • 6.7 Florida, showing the location of the Everglades

  • 6.8 Living resources and population

  • 6.9 Resource consumption by rich and poor

  • 6.1 0Kondratieff cycles

  • 6.11 Government assistance for environmental technologies in the EU 1988–9

  • 6.12 Private investment in pollution control during the 1970s and 1980s

  • 6.13 Carbon dioxide emissions in

  • 6.14 Acid rain distribution

  • 6.15 Countries bordering the Mediterranean

  • 6.16 Areas included in the UNEP Regional Seas Programme

  • 2.1 Albedos of various surfaces

  • 2.2 Effect of the incident angle of radiation on water’s albedo

  • 2.3 Average composition of the troposphere and lower stratosphere

  • 2.4 Geologic time-scale

  • 3.1 Composition of sea water

  • 3.2 Ions in sea water

  • 4.1 Minerals in an oak forest as a proportion of the total

  • 4.2 Items making up the diet of the blackbird Turdus merula

  • 5.1 Number of species described and the likely total number

  • 5.2 The 20 most important species in the world’s fish catch

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