The main focus of this text is human-induced environmental changes and their effects on soil processes, for example the impact of modern agricultural practice on the bio-resources of arable soils and their role in maintaining soil fertility.
Below-grownd interactions are often seen as the 'dark side' of agroecosystems, especially when more than one crop is grown on the same piece of land at he same time. this book aims to review the amount of light he past decade of research has shed on this topic. It also aims to review ohw far we have come in unravelling the positive and negative aspects of these interactions and how, in dialogue with farmers, we can use the generic principles that are now emerging to look for sita-specifics solutions.
The coastal areas of the tropics are rich in biodiversity, natural resources and place of intensive developmental activities as it provides livelihood to millions of people. At the same time evidences suggest that several unique coastal ecosystems viz., mangroves, wetlands, salt marshes, corals, estuaries, sand dunes and agro-ecosystem are vulnerable to natural disasters and events associated with global climate change. In recent times degradation of land, water and genetic erosion besides threat to native flora and fauna have been increasing due to unsustainable developmental activities. Therefore, a paradigm shift in deriving livelihood through conventional methods, developmental strategies, conservation practices are required for balanced and sustainable growth of the coastal areas. This publication strives to cover the status of different natural resources of the coastal region, various aspects of degradation process, production need and restorative methods besides new technological options and its socio-economic implications with case examples. Special focus is given to bring out the scope and potential of mangrove based farming, integrated and organic farming and its value addition besides the role of coastal vegetations as bioshield in protecting these regions from sea erosion, cyclones and tsunami. As the tropical coastal areas are vulnerable to climate change events, this book also covers the recent weather pattern, impacts of climate change and climate resilient technologies besides intuitional linkages and policy framework aimed at balancing development and environmental concerns.
Forest ecology includes within its scope the components and functions of forest ecosystems -- a community of organisms interacting with each other and with their physical environment. Forest ecosystems, which consist of bacteria, plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, soil, water and air, differ from other ecosystems in that they are dominated by trees and other woody vegetation. Each of these components plays an important role in the function and health of the forest. This book presents important new research in the field.
Mycorrhizal research has grown by leaps and bounds in the past few decades. These fungi promise to promote plant growth, maintain plant and soil health, assist in bio-protection against root diseases, encourage production with reduced fertilizer and pesticides, allow for nutrient acquisition, affect soil skeletal structure holding primary soil particles together, are conductive to the formation of microaggregate structures and higher rhizosphere populations, enable symbiosis that alters host water relations, as well as alter root length and architecture. These fungi also help with the re-vegetation of landscapes, golf courses or contaminated soils. They assist with the biological hardening of tissue culture raised plants, postpone leaf dehydration, draught responses, osmo-protecting enzymes and enhance P acquisition. AM symbiosis could conceivably affect any of these steps. AMF should be considered as an alternative to costly soil disinfection. The mechanisms by which fungi induce resistance in their hosts and enhance disease resistance need critical evaluation and examination. Editors see this volume as a tremendously valuable collection of specialized up-date chapters describing the most sophisticated and modern protocols in mycorrhizal research, thoroughly explained and synthesized.
Structure and Function in Agroecosystem Design and Management presents an advanced discussion of the need to design agricultural systems that 1) increase reliance on biological interactions in agroecosystems as a means of decreasing dependence on the use of large quantities of agrochemicals and the consumption of fossil fuel energy and 2) continue
The purpose of this book is to draw attention to the ill-health of the soil; to indicate some of the consequences of this; to suggest method by which the lost fertility could be restored and to enlist research findings to utilize in making farm products as well as farm resources free from chemical pollution. This book provides an overall review of different tools for organic agriculture followed by discussions on sustainability.
Changing Faunal Ecology in the Thar Desert - dedicated to the fond memory of Professor Dr. Ishwar Prakash, the legendary rodentologist - is a unique mlange of scientific investigations on diversified ecological subjects pertaining to different organism groups, from as tiny as protozoa to as giant as mammals. Altogether sixteen contributions, including an original, up-to-date and authentic bio-bibliography of Dr. I. Prakash, make this volume an exceptional treatise penned by 24 expert scientist authors many of whom have spent a life in arid ecosystems including the Thar Desert. The book provides a crystal clear proof of the constantly changing behavioural ecology of animals in the Thar Desert which has been under an ever increasing impact of, among several imminent factors, the Indira Gandhi Nahar Pariyojana (IGNP), one of the worlds largest irrigation systems of its type in a xeric environment. The change is discernible not only in structure and distribution of animals but in their resting, feeding, breeding and, as evident in case of parasites, the extent of parasitism as well as pathogenecity. Finally, this book offers the first well documented evidence of immense behavioral transformation in various different animal groups in the Tharp Desert a phenomenon of enormous significance for both conservation management and diversity inventorization activities of its faunal wealth.
Pesticides play an important role in controlling pests that carry diseases and threaten crop production. In recent years, however, there has been increased concern about the adverse impacts of pesticides and their degradation products on public health and the environment. A considerable amount of work is being done to develop nonchemical methods of