This is the first single volume to cover the effect of temperature in its entirety. The threat of rapid climatic change on a global scale is a stark reminder of the challenges that remain for evolutionary thermal biologists, and adds a sense of urgency to this book's mission.
"Temperature affects everything. It influences all aspects of the physical environment and governs any process that involves a flow of energy, setting boundaries on what an organism can or cannot do. This novel textbook explores the key principles behind the complex relationship between organisms and temperature, namely the science of thermal ecology. It starts providing a rigorous framework for understanding the nature of temperature and the flow of energy in and out of the organism, before describing the influence of temperature on what organisms can do, and how fast they can do it. Central to this is the relationship between temperature and metabolism, which then forms the basis for an exploration of the effects of temperature on growth and size. Two chapters cover first endothermy (including how this expensive lifestyle might have evolved), and then when and how this is suspended in torpor and hibernation. With these fundamental principles covered, the book's final section explores thermal ecology itself, incorporating the important extra dimension of interactions with other organisms. After an examination of the relationship between temperature, energy and diversity, an entire chapter is devoted to the crucially important subject of the nature of climate change and how organisms are responding to this. Throughout the book, emphasis is placed on the need for an understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms, and the important insights that can be gained from the historical and fossil record."--Provided by publisher.
Considering that glaciers and ice sheets cover about 10% of the Earth’s land surface in a world where human civilization is increasingly impacted by the effects of changing glacial activity, Colour Atlas of Glacial Phenomena presents itself as an indispensable guide for students, professionals, and researchers who want to be better informed while studying and tracking the future influences of glaciers and ice sheets on the global environment. While stressing both the beauty and utility of glaciers, the authors cover critical features of glaciers and their landforms and provide useful explanations of the key concepts in glaciology and glacial geology. The authors expand to demonstrate how our lives are influenced by the Cryosphere, a key component of the Earth system and how this heightens the vulnerability of glaciers and ice sheets to deterioration. This illustrated book also helpfully maps out regions of mountain glaciers and ice caps around the world for a practical reference and discusses the products of glacial erosion and deposition integral to understanding rising global sea levels.
This classic and highly influential text presents a uniquely comprehensive view of the field of biophysical ecology. In its analytical interpretation of the ecological responses of plants and animals to their environments, it draws upon studies of energy exchange, gas exchange, and chemical kinetics. The first four chapters offer a preliminary treatment of the applications of biophysical ecology, discussing energy and energy budgets and their applications to plants and animals, and defining radiation laws and units. Succeeding chapters concern the physical environment, covering the topics of radiation, convection, conduction, and evaporation. The spectral properties of radiation and matter are reviewed, along with the geometrical, instantaneous, daily, and annual amounts of both shortwave and longwave radiation. The book concludes with more elaborate analytical methods for the study of photosynthesis in plants and energy budgets in animals, in addition to animal and plant temperature responses. This text will prove of value to students and environmental researchers from a variety of fields, particularly ecology, agronomy, forestry, botany, and zoology.
The exergy method makes it possible to detect and quantify the possibilities of improving thermal and chemical processes and systems. The introduction of the concept thermo-ecological cost (cumulative consumption of non-renewable natural exergy resources) generated large application possibilities of exergy in ecology. This book contains a short presentation on the basic principles of exergy analysis and discusses new achievements in the field over the last 15 years. One of the most important issues considered by the distinguished author is the economy of non-renewable natural exergy. Previously discussed only in scientific journals, other important new problems highlighted include: calculation of the chemical exergy of all the stable chemical elements, global natural and anthropogenic exergy losses, practical guidelines for improvement of the thermodynamic imperfection of thermal processes and systems, development of the determination methods of partial exergy losses in thermal systems, evaluation of the natural mineral capital of the Earth, and the application of exergy for the determination of a pro-ecological tax.A basic knowledge of thermodynamics is assumed, and the book is therefore most appropriate for graduate students and engineers working in the field of energy and ecological management.
Unlocking the puzzle of how animals behave and how they interact with their environments is impossible without understanding the physiological processes that determine their use of food resources. But long overdue is a user-friendly introduction to the subject that systematically bridges the gap between physiology and ecology. Ecologists--for whom such knowledge can help clarify the consequences of global climate change, the biodiversity crisis, and pollution--often find themselves wading through an unwieldy, technically top-heavy literature. Here, William Karasov and Carlos Martínez del Rio present the first accessible and authoritative one-volume overview of the physiological and biochemical principles that shape how animals procure energy and nutrients and free themselves of toxins--and how this relates to broader ecological phenomena. After introducing primary concepts, the authors review the chemical ecology of food, and then discuss how animals digest and process food. Their broad view includes symbioses and extends even to ecosystem phenomena such as ecological stochiometry and toxicant biomagnification. They introduce key methods and illustrate principles with wide-ranging vertebrate and invertebrate examples. Uniquely, they also link the physiological mechanisms of resource use with ecological phenomena such as how and why animals choose what they eat and how they participate in the exchange of energy and materials in their biological communities. Thoroughly up-to-date and pointing the way to future research, Physiological Ecology is an essential new source for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students-and an ideal synthesis for professionals. The most accessible introduction to the physiological and biochemical principles that shape how animals use resources Unique in linking the physiological mechanisms of resource use with ecological phenomena An essential resource for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students An ideal overview for researchers
Describes the transport of pollutants through the environment and their impact on natural and human systems, fully updated to cover key topics in modern pollution science Chemistry and Toxicology of Pollution examines the interactions and adverse effects of pollution on both natural ecosystems and human health, addressing chemical, toxicological, and ecological factors at both the regional and global scale. The book is written using a conceptual framework that follows the interaction of a pollutant with the environment from distribution in the various abiotic sectors of the environment to exposure and effects on individuals and ecosystems. The authors also highlight the critical role of various socio-economic, political, and cultural aspects in achieving sustainable goals, strategies, and science-based solutions to pollution and health. This comprehensive volume covers the chemical behavior and governing principles of pollutants, their interactions with humans and ecosystems, and the methods and processes of environmental risk assessment and pollution management. Extensively revised and expanded, the second edition equips readers with the knowledge required to help lead the way towards a healthy and sustainable future. New chapters address current pollution issues such as global warming and climate change, recent advances in environmental science, the monitoring and evaluation of new and emerging pollutants, risk assessment and remediation, and innovative pollution management approaches and techniques. With in-depth material on human toxicology integrated throughout the text, Chemistry and Toxicology of Pollution: Provides an effective framework for interpreting the information produced by international, national, and local agencies Presents unifying theories and principles supported by up-to-date scientific literature Offers broad coverage of pollution science with an emphasis on North America, the UK, Europe, China, India, and Australia Discusses the similarities and differences of the impact of pollutants on the natural environment and humans Chemistry and Toxicology of Pollution, Second Edition enables readers to view pollution in its correct perspective and develop appropriate control measures. It is essential reading for scientists, academic researchers, policymakers, professionals working in industry, and advanced students in need of a clear understanding of the nature and effects of environmental pollution.
The book presents a consistent and complete ecosystem theory based on thermodynamic concepts. The first chapters are devoted to an interpretation of the first and second law of thermodynamics in ecosystem context. Then Prigogine's use of far from equilibrium thermodynamic is used on ecosystems to explain their reactions to perturbations. The introduction of the concept exergy makes it possible to give a more profound and comprehensive explanation of the ecosystem's reactions and growth-patterns. A tentative fourth law of thermodynamic is formulated and applied to facilitate these explanations. The trophic chain, the global energy and radiation balance and pattern and the reactions of ecological networks are all explained by the use of exergy. Finally, it is discussed how the presented theory can be applied more widely to explain ecological observations and rules, to assess ecosystem health and to develop ecological models.