Riparian Areas
Riparian Areas

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2002-10-10

Total Pages: 449

ISBN-13: 0309082951

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The Clean Water Act (CWA) requires that wetlands be protected from degradation because of their important ecological functions including maintenance of high water quality and provision of fish and wildlife habitat. However, this protection generally does not encompass riparian areasâ€"the lands bordering rivers and lakesâ€"even though they often provide the same functions as wetlands. Growing recognition of the similarities in wetland and riparian area functioning and the differences in their legal protection led the NRC in 1999 to undertake a study of riparian areas, which has culminated in Riparian Areas: Functioning and Strategies for Management. The report is intended to heighten awareness of riparian areas commensurate with their ecological and societal values. The primary conclusion is that, because riparian areas perform a disproportionate number of biological and physical functions on a unit area basis, restoration of riparian functions along America's waterbodies should be a national goal.

Handbook of Biodiversity Methods
Handbook of Biodiversity Methods

Author: David Hill

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2005-08-11

Total Pages: 600

ISBN-13: 9781139445580

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Biodiversity is recognised to be of global importance, yet species and habitats continue to be under increasing pressure from human-induced influences. Environmental concerns are high on the political agenda, driving increased legislation to protect the natural environment. The starting point for much of this legislation is the requirement for a comprehensive biodiversity audit. For those needing to undertake such audits, this Handbook, first published in 2005, provides standard procedures which will enable practitioners to better monitor the condition of the biodiversity resource, resulting in improved data upon which to base future policy decisions and actions. Organised in three parts, the Handbook first addresses planning, covering method selection, experimental design, sampling strategy, and data analysis and evaluation. The second part describes survey, evaluation and monitoring methods for a broad range of habitats. Part three considers species and provides information on general methods before addressing specific methods of survey and monitoring for the major taxonomic groups.

Contemporary Rural Geographies
Contemporary Rural Geographies

Author: Hugh Clout

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2007-06-11

Total Pages: 286

ISBN-13: 1134083122

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This book provides a cohesive set of research statements on critical related issues in British rural geography, as well as echoing the priorities identified by an influential figure in British rural geography, Richard Munton. This book demonstrates that the rural world needs to be seen in a far wider perspective than that of agriculture/ food production, in order to comprehend how resources are being appraised and exploited in new ways, and to respond to the pressing challenges of sustainability for the decades ahead. Chapters adopt a time perspective to explore a series of key themes: the rise of productivist farming ways of conceptualising agricultural change the evolution of landownership and property rights rural and urban agendas for nature conservation the gap between policy and action for sustainable development. The final set of chapters is devoted to policy-related issues associated with agricultural change and the profound challenge of rural diversification for the future. The last chapter traces the prominent career of Richard Munton.