The relationships between soils, microbes and humans are of crucial relevance in the tropics, where plant stress and microbial activity are exacerbated. This volume of Soil Biology presents the living component of tropical soils, showing how it is shaped by environmental conditions and emphasizing its dramatic impact on human survival and well-being. Following an introduction to the specificities of tropical soils and of their microbial communities, the biological aspects of soil management are examined, dealing with land use change, conservation and slash-and-burn agriculture, the restoration of hot deserts, agroforestry and paddy rice cultivation. As they are of particular relevance for tropical agriculture, symbioses of plants and microbes are thoroughly covered, as are the biodegradation of pesticides and health risks associated with wastewater irrigation. Lastly, traditional soil knowledge is discussed as a key to our sustainable presence in this world.
This publication is a revised and updated version of World Soil Resources Reports No. 84 and 103 and presents the international soil classification system. Every soil in the world can be allocated to one of the 32 Reference Soil Groups as defined in this document, and can further be characterized by a set of qualifiers. The resulting soil name provides information on soil genesis, soil ecological function and soil properties relevant for land use and management. The same system, refined slightly, may be used to name the units of soil map legends, thereby providing comprehensive spatial information. By accommodating national soil classification systems, the World Reference Base facilitates the worldwide correlation of soil information.
GlobalSoilMap: Basis of the global spatial soil information system contains contributions that were presented at the 1st GlobalSoilMap conference, held 7-9 October 2013 in Orl‘s, France. These contributions demonstrate the latest developments in the GlobalSoilMap project and digital soil mapping technology for which the ultimate aim is to produce a
Human activities are significantly modifying the natural global carbon (C) cycles, and concomitantly influence climate, ecosystems, and state and function of the Earth system. Ever increasing amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) are added to the atmosphere by fossil fuel combustion but the biosphere is a potential C sink. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of C cycling in the biosphere is crucial for identifying and managing biospheric C sinks. Ecosystems with large C stocks which must be protected and sustainably managed are wetlands, peatlands, tropical rainforests, tropical savannas, grasslands, degraded/desertified lands, agricultural lands, and urban lands. However, land-based sinks require long-term management and a protection strategy because C stocks grow with a progressive improvement in ecosystem health.
Our dependence on soil, and our curiosity about it, is leading to the investigation of changes within soil processes. Furthermore, the diversity and dynamics of soil are enabling new discoveries and insights, which help us to understand the variations in soil processes. Consequently, this permits us to take the necessary measures for soil protection, thus promoting soil health. This book aims to provide an up-to-date account of the current state of knowledge in recent practices and assessments in soil science. Moreover, it presents a comprehensive evaluation of the effect of residue/waste application on soil properties and, further, on the mechanism of plant adaptation and plant growth. Interesting examples of simulation using various models dealing with carbon sequestration, ecosystem respiration, and soil landscape, etc. are demonstrated. The book also includes chapters on the analysis of areal data and geostatistics using different assessment methods. More recent developments in analytical techniques used to obtain answers to the various physical mechanisms, chemical, and biological processes in soil are also present.
An evolving, living organic/inorganic covering, soil is in dynamic equilibrium with the atmosphere above, the biosphere within, and the geology below. It acts as an anchor for roots, a purveyor of water and nutrients, a residence for a vast community of microorganisms and animals, a sanitizer of the environment, and a source of raw materials for co
Spanning the multi-disciplinary scope of information technology, the Encyclopedia of Information Systems and Technology draws together comprehensive coverage of the inter-related aspects of information systems and technology. The topics covered in this encyclopedia encompass internationally recognized bodies of knowledge, including those of The IT BOK, the Chartered Information Technology Professionals Program, the International IT Professional Practice Program (British Computer Society), the Core Body of Knowledge for IT Professionals (Australian Computer Society), the International Computer Driving License Foundation (European Computer Driving License Foundation), and the Guide to the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge. Using the universally recognized definitions of IT and information systems from these recognized bodies of knowledge, the encyclopedia brings together the information that students, practicing professionals, researchers, and academicians need to keep their knowledge up to date. Also Available Online This Taylor & Francis encyclopedia is also available through online subscription, offering a variety of extra benefits for researchers, students, and librarians, including: Citation tracking and alerts Active reference linking Saved searches and marked lists HTML and PDF format options Contact Taylor and Francis for more information or to inquire about subscription options and print/online combination packages. US: (Tel) 1.888.318.2367; (E-mail) [email protected] International: (Tel) +44 (0) 20 7017 6062; (E-mail) [email protected]
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Web Engineering, ICWE 2009, held in San Sebastian, Spain in June 2009. The 22 revised full papers and 15 revised short papers presented together with 8 posters and 10 demonstration papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 90 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on accessibility and usability, component-based web engineering: portals and mashups, data and semantics, model-driven web engineering, navigation, process, planning and phases, quality, rich internet applications, search, testing, web services, SOA and REST, and web 2.0.
Inhaltsangabe:Abstract: In the last years the web underwent a drastic shift from a static, centralised information system to a dynamic, user-generated, distributed and open platform, and users changed from passive consumers to active participants, interacting, creating and sharing content. This 'new' web is called Web 2.0. In the era of this movement new Social Web applications emerged creating an environment for people to publish, share and discuss content, plus enabling people to create descriptive profiles of themselves for self-expression and build social networks consisting of relationships with others with the purpose of interaction and communication. With the increasing popularity of such social networking applications the number of users has scaled up and is still growing. Not only the number of users but also the web traffic is an indicator to the growing importance of social networking platforms which are now among the most visited websites. With over 100 million unique visitors worldwide, Facebook is one of the most popular networking sites on the web, moreover the site ranks third in the top visited sites on the web only being surpassed by Google and Yahoo! according to Alexa. YouTube (with over 80 million unique visitors), MySpace (with about 60 million unique visitors) and Flickr (about 30 million unique visitors) are other examples of prominent social networking platforms. However, the availability of such a huge amount of information within the social networking sites and the open nature of the services and their usage also attracts the attention of parties with marketing purposes or malicious intent. Users are thereby put at risk of online stalking, phishing, identity theft, spamming, passing on data to third parties and privacy issues which are related to personal data exposure due to insufficient access control. By maintaining social networks and actively participating in Social Web activities like interacting with others, users unwittingly expose sensitive and personal or inappropriate, even reputation-damaging data not only to friends but to an audience that mostly remains invisible and consists of strangers or acquaintances that potentially are not supposed to see such information. Thus the revealed information can lead to major consequences if read out of context or read by parties, like authorities or job recruiters, for whom this information was not intended. The reputation of social networking sites has been slightly [...]
The Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, comprising of seven volumes, now in its fourth edition, compiles the contributions of major researchers and practitioners and explores the cultural institutions of more than 30 countries. This major reference presents over 550 entries extensively reviewed for accuracy in seven print volumes or online. The new fourth edition, which includes 55 new entires and 60 revised entries, continues to reflect the growing convergence among the disciplines that influence information and the cultural record, with coverage of the latest topics as well as classic articles of historical and theoretical importance.
