Urban Expansion, Land Cover and Soil Ecosystem Services
Urban Expansion, Land Cover and Soil Ecosystem Services

Author: Ciro Gardi

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-04-07

Total Pages: 468

ISBN-13: 1317504704

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

More than half of the world population now lives in cities, and urban expansion continues as rural people move to cities. This results in the loss of land for other purposes, particularly soil for agriculture and drainage. This book presents a review of current knowledge of the extension and projected expansion of urban areas at a global scale. Focusing on the impact of the process of 'land take' on soil resources and the ecosystem services that they provide, it describes approaches and methodologies for detecting and measuring urban areas, based mainly on remote sensing, together with a review of models and projected data on urban expansion. The most innovative aspect includes an analysis of the drivers and especially the impacts of soil sealing and land take on ecosystem services, including agriculture and food security, biodiversity, hydrology, climate and landscape. Case studies of cities from Europe, China and Latin America are included. The aim is not only to present and analyse this important environmental challenge, but also to propose and discuss solutions for the limitation, mitigation and compensation of this process.

Urban Expansion, Land Cover and Soil Ecosystem Services
Urban Expansion, Land Cover and Soil Ecosystem Services

Author: Ciro Gardi

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2017-04-07

Total Pages: 302

ISBN-13: 1317504712

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

More than half of the world population now lives in cities, and urban expansion continues as rural people move to cities. This results in the loss of land for other purposes, particularly soil for agriculture and drainage. This book presents a review of current knowledge of the extension and projected expansion of urban areas at a global scale. Focusing on the impact of the process of 'land take' on soil resources and the ecosystem services that they provide, it describes approaches and methodologies for detecting and measuring urban areas, based mainly on remote sensing, together with a review of models and projected data on urban expansion. The most innovative aspect includes an analysis of the drivers and especially the impacts of soil sealing and land take on ecosystem services, including agriculture and food security, biodiversity, hydrology, climate and landscape. Case studies of cities from Europe, China and Latin America are included. The aim is not only to present and analyse this important environmental challenge, but also to propose and discuss solutions for the limitation, mitigation and compensation of this process.

Urban Soils
Urban Soils

Author: Rattan Lal

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2017-10-18

Total Pages: 423

ISBN-13: 149877010X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Globally, 30% of the world population lived in urban areas in 1950, 54% in 2016 and 66% projected by 2050. The most urbanized regions include North America, Latin America, and Europe. Urban encroachment depletes soil carbon and the aboveground biomass carbon pools, enhancing the flux of carbon from soil and vegetation into the atmosphere. Thus, urbanization has exacerbated ecological and environmental problems. Urban soils are composed of geological material that has been drastically disturbed by anthropogenic activities and compromised their role in the production of food, aesthetics of residential areas, and pollutant dynamics. Properties of urban soils are normally not favorable to plant growth—the soils are contaminated by heavy metals and are compacted and sealed. Therefore, the quality of urban soils must be restored to make use of this valuable resource for delivery of essential ecosystem services (e.g., food, water and air quality, carbon sequestration, temperature moderation, biodiversity). Part of the Advances in Soil Sciences Series, Urban Soils explains properties of urban soils; assesses the effects of urbanization on the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and water and the impacts of management of urban soils, soil restoration, urban agriculture, and food security; evaluates ecosystem services provisioned by urban soils, and describes synthetic and artificial soils.

Impacts of Land-use Change on Ecosystem Services
Impacts of Land-use Change on Ecosystem Services

Author: Jinyan Zhan

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-08-10

Total Pages: 267

ISBN-13: 3662480085

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book aims to systematically elaborate how land-use change directly or indirectly exerts impacts on the ability of ecosystems to provide services for human society. The relationship between land use, ecosystem services and human well-being is a hot topic, and there have been some important achievements in this field, but its continuing growth means that it warrants further research. The unique viewpoint, the scientific analysis methods and the precise language of this book make it not only a valuable guide for professors conducting research, but also a reference resource to help governments make decisions on relevant policies. Prof. Jinyan Zhan is an associate professor at the School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, China.

Ecosystem Services in Agricultural and Urban Landscapes
Ecosystem Services in Agricultural and Urban Landscapes

Author: Stephen Wratten

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2013-01-14

Total Pages: 284

ISBN-13: 1118506243

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Ecosystem services are the resources and processes supplied by natural ecosystems which benefit humankind (for example, pollination of crops by insects, or water filtration by wetlands). They underpin life on earth, provide major inputs to many economic sectors and support our lifestyles. Agricultural and urban areas are by far the largest users of ecosystems and their services and (for the first time) this book explores the role that ecosystem services play in these managed environments. The book also explores methods of evaluating ecosystem services, and discusses how these services can be maintained and enhanced in our farmlands and cities. This book will be useful to students and researchers from a variety of fields, including applied ecology, environmental economics, agriculture and forestry, and also to local and regional planners and policy makers.

Urbanization: Challenge and Opportunity for Soil Functions and Ecosystem Services
Urbanization: Challenge and Opportunity for Soil Functions and Ecosystem Services

Author: Viacheslav Vasenev

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2018-05-31

Total Pages: 335

ISBN-13: 3319896024

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This proceedings volume focuses on different aspects of environmental assessment, monitoring, and management of urban and technogenic soils. Soils of Urban, Industrial, Traffic, Mining and Military Areas (SUITMAs) differ substantially from their natural zonal counterparts in their physical, chemical and biological features, their performed functions, and supported services. This book discusses the monitoring, analysis and assessment of the effects of urbanization on soil functions and services. Further, it helps to find solutions to the environmental consequences of urbanization and discusses best management practices such as management and design of urban green infrastructure, waste management, water purification, and reclamation and remediation of contaminated soils in the context of sustainable urban development. The book includes thematic sections corresponding to 14 sessions of the SUITMA 9 congress, covering broad topics that highlight the importance of urban soils for society and environment and summarizing the lessons learned and existing methodologies in analyses, assessments, and modeling of anthropogenic effects on soils and the related ecological risks. This proceedings book appeals to scientists and students as well as practitioners in soil and environmental science, urban planning, geography and related disciplines, and provides useful information for policy makers and other stakeholders working in urban management and greenery.

Climate Change and Cities
Climate Change and Cities

Author: Cynthia Rosenzweig

Publisher:

Published: 2018-03-29

Total Pages: 855

ISBN-13: 1316603334

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Climate Change and Cities bridges science-to-action for climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts in cities around the world.

Land-Use and Land-Cover Change
Land-Use and Land-Cover Change

Author: Eric F. Lambin

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2008-01-08

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 3540322027

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book presents recent estimates on the rate of change of major land classes. Aggregated globally, multiple impacts of local land changes are shown to significantly affect central aspects of Earth System functioning. The book offers innovative developments and applications in the fields of modeling and scenario construction. Conclusions are also drawn about the most pressing implications for the design of appropriate intervention policies.

Conservation Biology for All
Conservation Biology for All

Author: Navjot S. Sodhi

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2010-01-08

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 0191574252

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Conservation Biology for All provides cutting-edge but basic conservation science to a global readership. A series of authoritative chapters have been written by the top names in conservation biology with the principal aim of disseminating cutting-edge conservation knowledge as widely as possible. Important topics such as balancing conversion and human needs, climate change, conservation planning, designing and analyzing conservation research, ecosystem services, endangered species management, extinctions, fire, habitat loss, and invasive species are covered. Numerous textboxes describing additional relevant material or case studies are also included. The global biodiversity crisis is now unstoppable; what can be saved in the developing world will require an educated constituency in both the developing and developed world. Habitat loss is particularly acute in developing countries, which is of special concern because it tends to be these locations where the greatest species diversity and richest centres of endemism are to be found. Sadly, developing world conservation scientists have found it difficult to access an authoritative textbook, which is particularly ironic since it is these countries where the potential benefits of knowledge application are greatest. There is now an urgent need to educate the next generation of scientists in developing countries, so that they are in a better position to protect their natural resources.

Soils and Landscape Restoration
Soils and Landscape Restoration

Author: John A. Stanturf

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2020-10-24

Total Pages: 436

ISBN-13: 0128131942

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Soils and Landscape Restoration provides a multidisciplinary synthesis on the sustainable management and restoration of soils in various landscapes. The book presents applicable knowledge of above- and below-ground interactions and biome specific realizations along with in-depth investigations of particular soil degradation pathways. It focuses on severely degraded soils (e.g., eroded, salinized, mined) as well as the restoration of wetlands, grasslands and forests. The book addresses the need to bring together current perspectives on land degradation and restoration in soil science and restoration ecology to better incorporate soil-based information when restoration plans are formulated. - Incudes a chapter on climate change and novel ecosystems, thus collating the perspective of soil scientists and ecologists on this consequential and controversial topic - Connects science to international policy and practice - Includes summaries at the end of each chapter to elucidate principles and key points