Books published in 2000
To
search though this list of 142 books use <CONTROL F> and type a keyword
Tropical
Ecosystems and Ecological Concepts. P.L.
Osborne. Cambridge University Press,
Over one third of the earth’s
terrestrial surface is situated in the tropics, with environments ranging from
hot deserts to tropical rain forests. This introductory textbook, aimed at
students in tropical ecology, is a guide to the major aquatic and terrestrial
biomes in the tropics. Chapters describe the ecology of deserts, grasslands,
savannas, tropical rain forests, lakes, rivers and floodplains, maintains,
wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs and tropical islands, with descriptive case
studies providing a framework around which ecological concepts are presented.
Information is also given on the human ecological dimension, with coverage of
issues such as population growth, urbanization, agriculture and fisheries,
natural resource use and pollution, conservation of biodiversity, climate
change, and the concept of ecological sustainability. The text is supported by
boxes containing supplementary material on a range of topics and organisms,
plus mathematical concepts and calculations, and is enlivened with diagrams,
maps and photographs. A cross-referenced glossary, references and an index are
included also.
Price: GBP 70.00, USD 110.00,
hardcover; GBP 24.95, USD 40.00, softcover.
Orders
to:
Rice: Nutrient Disorders
& Nutrient Management. A. Dobermann and T.H. Fairhurst. Potash &
Phosphate Institute, Potash & Phosphate Institute of Canada, and
International Rice Research Institute, 2000, viii + 191 p. ISBN 981-04-2742-5.
Softcover. With CD-ROM.
Thirty years ago, persuading
rice farmers to use modern varieties and fertilizers was easy, because the
yield increases were often spectacular. Fertilizers were subsidized, irrigation
facilities improved, rice prices supported, these factors made rice
intensification economically attractive. Future yield increases will mostly
result from the positive interactions and simultaneous management of different
agronomic aspects such as nutrient supply, pest and disease control, and water.
Decreasing subsidies and the increasing responsibilities of farmers instead of
governments for the maintenance of irrigation facilities means that to achieve
the required future increases in rice production, extension services will need
to switch from distributing prescriptive packets of production technology to a
more participatory or client-based service function. The present handbook and
CD-ROM provide a guide for detecting nutrient deficiency and toxicity symptoms
and managing nutrients in rice grown in tropical and subtropical regions. Some
background information is included on the function of nutrients in the rice
plant and possible causes of nutrient deficiencies, together with a description
of nutrient deficiency symptoms, the effect of nutrient deficiency on plant
growth, and the effect of flooding on nutrient availability. Estimates of
nutrient removal in grain and straw have been included, and strategies for
preventing and treating nutrient deficiencies are described. The main targets
of the handbook are the irrigated and rainfed lowland rice systems. Where appropriate,
additional information is given for upland rice or rice grown in flood-prone
conditions. The texts are illustrated with many color photographs.
For more information, please
contact: tfairhurst@ppi-ppic.org;
homepage: www.eseap.org; or e.hetter@cgiar.org; homepage:
www.cgiar.com/irri.
Price: HDC: USD 80.00; LDC: USD
20.00; plus postage and handling charges of USD 12.00 for HDC and LDC
Orders
to: Ms. Eva B. Ramin, CPS-Marketing and Distribution Unit, IRRI,
Soil
Fertility Kit. A toolkit for acid, upland
soil fertility management in Southeast Asia. T.S.
Dierolf, T.H. Fairhurst and E.W. Mutert. Potash & Phosphate Institute,
2000, x + 149 p. ISBN 981-04-2745-X. Softcover.
In
Price: USD 15.00, plus USD 10.00
for postage and handling. Discount for bulk orders of two or more copies.
Please apply to Ms. Doris Tan at the address mentioned below.
Orders
to: Ms. Doris Tan, ESEAP,
Proceedings of the 5th International
Conference on Precision Agriculture,
At this well-attended meeting
more than 200 oral and poster papers were presented at four concurrent
sessions: natural resource variability, managing variability, engineering
technology, crop modeling, remote sensing, profitability, environment,
technology transfer, and new sessions on geostatistics/sampling, management
zones, management of crop qualities, integrated approaches and new applications
around the world. Participants were convened in working groups to discuss and
make recommendations on needs and use of Decision Support Tools. A summary of
the workgroups comments and recommendations are also presented.
Price: USD 14.00.
Orders
to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Headquarters Office, Attn. Book Order Department,
Labormethoden-Dokumentation.
Geologisches Jahrbuch, Reihe G, Heft 8. J. Utermann, koordinator, unter
Mitarbeit von A. Gorny, M. Hauenstein, V. Malessa, U. Müller und B. Scheffer. Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe und den
Staatlichen Geologischen Diensten in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Hannover.
E. Schweizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart, 2000, 215 S. ISBN
3-510-95864-0. ISSN 1431-5084. Mit CD-ROM.
Die
Staatlichen Geologischen Dienste setzen für viele Bodenkenngrössen
unterschiedliche bodenanalytische Verfahren ein. In der vorliegenden
Labormethoden Dokumentation wird eine Prioritätensetzung in dem Sinne
vorgenommen, dass allgemein verwendete Verfahren aufgenommen sind, ohne dabei
weniger verbreitete Verfahren unberücksichtigt zu lassen.
Die
Labormethoden Dokumentation ist als Datenbank aufgebaut, so dass sie jederzeit
um weitere Methoden und/oder Inhalte ergänzt bzw. aktualisiert werden kann.
Über eine Methodencode Nummer sind die Methoden direkt mit Analysenergebnissen
in Labordatenbanken verküpfbar. Inhaltlich geht die Labormethoden Dokumentation
über die reine Darstellung von Analyseverfahren hinaus. Der analytisch weniger versierte
Anwender kann sich anhand von Methodenkurzbeschreibungen schnell Informationen
zu den Analysenverfahren verschaffen. Umgekehrt erhält der Analytiker über
Datenfelder zu Anwendungsbereichen und zur Plausibilität von Messdaten die
Möglichkeit, sich grundlegende Information im Hinblick auf die Verwendung der
Analysendaten zu erschliessen. In einem weiteren Datenfeld werden Restriktionen
bzw. methodische Fehlerquellen aus der Sicht erfahrener Analytiker aufgelistet.
Die Methoden werden entsprechend einem Mindestdetaillierungsgrad beschrieben.
Bei vorliegenden Normen und anderen Standards wird weitgehend auf diese
verwiesen, andernfalls werden die Methoden ausführlich dargestellt.
Preis:
DM 66.50.
Bestellungen an: E. Schweizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung,
Johannesstrasse 3A, D-70176, Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Fax:
+49-711-625005. E-mail: mail@schweizerbart.de
Compendium
of Soil Clean-up Technologies and Soil Remediation Companies. 2nd
edition, 2000. United Nations,
This compendium outlines the
major clean-up technologies, which have been well established in the commercial
soil remediation sector. The technologies are grouped according to the mechanism
employed: chemical, physical or biological. It also presents a listing of
non-commercial websites, which provide information about technologies,
companies and events in the soil decontamination field. In addition, the
publication offers a list of soil remediation companies giving contact
information, technologies used and number of employees.
Price: USD 40.00
Orders
to: United Nations bookstores and distributors around the world, or: United
Nations Publications, Sales Office and Bookshop, CH-1211 Geneva 10,
Sustainable
Agriculture in Sub-Saharan
The primary aim of this book is
to provide a general outline of the various multifaceted factors, particularly
soil productivity that influence sustainable agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa.
There is growing need for a well-documented information source on the
interrelationship between sustainable agriculture and long-term soil
productivity, and the author treats all relevant factors involved. In this
publication the main thrust of emphasis is on technically feasible,
economically profitable, environmentally sustainable and socially acceptable
means of increasing and maintaining soil productivity on a long-term basis.
Issues such as those related to the impact of desertification and soil
degradation, the role of biotechnology, integrated fertilizer management, the
role of organic matter and appropriate soil management strategies are also
discussed. The author, who has an experience of more than 20 years in
Price: USD 35.00; EUR 41.55.
Orders
to: Prof. A.J. Ayar, Higher
Comparative
Performance Analysis of Agro-Ecosystems. C.A.J.M.
de Bie. Doctoral thesis. ITC dissertation no. 75. ITC, Enschede, 2000, 232 p. ISBN 90-5808-253-9. Softcover.
In this doctoral thesis land use
concepts and land evaluation approaches are reviewed. Recent advances in
information technology can contribute to a more efficient use of land
management information for the improvement of land use planning. The author
introduces new land use database software and a comprehensive method of land
use impact and productivity studies. The Comparative Performance Analysis (CPA)
is introduced as a new method for land use impact and yield gap studies, the
yield gap being the difference between the average farm yield and its
potential. Three case studies in
Price: EUR 13.61.
Orders
to: Mrs. J. Bunk, ITC,
Plant Nutrient Management in
Hawaii’s Soils. Approaches for Tropical and Subtropical
Agriculture. J.A. Silva and R.S. Uchida, editors.
Agriculture in the
Price: USD 14.00, plus handling
and shipping charges.
Orders
to:
Soil
Sampling. Technical Engineering and Design Guides as
adapted from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, no. 30.
American Society of Civil Engineers, 2000, 224 p. ISBN 0-7844-0375-9.
Softcover.
To provide accurate knowledge of
the subsurface conditions, as well as the physical and engineering properties
of foundation materials, soil sampling operations are routinely conducted to
determine those conditions that affect the safety, cost-effectiveness, and
design of a proposed engineering project. This manual presents a summary of
commonly accepted soil sampling practices and procedures to assist geotechnical
personnel performing actual field studies. It provides both technical guidance
for conducting soil sampling operations, and the best methods for handling and
storage of samples obtained in support of the investigations. The principles,
equipment, procedures, and limitations for obtaining, handling, and preserving
soil samples are discussed. Since the highest quality samples are often
obtained at the least cost by using a variety of equipment and techniques, this
manual surveys the different devices and techniques that have been developed for
drilling and sampling geotechnical materials ranging from soil to rocks. The
manual further suggests the various types of sampling devices best suited to
obtain samples of various soil types encountered during geotechnical
investigations. Of special interest are the parts about the equipment and
procedures for undisturbed and disturbed soil sampling in borings; sampling
frozen soils; underwater sampling of soils; handling and storage of samples and
sampling records; and backfilling boreholes and excavations.
Price: GBP 66.00; USD 90.00.
Orders
to: In Europe: see below for address of the American Technical Publishers,
Pesticides, Pollutants,
Fertilizers and Trees: their role in forests and amenity woodlands. Forestry Series,
E. Harris, editor. J.R. Aldhous. Research Studies Press, Baldock,
2000, viii + 588 p. ISBN 0-86380-199-4. Hardcover.
The objective of the Forestry
Series is to make available specialist texts in developing areas of science and
technology tailored to particular but limited markets. The present book in this
series is a comprehensive account of the state of knowledge of the use of
chemicals in forestry and the many issues associated with this. Though
primarily concerned with the situation in
Price: GBP 47.50.
Orders
to: In Europe: American Technical Publishers, 27-29 Knowl Piece,
Soil
Management and Conservation for Small Farmers. Strategies and methods of introduction, technologies and equipment. FAO Soil
Bulletin 77. V.H. de Freitas. FAO,
In many places in the world,
efforts are underway to improve the living and working conditions of farming
communities. It is becoming clear that the active interest and initiative of
the farmers is crucial for the success of such efforts. The present report is
intended for development practitioners, extensionists and leaders or pioneers
in farming communities, to inform them about the experiences and initiatives of
farmers with conservation agriculture in Santa Catarina State, Brazil. On the
basis of several local initiatives, inventions and developments, there have
been widespread improvements in soil management in various parts of the state,
resulting in lower costs and improved returns, combined with conservation and
improvement of the soil resources. While these developments cannot be simply
applied elsewhere, the methods and strategies may well inspire others to adapt
and modify them for the application in their own environments.
Price: USD 16.00.
Orders to: National sales agents
of FAO publications. Or: Sales and Marketing Group, Information Division, FAO,
Viale delle
Note: the
prices given are without mailing costs. Prices may vary per country.
The
European Soil Information System. World Soil Resources Reports
91. FAO,
This publication contains the
proceedings of a Technical Consultation, held in
Orders to: National sales agents
of FAO publications. Or: Sales and Marketing Group, Information Division, FAO,
Viale delle
Note: the
prices given are without mailing costs. Prices may vary per country.
Carbon Sequestration Options
under the Clean Development Mechanisms to
The Clean Development Mechanism
(CDM) is one of several mechanisms created in Kyoto Protocol (KP) that enables
Parties to cooperate with each other to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
An important issue is carbon sequestration – retaining in the geosphere the
carbon that would otherwise escape into the atmosphere. Carbon sequestration
can occur in several sites: biomass, forests, wetlands, geologic formations and
soils, among others. This publication contains the result of a study on the
origin and background of the carbon sequestration options and the CDM. It
documents the outcome of several proceedings of meetings on this subject. The
publication examines the various initiatives that have been taken, including
that of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the World Bank to facilitate
the funding of land degradation projects under GEF. It also includes a review
on the ongoing programme of collaboration between the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD) and FAO on carbon sequestration and indicates
how it would fit within the framework of the existing international
environmental treaties, as well as the GEF and World Bank initiative.
Orders to: National sales agents
of FAO publications. Or: Sales and Marketing Group, Information Division, FAO,
Viale delle
Note: the
prices given are without mailing costs. Prices may vary per country.
Land Information Systems in
This report forms the
proceedings of a Regional Workshop held in
Orders to: National sales agents
of FAO publications. Or: Sales and Marketing Group, Information Division, FAO,
Viale delle
Note: the
prices given are without mailing costs. Prices may vary per country.
The Australian Soil
Classification - An Interactive Key, version
1.0. D.W.
With this CD-ROM as a reference
tool Australian soil profiles can be classified in the Australian soil
classification. This powerful electronic system enables soil classes to be
identified even when field and laboratory data are incomplete, and will allow
for uncertainties and mistakes. It includes extensive notes and colour
illustrations and photographs. The package of booklet and CD comes with a
tutorial, which takes one step-by-step through the process of allocating a soil
profile with this system. The CD also contains an abridged and updated version
of the Australian soil classification system, a glossary and extensive
references. Also for persons outside
Price: AUD 59.95.
Orders
to: see below.
Australian Soil, Poster 70x98
cm. Produced by K. Brown, N. McKenzie, R. Isbell and D. Jacquier.
CSIRO, ACLEP and Natural Heritage Trust.
Price: AUD 11.00, plus postage
of AUD 9.00 for
Orders
to: CSIRO Publishing,
Agroecological
Aspects of Agricultural Research in
This fourth volume of the
author’s collected works brings together selected papers describing the
relationships between environmental factors and
Price: Tk. 750.00.
Orders
to: The University Press,
Leitfaden zur
Berücksichtigung von Bodeninformationen im Rahmen der Agrarstrukturplanung in
Niedersachsen – Nutzung der Daten des Niedersächsischen
Bodeninformationssystems NIBIS – Handlungsanleitung/Empfehlungen,
herausgegeben
von Klaus Erdmann & Udo Müller im Rahmen der Serie: Arbeitshefte Boden des
Niedersächsischen Landesamts für Bodenforschung, Heft 2000/3, 62 S., 3 Abb., 18
Tab., Hannover 2000;
Der
Leitfaden beschreibt zunächst die Grundlagen und Anwendungsbereiche sowie die
Ziele um anschließend die Bewertung von Bodenfunktionen sowie einen Anforderungskatalog
zur Berücksichtigung von Bodeninformationen bei Agrarstrukturplanungen zu
erläutern. Dazu kommen Informationsgrundlagen und Arbeitshilfen, die eine
Durchführung des vorgeschlagenen Ansatzes unterstützen sowie ein
Literaturverzeichnis. Die Broschüre kann allen, die sich mit
Agrarstrukturplanung beschäftigen zur Lektüre empfohlen werden, da die hier
dargestellten Methoden auch über das Land Niedersachsen hinaus mit Erfolg
eingesetzt werden können.
Zu
beziehen bei: E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Johannesstraße
Preis: 6,39 Euro
Bodenschutz in Raumordnung
und Landschaftsplanung,
herausgegeben
von U. Müller, I. Dahlmann, E. Bierhals, B. Vespermann und Ch. Wittenbacher im
Rahmen der Serie: Arbeitshefte Boden, herausgegeben vom Niedersächsischen
Landesamt für Bodenforschung, Heft 2000/4, Hannover 2000.
Die
Publikation beschreibt nach einer Einleitung und Zielsetzung den Bodenschutz in
Raumordnung und Landschaftsrahmenplanung sowie als Aufgabe der
Landschaftsrahmen - sowie der Regional- und Landesplanung. Hierzu werden
Datengrundlagen zur Integration des Bodenschutzes in die Planung am Beispiel
des Niedersächsischen Bodeninformationssystems dargestellt und
Auswertungsmethoden beschrieben. Ein Ausblick, sowie ein Literatur- und ein
Abkürzungsverzeichnis runden die Publikation ab, die allen, die sich mit
Raumordnung und Landschaftsplanung beschäftigen zur Lektüre sehr empfohlen
werden kann, zumal diese Broschüre auch über Niedersachsen hinaus viele neue
Anregungen enthält.
Zu
beziehen über: E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Johannesstraße
Preis: 8,81 Euro
Bereitstellung
von Bodendaten für die Bauleitplanung, von Jürgen
Schneider, Sabine Kunzmann u. Florian Raecke, unter Mitarbeit von Frank Lehmberg
u. Frank E. Pantel, herausgegeben in der Reihe: Arbeitshefte Boden des
Niedersächsischen Landesamts für Bodenforschung, Heft 2000/2, 48 S., 4 Tab., 14
Abb., Hannover 2000.
Nach
einer Einleitung werden Raumplanung sowie rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen für den
Bodenschutz in der Bauleitplanung, die Umsetzung der rechtlichen Vorgaben sowie
die Umsetzung des gesamten Ansatzes am Beispiel der Ergebnisse aus einem
Pilotprojekt (Stadt Achim) dargestellt. Die Publikation enthält eine
Zusammenfassung, ein Literaturverzeichnis sowie ein Sachregister im Anhang. Sie
kann allen die sich mit Fragen der Bewertung von Böden im Rahmen der
Bauleitplanung befassen, zur Lektüre sehr empfohlen werden.
Zu
beziehen bei: E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, (Nägele u. Obermiller)
Johannesstr.
Preis: 8,81 Euro
Methodendokumentation
Bodenkunde, 2. Auflage – Auswertungsmethoden zur Beurteilung der
Empfindlichkeit und Belastbarkeit von Böden.
232 Seiten, 26 Abb., 112 Tabellen, herausgegeben von
Ad-hoc-AG Boden, Koordination: Volker Hennings, Bundesanstalt für
Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, 2000.
Vorliegende Publikation im Rahmen des Geologischen
Jahrbuchs, Sonderhefte, SG1, ist ein wesentlicher Beitrag zur Beurteilung der
Empfindlichkeit und Belastbarkeit von Böden, insbesondere bezüglich
potentieller Verdichtung, Filtervermögen für Schwermetalle, potentielle und
aktuelle Erosionsgefährdung durch Wasser, Grundwasserneubildung über
Sickerwasserraten aus dem Boden, Nitratrückhaltevermögen, ackerbauliches
Ertragspotential, potentielle Erosionsgefährdung durch Wind sowie potentielle
Versauerungsgefährdung von Waldböden. Hierzu werden Kennwerte zur Einschätzung
der jeweiligen Parameter dargestellt und erläutert, wodurch für den Nutzer
erhebliche Vorteile im schnellen Erkennen und Bewerten von Problemen und
Lösungsmöglichkeiten gegeben sind. Die vorliegende Methodendokumentation ist
daher hervorragend geeignet, denjenigen, die sich mit der Raumplanung und
Bodennutzungsplanung im weitesten Sinne befassen, bei der Beurteilung der
Empfindlichkeit und Belastbarkeit von Böden eine schnelle Hilfestellung zu
vermitteln.
Zu beziehen bei: Schweizerbart'sche
Verlagsbuchhandlung, Johannesstr.
Mineral
Fertilizer Use and the Environment. K.F. Isherwood. International Fertilizer Industry
Association (IFA), and UNEP, 2000, 51 p. ISBN 2-9506299-3-8.
This document presents a view of the benefits of using
mineral fertilizers and the environmental risks involved. It is not a
scientific document, but it aims to be technically correct. The review presents
the evidence supporting the view that the use of mineral fertilizer is a
necessary condition for achieving an increased food production on land that is
already in use, and avoid encroachment on land that is only marginally suitable
for cultivation. This publication stresses the importance of using mineral
fertilizers efficiently. Inefficient use not only increases their negative
environmental impact unnecessarily, but also represents a large waste of
natural resources and a substantial economic loss. There is scope for improved
products, but the greatest medium-term gain could be had from improving the way
in which currently available fertilizers are used.
Requests to: IFA, 28 rue Marbeuf, F-75008,
Mineral
Fertilizer Distribution and the Environment. K.F. Isherwood. International Fertilizer Industry
Association (IFA), and UNEP, 2000, 106 p. ISBN 2-9506299-4-6.
This publication is the third in the IFA-UNEP series
of Mineral Fertilizers and the Environment. The first concerned Fertilizer
Production and the Environment (1988), the second is mentioned above, and this
publication completes the chain from factory to farm dealing with the
distribution sector. The relevance of fertilizer production and fertilizer use
to the environment are clear, this is not so evident in the distribution
sector. Not only is the potential environmental impact of fertilizer
distribution often underestimated, but so too it its economic impact. Under
favourable circumstances the cost of distributing and marketing fertilizers
amounts to a third of the production costs. Under unfavorable circumstances it
can amount to three times the production (or import) cost. Not only is the cost
substantial, it is a cost, which can be influenced by an increased efficiency
in the distribution and marketing. The purpose of this publication is to
demonstrate relevant aspects of mineral fertilizer distribution and to describe
its complexities.
Both publications can be downloaded from the homepage
of IFA.
Requests to: IFA, 28 rue Marbeuf, F-75008,
Reclaimed
Land – Erosion Control, Soils and Ecology. M.J.
Haigh, editor. A.A. Balkema,
This book is the first in a series that will aim to
publicize work being done to restore lands that have been damaged by human
actions and to manage lands in ways that minimize the damages done by human
actions. Each volume will explore a particular land management problem from the
perspective of the applied scientist and progressive practitioner. The level
will lie between the research literature and the advanced textbooks. The
present first volume in the series discusses the problems of sustaining the
quality of land that has already been reclaimed through the decades that follow
the reclamation process. Land degradation may not, normally, be a huge problem
for lands that are returned for high investment uses, but it is commonly a
major problem for lands that are reclaimed for uses that have a low economic
rent, for lands that are composed of unstable, acid or toxic spoils, and for
lands returned as steeper slopes. This book reviews the applied research and
practical experience that is available, internationally, for those striving to
increase durability and self-sustainability of reclaimed lands.
Price: EUR 85.00, USD 88.00, GBP 56.00.
Orders to: see below. (no
sales rights in
Ecological
Risk Evaluation of Polluted Soils. J.L.
Rivière. A.A. Balkema,
Ecological risk evaluation arose from the need to
forecast the effects of pollution and to ensure a scientific basis for decisions
in matters of environmental management. This pursuit proved to be particularly
complex, because of its interdisciplinary nature, as well as the relatively
poor understanding we have of natural ecosystems and their functioning. This
book, originally published in French (Évaluation du risque écologique des sols
pollués, Technique & Documentation, Paris, 1998), is an introduction in
which the reader will find the fundamental principles, as they are conceived at
present, and a range of workable methods in the case of polluted soils. A set
of definitions is proposed before the author develops different aspects of the
evolution of pollutants in the soil and their toxicity. It then leads the
reader to risk formulation, which is essential in establishing a procedure that
includes economic, social and political considerations.
Price: EUR 55.00, USD 58.50, and GBP 37.00. (no sales
rights in
Orders to: A.A. Balkema,
Solos do Brasil. Gênese, Morfologia, Classificação,
Levantamento. Cd-Rom com orientações pràticas de campo.
Hélio do Prado. Published by the author,
This nicely produced book with a number of colour
photos with soil profiles, starts with a description of the soil forming
factors in
Price: USD 43.00, plus mailing charges.
Orders to: Dr. H. do Prado, Rua Floriano Peixoto,
1630,
Guide des analyses en pédologie. Choix – expression – présentation – interprétation. 2ème
édition revue et augmentée. D. Baize. Collection Techniques et pratiques. INRA,
Paris, 2000, 257 p. ISBN 2-7380-0892-5. ISSN 1150-3912. Broché.
L’ambition de cet ouvrage est de vous aider à bien
choisir vos analyses, à maîtriser les modes d’éxpression des résultats, à les
interpréter et bien les présenter. Conçu comme
un guide pratique, ce n’est ni un cours de pédologie générale, ni un traité
d’agronomie. Il n’a pas pour objet des
”analyses de terre”, ni l’établissement de normes d’interprétation. Il traite
des analyses de sols les plus courantes en pédologie, c’est-à-dire celles qui
sont réalisées, suite au creusement de fosses ou tranchées, sur les différents
horizons des sols et des couvertures pédologiques que l’on peut rencontrer en
Prix: FRF 180 et frais de port.
Commandes à: INRA Éditions, RD 10, F-78026 Versailles
Cedex,
Agricultural
Research Priority Setting. Information
investments for the improved use of research resources. B. Mills, editor. International Service for National
Agricultural Research (ISNAR),
Managers face a number of practical issues in
designing procedures for agricultural research priority setting: ”Who will set
priorities?”, ”What information will they use?”,”What skills or tools do they
need?” Similarly, socioeconomists and others who implement priority-setting
processes need concrete advice on how to undertake each step. This publication
addresses issues of process design and implementation. It leads readers through
the major steps and questions involved in setting program-level priorities in
agricultural research organizations. Examples from the Kenya Agricultural
Research Institute (KARI) illustrate applications of the methods and issues
discussed. Exercises, some using the spreadsheets included on the enclosed
computer diskette, provide the reader with hands-on experience in doing some of
the calculations.
Orders to: ISNAR,
Emerging
Technologies for Sustainable Land Use and Water Management. 2nd
Inter-Regional Conference on Environment-Water, September 1999,
The contributions to this conference provide insight
into recent developments in modelling hydrological processes and planning the
use of natural resources under the constraints of economic, social and
environmental sustainability. Innovative management issues, practices and tools
are also proposed and analyzed, mainly under the perspective of compatible
economic and social aims with the environmental ones. The contributions are
arranged into four sections: (1) new trends in modeling in hydrology, and water
and land use planning and management; (2) new approaches in measuring and
handling data, including related mathematical and computer techniques; (3) new
tools for evaluation, visualization and decision making, with particular
attention to spatially distributed data and decision support systems; and (4)
new management policies and practices, mainly concerning agricultural water and
soil use, and water quality management. Although significant advances are
shown, gaps in our knowledge are revealed as well. Future research, based on
long-term observations on soil and water processes, is required to effectively
validate present issues, to generate new ones, and to contribute to
better-resolved scale problems. Also, new issues are required to transfer
innovation into practice, to promote better institutional arrangements
facilitating new policies, and for monitoring the state off the environment and
the practices dealing with natural resources. The booklet presents the general
contents and abstracts of all contributions, the full texts are provided on the
CD-ROM.
Price: In Switzerland CHF 120.00, France: FRF 536.00,
elsewhere EUR 77.50.
Orders to: PPUR, EPFL-Centre midi, CH-1015 Lausanne,
Switzerland. Fax: +41-21-6934027. E-mail: ppur@epfl.ch.
Homepage: www.ppur.org
Ecology
and Management of
This is a greatly revised edition of Properties and
Management of Forest Soils, by W.L. Pritchett and R.F. Fischer, published in
1987. Forests can be viewed from a range of perspectives, all of which are
based on soils.
Price: GBP 63.95.
Orders to: John Wiley & Sons,
The
Podzolization Process. Special issue of Geoderma, vol. 94, nos. 2-4,
February 2000, p. v + 91-353. U.S. Lundström, N. van Breemen and D.C. Bain,
editors. Elsevier.
Podzolization is the most common soil forming process
in coniferous forests in northern Europe and
Orders to: Elsevier Science,
Solute
Movement in the Rhizosphere. P.B. Tinker and P.H. Nye. Oxford University Press,
In this book, the authors describe in detail how plant
nutrients and other solutes move in the soil in response to leaching and plant
uptake. The plants considered may grow in isolation, or as a crop, a mixture of
crops, or a natural community. The way their roots interact with the soil is
not so fully understood as the way their shoots respond to the atmosphere,
because the root-soil system is both complex and too inaccessible to study
easily. At present, the world’s developed countries have a vast experience of
the effects of the nutrient elements on important crops, based on repeated
field trials. But experience is confined to existing or past conditions, and
new varieties, cultural practices, and environmental conditions bring with them
the need to reassess former conclusions. Often, resources do not match the
range of crops or vegetation, or the diversity of soil, climate, and treatment.
In these circumstances, advice on practice can best be given by combining
fundamental insight with the information given by field trials. These phenomena
are dynamic: soil solutes move, and plants grow; yet, the intimate connection
between the two has only recently been understood. Therefore, an expanded
account of solute transport processes in the rhizosphere is timely. Until
relatively recently, it has been difficult to link all the separate steps
involved in the movement of solutes through the soil and their uptake by
extending roots, because the mathematics was too difficult or tedious; and
hence simplifications had to be made. Computers have removed these obstacles,
and provide the essential tool in modelling the various pieces of the system
that comprises growing roots in soil. Most of the mechanisms described in the
book have been worked out for the major nutrient elements, but they are equally
relevant, with modification, to other solutes. Most models of natural
ecosystems or crop production are coarse-grained, the object being to establish
a framework and fill in the details later. The approach presented in this book
is different in that the authors analyse the working of small-scale, often
simplified, systems first, before combining them in a more complicated one.
The general outlines of the first chapters are
retained in this edition, but the text has been updated and expanded. The other
chapters contain much new material on processes that affect ion fluxes into and
near roots, followed by chapters on the whole plant, and field vegetation. The
book is well illustrated with many figures. It has a useful listing of over
1100 references.
Price: USD 95.00 or GBP 70.00.
Orders to:
Soil Biogeochemistry, volume 10. Books in Soils, Plants, and the
Environment. J.-M. Bollag and G. Stotzky, editors. Marcel
A major goal of this series is to provide up-to-date
reviews on the factors that influence a spectrum of biological, biogeochemical,
edaphic, and ecological phenomena in soil, most of which have a biochemical
basis. From a practical viewpoint, as well as from a vintage point of basic
science, there is a need to characterize and explore further soil biochemical
factors. An increased knowledge of soil biochemistry will also contribute to
improving the quality of soil and to increasing food production. The topics
discussed in this volume range from anaerobic microbiology in rice fields, to
anaerobic degradation of specific pesticides, to the use of fungi in
environmental remediation, to the genetic ecology of Bradyrhizobium; from new
extraction techniques for humic materials and bound residues, to sorption of
enzymes on surfaces and its effects on enzyme activity. There is always special
interest in the question of the adequacy of the plate and other methods for
characterizing microorganisms in soil, and this is discussed in several
chapters. As an extension of classical soil biochemistry, a chapter relates
soil biology and biochemistry to archaeology.
Orders to: Marcel Dekker,
Heavy Metals: A Problem
Solved? Methods and Models to Evaluate Policy Strategies for
Heavy Metals. Environment & Policy, volume 22. E. van der Voet,
J.B. Guinée and H.A. Udo de Haes, editors. Kluwer Academic Publishers,
Heavy metals and the environment is an
well-investigated subject. Up to now, publications focus on the environmental
pathways and risks of metals. In the book, a link has been established between
the environmental risks and the societal issues of these risks. Economic
models, substance flow models and environmental fate and risk assessment models
have been integrated into one framework of analysis which has been applied to
understand the pathways of four heavy metals (copper, zinc, lead and cadmium),
from their entering the economy until their final destination in the
environment. The
The publication is the result of an interdisciplinary
research programme, the ”Metals” Programme, in which ecologists, agricultural
scientists, environmental scientists and economists cooperated. The last part
of the book is devoted to a summary of the main results; the conclusions and
the recommendations for further research as well as for policies on heavy
metals are formulated.
Orders to: In North, Central and South America: Kluwer
Academic Publishers,
Soil
Conservation and Watershed Management in
In many Asia-Pacific countries, watersheds have been
observed to be badly affected by soil erosion caused by, for example,
indiscriminate agricultural activities and environmental harmful farming
practices. Given the critical nature of the situation, it was necessary to
address the institutional, technical and socio-economical aspects of these
problems, and seek practical and effective solutions. A seminar was held to
address these issues in the region, in all 12 countries, from
Price: USD 15.00, plus USD 5.00 for handling and
airmail postage.
Orders to: The Director, Information and Public
Relations, Asian Productivity Organization, 1-2-10 Hirakawa-cho, Chiyoda-ku,
Micronutrients: Their
Behaviour in Soils and Plants.
D.K. Das. Kalyani Publishers,
The book deals with essential micronutrients for
plants (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, B, Mo, Cl), elements indirectly associated with plant
nutrition (Si, Co, Na, V), micronutrient pollution and soil and plant tissue testing
for micronutrients within nine chapters. Special emphasis has been given to the
discussion of the behaviour of micronutrients in soils and plants, including
their chemistry of transformation, interaction with other nutrients and further
parameters which play a role in plant nutrition and crop responses. The book
was basically written for graduate and post-graduate students of agriculture,
as well as for researchers in the various fields of biological and
environmental sciences, with some basic knowledge in soil science, plant
physiology and biochemistry.
Price: 125 Indian Rupies
Orders
to: Kalyani Publishers,
Wege zum vorsorgenden Bodenschutz. Fachliche Grundlagen und konzeptionelle
Schritte für eine erweiterte Boden-Vorsorge, G. Bachmann und H.W. Thoenes, (Hrsg.), Reihe:
Bodenschutz und Altlasten, Band 8, 213 Seiten, 14,4x21 cm, kartoniert, 2000 –
ISBN 3 503 05867 2. Vorliegende Publikation basiert auf einem Gutachten des
Wissenschaftlichen Beirates Bodenschutz beim deutschen Bundesministerium für
Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit. Die Aufgabe dieses Beirates ist es,
die Vielfalt und Komplexität wissenschaftlicher Betrachtungen des Bodenschutzes
interdisziplinär zusammenzuführen. Vorliegende Broschüre behandelt die
vielfältigen Aspekte des vorsorgenden Bodenschutzes in Deutschland, mit dem
Ziel, diese in Zukunft zu erweitern. Hierbei werden Leitbilder, Leitideen und
Grundregeln der Vorsorge unterschieden. Die hieraus resultierenden Empfehlungen
und Vorschläge sprechen sowohl einzelne Handlungsfelder wie auch Instrumente
und Verfahrensweisen des Bodenschutzes an, die zur Koordinierung der
vielfältigen Aktionsmöglichkeiten erforderlich erscheinen.
Preis: DM 56/öS 409/SFr 50,50/Euro 28,63
Zu
bestellen: Erich Schmidt Verlag, Berlin,
Bielefeld, München, Zweigniederlassung Bielefeld, Viktoriastraße
Sustainable
Development and Integrated Appraisal in a Developing World. N. Lee
and C. Kirkpatrick, editors. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham and
It is widely recognized that sustainable development
can only be achieved if environmental, economic and social issues are combined
in development plans, policies and programmes. This book examines this
integrated approach to the development process, and analyses the theory and
practice of integrating assessment techniques and decision making. The editors
begin by presenting a comprehensive introduction to integrated appraisal in
development strategies as well as outlining issues, which are important for the
future understanding and practical application of integrated appraisal. A group
of authors from a range of disciplinary and country backgrounds then present
alternative perspectives and methods of an integrated approach to sustainable
development, and apply integrated appraisal to a variety of case studies from
developing and transitional countries.
Price: GBP 65.00.
Orders to: Marston Book Services,
Soil
Microbiology. Second edition. R.L. Tate III. John
This is an extensively revised and updated new edition
of the well-known textbook published six years ago. It offers students a broad
knowledge of the behavior and function of microbes in soils – all the
essentials they will need in order to address the long-term stewardship of the
earth’s soil resources. Designed for use as the core text for microbiology
courses in the soil science curriculum, it explores the tremendous diversity of
life found in soil ecosystems. With its amplified focus on the reclamation of
contaminated and damaged soils, greenhouse gas production, and the
sustainability of soil ecosystems, this book is suitable for upper-level
undergraduates and graduate students, as well as a useful reference for
professionals in soil and environmental science. It features a focus on new
advances as well as environmental science aspects of soil microbiology; new
chapters on the biological diversity of soil ecosystems, soil remediation, and
soil systems management; and has a strong emphasis on research in real-world
settings as well as theoretical concerns.
Price: GBP 61.50.
Orders to: John
Wiley & Sons,
Ethnopedology in a Worldwide
Perspective: An Annotated Bibliography. ITC Publication 77.
N. Barrera-Bassols and J.A. Zinck. ITC, Enschede, 2000, 651 p. ISBN
90-6164-1772. Softcover.
This publication is a compilation of more than 900
references, published until mid-1999, on ethnopedology, focussing on the
perception, knowledge and management of soil and land resources among
indigenous people and other local rural populations. It is a valuable source
document for anyone interested in local development issues and perspectives,
and in integrative approaches to land resource management and land use
planning. The book provides information on 220 ethnic groups from more than 150
countries, living in fragile ecological systems: tropical humid lowlands, arid
and semi-arid lowlands, and the cold and dry highlands. The book has five
practical indexes, facilitating to find the relevant references.
Orders to: ITC, attention Mrs. M. Koelen,
Soil
and Water Conservation Policies and Programs. Successes and Failures. T.L. Napier, S.M. Napier and J. Tvrdon, editors. Soil
and Water Conservation Society, Ankeny and CRC Press, Boca Raton, London, 2000,
656 p. ISBN 0-8493-0005-3. Hardbound.
Degradation of land and water resources via soil
erosion is a universal problem in all geographic regions of this planet. While
most land is subject to soil erosion due to forces of wind and water, the
greatest proportion of environmental degradation due to displacement of soil is
the result of human manipulation of land resources to produce food and fiber
for human populations. In
Price: USD 69.95 or GBP 43.99, plus handling and
postage.
Orders to: CRC Press, 2000 NW Corporate Blvd., Boca
Raton, FL 33431-9868, USA. Fax: +1-561-989-8732. E-mail: orders@crcpress.com.
In Europe, Middle East and Africa: CRC Press UK, Pocock House, 235 Southwark
Bridge Road, London SE1 6LY, UK. Fax: +44-1462-483011. E-mail: custservturpin@rsc.org.
Homepage: www.crcpress.com
World Resources 2000-2001. People and Ecosystems. The Fraying Web of
Life. United Nations Development
Programme, United Nations Environment Programme, World Bank and World Resources
Institute. World Resources Institute, Washington, DC, 2000, ix + 389 p. ISBN
1-56973-443-7. Softcover. Also available on CD-ROM. The hardcover edition is
published by Elsevier Science.
The dawn of the new millennium is an appropriate time to
take stock of the condition of the Earth’s ecosystems and to draw lessons from
our global experience with managing and protecting them. This edition of World
Resources focuses on five critical ecosystems that have been shaped by the
interaction of physical environment, biological conditions, and human
interventions: croplands, forests, coastal zones, freshwater systems and
grasslands. These ecosystems produce a wide variety of goods and services, some
of which have not been recognized or valued but all of which sustain human
life. The first step to good management, the report proposes, is to acknowledge
the value of these goods and services and the tradeoffs that we often make
among them. The second step is to base decisions on current information about the
capacity of ecosystems to continue to provide goods and services. This report
provides bottom-line judgments based on a survey of current evidence of each
ecosystem on food and fiber production, water quantity and quality,
biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and recreation. The final step to good
management advocated in this report is an ”ecosystem approach” that explicitly
recognizes the interaction and tradeoffs among these goods and services, as
well as the political and social context in which environmental decisions are
made. Through five case studies and many additional examples, the report
demonstrates that people in all parts of the world have the capacity to improve
the way they manage ecosystems.
The full report in English is available online at www.wri.org/wr2000. Also published in Japanese, French and
Spanish.
Prices: softcover edition: USD 27.00; CD-ROM: USD
100.00, plus mailing charges.
Orders to (softcover): World Resources Institute
Publications, P.O. Box 4852, Hampden Station, Baltimore, MD 21211, USA. Fax:
+1-410-516-6998. E-mail: publications@wri.org.
Homepage: www.wri.org. In Europe: Eurospan, 3 Henrietta Street, Convent
Garden, London, WC2E 8LU, UK. Fax: +44-20-73790609. E-mail: orders@eurospan.co.uk.
Homepage: www.eurospan.co.uk
Global
Environmental Databases – Present Situation; Future Directions. R.Tateishi and D. Hastings, editors. International
Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS), Working Group IV/6
(1996-2000). Geocarto, Hong Kong, 2000, xvi + 233 p. ISBN 962-8226-02-9.
Softcover.
A global environmental database is defined as a
database containing data and information of known accuracy regarding phenomena
on and about the world’s surface. The data and information resident in the
database cover the entire surface of the earth in a consistent manner. Although
national and international organizations have begun global environmental
database projects and coordination efforts, the paucity of these datasets is a
sober fact reflecting the various difficulties of generating and maintaining
such important resource information. In 1996, the ISPRS established the Working
Group IV/6: Global Databases Supporting Environmental Monitoring. Its aim was
to survey existing global databases/datasets and to observe their trend; to
identify obstacles in global datasets/databases and their usage; and to find
solutions to remove these obstacles. As part of this plan, the working group
organized a workshop in Honolulu, November 1999, to discuss the various aspects
of global environmental data. It was also decided to review the global
datasets. The present book consists of two parts. Part 1, Thematic Domains,
deals with a reference framework for global environmental data, topographic
data, oceanographic data, land cover data, soil data, biodiversity data, and
hydrological data. Part 2, Cross-cutting Issues, deals with common subjects
among various environmental parameters such as geometric registration and
meta-data.
Price: USD 30.00.
Orders to: GeoCarto International Centre, G.P.O. Box
4122, Hong Kong. Fax: +852-2559-3419. E-mail: au@geocarto.com. Homepage: www.geocarto.com
Soil
Erosion. Application of Physically
Based Models. J. Schmidt, editor. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2000,
xviii + 318 p. ISBN 3-540-66764-4. ISSN
1431-6250. Hardcover.
Accelerated degradation of soils and surface waters
produce increasing problems in many parts of the world. Within this context,
the book addresses the application of physically based models for soil erosion
in order to present some essential tools for improving land-use strategies and
conservation measures. Over the last 20 years, the need for more accurate
assessments of soil losses and sediment yields has led to the development of
some highly complex, process-based soil erosion models. In 14 papers, specialists
from Europe, USA and Brazil report on practical applications of these models
and give insight into the latest developments. This book will help to implement
state-of-the-art soil erosion prediction technologies within soil and water
conservation planning and assessment.
Price: DEM 198.00, GBP 68.50, USD 109.00.
Orders to: Springer Verlag, Tiergartenstrasse 17,
D-69121 Heidelberg, Germany. Fax: +49-6221-345229. E-mail:
orders@springer.de. Homepage: www.springer.de. In
North America: Springer-Verlag New York, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010,
USA. Fax: +1-212-4736262. E-mail: orders@springer-ny.com.
Homepage: www.springer-ny.com
Mycorrhizal
Biology. K.G.
Mukerji, B.P. Chamola and J. Singh, editors. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers,
New York, Boston, 2000, xii + 336 p. ISBN 0-306-46294-X. Hardcover.
Sustainability in agriculture, forestry, and range
management requires balanced microbial ecosystems. The association of plant
roots with mycorrhizal fungi is a key factor in the below ground network
essential to ecosystems function; these associations are known to benefit
plants under conditions of nutritional and water stress and pathogen challenge.
Molecular and genetic tools are, and will be used increasingly, to explore the
structural and regulatory genes in both fungus and plant and permit mycorrhiza
formation. The symbiosis of host and fungus creates an intimate link between
plant roots and the soil, and plays a pivotal role in the acquisition of
mineral nutrients. The ability of the association to enhance plant growth and
development has stimulated research, and the recent application of biochemical,
genetic, and molecular approaches is providing new insight into the symbiosis.
Improved growth, health, and stress resistance of mycorrhizal plants are
widespread, particularly for plants growing in nutrient limiting conditions.
Increased resistance to plant pathogens has been noted, this may be mediated by
factors other than mineral nutrition. The above subjects are being discussed in
18 papers, mostly written by specialists from India.
Price: NLG 336.50, USD 145.00, GBP 100.00.
Orders to: see below.
Upscaling
and Downscaling Methods for Environmental Research. Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences vol.
Environmental studies typically involve the
combination of dynamic models with data sources at various spatial and temporal
scales. Also, the scale of the model output is rarely in tune with the scale at
which decision-makers require answers or implement environmental measures.
Consequently, the question has been raised how to obtain results at the
appropriate scale. Models, usually developed at the scale of a research
project, have to be applied to larger areas (extrapolation), with incomplete
data coverage (interpolation) and to different supports (upscaling and
downscaling) to facilitate studies for decision-makers. This book gives an
overview of the various problems involved, and focuses on a description of
upscaling and downscaling methods that are known to exist. Furthermore, this
book is the first of its kind in that it contains a decision support system
that advises the practitioner on which upscaling or downscaling method to use
in the specific context.
Price: NLG 180.00, USD 88.00, GBP 56.00
Orders to: see below.
Environmental Stress: Indication, Mitigation and
Eco-conservation. M. Yunus, N. Singh and L.J. de Kok, editors. Kluwer
Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Boston, 2000, xvii + 464 p. ISBN 0-7923-6410-4.
Hardcover.
This book has evolved from forty selected chapters
invited for publication out of a total of 190 presentations during the
International Conference on Plants and Environmental Pollution in 1996. The
contributions are from authors from 14 countries. The volume elucidates the
plant-pollutant relationship in a manner that defines not only the drastic
effects of pollutants on plants but concomitantly highlights the hitherto
less-focussed areas namely phytoindication, phytoremediation and stress
tolerant bioaesthetic development, thus concentrating more on plant than the
pollutant. The volume has been structured under three sections: (1)
environmental stress (15 papers), (2) stress indication (15 papers), and (3)
mitigation and eco-conservation (10 papers). The book would help understand the
magnitude of environmental stress in the coming years and may play a formative
role in defining future research and policy areas along with providing impetus
to development of newer eco-technologies.
Price: NLG 415.00, USD 203.00, GBP 129.00.
Orders to: North, Central and South America: Kluwer
Academic Publishers, P.O. Box 358, Accord Station, Hingham, MA 02018-0358, USA.
Fax: +1-781-681-9045. E-mail: kluwer@wkap.com. Elsewhere: Kluwer Academic
Publishers, P.O. Box 322, 3300 AH Dordrecht, The Netherlands. Fax:
+31-78-6546474. E-mail: services@wkap.nl. Homepage: www.wkap.nl
Fractals
in Soil Science. Developments
in Soil Science 27. Ya.A.
Pachepsky, J.W. Crawford and W.J. Rawls, editors. Elsevier, Amsterdam,
Lausanne, 2000, vii + 295 p. ISBN 0-444-50530-X. Hardcover.
Fractal models offer the soil scientists the
possibility of relating soil properties at different scales and quantifying the
intrinsic heterogeneity of soils. The application of fractal geometry to these
problems is a recent development in soil science, the first papers only
appearing in the eighties. This book, a reprint of Geoderma, volume 88/3-4, is
intended to provide an up-to-date, balanced account of the application of
fractal models to soil science. Authors from a broad background explore topics
from geochemistry to microbiology, and from scales of micrometres to the
landscape. Limitations of the approach are discussed as well as the level of
success in the hope that opportunities for future work will become clear.
Challenges encountered in the measurement and interpretation of fractal
properties are discussed. The book includes a very useful bibliography with
some 350 entries.
Price: NLG 385.00 (EUR 174.71), USD 201.50.
Orders to: see below.
Developments
in Quantitative Soil Resource Assessment (Pedometrics ’98). Special Issue of Geoderma, volume 97, nos. 3-4,
September 2000, pp. 293-
This special issue of Geoderma contains papers
presented at the IUSS Congress in Montpellier. The papers arise from two
meetings. The first one was a one-day meeting on Recent Advances in Soil
Geostatistics (8 papers), the other one was entitled Advances in Soil Survey
using Modern Tools (6 papers). New theoretical procedures and equipment for the
characterization of soil landscapes, soil delineation, temporal and spatial
soil variability analysis, and graphical representation of this variability
were discussed. Together, these two meetings, through the papers given here,
give a good representation of the state-of-the-art in quantitative soil
resource assessment at the end of the twentieth century.
Price: NLG 364.00, plus VAT.
Orders to: Elsevier Science, P.O. Box 211, 1000 AE
Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Fax: +31-20-4853432. E-mail: nlinfo-f@elsevier.nl.
Or: Elsevier Science, P.O. Box 945, New York, NY 10159-0945, USA. Fax:
+1-212-633-3680. E-mail: usinfo-f@elsevier.com. Homepage: www.elsevier.nl
Fire
and Sustainable Agricultural and Forestry Development in Eastern Indonesia and
Over the past decade or so there has been growing
recognition of the impacts, both environmental and political, of biomass
burning in the wet forests of Sumatra, Kalimantan an Irian Jaya (Papua) in
Indonesia. This has translated into considerable research effort in these
regions, particularly in the last few years. In contrast, much less attention
has been given to annual, mostly prescribed burning practices and associated
land management issues, across the extensive savanna landscapes of the eastern
Indonesian archipelago, the Transfly region of Irian Jaya and Papua New Guinea,
and northern Australia. Scant documentation is available concerning the extent
of burning in different regions, traditional and contemporary practices, and
impacts and benefits of fire management in eastern Indonesian cultural
settings. A Workshop was held in Darwin from 13-15 April 1999 to discuss these
issues, and the present proceedings comprise 26 papers given at the Workshop
and the summaries of the discussion group sessions.
Requests to: ACIAR, G.P.O. Box 1571, Canberra, ACT
2601, Australia. Fax: +61-6-2170501. E-mail: aciar@aciar.gov.au.
Homepage: www.aciar.gov.au
Soil
Physics. Agricultural and
Environmental Applications. H. Don Scott. Iowa State University Press, Ames,
2000, x + 421 p. ISBN 0-8138-2087-1. Hardcover.
This textbook is concerned with the physical
properties of soils and how they affect other soil properties, the transport of
water, heat, solutes, and oxygen in soil, and soil water and its impact on
plant growth and development. This book will enable the student to understand
how the soil, plant and engineering sciences utilize knowledge of soil physical
behavior and to develop the mathematical and quantitative skills needed to
solve applied problems in soil science. Emphasis is placed on understanding how
soil physical properties have an impact on agriculture, natural resources, and
the environment. To achieve this goal, considerable use is made of elementary
concepts of physics, mathematics and statistics, which are needed to quantify
amounts and rates of processes in soil systems. In most cases, conservation
laws and rate equations are used to account for the spatial and temporal
distributions of mass and energy in soil systems. These are the basic
underlying threads throughout the book and should result in a greater
appreciation and understanding of the physical processes that influence soil
behavior. Each chapter includes definitions, essential terms and concepts, and
an overview of the principles, and practical importance of the topic. Many
examples and problems, mostly related to field situations are included.
Price: USD 62.95.
Orders to: Iowa State University Press, 2121 South
State Street, Ames, Iowa 50014-8300, USA. Fax: +1-515-292-3348. Homepage: www.isupress.edu
World
Water Vision. Making Water Everybody’s Business. W.J. Cosgrove and F.R. Rijsberman. Earthscan
Publications, London, 2000, xxvii + 108 p. ISBN 1-85383-730-X. Softcover. Plus
CD-ROM.
The world is experiencing a water crisis. More than
one billion people do not have access to safe drinking water, and half of the
world’s people do not have access to adequate sanitation. Without change, many
parts of the world will not have enough water to produce food for growing
populations-with enormous human and political implications. Degraded ecosystems
and lost biodiversity are already a reality in many places, and may threaten
the way of life of future generations. The water crisis is a crisis of
management. At its heart is the question of whether water can be used more
efficiently. The greater our productivity with the same amount of water, the
less the need for infrastructure development, the less the competition for
water, the greater the local food security, the more water for agricultural,
industrial, and household uses, and the better for the environment. This
publication shows that the water crisis need not deepen and intensify. Alarming
trends can be reversed and the use and development of water resources made
sustainable. Success will require an integrated approach to the management of
highly complex systems. This publication is the product of the most
comprehensive analysis of the world’s water resources ever undertaken. Based on
contributions from thousands of experts involved in regional, national and
sector consultations, it provides an authoritative diagnosis of water resources
and the pressures on them, and lays out the steps we must take. The
accompanying CD-ROM contains all the background documents produced during the
World Water Vision exercise: thousands of pages of regional and sector
scenarios, special studies, newsletters and information sheets.
Price: GBP 12.95, plus packing and postage.
Orders to: see below.
Global
Environmental Outlook 2000 (GEO-2000). United Nations Environment Programme. Earthscan
Publications, London, 2000, 432 p. ISBN 1-85383-588-9 softcover; 1-85383-587-0
hardcover.
This comprehensive and authoritative review and
analysis of environmental conditions around the world is based on information
provided by more than 30 regional and international collaborating centres.
GEO-2000 is written in clear, non-technical language, supported throughout by
informative graphics and tables, and it will be the benchmark reference and
guide to the state of the global environment. Chapter 1 describes the main
drivers of environmental change, such as the economy, population growth,
political organization and regionalization. Chapter 2 provides a global and region-by-region
overview of the environment at the end of the second millennium. The chapter
covers global issues such as ozone, climate change, El Niño, and nitrogen
loading, and universal issues of land and food, forests, biodiversity,
freshwater, marine and coastal areas, atmosphere and urban areas. In Chapter
Price: softcover GBP 20.00; hardcover GBP 50.00, plus
packing and postage.
Orders to: Earthscan, 120 Pentonville Road, London N1
9BR, UK. Fax: +44-20-7278-1142. E-mail: earthinfo@earthsan.co.uk. Homepage: www.earthscan.co.uk
Sistemas de Uso de la Tierra en los Trópicos Húmedos y la Emisión y
Secuestro de CO2. Informes sobre recursos mundiales de suelos 88. FAO, Roma, 2000, 98 p. ISBN 92-5-304412-8. ISSN
1020-430X. (cobertura flexible)
Precio: USD 16.00.
Pedidos: véase abajo.
Orders to: national sales agents of FAO publications.
Or: Sales and Marketing Group, Information Division, FAO, Viale delle Terme di
Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy. Fax: +39-6-5705-3360. E-mail: publications-sales@fao.org. Homepage: www.fao.org
Land Resources Information
Systems for Food Security in SADC Countries. Proceedings of a subregional workshop held in Harare,
Zimbabwe, 3-5 November 1999. World Soil Resources Reports 89. FAO, Rome, 2000,
78 p. ISBN 92-5-104427-9. ISSN 0532-0488. Softcover.
The purpose of the workshop, the first of its kind in
the SADC subregion, was to promote land resources information systems (LRIS)
and their application in the assessment, mapping and monitoring of land in
relation to food production and food security in the SADC countries. The
meeting was attended by senior land resources specialists from the region, and
from some other countries. This publication contains the proceedings, including
group reviews of some discussed items, the workshop recommendations, and a plan
of action.
Price: USD 12.00.
Orders to: national sales agents of FAO publications.
Or: Sales and Marketing Group, Information Division, FAO, Viale delle Terme di
Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy. Fax: +39-6-5705-3360. E-mail: publications-sales@fao.org. Homepage: www.fao.org
Land Resource Potential and
Constraints at Regional and Country Levels. World Soil Resources Reports
For many years, FAO has been building up information
and has published about the world’s land resources. This started with the
preparation and publication of the Soil Map of the World in the 1960’s, more
recently made available in digitized form. At an early stage it was realized
that in order to evaluate land potential, data on soils and landforms must be
combined with the analysis of climate. Estimates of land degradation, and of
potential arable land have been added to the range of information. The purpose
of the present report is to provide an overview of the physical resource data
presently available. Specific objectives are: (1) to indicate the relative
extent of physical resource limitations to agriculture and other forms of land
use, with a focus on the national level; (2) to highlight areas which call for
the treatment or management of specific land resource constraints, so that
regional or national action plans can be better focused on specific problems;
and (3) to indicate the limitations of the data, and hence the priority needs
for improved information. The coverage is global and in all, 160 countries are
evaluated, omitting very small countries for reasons of data unreliability at a
world scale. The results reported in this innovative approach at a world scale
are first approximations. It is stated that there is an urgent need to improve
the reliability of the data. This can only be done through more detailed
studies by national resource survey organizations. An interesting study, which
needs a wide circulation!
Price: USD 14.00.
Orders to: national sales agents of FAO publications.
Or: Sales and Marketing Group, Information Division, FAO, Viale delle Terme di
Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy. Fax: +39-6-5705-3360. E-mail: publications-sales@fao.org. Homepage: www.fao.org
The
European Soil Information System. Proceedings of a Technical Consultation, Rome, Italy,
2-3 September 1999. World Soil Resources Reports 91. FAO, Rome, 2000, vii + 150
p. ISBN 92-5-104454-6. ISSN 0532-0488. Softcover.
This publication forms the proceedings of a technical
consultation, held in Rome, 2-3 September 1999, and sponsored by FAO and the
European Commission. The meeting was convened to consider the various issues
related to soils information systems in Europe. The participating experts in
the field of soil information gave oral statements on the status of available
soil information in their respective countries and the more detailed accounts
are included in these proceedings. Important items discussed also were the
harmonization of the concepts underlying mapping scales, procedures and
classification, and interpretation and the issues related to data ownership and
availability of the data. It was agreed that the national soil survey
organizations remain the owners of the data, but that the Soils and Terrain
(SOTER) database at a scale of 1 to 5 million could be released in the public
domain.
Price: USD 18.00.
Orders to: national sales agents of FAO publications.
Or: Sales and Marketing Group, Information Division, FAO, Viale delle Terme di
Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy. Fax: +39-6-5705-3360. E-mail: publications-sales@fao.org. Homepage: www.fao.org
Hydrogeologisches Wörterbuch.
Chr. Adam, W. Glässer und B.
Hölting. Enke im Georg Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart, New York, 2000, 311 S. ISBN
3-13-118271-7.
Vorliegendes Wörterbuch enthält Fachbegriffe, die im
Zusammenhang mit hydrogeologischen Arbeiten unter Einbeziehung
wissenschaftlicher Nachbardisziplinen stehen. Dabei handelt es sich vor allem um Begriffe zum
Wasserkreislauf, d.h. zur Entstehung, Verbreitung und Beschaffenheit von
Gewässern sowie deren Nutzung und Schutz. Hierzu gehören auch Begriffe mit
Bezügen zur Umwelt, zur Verfahrenstechnik der Wasserwirtschaft und zum Bergbau.
Die Begriffe wurden nach ihrem Verständnis in der aktuellen Literatur, in
Normen, Richtlinien, Regeln, Arbeits- und Merkblättern, nach ihrer
wasserwirtschaftlichen und wasserrechtlichen Anwendung definiert. Das
Wörterbuch mit 5000 Stichwörter ist gleichermassen für Wissenschaftler,
Praktiker und hydrogeologisch interessierte Laien in Deutschland, aber auch für
das gesamte deutschsprachige Ausland bestimmt.
Preis:
DEM 69,80, ATS 510,00, CHF 63,50, EUR 35,69.
Bestellungen an: Georg Thieme Verlag, Rüdigerstrasse 14,
D-70469 Stuttgart, Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Fax: +49-711-8931-298. E-mail:
kunden.service@thieme.de. Homepage: www.thieme.de
Interactive
North-South Research. International Conference, December 16, 1999. Royal
Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, 2000, 104 p. ISBN
90-6984-288-2. Softcover.
Knowledge is the driver of economic and social
development all over the world. In this era new information and communication
technologies allow a much more rapid exchange of information than ever before
in history. In the developed world, the information age appears to lead to
different patterns of economic growth and to changes in the social fabric. Many
questions are raised concerning the role of research in such a rapidly changing
modern society. The central question of the meeting entitled North-South
Research, with special attention for Natural Resource Management, is how the
changing role of research in societies from the North affects the interaction
with researchers from the South, and their relations with stakeholders. All
over the world profound developments are taking place in research on Natural
Resource Management. In this report, four case studies are presented, of which
two are related to soils. The essential elements of the discussion and general
conclusions are also given.
Orders to: KNAW, P.O. Box 19121, 1000 GC Amsterdam,
The Netherlands. Fax: +31-20-6204941. E-mail: knaw@bureau.knaw.nl. Homepage: www.knaw.nl
Global
Climate Change and Cold Regions Ecosystems. Advances in Soil Science. R. Lal, J.M. Kimble and
B.A. Stewart, editors. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, London, 2000, 265 p. ISBN
1-56670-459-6. Hardcover.
Cold ecosystems comprise arctic, subarctic, alpine and
antarctic regions, boreal forests, and peatlands. The total C pool in soils of
these regions represent 16.4% of the global soil C pool for the tundra region
and 25.6% of the global C pool for the soils of the boreal forest ecoregion.
These ecosystems have been a net sink of C in the past; they may become a major
source due to anthropogenic activities in the region and elsewhere in other
ecosystems. The database on total C pools in soils of these ecoregions is
sketchy, and little is known about the C dynamics and its impact on the global
C cycle. In the event of global warming, these ecoregions are anticipated to
undergo the most significant increases in the mean annual temperature. This drastic
increase could substantially increase the depth of the soil’s active layer. The
information on soil organic carbon for these ecosystems is limited. Potential
environmental change is likely to influence this large C pool, and little is
known about the net effects of two opposing scenarios on the global carbon
cycle and agricultural productivity. An international workshop was organized in
1998 to discuss these issues. This volume is based on the presented papers. The
17 chapters are organized into four thematic sections. Section I (6 chapters)
deals with soil C pools in different ecoregions. Section II (5 chapters) deals
with the impact of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on soil C pool and
other properties. Section III (5 chapters) deals with method of assessment of C
and other properties of soils of the cold ecoregions. Section IV contains a
synthesis chapter and discusses the fate of C in soils of cold regions, and
research and development priorities.
Price: USD 69.95.
Orders to: see below.
Global
Climate Change and Tropical Ecosystems. Advances in Soil Science. R. Lal, J.M. Kimble and
B.A. Stewart, editors. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, London, 2000, 438 p. ISBN
1-56670-485-5. Hardcover.
This book is based on some papers presented at the
workshop Carbon Pools and Dynamics in Tropical Ecosystems, held in Belem,
Brazil, in December 1997. Some additional papers were selected to form part of
this book. The objectives of the
workshop were to: (1) assess C pool in soils and biomass of tropical ecosystems;
(2) evaluate the magnitude of C flux from natural and managed ecosystems; (3)
determine the impact of anthropogenic activities, land use and land cover, and
management on C pools and fluxes; (4) evaluate carbon dynamics in tropical
ecosystems in relation to soil quality and agricultural productivity; and (5)
identify methodological and modeling potentials and constraints to determine C
pools and fluxes at different scales. A total of 25 reviewed papers,
representing data on C pools and fluxes from case studies in 12 countries in
Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific are arranged in seven sections. The
last section is a concluding chapter that summarizes the discussion of all
sections, identifies knowledge gaps and prioritizes research and development
issues.
Price: USD 69.95.
Orders to: see below.
Global
Climate Change and Pedogenic Carbonates. Advances in Soil Science. R. Lal, J.M. Kimble, H.
Eswaran and B.A. Stewart, editors. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, London, 2000,
305 p. ISBN 1-56670-458-8. Hardcover.
The global soil carbon pool is the third largest pool
after oceanic and geologic pools, and consists of two components: soil organic
carbon (SOC) and soil inorganic carbon
(SIC). The role of SIC, comprising lithogenic and
pedogenic inorganic carbon, is neither properly understood nor widely
recognized. This book is about the magnitude, dynamics, principles and factors
affecting SIC and pedogenic inorganic carbon in relation to the global C cycle.
It is based on presentations at the first of three workshops, held in Tunis in
October 1997. Five parts contain 18 chapters. Part I (four chapters) deals with
basic concepts. Part II (three chapters) deals with analytical methods. Part
III (eight chapters) discusses the dynamics of secondary carbonates. Part IV
(two chapters) deals with management impacts
on pedogenic carbon, while the last part contains recommendations and
draws conclusions. The book collates and synthesizes the available information
on the topic, identifies some important knowledge gaps, and prioritizes
research and development needs.
Price: USD 69.95.
Orders to: In Americas, Asia, India, Australasia: CRC
Press LLC, 2000 N.W. Corporate Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33431-9868, USA. Fax:
+1-561-989-8732. E-mail: orders@crcpress.com. Homepage: www.crcpress.com. In
Europe, Africa, Middle East: CRC Press, Turpin Distribution Services,
Blackhorse Road, Letchworth, Herts SG6 1HN, UK. Fax: +44-1462-483011. E-mail: custservturpin@rsc.org
Reclaimed
Land. Erosion Control, Soils and
Ecology. Land Reconstruction and Management, volume 1. M.J. Haigh, editor. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam and
Brookfield, 2000, xiv + 385 p. ISBN 90-5410-793-6. Hardcover. Series ISSN
1389-2541.
This volume is the first in a series that aims to
publicise work being done to restore lands that have been damaged by human
actions and to manage lands in ways that minimise the damages done by human
actions. Each volume explores a particular land management problem from the
perspective of the applied scientist and progressive practitioner. The level
will lie between the research literature and the advanced textbooks. This book
covers an array of key issues within current thinking on the conservation of
land that has been reclaimed after surface mining for coal. The huge tracks of
degrading and low quality reclaimed land testify to the need to consider land
reclamation as a continuing process. This book’s authors argue that this
process continues until the ‘reclaimed land’ attains a condition of
self-sustaining self-control. Assembled by a seven-nation team, this book
attempts to review the applied research and practical experience that is
available to those striving to increase the durability and self-sustainability
of reclaimed lands.
Price: EUR 85.00, plus VAT. (EUR 1.00 is about USD 0.90).
Orders to: A.A. Balkema, P.O. Box 1675, NL-3000 BR
Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Fax: +31-10-4135947. E-mail: balkema@balkema.nl. In USA
and Canada: A.A. Balkema Publishers, Old Post Road, Brookfield, VT 05036-9704,
USA. Fax: +1-802-276-3837. E-mail: info@ashgate.com.
Homepage: www.balkema.nl
Soil
Biochemistry Volume 10. J.-M. Bollag and G. Stotzky, editors. Marcel Dekker,
New York and Basel, 2000, xi + 519 p. ISBN 0-8247-8834-5. Hardcover.
A major goal of this well-established series is to
provide up-to-date reviews on the factors that influence a spectrum of
biological, biogeochemical, edaphic, and ecological phenomena in soil, most of
which have a biochemical basis. From a practical viewpoint, as well as from the
vantagepoint of basic science, there is a need to characterize and explore
further soil biochemical factors. Increased knowledge of soil biochemistry will
also contribute to improving the quality of soil and to increasing food
production. The variety of topics in the present tenth volume shows the
multidisciplinary nature of soil biochemistry. The topics discussed range from
anaerobic microbiology in rice fields, to anaerobic degradation of specific
pesticides, to the use of fungi in environmental remediation, to the genetic
ecology of Bradyrhizobium; from new extraction techniques for humic materials
and bound residues, to sorption of enzymes on surfaces and its effects on
enzyme activity. The adequacy of the plate and other methods for characterizing
microorganisms in soil is discussed in several chapters. There is also a chapter on the relation of
soil biology and biochemistry to archaeology.
Price: USD 195.00.
Orders to: Marcel Dekker, 270 Madison Avenue, New
York, NY 10016, USA. Fax: +1-212-685-4540. Eastern hemisphere: Marcel Dekker,
Postfach 812, CH-4001 Basel, Switzerland. Fax: +41-61-261-8896. Homepage: www.dekker.com
Managing
Soils in an Urban Environment. Agronomy number 39. J.M. Bartels, managing editor,
R.B. Brown, J.H. Huddleston and J.L. Anderson, co-editors. American Society of
Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America,
Madison, 2000, xvii + 296 p. ISBN 0-89118-143-1. Hardcover.
Soils have provided and continue to provide the
sustenance of humankind. Soils and their connections to the rise and fall of
ancient as well as modern civilizations are well documented. However, in the
last decade, the number of urban dwellers has exceeded the number of tillers of
the land on a global basis. Urbanization and associated land use and soil
management issues have created new domains for soil scientists and agronomists.
Increasingly, understanding of the occurrence, distribution, nature, and
appropriate management of soils for roads, houses, buildings and other
human-engineered artificial environments is of concern to soil scientists, land
managers, environmental scientists, and biologists. Challenges extend to the
determination and fostering of appropriate use of urban soils for waste
disposal, pest management, erosion and sediment control, construction, and minimization
of radon risk. This volume in the Agronomy series is an assembly of ten
writings on the application of soil science and related disciplines to a
breadth of land, soil, water and biological problems occurring in the
urban/suburban environment.
Price: USD 55.00, including postage for outside the
United States.
Orders to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Headquarters Office, Attn:
Book Order Department, 677 South Segoe Road, Madison, WI 53711-1086, USA. Fax:
+1-608-273-2021. E-mail: books@agronomy.org. Homepage: www.agronomy.org
Ecology
and Management of
Forests can be viewed from a range of perspectives,
all of which are based on soils. Forest productivity is a story that centers on
photosynthesis and plant growth, but plant biochemistry is supported by
nutrient cycles that are essentially a soil story. Within a region, patterns in
soil productivity result from spatial variations in soils. The diversity of
plant species in forests is largely a soils story as well; across landscapes,
the patters in vegetation are typically modified (or even controlled) by
patterns in soils. More than 99 percent of the diversity of life in forest
ecosystems resides in soils, where amazingly small, numerous, and important
organisms make the rest of the ecosystem possible. In this book, the authors
try to convey the key features of soil ecology that are critical to successful
management.
This book is an amalgamation, update, and substantial
expansion of two books (Forest Soils: properties and management by Pritchett
and Fisher, and Forest Nutrition Management by Binkley). Major changes include
a worldwide perspective (rather than a North American focus), more chemistry,
greater breadth and depth of case studies, and more synthesis of patterns
around the world.
Price: GBP 70.95.
Orders to: John Wiley & Sons, Customer Services
Dept., 1 Oldlands Way, Bognor Regis, West Sussex PO22 9SA, UK. Fax: +44-1243-843296.
E-mail: cs.books@wiley.co.uk. In USA, Latin America and the Caribbean: John Wiley
& Sons, Distribution Center, 1 Wiley Drive, Somerset, NJ 08875-1272, USA.
Fax: +1-732-302-2300. E-mail: bookinfo@wiley.com. Homepage: www.wiley.com
The
Biological Management of Soil Fertility. Special issue of the Netherlands Journal of
Agricultural Sciences, vol. 48, number 1, June 2000, pages 1-124. Royal Society
for Agricultural Sciences, Wageningen. ISSN 0028-2928.
Upland soils in the humid tropics of Southeast Asia
are among the least fertile the region. Farming communities are often poor and
remote from infrastructure and development. Consequently improvement of soils
with fertilizers is difficult and good prices for produce often hard to obtain.
The most obvious way for farmers to improve their lot is to adapt cropping
systems to make maximum use of the resources available. Crop residues can be
recycled and use can be made of soil and water for as long as possible
throughout the year. Leguminous crops can be grown, cover crops and hedgerow
trees can be introduced. The biological management of soil fertility project
(BMSF), funded by the European Union, sought to quantify both the immediate
benefits of improved cropping systems and organic matter inputs to crop
nutrition as well as the contribution of long term maintenance of soil organic
matter and fertility. The research was carried out in Indonesia and Thailand.
The articles describe the improved cropping systems: their benefit in terms of
yield, the methodology developed and validated as a tool to evaluate this
benefit, analyses of the longevity of additions of organic matter to soil, and
detailed descriptions of the social climate and farmers’ attitudes to cropping
and economic benefit. The issue closes with a synthesis of the project and the
main conclusions.
Price: NLG 30.00.
Orders to: Royal Society for Agricultural Sciences,
P.O. Box 79, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands. Fax: +31-317-483976.
Homepage: www.gcw.nl/kiosk/njas
Consequences
of Land Use Changes. Advances
in Ecological Sciences, vol. 5. Ü. Mander and R.H.G. Jongman, editors. WIT Press,
Southampton and Boston, 2000, 314 p. ISBN 1-85312-650-0. ISSN 1369-8273.
Hardcover.
The objectives of the
recently established International Series on Advances in Ecological Sciences is
to provide information on basic applied research and practical applications of
a wide range of topics related to Ecology. The books are concerned with the
state-of-the-art information on ecological problems and as such comprise
several volumes every year covering the latest developments and applications.
The aim is to encourage and facilitate interdisciplinary communication amongst
scientists, engineers, economists and professionals working in the different
areas of ecological research and applications.
The cultural landscapes of Europe are the result of
thousands of years of human impact. As a product of human intervention in
natural processes, landscapes have always been changing. Both intensive and
extensive land uses are expressed in the structure of the land, the size of the
parcels and the area of natural and semi-natural vegetation that is present.
Europe’s changing borders since 1989 and the vanishing boundaries within the
European Union are not only political and economic, but have also resulted in
intensive landscape changes. The task for landscape ecologists,
conservationists, planners, decision makers and others involved in the
processes influencing landscape changes is to find optimal ways for maintaining
landscape diversity. Many of the problems related to land use changes were
discussed during the Ecological and Socio-economic Consequences of Land Use
Changes symposium at the VII International Congress of Ecology. The reviewed
and edited papers presented at the symposium are published under two sections:
the first considers main concepts, methods and monitoring, and the second
consequences of land use changes in different countries around the world.
Price: GBP 96.00, USD 157.00.
Orders to: see below.
Landscape
Perspectives of Land Use Changes.
Advances in Ecological Sciences, volume 6. Ü. Mander and R.H.G. Jongman,
editors. WIT Press, Southampton and Boston, 2000, 209 p. ISBN 1-85312-848-1.
ISSN 1369-8273. Hardcover.
Landscapes have always reflected changing populations,
fluctuating needs and evolving technologies. This volume presents a variety of
scenarios for the development of landscapes. A wide spectrum of land use
intensity is considered, from urbanised landscapes in Madrid and The
Netherlands, to marginal and remote areas in Estonia. The research papers and
case studies featured in this volume were also presented at the VII
International Congress of Ecology. They are mostly concerned with Europe, but
also contain papers from Japan and the USA.
Price: GBP 79.00, USD 126.00
Orders to: WIT Press, Ashurst Lodge, Ashurst,
Southampton, SO40 7AA, UK. Fax: +44-238-0292853. E-mail: witpress@witpress.com.
Homepage: www.witpress.com
Managing
Soil Fertility in the Tropics. A Resource
Guide for Participatory Learning and Action Research. T. Defoer and A. Budelman, editors. KIT Press, Amsterdam, 2000. ISBN 90-6832-128-
The main aim of this set of publications is to give
field workers practical advice on how to work with farmers to improve soil
fertility management. It offers advice on efficient ways of managing all
possible sources of soil fertility – in other words, integrated soil fertility
management.
The very well produced set of information comes in
five parts:
Part 1. Building common knowledge: Participatory
learning and action research. T. Defoer, A. Budelman, C. Toulmin and S.E.
Carter. 208 p. Softcover.
This first part can be used to generate and manage
knowledge related to soil fertility. Different stakeholders generally have
different types of knowledge and understanding; ”common” knowledge for farmers
is not necessarily ”common” for scientists or development workers, and vice
versa. When effective collaboration is essential to improve rural living
conditions, including soil fertility, it is necessary to build bridges between
knowledge domains. This textbook can help to achieve constructing bridges for
example by using nutrient flow analysis. It begins by demystifying concepts and
theories of system diversity, and creating frameworks for the analysis of
farming situations. At the heart of the book is a structured process called
participatory learning and action research (PLAR). PLAR takes place within
farming communities. Based on an analysis of farmers’ current management
practices, it continues with step-wise planning, experimentation and evaluation
of improvements. Parts 3 and 5 of the Resource Guide present details of eleven
methodological Tools that can be used in the process. A brief outline of
procedures for storing and using information gathered during PLAR is given.
This can be used to calculate nutrient flows and balances with the software
package in Parts 4 and 5. Part 2. PLAR and resource flow analysis in practice.
Case studies from Benin, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali and Tanzania. A. Budelman and T
Defoer, editors. 192 p. Softcover. This part brings together several case
studies that show the wide variety of farming systems in the savanna and
highland areas of Su-Saharan Africa. They may be used as a point of reference
when analysing other farming systems, and are also meant to show the reader how
the PLAR approach can stimulate and facilitate change. These case studies also
chart the development and use of nutrient flow analysis (NFA), which was
developed to help scientists analyse the farming situation in more detail. Part 3. Field tools for participatory
learning and action research. T. Defoer. This part provides eleven tools, to be
used in the field during a participatory learning and action process with farmers.
These are presented on a set of laminated cards that give an overview of
guidelines for setting up and implementing fieldwork with farmers. They outline
procedures, topics for discussion, and an example for investigating and
analysing the topics. More detailed information is given in Part 5. Part 4.
CD-ROM: ResourceKIT (software package) and Detailed Field Tools (electronic
version). The CD-ROM has two sections.
The first is a user-friendly software package called the ResourceKIT, which
makes it easier to manage data gathered from the maps drawn by farmers. It can
be used on a laptop computer, and provides a framework for analysing and
presenting data in the form of nutrient flows and balances at farm level. The
second section provides electronic versions of the Detailed Field Tools that
can also be found in Part 5. Part 5. Detailed field tools for PLAR/User Guide
to the ResourceKIT. The first section of this part gives detailed versions of
each Field Tool, mentioned in Part 3. For most tools this includes a set of
detailed interview forms and recording forms. The user can either adapt these
forms to their own circumstances or use them as a source of ideas for designing
new forms. The forms are also on the CD-ROM, so that they can be copied and
modified. The Royal Tropical Institute, in collaboration with IIED, IER, FAO
and CTA publishes this excellent resource guide.
Price: NLG 250.00, USD 100.00, plus handling and
postage.
Orders to: KIT Press, P.O. Box 95001,
Agriculture,
Fertilizers and the Environment. M. Laegreid, O.C. Bockman and O. Kaarstad. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, in association with
Norsk Hydro ASA, Oslo, 2000, xxiv + 294 p.
ISBN 0-85199-385-3. Softcover.
The purpose of this book is to provide a balanced
scientific review of the environmental and sustainability issues relating to
fertilizer use and how its environmental impact can be minimized. It is divided
into three parts. Part 1 introduces the challenge of producing enough food for
the growing world population, discusses the role and sources of plant nutrients
in crop growth, and gives a general overview of the constraints on and
opportunities for sustainable food production. Part 2 deals with the principles
of soil productivity and its maintenance, the individual plant nutrients, their
utilization, and the direct and indirect environmental and sustainability
issues consequent on their use as mineral fertilizers. Part 3 outlines ands
summarizes challenges and opportunities for increasing cereal production and
agricultural sustainability in major food-producing regions. It is concluded
that food production can be increased on a sustainable basis, provided economic
policies are pursued that makes sustainable management possible and attractive
to farmers. The book ends with an extensive summary and list of conclusions.
Price: GBP 22.50, USD 40.00, plus VAT and postage.
Orders to: In USA and Mexico: CABI Publishing, 10 East 40th Street,
Suite 3203, New York, NY 10010, USA. Fax: +1-212-686-7993. E-mail: cabi-nao@cabi.org.
Homepage: www.oup-usa.org. Elsewhere:
CABI Publishing, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8DE, UK. Fax: +44-1491-829292.
E-mail: orders@cabi-org. Homepage: www.cabi.org
Climate
Change, Climatic Variability and Agriculture in
This publication provides a thorough assessment of the
potential impacts of climatic change on selected crops in Europe. The study,
carried out by fifteen research institutes in ten member countries of the EU
and one eastern European research centre, had four main aims: (1) to improve
the performance of existing mechanistic crop models, with particular emphasis
on climatic extremes and yield quality, through experimentation; (2) to develop
methodologies for scaling-up site-based crop models to the regional, national
and continental scales; (3) to advance research on four crop types: a cereal
(wheat), a legume (soya bean), a perennial fruit crop (grapevine), and a tuber
(potato); and (4) to investigate the impacts of anthropogenic climate change on
crop development, growth, yield and yield quality at a hierarchy of modeling
scales. Previous research in the CLAIRE project (Climate Change and Agriculture
in Europe: Assessment and Impacts and Adaptations), is also available as a report
from the editors. This assessment of methodologies and impacts will provide
informed input to the scientific, political and economic debates regarding
appropriate strategies to adapt to climate changes and to mitigate the impacts
on food supply and agricultural livelihoods. The report is relevant for all
that are concerned with climate change, agriculture, scaling-up techniques and
land use.
Orders to: The Administrator, Environmental Change
Institute, University of Oxford, 1a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TB, UK. Fax:
+44-1865-281181. Homepage: www.eci.ox.ac.uk
Micronutrients: Their
Behaviour in Soils and Plants. D.K. Das.
Kalyani Publishers, Ludhiana,
India, 2000, 307 p., ISDN 81-7663-550-2. Soft cover.
The book deals with essential micronutrients for
plants (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, B, Mo, Cl), elements indirectly associated with plant
nutrition (Si, Co, Na, V), micronutrient pollution and soil and plant tissue
testing for micronutrients within nine chapters. Special emphasis has been
given to the discussion of the behaviour of micronutrients in soils and plants,
including their chemistry of transformation, interaction with other nutrients
and further parameters which play a role in plant nutrition and crop responses.
The book was basically written for graduate and
post-graduate students of agriculture, as well as for researchers in the
various fields of biological and environmental sciences, with some basic
knowledge in soil science, plant physiology and biochemistry.
Price: 125 Indian Rupies
Orders
to: Kalyani Publishers,
Wege zum vorsorgenden Bodenschutz. Fachliche Grundlagen und konzeptionelle
Schritte für eine erweiterte Boden-Vorsorge, G. Bachmann und H.W. Thoenes, (Hrsg.), Reihe:
Bodenschutz und Altlasten, Band 8, 213 Seiten, 14,4x21 cm, kartoniert, 2000 –
ISBN 3 503 05867 2. Vorliegende Publikation basiert auf einem Gutachten des
Wissenschaftlichen Beirates Bodenschutz beim deutschen Bundesministerium für
Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit. Die Aufgabe dieses Beirates ist es,
die Vielfalt und Komplexität wissenschaftlicher Betrachtungen des Bodenschutzes
interdisziplinär zusammenzuführen. Vorliegende Broschüre behandelt die vielfältigen
Aspekte des vorsorgenden Bodenschutzes in Deutschland, mit dem Ziel, diese in
Zukunft zu erweitern. Hierbei werden Leitbilder, Leitideen und Grundregeln der
Vorsorge unterschieden. Die hieraus resultierenden Empfehlungen und Vorschläge
sprechen sowohl einzelne Handlungsfelder wie auch Instrumente und
Verfahrensweisen des Bodenschutzes an, die zur Koordinierung der vielfältigen
Aktionsmöglichkeiten erforderlich erscheinen.
Preis: DM 56/öS 409/SFr 50,50/Euro 28,63
Zu
bestellen: Erich Schmidt Verlag, Berlin,
Bielefeld, München, Zweigniederlassung Bielefeld, Viktoriastraße
Sustainable
Development and Integrated Appraisal in a Developing World. N. Lee
and C. Kirkpatrick, editors. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham and Northampton, 2000,
xvi + 250 p. ISBN 1-84064-162-2. Hardbound.
It is widely recognized that sustainable development
can only be achieved if environmental, economic and social issues are combined
in development plans, policies and programmes. This book examines this integrated
approach to the development process, and analyses the theory and practice of
integrating assessment techniques and decision making. The editors begin by
presenting a comprehensive introduction to integrated appraisal in development
strategies as well as outlining issues, which are important for the future
understanding and practical application of integrated appraisal. A group of
authors from a range of disciplinary and country backgrounds then present
alternative perspectives and methods of an integrated approach to sustainable
development, and apply integrated appraisal to a variety of case studies from
developing and transitional countries.
Price: GBP 65.00.
Orders to: Marston Book Services, P.O. Box 269,
Abington, Oxon OX14 4YN, UK. Fax: +44-1235-465555. E-mail: direct.order@marston.co.uk. Homepage: www.e-elgar.co.uk
Nutrients
on the Move. Soil fertility dynamics in
African farming systems.
T. Hilhorst and F. Muchena, editors. International Institute for Environment
and Development, London, 2000, vi + 146 p. ISBN 1-8-99825-56-8. Softcover.
The last decade has witnessed rising concern over the
extent to which soils in Africa are becoming degraded and the threat that this
poses to agricultural production, livelihoods and the environment. Studies of
soil fertility usually present negative nutrient balances at field and farm
level, while households have developed a wide range of appropriate management
practices. Measures to support better soil husbandry need to consider what is
actually happening at farm and field level, how the management of soil
fertility varies between different fields, farmers and locations, and the
implications of this diversity for design of interventions aimed at improving
the management of soil fertility. This book presents case studies of a wide
range of soil fertility management strategies, implemented by small-scale
farmers in six African countries. They underline the importance of niche
management, where certain fields are deliberately nurtured at the expense of
others. They also illustrate the dynamics of soil fertility management and
analyse the factors affecting incentives to maintain and replenish soil
nutrients at farm level. Consideration is given to certain socio-economic and
institutional conditions that may either facilitate or hinder good practice,
and to the requirements needed to increase the effectiveness of policies and
interventions to support farmers.
Price: GBP 12.50, free to non-OECD. Special offer:
this title plus Policies for Soil Fertility Management in Africa (see above),
GBP 18.00.
Orders to: Drylands Programme, IIED, 3 Endleigh
Street, London WC1H 0DD, UK. Fax: +44-207-388-2826. E-mail: drylands@iied.org.
Homepage: www.iied.org
Managing Africa’s Soils. This series of discussion papers has been launched
in 1998 as part of a project entitled Networking on Soil Fertility Management:
Improving Soil Fertility in Africa-Nutrient Networks and Stakeholder
Perceptions (NUTNET). The project brings together several research programmes
working on soil fertility management in Sub-Saharan Africa. Activities include
research on farmer management of soil fertility and understanding of the
perceptions of different stakeholders towards how best to improve soils
management. The series will from now on be continued under the INCO-concerted
action programme Enhancing Soil Fertility in Africa: from Field to
Policy-maker, which builds on the work done by NUTNET and received funding from
the European Union.
For a list of publications, and information about the
programme, please contact Mrs. Thea Hilhorst, IIED-Drylands Programme, 4
Hanover Street, Edinburgh EH2 2EN, UK. Fax: +44-131-624-7050. E-mail:
thea.hilhorst@iied.org. Homepage: www.iied.org.
Groundtruthing. New
perspectives on soil erosion and conservation in the Tropics. W.R.S. Critchley. Thesis, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam,
2000, vii + 199 p. Softcover.
Groundtruthing literally means to verify, through
ground level study, what is unclear or ambiguous when seen from the air. In
this thesis the term is used metaphorically to portray investigations, on the
ground, which aim to develop new perspectives on soil erosion and conservation
in the tropics. The author has been involved in research and development
aspects of natural resource management for over 25 years, mainly in Africa and
Asia. The point of departure for the research reported in this thesis is the
change that has come about in the thinking about land degradation, erosion and
conservation in the developing tropics over the last twenty-five years. The
research sought to: (1) investigate the technical and development potential for
building on traditions of soil and water conservation (SWC); (2) develop
innovative methodologies for monitoring erosion under SWC structures; (3)
review and analyse the impact of terraces in tropical steeplands: and (4) offer
recommendations for future development and associated research in these fields.
The thesis is composed of an introduction, six self-standing papers on research
carried out in Africa and Indonesia, an overview and synthesis section on
terracing in Asia and Africa, and a summary.
Requests to: Dr. W.R.S. Critchley, CDCS/International
Cooperation Centre, Resource Development Unit, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan
1115, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Fax: +31-20-444-9095. E-mail: wrs.critchley@dienst.vu.nl
Land Resources Information
Systems for Food Security in SADC Countries. World Soil Resources Reports 89. FAO, Rome, 2000, vi
+ 78 p. ISBN 92-5-104427-9. ISSN 0532-0488. Softcover.
This publication forms the proceedings of a
subregional workshop, held in Harare in November 1999. The purpose of the
meeting was to promote land resources information systems and their application
in the assessment, mapping and monitoring of land in relation to food security
in the Southern African region. After a summary report of the meeting and the
recommendations, the publication contains a number of technical papers about
relevant land resources information systems, reviews of advances made in the field
both within the region and outside. A plan of action was made to promote future
reporting and exchange of information, data expertise and experiences in land
information in the region. An inventory of the state of land, water and plant
nutrient resources in the region is of great importance in view of food
security.
Price: USD 12.00.
Orders to: see below.
Land Resource Potential and
Constraints at Regional and Country Levels. World Soil Resources Reports
Nachtergaele and A. Young. FAO, Rome, 2000, viii + 114
p. ISBN 92-5-104429-5. ISSN 0532-0488. Softcover.
It is well known that for many years FAO has been
building up information about the world’s land resources. At an early stage it
was realized that in order to evaluate land potential, data on soils and
landforms must be combined with the analysis of climate. Estimates of land
degradation, and the potential arable land, have been added to the range of
needed information. In recent years, great advances have been made through the
application of electronic data processing, GIS, and modelling. The survey,
analysis and evaluation of land resources information are ongoing tasks. The
purpose of this publication is to provide a worldwide overview at country level
of the physical resource data presently available. Specific objectives are: (1)
to indicate the relative extent of physical resource limitations to agriculture
and other forms of land use; (2) to highlight areas which call for the
treatment or management of specific land resource constraints, so that regional
and national action plans can be better focused on specific problems; and (3)
to indicate the limitations of the data, and hence the priority needs for
improved information. The coverage is worldwide and, in all, 160 countries are
evaluated, omitting very small countries for reasons of data unreliability at a
world scale. In addition tot the analysis of specific kinds of data, some
correlations are made between physical resource constraints, land degradation,
and population, to explore the extent to which intuitive relationships are
confirmed. Although the results must be treated as first approximations, this
is a highly important land resources database. It is stressed that there is an
urgent need to improve the reliability of the data, through more detailed
studies by national resource survey organisations.
Price: USD 14.00.
Orders to: see below.
Land Cover Classification
System – LCCS. Classification
Concepts and User Manual. A. Di Gregorio and L.J.M. Jansen. FAO, Rome, 2000, xi
+ 179 p. ISBN 92-5-104216-0. Softcover. With CD-ROM.
This publication presents a new concept of land cover
classification, which uses a set of independent diagnostic criteria, the
so-called classifiers, rather than being nomenclature based. This approach allows
correlation with existing classifications and legends, so this system could
serve as an international reference base for land cover. The methodology is
applicable at any scale and is comprehensive in the sense that any land cover
identified anywhere in the world can be readily accommodated. The rearrangement
of the land cover classes, based on regrouping of the used classifiers,
facilitates the extensive use of the outputs by a wide variety of end-users.
The Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) has been designed with two main
phases: an initial dichotomous phase, in which eight major land cover types are
defined, followed by a subsequent modular-hierarchical phase, in which land
cover classes are created by the combination of sets of predefined classifiers
tailored to each major land cover type in order to use the most appropriate
classifiers and to reduce the likelihood of impractical combinations of
classifiers. A software program has been developed to assist in land cover
interpretation, thus standardizing this process and contributing to its
consistency. The software contains four modules, comprising classification,
legend, storage of field data and translation/correlation of classes at the
class level or at the level of the classifiers. It also contains a glossary
with definitions of all terms used.
Price: USD 50.00
Orders to: see below.
Manual
on Integrated Soil Management and Conservation Practices. FAO Land and Water Bulletin 8. International
Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, and FAO, Rome. FAO, Rome, 2000, xiii
+ 214 p. ISBN 92-5-104417-1. ISSN 1024-6703. Softcover.
Soil resources depletion is a widespread, direct
threat to the sustainability of agricultural production. Dramatic changes in
soil management concepts are needed to counter this threat. This manual
proposes options for such changes, addressing a broad variety of topics related
to agricultural land management, ranging from chemical and physical attributes
of soils, soil management concepts, mechanization and tillage, mulching and
green manure, erosion control and water management, to concepts of
participative transfer of technologies. Traditional soil management concepts
are analysed and suggestions made to consider more sustainable alternatives for
a conservation-effective agriculture. This manual is based on a training
course, given in 1997, entitled Soil Management and Conservation – Efficient
Tillage Methods for Soil Conservation. The publication serves as a practical
guide that will allow technicians and farmers to jointly discover ways to solve
the problems and the limitations posed by land degradation, especially in Latin
America and Africa. This Bulletin is also available in Spanish.
Price: USD 20.00.
Orders to: national sales agents of FAO publications.
Or: Sales and Marketing Group, Information Division, FAO, Viale delle Terme di
Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy. Fax: +39-6-5705-3360. E-mail:
publications-sales@fao.org. Homepage: www.fao.org
Humic
Substances. Versatile Components of Plants, Soils and Water. E.A.
Ghabbour and G. Davies, editors. Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, 2000, v
+ 341 p. RSC Special Publication No. 259. ISBN 0-85404-855-3. Hardcover.
This book is a companion of the volumes ”Humic
Substances: Structures, Properties and Uses” and ” Understanding Humic
Substances: Advanced Methods, Properties and Applications”, published by the
Royal Society of Chemistry in 1998 and 1999, respectively. The present volume
is based on the proceedings of the Fourth Humic Substances Seminar, held in
March
Price: GBP 79.50.
Orders to: Sales and Customer Care, Royal Society of
Chemistry, Thomas Graham House, Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0WF,
UK. Fax: +44-1223-423429. E-mail: sales@rs.org. In Australia and New Zealand:
DA Information Services, 648 Whitehorse Road, Mitcham VIC 3132, Australia. Fax:
+613-9210-7788. E-mail: service@dadirect.com.au. In North America and Mexico:
Springer-Verlag, P.O. Box 2485, Secausus, NJ 07096-2485, USA. Fax:
+1-201-348-4505. E-mail: sales@springer-ny.com. Homepage: www.rsc.org, or www.chemsoc.org
Moving
Methodologies. Learning
about integrated soil fertility management in sub-Saharan
Soil fertility management in
sub-Saharan Africa is complex, diverse and dynamic. Farmers’ investments are
determined by a large variety of factors, including biophysical characteristics
of the environment, access to resources and the institutional and
socio-economic context of farming and livelihood making. Within this context,
defining soil fertility problems in general terms is not meaningful and
proposing a limited number of standard interventions, aimed at the ‘average’
farmer is of limited value. Site-specific answers are needed, taking into
account the site specificity of the problems. Moreover, to increase their
effectiveness, improved technologies and practices are to be combined in an
integrated way, which necessarily has to take place at the farm level. To do
this, farmers have to be closely involved in developing, adapting and
fine-tuning improvements in order to make use of their practical knowledge of
successfully managing soil fertility. To make this happen, farmers have to be
involved in practical learning processes, which are to become the driving force
of agricultural development. This thesis comprises two volumes. For an
announcement of the first volume, entitled Managing soil fertility in the
tropics, see the end of this review. The present book is volume 2, and contains
an introduction and four chapters. Chapter 2 provides a description of the
research methodologies used. Chapter 3 describes the methodology development
process through the analyses of case studies in Kenya and Mali. The fourth
chapter deals with an impact assessment of participatory action research
conducted in a pilot research site, where the methodology development process
started. Chapter 5 presents a discussion and the conclusions of the thesis.
See also the announcement about Managing Soil Fertility
in the Tropics, edited by T. Defoer and A. Budelman, and published by KIT
Press, Amsterdam, in IUSS Bulletin 98, page 134.
Requests to: Dr. T. Defoer, Mas de Duges, F-82160
Caylus, France. E-mail: tdefoer@wanadoo.fr.
See also the homepage of KIT Press,
Food,
Water and War.
Security in a World of Conflict. Crawford Fund 2000. ACIAR Monograph No. 73.
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Canberra,
2000, 114 p. ISBN 0-64245-023-4. Softcover.
This is the record of a conference conducted by the
Crawford Fund for International Agricultural Research on 15 August
Requests to: Communications Coordinator, ACIAR, GPO
Box 1571, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia. Fax: +61-6-2170501. E-mail: aciar@aciar.gov.au.
Homepage: aciar.gov.au
Vadose
Zone. Science and Technology Solutions. B.B. Looney and R.W. Falta, editors. Battelle Press,
Columbus and Richland, 2000. Volume 1: xxxix + 589 p. Volume 2: xiv + pp
590-1540. ISBN 1-57477-085-3. Hardcover. With CD-ROM.
This two-volume publication constitutes a
comprehensive reference on characterizing and modeling vadose zone systems and
the behavior and cleanup of vadose zone contamination. It documents the
state-of-the-art in vadose science in a practical and useful manner, presenting
technical and scientific issues, challenges, and practical strategies.
Throughout the book and on its companion CD, over 130 case studies illustrate
the scientific issues. Under the editorial direction, this book is a
culmination of over two years’ work, including three workshops, with input,
suggestions and contributions from over one hundred scientists and engineers.
It describes all aspects of comprehensive vadose zone program development,
including basic hydrogeology, characterization, and contaminant behavior. The
book (1) introduces and defines the vadose zone and its contamination,
including a detailed discussion of the physical and chemical processes; (2)
discusses the components needed to formulate a cost-effective and responsible
”comprehensive vadose zone program”; (3) describes baseline and
state-of-the-art vadose zone characterization methods, including tensiometers
and samplers and surface and borehole geophysics; (4) describes the fate and
transport of vadose zone contaminants, including discussions of chemistry,
geology and modeling; (5) documents the state-of-the-art for containment and
remediation of vadose zone contaminants. In all chapters gaps in current
understanding and various solutions of suggestions for filling these gaps are
given. The case studies provide practical field data on specific scientific
issues. They address specific techniques as well as overall chapter topics. The
case studies in the book and on the CD address also sites where characterization,
monitoring, modeling, and cleanup have been integrated. The book is well
illustrated with many figures and tables; all chapters have extensive lists of
references.
Price for two volumes and CD-ROM: USD 95.00, plus
packing and postage.
Orders to: Battelle Press, 505 King Avenue, Columbus,
OH 43201-2693, USA. Fax: +1-614-424-3819. E-mail: press@battelle.org. Homepage:
www.battelle.org/bookstore
The
Method of Response Function in Ecology. Advances in Ecological Sciences, volume 7. Y.A. Pykh
and I.G. Malkina-Pykh. WIT Press, Southampton, 2000, 288 p., plus CD-ROM. ISBN
1-85312-662-4.
This volume presents a new approach to the
construction of ecological models based on a generalized version of the
response function method. Using this, all essential features of ecosystem
processes, such as complexity, unknown mechanisms, multidimensionality,
uncertainty, and irreducibility, can be taken into account. The authors apply
the method to a variety of environmental problems and a CD-ROM containing demonstration
versions of four models discussed is included. The book has the following
contents: Fundamentals of the theory of response function method; ONTOMOD – the
model of ontogenesis in higher plants using soybean as an example; POLMOD.RAD –
the model of 90Sr dynamics in elementary ecosystems; POLMOD.PEST – the model of
pesticides’ dynamics in elementary ecosystems; HUMOD – the model of humus
formation in soils of natural and agricultural ecosystems; and the development
of environmental indices using the method of response function.
Price: GBP 135.00 or USD 198.00.
Orders to: WIT Press, Ashurst, Southampton, SO40 7AA,
UK. Fax: +44-238-029-2853. E-mail: witpress@witpress.com. Homepage:
www.witpress.com. In the USA, Canada and Mexico: Computational Mechanics, 25
Bridge Street, Billerica MA 01821, USA. Fax: +1-978-667-7582. E-mail:
info@compmech.com. Homepage: www.compmech.com.
Linking
Climate Change to Land Surface Change.
Advances in Global Research, volume 6. S.J. McLaren and D.R. Kniveton, editors.
Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Boston, 2000, xii + 264 p. ISBN
0-7923-6638-7. Hardcover.
The relationships that exist between changes in
climate and land surface change are topical issues, but research and
collaboration between researchers from the different disciplines of
climatology, geomorphology and Quaternary sciences, is often hampered by the
different approaches; the incompatibility of scales of involvement (both
spatial and temporal) of the various models used; and by differences of
interest in such topics as mean values for climatic parameters and the
probabilities of extreme events. In terms of approaches there are those
researchers who have tried to model past, present and future climatic changes,
and there are people who have used proxy data (such as sediments and landforms)
to reconstruct past climates. Only relatively recently have attempts been made
to integrate the two distinct approaches. To understand how climate is likely
to change in the future, it is necessary to have an understanding of how
climate has changed in the past in order to identify any underlying trends in
natural climatic change. Many of the studies that use proxies to make
interpretations of past environmental conditions from landforms and other land
surface features, as well as the small scale recent process-based research all
need to be placed in a larger framework to aid our understanding of global
climatic change. Palaeo-reconstructions are needed to provide evidence of past
changes, to help in the comprehension of the responses of terrestrial surfaces
and to help validate predictive models of climatic change. Present day studies
rely on the processes of observation, measurement, as well as modelling. This
book gives a selection of papers on the relationship between climatic change
and land surface change and of the different approaches that have been
undertaken to address the many issues involved. It highlights the importance of
multidisciplinary research over different timescales and from the scale of
local catchment studies to global processes. Recent advances in techniques such
as absolute dating, geochemical analyses, remote sensing and climate modelling
have aided these studies.
Price: NLG 220.00, USD 110.00, GBP 69.00.
Orders to: North, Central and South America: Kluwer
Academic Publishers, P.O. Box 358, Accord Station, Hingham, MA 02018-0358, USA.
Fax: +1-781-681-9045. E-mail: kluwer@wkap.com. Elsewhere: Kluwer Academic
Publishers, P.O. Box 322, 3300 AH Dordrecht, The Netherlands. Fax:
+31-78-6546474. E-mail: services@wkap.nl Homepage: www.wkap.nl
The
Quest for Nitrogen Fixation in Rice. J.K.
Ladha and P.M. Reddy, editors. International Rice Research Institute, Los
Baños, 2000, 353 p. ISBN 971-22-0112-7. Softcover.
Nitrogen is the most important nutrient required for
rice production. A major goal of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) research
has been to extend the nitrogen-fixing capacity of cereal plants such as rice.
If a BNF system could be assembled in the rice plant, it would increase the
potential for nitrogen supply because fixed nitrogen would be available to the
plant directly with little or no loss. To achieve nitrogen fixation in rice,
IRRI launched a global collaborative initiative in 1993 consisting of
scientists with diverse backgrounds and approaches and committed to reducing
the dependency of rice on mineral nitrogen resources. In 1999, the third BNF
workshop took place, during which significant results were reported. This book
features the proceedings of that meeting and encompasses the latest research
advances in the attempt to develop nitrogen-fixing rice.
Price: HDC USD 39.00, LDC USD 10.20, plus postage and
handling.
Orders to: see below.
Carbon
and Nitrogen Dynamics in Flooded Soils. G.J.D. Kirk and D.C. Olk, editors. International Rice
Research Institute, Los
Baños,
2000, 188 p. ISBN 971-22-0140-6. Softcover.
Recent interest in the key function of flooded soils
in carbon and nitrogen cycling and the supply of mineral nitrogen to the rice
crop has been stimulated by trends in declining productivity in intensive rice
systems. These systems will undergo large changes over the next decades. They
must produce, on average, 30% more rice; they must do so with less water; and
they will undergo some degree of mechanization and diversification into
rice-nonrice rotations. To manage these changes, we need to understand their
consequences for soil processes, particularly the soil’s key function in soil
carbon and nitrogen dynamics. Most of our understanding of these dynamics has
been gained from research on aerobic soils in temperate regions and relatively
little has been done on flooded anaerobic soils under tropical conditions. The
declining productivity was linked to long-term changes in soil organic matter
content and the supply of nutrients. Furthermore, there is a concern about the
relations between organic matter and the release of greenhouse gases; crop
residue management; the fate of pollutants; water relations and crop
establishment; and soil physical conditions in rice-nonrice systems. To discuss
these issues, IRRI organized a workshop on carbon and nitrogen dynamics in
April 1999, and this book features the papers presented. The last chapter
contains the gist of the discussions and a listing of the anticipated changes
and research needs.
Price: HDC USD 18.20, LDC USD 4.75, plus postage and
handling.
Orders to: see below.
Systems
Research for Optimizing
This publication contains the proceedings of the
International Symposium SysNet’99: Systems Research for Optimizing Future Land
Use, held at IRRI in October 1999. One of the central issues at this symposium
is the competition between agriculture for land use to produce food and
alternative uses of land, which is growing at an alarming rate, especially in
South and Southeast Asia. It is estimated that the demand for rice in this
region will grow with 40-50 % in 25 years. With such pressure, marginal lands
are forced into cultivation and species habitats are destroyed, causing a cycle
of destruction of Earth’s resources and a worsening of the lives of those who
are already poor. Under this scenario, the primary effort should be to design
production systems and technologies that optimize the efficiency of inputs to
the environment and minimize emissions and losses from the environment. The
approach of matching the quality of the natural resources with the various
societal demands placed on them is the realm of the scientific field of land
use systems analysis. It is founded on the principles of production ecology,
which integrates the knowledge of basic physical, chemical, physiological and
ecological processes in agro-ecosystems and uses that to understand their
functioning. The Systems Research Network for Ecoregional Land Use Planning in
Tropical Asia (SysNet) is developing and applying such tools. The present
publication contains papers on the development of the systems methodologies for
land use planning as well as on eight case studies in the region. About half of
the book is devoted to papers about decision support systems components in
LUPAS (Land Use Planning and Analysis System), other decision support systems,
short notes, and conclusions and prospects.
Price: HDC USD 20.00, LDC USD 5.20, plus postage and
handling.
Orders to: see below.
Synthesis
of Methodology Development and Case Studies. SysNet
Research Paper Series No. 3 (2000). R.P.
Roetter, H. Van Keulen and H.H. Van Laar, editors. IRRI, Los
Baños, 2000, xii + 94 p. ISBN 971-22-0150-3. Softcover.
The Systems Research Network for Ecoregional Land Use
Planning in Tropical Asia (SysNet) was established to develop methodologies for
determining land use options and to evaluate these methodologies for generating
options for policy and technical changes in selected areas. SysNet is
coordinated by IRRI, the participants are national agricultural research
partner institutions in India, Malaysia, Philippines, and four collaborating
institutions belonging to the Wageningen University and Research Centre, The
Netherlands. This publication contains the executive summary, the project’s
overview and its highlights between 1996 and 1999, and the progress between
November 1999 and June 2000. The most recent scenario analyses for the four
case study regions in the countries mentioned above are given. Special
attention is given to the development and description of the user interface and
interaction with the stakeholders in the case study areas. The volume concludes
with a brief outline of the challenges ahead. A CD-ROM, not contained in this
publication, contains all the tools developed within the project period. For
information about the project: Dr. R.P. Roetter, Alterra, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA
Wageningen, The Netherlands. E-mail: R.P.Roetter@alterra.wag-ur.nl. Homepage of
SysNet: www.cgiar.org/irri/sysnet.
Price: HDC USD 10.75, LDC USD 2.80, plus postage and
handling.
Orders to: IRRI distributors, or from CPS-Marketing
and Distribution Unit, Division PL, IRRI, MCPO Box 3127, 1271 Makati City,
Philippines. Fax: +63-2-761-2404. E-mail: irripub@cgiar.org. Homepage:
www.cgiar.org/irri. Credit card orders to: TRIOPS, Hindenburgstrasse 33,
D-64295 Darmstadt, Germany. Fax: +49-6151-314048. E-mail: stmv-triops@t-online.de
Ecological
Risk Evaluation of Polluted Soils. J.-L. Rivière. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, Brookfield,
2000, xii + 223 p. ISBN 90-5410-796-0. Hardcover.
This book is a translation of Évaluation du risque
écologique des sols polués, published in 1998 by Technique & Documentation,
Paris.
The subject of the evaluation of the ecological risk
posed by pollutants is vast and complex. Our understanding of natural
ecosystems is still very imperfect, and prediction is by nature an uncertain
operation, but a look at the scientific literature shows that research is very
active, and that methods and techniques are rapidly evolving. This book is an
introduction in which the reader will find the fundamental principles, as they
are conceived at present, and a range of workable methods. In chapter 1 the
general principles of the evaluation of ecotoxic risk, comprising health risk
and ecological risk, are presented. Strategies for the evaluation of ecological
risk aim to define as completely as possible the potential or inconspicuous
effects of pollutants on the environment, and the chief objective of the
evaluation will be to designate the elements at risk, in close interaction with
decision makers, those responsible for polluted sites, the public, and others.
The initial stage of risk formulation is elaborated in chapter 5, with the
final stage risk management. Once the elements at risk are identified, the
existing scientific data can be used to work toward evaluating the modalities
and extent of contact between the soil at risk and the pollutant (chapter 2),
in parallel with an evaluation of the relation between the dose and the effects
of the pollutant (chapter 3). Finally, the risk is characterized by an
evaluation of the extent of predicted effects and of the probability of their
realization, as a function of exposure (chapter 4). The necessary data are
obtained by various approaches: the occurrence and behaviour of products in
air, water and soil are characterized by laboratory assays, measurements made
on the land or simulated by mathematical models; the estimation of toxic
effects of pollutants is based on the same methods, laboratory studies on
different plant or animal species, epidemiological studies of plant, animal, or
human populations, or mathematical models.
Price: EUR 55.00, USD 58.50, GBP 37.00.
Orders to: see below.
Remote Sensing in the 21st
Century: Economic and Environmental Applications. J.L. Casanova, editor. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam and
Brookfield, 2000, 610 p. ISBN 90-5809-096-5. Hardcover.
This book contains the proceedings of the 19th
Annual Symposium of the European Association of Remote Sensing Laboratories
(EARSeL), which was held in Valladolid in 1999. The theme chosen: ‘Remote
sensing in the 21st Century: economic and environmental applications’ reflects
one of the principle concerns at the turn of the century, which is how to
support economic growth, while at the same time preserving natural resources
and our environmental heritage. The papers presented cover almost all the
operational applications and developments of remote sensing: Agriculture,
Forestry, Yield estimation, Desertification, Geology, Forest fires, Hazards,
Hydrology, Meteorology, Oceanography, and New methodologies. Vast amounts of
data are reaching the Earth from space, and it is a challenge for the
scientific community to convert these data into useful information to meet the
manifold requirements in the ever-increasing number of application fields where
remote sensing is invaluable.
Price: EUR 95.00, USD 99.00, GBP 63.00.
Orders to: see below.
Applied
Mineralogy in Research, Economy, Technology, Ecology and Culture. D.
Rammlmair, J. Mederer, Th.Oberthür, R.B. Heimann and H. Pentinghaus, editors.
A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam and Brookfield, 2000, 1090 p. in two volumes. Volume 1: ISBN 90-5809-164-3.
Volume 2: ISBN 90-5809-165-1. Set of
two volumes: ISBN 90-5809-163-5. Hardcover.
These volumes contain the reviewed plenary papers and
extended abstracts of ”ICAM
Price: EUR 130.00, USD 130.00, GBP 87.00, for two
volumes.
Orders to: A.A. Balkema, P.O. Box 1675, 3000 BR
Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Fax: +31-10-4135947. E-mail: orders@swets.nl.
Homepage: www.balkema.ima.nl. In USA and Canada:
A.A. Balkema Publishers, 2252 Ridge Road, Brookfield, VT 05036-9704, USA. Fax:
+1-802-276-3837. E-mail: info@ashgate.com
Nutrient
Elements in Grassland.
Soil-Plant-Animal Relationships. D.C. Whitehead. CABI Publishing, Wallingford,
2000, xv + 369 p. ISBN 0-85199-437-7. Hardcover.
This book is concerned with the various chemical
elements that are nutrients for either plants or animals. Its primary objective
is to bring together information, in temperate regions, on the concentrations
and main transformations of these elements in the soils, in grassland plants
and in ruminant animals. For each element, attention is given to its forms and
availability in soils, its uptake and distribution in grassland plants, its
role in animal nutrition and the amounts and forms excreted by grazing animals.
The influences of soil, plant, weather and management factors on the
concentrations of the elements in grassland herbage are described and the
concentrations related to the needs of ruminant animals, particularly cattle
and sheep. In addition, typical annual balances of the inputs and outputs of
each element, on a per hectare basis, are estimated for both intensively
managed and extensively managed grassland. The author also wrote Grassland
Nitrogen, published by CABI in 1995. (ISBN 0-85198-915-2). The book will
probably be used mainly as a source of reference, and the way in which the
chapters are subdivided and the extensive list of more than 60 pages with
references are intended to facilitate this type of use.
Price: GBP 60.00, USD 110.00.
Orders to: CABI Publishing, Wallingford Oxon OX10 8DE,
UK. Fax: +44-1491-829292. E-mail: orders@cabi.org. Or: CABI Publishing, 10 East
40 Street, Suite 3203, New York, NY 10016, USA. Fax:
+1-212-686-7993. E-mail: cabi-nao@cabi-org Homepage: www.cabi.org
Food and Forestry: Global
Change and Global Challenges.
Special Issue of Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment, Vol. 82, nos. 1-3,
December 2000. P.J. Gregory and J.S.I. Ingram, guest editors. Elsevier,
This special issue contains selected papers from the
Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems Core Project (GCTE) Focus 3
Conference, held in Reading in September 1999. Agricultural and forestry
production has a well-established dependence on climate. There is, therefore,
growing concern about the potentially wide-ranging impacts that climate change
would have on these key industries as the nature and extent of anticipated
changes have become more evident. ”Global Change” however encompasses far more
than change in climate alone. It also includes changes in climate variability
and atmospheric composition, and in land use and management. All these are
changing in unprecedented ways both in terms of their rate and their spatial
extent. Changes in land-use are currently the main manifestation of global
change, and these are primarily driven by the increasing demands for
agricultural and forest products. Many current land management practices cannot
deliver a sustainable supply, let alone increase output, without risking
further serious environmental degradation. Meeting anticipated demand will,
therefore, be difficult enough with current management, but it will be further
complicated by the independent and interactive impacts of other drivers of
global change, especially increases in climate variability, land degradation
and pollution. Assessment of these impacts on production systems at a range of
spatial and temporal scales is central to developing improved systems that can
capitalise on the beneficial effects of global change, while avoiding or
reducing adverse effects. This will require the development of a strong
predictive capability, which is a formidable research challenge. The Focus 3
conference was held to address these issues and the main papers presented are
brought together in this special issue. From the papers it is clear that soil
scientists have an increasingly large role to play in the multidisciplinary
research efforts.
Orders to: Elsevier Science, P.O. Box 211, 1000 AE
Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Fax: +31-20-4853432. E-mail: nlinfo-f@elsevier.nl.
Homepage: www.elsevier.nl. Or: Elsevier
Science, P.O. Box 945, New York, NY 10159-0945, USA. Fax: +1-202-633-3680.
E-mail: usinfo-f@elsevier.com. Homepage: www.elsevier.com
Principles
of Geographic Information Systems. An Introductory Textbook. ITC Educational Textbook
Series, 1. R.A. de By, editor. ITC, Enschede, 2000, 230 p. ISBN 90-6164-184-5. ISSN 1567-5777. Softcover.
Principles
of Remote Sensing. An Introductory Textbook. ITC Educational Textbook
Series,
These two publications are written for all students
enrolled in the 2000-2001 educational programmes of the International Institute
for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences (ITC), Enschede, The Netherlands. In
the 1960's, similar textbooks on remote sensing and other subjects were
available for use at ITC. Although developed for the specific ITC student
population, these textbooks also received a wide distribution outside the
institute. The two publications mentioned were developed in synchrony. They are
also available in electronic format, with hyperlinks to pages, references,
figures, tables and websites. The electronic version, which can be browsed but
not printed, is kept up-to-date.
Included in the documents are a glossary, an index and
a bibliography. Both publications are well produced with many colour plates and
figures. The electronic document (PDF format) enables fast navigation and quick
referencing.
Price per book: NLG 45.00, USD 27.30, EUR 20.38.
Orders to: Ms. Joke Bunk, ITC, P.O. Box 6, 7500 AA
Enschede, The Netherlands. Fax: +31-53-4874400. E-mail: bunk@itc.nl.
Homepage: www.itc.nl
Proceedings 5th EC-GIS
Workshop,
This workshop was organized by the GI&GIS project
of the Joint Research Centre (JRC). This project supports the actions to create
a European Geographic Infrastructure, encompassing the broad policy,
organisational, technical and financial arrangements necessary to support
increased access to geographic information in Europe. One of the activities the
project is to develop harmonised and coherent multidisciplinary Pan-European
databases and analyse spatial information across different sectoral policies
and different levels of governmental organisations. This includes the creation
of various spatial layers: soil, land cover, agro-meteorology, Natura2000, to
support and monitor EU policies. The present publication contains the texts of
the papers given at the workshop ”GIS of Tomorrow”, reflecting the growing
recognition of the important role of GI and GIS in the information society. In
addition to presenting GI and GIS projects, there were also more general
presentations on European issues relating to the current evolution of GI
technologies, standards and markets. A special session was held to prepare a
background document for a European Geographic Information Infrastructure. The
publication is free of charge.
For information on the GI&GIS project, see
homepage: http://gi-gis.aris.sai.jrc.it/.
Requests to: Joint Research Centre, I-21020 Ispra
(VA), Italy. Fax: +39-332-789074. Homepage: www.jrc.org
Integrated
Soil Fertility Management. Policy and Best Practice Document 7. T. Hilhorst and
C. Toulmin. Development Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Hague,
The Netherlands, 2000, 64 p. ISBN 90-5328-283-1. Softcover.
The Policy and Best Practice Documents are part of the
official policy of the Netherlands’ Minister for Development Cooperation and
provide up-to-date background information on topics that are considered
important to its assistance programme. The documents address practical issue in
different fields of development and provide guidelines for implementation. The
present publication focuses on ways to promote integrated soil fertility
management in developing countries, particularly by smallholders working under
rainfed conditions. It is the authors’ aim to contribute to a more sustainable
agriculture, which is vital to achieving food security, poverty alleviation and
environmental protection. This guide examines the issues at stake in relation
to integrated soil fertility management, the lessons learned from interventions
in this field, the reasons why policy makers should be concerned about soil
degradation and the type of policies that may contribute to more sustainable
management of soils. Available free of charge. Other policy documents were
published about: Sustainable Land Use (1993), Sustainable Irrigated Agriculture
(1998), Water for the Future – Integrated Water Resources Management (1998),
and Participatory Integrated Pest Management (1999).
Requests to: Ms. Aaltje de Roos, Development
Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, P.O. Box 20061, 2500 EB The Hague,
The Netherlands. Fax: +31-70-3485559. E-mail: aaltje-de.roos@minbuza.nl
Soils of
The FAO-Unesco Soil Map of the World (SMW) at 1:5 M
covers also the area of the former Soviet Union, for which new material has
become available since the 1970’s, when this map was prepared. In 1988 the Soil
Map of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (SMR) was published at
a scale of 1:2.5 M. Although this map is the major inventory at the country
scale, it is not widely known. To make it more accessible, a correlation of the
SMR legend was made with the Soil Map of the World Revised Legend (1988) and
with the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (1998). The present report
should be regarded as the explanatory text of the Digital Soil Database for
Russia at scale 1:5 M, which was published by FAO as a CD-ROM in 1999.
Orders to: Publications Department, IIASA, A-2361
Laxenburg, Austria. Fax: +43-2236-71313. E-mail: molina@iiasa.ac.at.
Homepage: www.iiasa.ac.at
Land Use, Land-Use Change,
and Forestry. A Special Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. R.T. Watson, I.R. Noble, B. Bolin,
N.H. Ravindranath, D.J. Verardo and D.J. Dokken, editors. Cambridge University
Press, 2000, x + 377 p. ISBN 0-521-80495-7, softcover; ISBN 0-521-80083-8,
hardcover.
The exchange of carbon between the atmosphere and
biosphere is an important factor in controlling global warming and climate
change. Vegetation exchanges carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the
terrestrial biosphere through photosynthesis and plant and soil respiration.
This natural exchange has been occurring for hundreds of millions of years, but
humans are changing this natural rate of exchange through land use, land-use
change, and forestry activities. Consequently, it is important to examine how
carbon flows between different pools and how carbon stocks change in response
to afforestation, reforestation, and deforestation, and other land-use
activities. This report provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art examination
of the scientific and technical implications of carbon sequestration and the
global carbon cycle. It also examines environmental and socioeconomic issues,
conservation, sustainable resource management and development issues, as
related to carbon sequestration. The report also looks forward and examines
future carbon uptake and emissions that may result from employing varying
definitional scenarios and carbon accounting strategies, linked to the Kyoto
Protocol, within the forestry and land-use sectors.
Price: GBP 18.95, softcover; GBP 52.50, hardcover.
Orders to: Customer Services Department, Cambridge University
Press, The Edinburgh Building, Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK. Fax:
+44-1223-326111. Homepage: www.cup.cam.ac.uk. In USA: Cambridge University
Press, 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA. Homepage: www.cup.org. Online ordering: www.uk.cambridge.org
Boden-Quartett & Kleine Bodentypologie. Lernspiel Boden. K. Jahn, L. Herrmann und R. Jahn. Deutsche Bodenkundliche Gesellschaft und Vereinigung
Deutscher Gewässerschutz.
Das
Lernspiel vermittelt klar strukturiert die wichtigsten Lerninhalte der
Bodenkunde. Es eignet sich hervorragend für Ausbildung und Studium aller
Fachrichtungen, die bodenkundliche Kenntnisse voraussetzen. Mit diesem Quartet
lässt sich das Fach Bodenkunde aber auch endlich im schulischen Bereich
(Sekundarstufe II) leichter vermitteln. Die ”Kleine Bodentypologie” dient der
Ergänzung und Vertiefung zum Boden-Quartett. Je Quartett-Serie werden die Böden
jeweils stichpunktartig und tabellarisch entsprechend ihren Merkmalen,
Prozessen und Eigenschaften dargestellt. Boden und Wasser sind eng miteinander
verbunden – nur wer den Boden kennt, kann Ansatzpunkte für einen wirksamen
Bodenschutz entwicklen und damit auch am Schutz des Wassers beitragen.
Preis:
DEM 8,00.
Bestellungen an: Vereinigung Deutscher Gewässerschutz e.V.,
Matthias-Grünewald-Strasse 1-3, D-53175 Bonn, Deutschland. Fax: +49-228-375515. Internet: www.gewaesserschutz-ev.de
The Hydrology-Geomorphology
Interface: Rainfall, Floods, Sedimentation, Land Use. IAHS Publication no.
This publication comprises 20 chapters, which derive
from a conference at the Hebrew University in May 1999 on the theme of drainage
basin processes and morphology. They reflect the complex functioning of the
drainage basin sediment cascade and follow the flux of water and sediment from
source to sink. Fluvial geomorphology and related processes in arid areas, and
especially those represented in the Negev Desert are in particular focus. The
rainfall input to arid geomorphological systems is considered in detail.
Understanding of both its temporal and spatial distribution is a prerequisite
of successful rainfall-runoff modelling and particularly so for arid systems.
Rainfall-runoff modelling and erosion studies in the Negev and also Australia,
Slovakia and the USA are reported. Central questions in fluvial geomorphology
are addressed including that of the geomorphic effectiveness of high magnitude
events such as tropical storms in Baja California, USA, and in India.
Geomorphologists have until recently, comparatively neglected the sediment
output term, but four contributions provide information about the functioning of
drainage basins from lacustrine sedimentary evidence.
The volume is a tribute to the contribution made by
Asher Schick to the science of geomorphology, and especially the links between
this science and hydrology.
Price: GBP 49.00, including packing and postage by
surface mail.
Orders to: see below.
The
Role of Erosion and Sediment Transport in Nutrient and Contaminant Transfer. IAHS
Publication no.
Increasing awareness of the effects of
sediment-associated chemical transfer on water quality and ecosystem health has
raised concern for the sustainable use of water resources worldwide. The rates
and magnitudes of nutrient and contaminant transfer vary in space and time
according to the nature of the erosion processes, sediment sources and
conveyance, and in-stream processes. Information regarding the spatial and
temporal variation of sediment sources as well as sediment properties and
environmental factors affecting transport processes is required for modelling
of sediment-associated nutrient and contaminant transfer to enable planning and
management for the sustainable use of water resources.
This publication comprises the proceedings of the
International Symposium on the Role of Erosion and Sediment Transport in
Nutrient and Contaminant Transfer, held at Waterloo, Canada, in July 2000.
Price: GBP 48.00, including packing and postage by
surface mail.
Orders to: Mrs. Jill Gash, IAHS Press, Centre for
Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK. Fax:
+44-1491-692448. E-mail: jilly@iahs.demon.co.uk. Homepage: www.cig.ensmp.fr
Land use systems research on
strongly weathered soils in south and south-east
Strongly weathered red-yellow and dusky red soils
occupy large areas in the tropics, predominantly in Latin America and Africa.
They usually occur under natural rainforest, wood and savanna-like vegetation.
Another large part is used for crop production and grazing, with low yield
levels. Textbooks frequently characterize these soils as chemically extremely
poor and having a small available water capacity, resulting in relatively large
yield declines as a consequence of short periods of drought. In previous
decades, especially in Brazil, it has been shown that many of these soils can
produce excellent yields if they are limed and properly fertilized. This has
caused agricultural intensification and an enormous expansion of agricultural
land use. Negative consequences are the accelerated destruction of natural
ecosystems and soil degradation. Several attempts to undertake profitable
agriculture in the Amazon region have failed completely. The principal
objectives of the present study were: (1) to increase the knowledge of the
agricultural properties of strongly weathered soils and their spatial
variability, and (2) to explore the potential of existing, or somewhat adapted
means and methodologies to assess biophysically obtainable production levels of
land use systems envisaged on these soils. The study is based on research
carried out in the states of São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul.
Price: NLG 53.50, including packing and postage by
surface mail.
Orders to: Netherlands Geographical Studies, P.O. Box
80123, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands. Fax: +31-30-253-5523. E-mail: knag@geog.uu.nl
Nature
Farming and Microbial Applications. H. Xu,
J.F. Parr and H. Umemura, editors. Food Products Press, New York, London, 2000,
xvi + 402 p. ISBN 1-56022-082-1, hardcover; 1-56022-082-X, softcover.
Recent concerns about environmental pollution and food
quality degradation by excessive input of chemicals have prompted scientists
and policy-makers to reevaluate our modern agriculture and find alternatives to
produce safe and nutritious food and protect our environment. In this regard,
there is a growing interest in organic farming or nature farming. To foster the
Japanese and worldwide organic agriculture movement, the International Nature
Farming Research Center was founded. This publication, also issued as Journal
of Crop Production, vol. 3, no. 1, summarizes the research achievements by
scientists at this center and elsewhere in Japan and other countries, mainly
China. The papers are grouped into Nature Farming (12 papers), and Microbial
Applications (18 papers). The first section covers the historical aspects of
nature farming and some examples of classical farming practices. The second
section reports on organic farming and applications of organic fertilizers and
microbial products and environmental protection. Some papers present original
methodologies, including mathematical and physical modeling, to analyse
photosynthesis, transpiration, plant-water relations and stress resistance of
crops.
Prices: Hardcover: USD
Orders to: Food Products Press, 10 Alice Street,
Binghamton, NY 13904-1580, USA. Fax: +1-607-771-0012. E-mail: getinfo@haworthpressinc.com. Homepage: www.haworthpressinc.com
Feeding
the World. A Challenge for the Twenty-first Century. V. Smil. The MIT Press, Cambridge, 2000, 390 p. ISBN
0-262-19432-5. Hardcover.
This book addresses the question of how we can best
feed the ten billion or so people who will likely inhabit the Earth by the
middle of this century. Can human ingenuity produce enough food to support
healthy and vigorous lives for all the people without irreparably damaging the
integrity of the biosphere? The book considers the complete food cycle: from
agriculture to post-harvest losses and processing to eating and discarding. The
author shows how we can make more effective use of current resources and
suggests that if we increase farming efficiency, reduce waste, and transform
our diets, future needs may not as great as we anticipate. It is concluded that
there are no insurmountable biophysical reasons we cannot feed humanity in the
decades to come, while easing the burden that modern agriculture puts on the
biosphere.
Price: USD 32.95, GBP 21.95.
Orders to: The MIT Press, Five Cambridge Center, Cambridge,
MA 02142-1493. Fax: +1-617-625-6660. E-mail: mitpress-order-inq@mit.edu. In Europe and Asia: John Wiley & Sons, 1 Oldlands
Way, Bognor Regis, West Sussex PO22 9SA, UK. Fax: +44-1243-820250. E-mail: cs-books@wiley.co.uk.
Homepage: mitpress.mit.edu
Agricultural
Expansion and Tropical Deforestation. Poverty, International Trade and Land Use. S.L. Barraclough and K.B Ghimire. Earthscan, London,
2000, 200 p. ISBN 1-85383-665-6, softcover; 1-85383-666-4, hardcover.
The authors state that there is no clearcut causal
relationship between international trade, agricultural expansion and tropical
deforestation. Academics, policy makers and the public are all tempted by
simplistic solutions to complex problems. In order to establish the true causal
factors involved in this critical area of environmental decline, the authors
present case studies from five countries: Brazil, Guatemala, Cameroon, China
and Malaysia. It is shown that the focus of analysis must be applied as much to
the misguided policies of national and regional authorities and issues such as
systems of land tenure as to the forces of trade and globalization. The primary
aim of this book is to highlight the need to seek solutions in far-reaching
institutional and policy reforms adapted to specific socioeconomic and
ecological contexts if the challenge of tropical deforestation is to be tackled
effectively.
Price: Softcover: GBP 14.95; hardcover GBP 40.00.
Orders to: Earthscan agents worldwide, or:
Littlehampton Book Services, P.O. Box 53, Littlehampton, BN17 7BU, UK. Fax:
+44-20-7278-1142. E-mail: kpinfo@kogan-page.co.uk. Homepage: www.earthscan.co.uk
Integrating
Concepts of Sustainability into Education for Agriculture and Rural
Development. Environmental Education,
Communication and Sustainability vol. 6. W. van de Bor, P. Holen, A. Wals
and W Leal Filho, editors. Peter Lang Europäischer Verlag der Wissenschaften,
Frankfurt am Main, Berlin, 2000, 329 p. ISBN 3-631-36425-3. US-ISBN 0-8204-4763-3. ISSN 1434-3819. Softcover.
This book focusses on the concept of sustainability in
higher agricultural education. Although not a new topic, sustainability as an
issue for the agricultural industry, agricultural research and agricultural
education has clearly gained momentum over the last years. The number of teachers,
academics and policy makers facing concepts of sustainability on the one hand,
and changing curricula on the other, is growing rapidly. This book bridges the
conceptualization of sustainability issues and the integration of these issues
in teaching and learning practices in higher education. The book builds upon a
workshop held in 1998 on the same subject, and it was decided to extend its
outcome with experiences and thoughts of other persons engaged in higher
education, and publish it for a wider audience. The workshop was developed
within the framework of the Thematic Network for Agriculture, Forestry,
Aquaculture and Related Sciences (AFANet – see the homepage: www.clues.abdn.ac.uk:8080/demeter/). The aim of AFANet is to promote a European dimension
to higher education in universities and colleges offering degree programmes in
these sciences. At the discipline level, AFANet considers future educational
needs of the agricultural, aquacultural and forestry industries, develops
courses which focus on providing students with a European perspective to their
studies, and initiates discussions on how curricula need to develop to meet
changing circumstances and our improved understanding in the world in which we
live. The workshop was developed to address the issue of sustainability within
the latter context of curriculum development. The collection of papers, from
various disciplines, offer challenging viewpoints with regard to the
integration of sustainability in higher education and provides a wide range of
concrete examples of how such integration is being realised in institutes
around the world.
Price: SFR 72.00.
Orders to: Peter Lang AG, Postfach 277, CH-3000 Bern
15, Switzerland. Fax: +41-31-940-2131. E-mail: info@peterlang.com.
Homepage: www.peterlang.net.
Rethinking soil and water
conservation in a changing society, a case study in eastern Burkina Faso. V. Mazzucato and D. Niemeijer. Tropical Resource
Management Papers 32. Wageningen University and Research Centre, 2000, xxii +
380 p. ISBN 90-6754-596-1. ISSN 0926-9495. Softcover.
Soil and conservation projects have had limited
success in Africa despite various intervention approaches tried throughout the
20th century. The lack of success highlights the fact that there is
a need for new ways through which to study soil and water conservation. This
study argues that soil and water conservation is a complex issue in need of an
integrated approach. It first analyses the evidence of land degradation, the
raison d’être of soil and water conservation technologies, in the research area
and the country as a whole, by looking at the indicators and proxies that are
used in land degradation narratives. It then analyses how farmers conserve land
and water and why they do it in the way they do. Analyzing the technologies
that farmers use, the economic principles that guide their allocative
decisions, as well as their social institutions that mediate access to
resources necessary for an environmentally sustainable system, looks at these
questions. Special attention is given to how both technologies and institutions
have changed over time in reaction to changes in the social, economic and
environmental contexts in which agriculture is practiced.
The study found no evidence of land degradation in the
research area. Farmers were found to have intensified their agricultural
systems in ways that are often ignored by studies on soil and water
conservation. Through adaptive management of their agricultural practices, as
well as through changes in their social organization around the land, farmers
react to changing social, economic, and environmental contexts to make their
system more productive and environmentally sustainable. Consequently, this
study suggests that forms of intensification in African production systems can
best be understood through analytical frameworks that focus on the interplay of
social and environmental histories, rather than assume a simple trend towards
increasing land degradation. The study offers an example of such an analytical
framework and how it can be operationalized, leading to innovative perspectives
on African land use systems.
Orders to: Wageningen UR, Department of Environmental
Sciences, Erosion and Soil and Water Conservation Group, Nieuwe Kanaal 11, 6709
PA Wageningen, The Netherlands. Fax: +31-317-484759.
Multi-scale land use
modelling with the CLUE Modelling Framework. G.H.J.
Koning, A. Veldkamp, K. Kok, N. de Ridder, L.O. Fresco and J. Schoorl. Dutch National Research Programme on Global Air
Pollution and Climate Change, Bilthoven, 2000, 155 p. ISBN 90-5851-034-4.
Report number 410 200 053 (2000). Softcover.
Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULCC) plays an
important role in global climate change. It influences water and energy
balances and can be both a source and a sink of greenhouse gases. Deforestation
causes CO2 emissions, while on the other hand important quantities of carbon
can be sequestered in above and below ground organic matter in terrestrial
(agro)ecosystems. For global change policies it is relevant to include information
of LULCC, as it contributes to global change but also offers possibilities for
mitigation measures. In order to be able to describe and analyse possible LULCC
in the near future, modelling approaches are necessary that can be used for
scenario analysis. The Conversion of Land Use and its Effects (CLUE) model was
developed, and is being presented and discussed in this publication. The model
uses quantitative information as the main drivers of land use change at
different spatial scales, derived from historical and actual land use patterns.
This information is integrated in a spatially explicit dynamic modelling
procedure in which near future land use changes are simulated for different
scenarios. In these scenarios (inter)national developments can be evaluated,
such as changing national demands for food, market liberalisation or nature
protection, but also regional and local developments like migration and land
degradation. The model was applied in several countries in Central and South
America and in Asia. It is shown that it is important to include LULCC in
global climate change policies, and the CLUE model can play an important role
in supporting these policies.
For information about the CLUE model, contact Dr. K.
Kok, International Centre for Integrative Studies (ICIS), P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD
Maastricht, The Netherlands. E-mail: k.kok@icis.unimaas.nl.
Requests to: Ir. G.J. Heij, Programme Office NRP, P.O.
Box 1, 3729 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands. Fax: +31-30-2744436. E-mail: nopsecr@rivm.nl.
Homepage: www.nop.nl.
Rangeland
Desertification. Advances in
Vegetation Science 19. O. Arnalds and S. Archer. Kluwer Academic Publishers,
Dordrecht, Boston, 2000, x + 209 p. ISBN 0-7923-6071-0. Hardcover.
As mentioned above, this book is a part of the outcome
of a workshop, held in Iceland in 1997. The papers in this volume focus on
concepts and principles of rangeland desertification. The chapters in the first
section explore the spatial and temporal aspects of disturbance interactions,
thresholds and non-linear change with respect to vegetation, hydrology,
nutrient cycling and erosion. Chapters in the second section are dedicated to
socio-economic constraints, remedies and approaches for preventing and
reversing degradation. It begins with an overview of the United Nations
databases on desertification, followed by chapters discussing approaches for
implementing conservation practices. A concluding chapter shows how
environmental accountability can be woven into the policy and law of a society.
Reversal of the effects of desertification is most difficult in countries with
limited resources. One chapter articulates the problems facing developing
countries; another describes the constraints to implementing the articles of
the UN-CCD in Africa.
The book provides a contemporary, process-oriented
perspective on rangeland degradation, which is of value to students,
policy-makers and professionals.
Price: EUR 81.50, USD 95.50, GBP 59.50.
Orders to: see below.
Tools
for Land Use Analysis on Different Scales. With
Case Studies for Costa Rica. System Approaches for Sustainable Agriculture
Development, volume 8. B.A.M. Bouman, H.G.J. Jansen, R.A. Schipper, H.
Hengstdijk en A. Nieuwenhuyse, editors. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Boston, 2000,
ix + 274 p. ISBN 0-7923-6479-1. Hardcover. With CD-ROM.
Regional development is intrinsically related to the
way in which the land is used. Given the rising awareness of the
multifunctionality of the world’s land resources, policy makers now face the
complex task of accommodating multiple objectives of an increasing number of
stakeholders in regional development. This implies a need for tools that can be
employed to provide insights into the opportunities and limitations to land
use. Those tools should be capable of quantifying trade-offs between
socio-economic, sustainability and environment-related policy objectives. This
book offers a detailed account of a range of interdisciplinary methodologies
for land use analysis, developed over a twelve year period (1986-1998) in Costa
Rica through collaborative research of Wageningen University, The Netherlands,
the Tropical Agriculture Research and Higher Education Centre (CATIE) and the
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, both in Costa Rica. The methodologies
span a number of spatial scales, ranging from the field level to the national
level. Concepts of systems analysis and information technology play a pivotal
role in each of these technologies. Together, they form a unique toolbox that
deserves ample use in the process of agricultural policy design. The CD-ROM
contains a practical account of the methodologies presented in the book,
including a full documentation of models, manuals, a number of introductory
exercises, as well as previously unavailable data sets. The CD-ROM offers an opportunity
for familiarization with the methodologies by students, research specialists
and decision-makers alike.
Price: NLG 240.00, USD 118.00, GBP 74.50.
Orders to: see below.
Observing
Land from Space: Science, Customers and Technology.
Advances in Global Change Research
The European Network for the development of Advanced
Models to interpret Optical Remote Sensing data over terrestrial environments
(ENAMORS) is a consortium of academic and research institutions involved in
methodological research and in applications of remote sensing techniques for
earth observation. Its activities include the organization of conferences, the
first of which took place in Tuusula, Finland, in September 1997. This meeting assembled scientists, engineers,
users and policy-makers, and provided a forum to debate scientific priorities,
technological opportunities and information requirements. This fourth volume in
the series Advances in Global Change Research contains the proceedings of the
meeting in Finland and summarizes the discussions and the conclusions reached.
It offers in 30 papers a broad overview of the science and technology or remote
sensing, its policy applications and the needs of operational users in the
context of climate change and environmental degradation over land.
For information about ENAMORS see its homepage www.enamors.org. For
information about the Centre for Earth Observation see its homepage www.ceo.org.
Price: NLG 250.00, USD 133.00, GBP 83.00.
Orders to: North, Central and South America: Kluwer
Academic Publishers, P.O. Box 358, Accord Station, Hingham, MA 02018-0358, USA.
Fax: +1-781-681-9045. E-mail: kluwer@wkap.com. Elsewhere: Kluwer Academic Publishers, P.O. Box 322,
3300 AH Dordrecht, The Netherlands. Fax: +31-78-6546474. E-mail: services@wkap.nl.
Homepage: www.wkap.nl.
Methane
emissions from rice paddies; experiments and modelling. P. M. van
Bodegom. PhD thesis, Wageningen
University, 2000, 215 p. ISBN 90-5808-283-0. Softcover.
This thesis describes model development and
experimentation on the comprehension and prediction of methane emissions from
rice paddies. The large temporal variability in these emissions and the dynamic
non-linear relationships between processes underlying these emissions impairs
the applicability of empirical relations. Mechanistic concepts are therefore
the starting point of analysis throughout the thesis. The process of methane
production was investigated by soil slurry incubation experiments at different
temperatures and with additions of different electron donors or acceptors. The
experiments were sued to calibrate and validate a mechanistic model on methane
production that describes competition for acetate and H2/CO2, inhibition
effects and chemolithotrophic reactions. The redox sequence leading eventually
to methane production was well predicted by the model, calibrating only the
maximum conversion rates. The field scale model was validated by independent
methane emission measurements in the Philippines, China and Indonesia. The
model predicted methane emissions well with only few generally available
sit-specific input parameters. The field scale model was coupled to a
Geographic Information System to scale up regional emissions from rice paddies.
It appears that data availability and not model uncertainty limits the
upscaling process from rice paddies to regions.
Requests to: Dr. P. van Bodegom, Department of Systems
Ecology, Free University, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The
Netherlands. Homepage: www.bo.vu.nl/html/systems_ecology.html.
Technical and Social Systems
Approaches for Sustainable Rural Development. W. Doppler and J. Calatrava, editors. Margraf
Verlag, Weikersheim, 2000, x + 380 p. ISBN 3-8236-1332-4. Softcover.
The European Group of the International Farming
Systems Association (IFSA) offers a forum for discussions on different systems
approaches in farming and rural development. The main activity is the
organisation of European Symposia. The present volume contains the
Proceedings of the Second European Symposium of the
Association of Farming Systems Research and Extension, held in Granada in 1996.
Papers were presented in the following sections: (1) Setting the frame:
sustainable farming and rural development (5 papers); (2) Designing sustainable
agro-ecological systems (15 papers); (3) Integrating social and technical
perspectives in natural resource management (11 papers); (4) Making the most of
agri-ecological diversity and local knowledge (9 papers); (5) Policy and
institutional development (8 papers); and (6) Training (6 papers).
Price: EUR 43.00.
Orders to: see below.
Ecotoxicologie Appliqueé. J. Römbke et J.F. Moltmann. Margraf Verlag, Weikersheim, 2000, ix + 324 p. ISBN
3-8236-1336-7.
La
mission de l’écotoxicologie est d’évaluer, de surveiller er de prévoir le
devenir et les effets des substances dans l’environnement. L’objectif de l’écotoxicologie est de fournir une base
scientifique pouvant permettre l’estimation de ces substances avec un effort et
des coûts raisonnable. En retour, ceci fournit une base pour des évaluations en
vue de décider des substances qui peuvent être libérées ou tolérées par
l’environnement, et dans quelles quantités. L’écotoxicologie est devenue
nécessaire lorsque l’homme a commencé à introduire des produits chimiques dans
l’environnement. Personne ne s’était préoccupé du devenir de ces produits
chimiques jusqu’au moment où ils ont commencé à se manifester dans des endroits
inattendus, ou lorsqu’ils ont eu des effets néfastes sur les organismes vivant
dans l’environnement. Certains substances ont des effets immédiates, néfastes,
tandis que d’autres peuvent avoir des impacts qui ne se manifestes que plus
tard, par exemple lorsque la population animale ou végétale décroit, à la suite
d’une baisse de fertilité. L’écotoxicolgie est aussi devenue nécessaire lorque
beaucoup de nouvelles substances qui, á l’origine n’existaient pas dans la
nature ont été synthétisées. La plupart de ces substances artificielles ont des
effets notables, mêmes lorsqu’elles sont fortement diluées.
Dans treize chapitres cette publication donne des
renseignements sur les aspects diverses de l’écotoxicologie.
Prix: DEM 70.00, EUR 35.00.
Commandes à: voir en bas
Laboratory
Design, Construction, and Renovation. Participants, Process, and Product. Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology, National
Research Council. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 2000, xii + 156 p.
ISBN 0-309-06633-6. Softcover.
In response to concerns of the community of users and
administrators of research facilities in the USA, a committee was appointed by
the National Research Council (NRC) to provide guidance on effective approaches
for building laboratory facilities in the chemical and biochemical sciences.
All of the members of the committee shared the community’s concern about the
problems of building laboratory facilities. At the end, the committee arrived
at a consensus and decided to focus on how to have a successful laboratory
facility designed and built, not on the details of laboratory construction.
This study does not duplicate the numerous other publications on laboratory
construction, which are mentioned in the bibliography. It is the committee’s
hope that scientists-users, institutional administrators and managers will use
this report to become informed users of design services and that the
professional design community will use the report to enhance its ability to
interact with its clients.
Price: USD 35.00, plus handling and postal charges.
Orders to: National Academy Press, 2101 Constitution
Avenue, NW, Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055, USA. Fax: +1-202-334-2451.
Homepage: www.nap.edu.
Reclamation
of Drastically Disturbed Lands. Agronomy series number 41. R.I. Barnhisel, R.G.
Darmody and W.L. Daniels, editorial committee. American Society of Agronomy,
Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, Madison,
2000, xxiii + 1082 p. ISBN 0-89118-146-6. Hardcover.
The first edition of this book, published under the
same title in 1978, was a compilation of papers presented at a symposium. It
was mainly concerned with land disturbed by mining, especially coal. In the
United States, the passage of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act in
1977 significantly affected reclamation regulations and procedures. Since the
first edition, a number of new technologies and management practices have been
introduced which enhance reclamation and cost efficiency, and can ultimately
provide economic benefits to society. These, as well as other advances in land
reclamation, are included in this second edition. Reclamation is not just
controlling erosion and vegetating land surfaces following coal mining, but may
include all types of physical disturbance of soils and landscapes. A few
chapters have been added to address other scenarios of land reclamation that
were not addressed before. It does not include reclamation or rehabilitation of
lands affected by salts, or by wind and water erosion. Largely, the monograph
was restricted to lands directly affected by large-scale disturbing actions
from mining or construction activities such as roads and pipelines. It also
includes a chapter on the reclamation of mine tailings.
This second edition will be very useful to
professionals and students, also outside the United States.
Price: USD 80.00. Advance payment and 10% per book for
postage is required on all orders outside the USA.
Orders to: see below.
Land Application of
Agricultural, Industrial, and Municipal By-Products. SSSA Book Series: 6. J.F. Power and W.A. Dick,
editors. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, 2000, xix + 653 p. ISBN
0-89118-834-7. Hardcover.
Environmental quality is one of the major issues and concerns
worldwide. Of particular importance is the protection and sustainability of
valuable soil and water resources. With increasing human populations,
concentrated animal production areas, and expanding industries, safe disposal
of by-product materials is becoming a greater challenge. Often, agricultural,
industrial, and municipal by-products are applied to land. While they can be
beneficial to plants and soils, there can be negative impacts on soil, water,
and air quality. The application of by-products to land will be an important
issue in decades to come. In 1995, the Soil Science Society of America
appointed an Organizing Committee to investigate the need and feasibility of
publishing a comprehensive monograph on these issues. This Committee recommended
proceeding with the development and production of the present monograph, for
which an Editorial Committee was selected. Authors presented their chapters at
the 1997 Annual Meeting of the SSSA. The chapters address most of the major
concerns associated with the application of various by-products to land. The
fundamental processes involved in recycling by-products through land
application are discussed, providing the reader with a basic understanding of
the science involved. Problems and potential benefits from land application are
outlined. Finally, a number of successful land application technologies and
programs are presented. The chapters of this monograph are designed to provide
readers with a comprehensive reference source on land application of by-products
materials.
Price: USD 55.00. Advance payment and 10% per book for
postage is required on all orders outside the USA.
Orders to: ASA, CSSA, SSSA Headquarters Office, Attn.
Book Order Department, 677 South Segoe Road, Madison, Wisconsin 53711-1086, USA.
Fax: +1-608-273-2021. E-mail: books@agronomy.org. Homepage: www.agronomy.org.
This special issue of Forest Ecology and Management
contains selected and edited papers from the Ninth North American Forest Soils
Conference, held at Tahoe City in August 1998. The papers describe soils as the
functioning foundations of potentially sustainable, productive forests managed
for many purposes. The volume centers on impacts of both extensive and
intensive management, how such impacts can be measured, and how findings can be
scaled from small forest plots, to landscapes, or to biomes. The papers provide
provocative visions for advancing the science and better understanding of the
relevance of forest soils. Most papers have North American authors, but there
are also contributions from Australia and New Zealand.
Orders to: Elsevier Customer Support Departments at
Regional Sales Offices. See: www.elsevier.nl/locate/foreco, or: www.elsevier.nl/locate/contentsdirect.
Shades
of Green, A review of
Organic farming is a contentious subject. It is
growing fast with strong support, but there are many voices that query its
long-term value. One cannot judge organic farming on its own; it must be seen
in comparison with the alternatives, the most important of which is
conventional farming. However, a number of other variants are developing
rapidly, based around ”Integrated Farming Systems”, or ”Integrated Cropping Systems”.
Such agricultural management systems aim to use inputs at minimum levels to
produce a good yield, and only when necessary. All other proven procedures
which are environment friendly, desirable for animal welfare or directed to
ensure high food quality should also be used. There are several such integrated
systems, which are less well-defined organic agriculture and depend more upon
the judgement and attitudes of the individual farmer. The papers in this
publication are mainly concerned with farming systems in the United Kingdom,
but they are certainly of value for other regions of the world. It contains a number of interesting soil
papers.
Price: GBP 10.00.
Orders to: Royal Agricultural Society of England,
National Agricultural Centre, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire CV8 2LZ, England.
Fax: +44-24-7669-6900. E-mail: info@rase.org.uk. Homepage: www.rase.org.uk.
Sustainable
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
recognises that, in the formulation of a global strategy for reducing global
emissions of carbon (the main factor in global warming) forests could play an
important role. This book highlights that role and demonstrates how the forests
of the world may be harvested judiciously and sustainably. The authors argue
that the forests are more than just a source of timber and wood; they discuss
the role that forests play in reducing global warming, in preventing soil
erosion and in helping to minimise the loss of biodiversity. Drawing on the
expertise of contributors associated with the analysis of forests, this book is
an in-depth and fascinating discussion as well as a policy guide for the
sustainable management of forests. The book begins by considering the relevant
biophysical aspects of forest management and then goes on to study the value of
forests for providing carbon sinks that absorb, in part, the carbon released
into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels. The book ends with a
more detailed analysis of case studies in forest policy in North, Central and
South America, ranging from the boreal forests of North America and the forests
of the humid tropics to the forests in the arid regions of South America.
Price: GBP 65.00.
Orders to: Marston Book Services, P.O. Box 269,
Abington, Oxon OX14 4YN, UK. Fax: +44-1235-465555. E-mail: direct.order@marston.co.uk. Homepage: www.e-elgar.co.uk.
Chinese
Soil Taxonomy. (Revised English version). Cooperative Research Group
on Chinese Soil Taxonomy. Science Press, Beijing and New York, 2001, xii + 203
p. ISBN 7-03-008852-2. Softcover.
As a result of 15 years work by the Cooperative Research
Group on Chinese Soil Taxonomy, this third version now includes much more
detail on the classification of the soils in China, according to both
internationally recognised standards as well as the diagnostic horizons and
properties as developed in China. It has a special focus on anthropogenic,
aridic, alpine, tropical and subtropical soils. The book also gives information
on the development of soil classification in China and the key system down to
the subgroup level. A soil map of China at the scale of 1 to 12 million is
included, showing the distribution of soils at suborder and great group level.
This publication will be valuable for soil scientists and agronomists
interested in the soils of this country, and their worldwide relationships.
Requests to: Prof. Zitong Gong or Dr. Ganlin Zhang,
Institute of Soil Science, Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China. Fax:
+86-25-3353590. E-mail: glzhang@issas.ac.cn
Atlas de la Province
Extrême-Nord Cameroun. C.
Seignobos and O. Iyébi-Mandjek, scientific editors, P. Peltre, CD-ROM. IRD
Éditions, Paris and Minrest/INC, Yaoudé, 2000, 171 p. ISBN 2-7099-1444-1.
This very well produced atlas, one of the last
regional atlases to cover this West African country, deals with the part north
of 10 degrees N, up to Lake Chad, the province called Extreme-North Cameroon.
The 39 maps, at a scale of 1:650.000, have the usual scope of human and
physical geographical subjects. For soil scientists and agriculturalists,
however, there is more than this! There are maps and extensive descriptions of
the following subjects: geomorphology, climate, hydrology, hydrogeology,
phytogeography, man-induced vegetation, soils and their potential, and the
repartition of important crops, e.g. sorghum, groundnuts, rice and cotton. All
chapters have a list of references.
Persons with a fast computer can assess the maps and
texts via the CD-ROM enclosed in the atlas.
Price: FRF 800.00.
Orders to: IRD Éditions-Diffusion, 32, avenue Henri-Varangat,
F-93143 Bondy Cedex France. Fax: +33-1-4802-7909. E-mail: diffusion@bondy.ird.fr.
Homepage: www.ird.fr/fr/inst/ist/editions/
Pesticide/Soil
Interactions. Some
current research methods. J. Cornejo and P. James, coordination. Techniques et Pratiques.
INRA Éditions, Paris, 2000, 490 p. ISBN 2-7380-0922-0. ISSN 1150-3912.
Softcover.
This book is an output of the COST Action 66,
entitled: Fate of Pesticides in the Soil and the Environment, an EU project
from 1993 till 1998. It provides research methods and mathematical models for
those seeking to understand and to predict the environmental fate of
pesticides. It is not an exhaustive catalogue of laboratory tests, outdoor
experiments or mathematical models and it does not give definitive answers to
evaluate the risks of soil and water pollution. The purpose is rather to gather
technical and objective descriptions of some current research methods and
mathematical models developed and/or used in Europe. Each method is described
in the same way, concentrating on what enables its setting up, on its
advantages and drawbacks. The different sections are opened by an introductory
chapter to provide the reader with comparison and guidance on the proposed
methods. The introductory chapter also gives an overview of the behaviour of
the pesticide in soil and environment. This publication might be helpful in
drawing up future European guidelines for pesticide registration.
Price: FRF 530.00, EUR 80.80, plus FRF 30.00 for
postage.
Orders to: INRA Éditions, RD 10, F-78026 Versailles
Cedex, France. Fax: +33-1-3083-3449. E-mail: INRA-Editions@versailles.inra.fr. Homepage: www.inra.fr/editions.
Geochemical Atlas of the
The project is an organic part
of the national programme ”Geochemical Atlas of Slovakia”. This is Slovakian
contribution to the ”International Correlation Geological Programme No.
Price: USD 51.00
Orders
to: Soil Science and Conservation
Research Institute, Gagarinova 10; 82713
Bratislava, Slovak Republic. Fax: +421 - 7- 43 427 485; E-mail: sci@vupu.sk.
Understanding
Soil Change. Soil Sustainability over
Millennia, Centuries, and Decades. D.D. Richter, Jr. and D. Markewitz. Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, 2001, xv + 255 p. ISBN 0-521-77171-4. Hardcover.
Humans are increasingly living
in urban and suburban environments, away from the land and apart from the soil,
yet the quality of human life and the earth’s environment has never depended
more on soil management than it does today. Humanity’s expanding systems of
food, fiber, and water production are now entirely dependent on the management
practices on several billions of hectares of soils. For these reasons, soil
deserves a much greater share of human attention and affection. In the recent
words of one scientist, soil is ”the central processing unit of the earth’s
environment.” Our understanding of soil’s role in the great global cycles of
chemical elements lags far behind our impact on these cycles. This book argues
that the management of soil at local, regional, and global scales must continue
to improve, but that this improvement is limited by the notable absence of
long-term soil experiments from which we can learn about how soils change
through time. This book tells the story of changes in one soil: of the genesis,
degradation, and renewal of a soil on a nearly forgotten farm in rural South
Carolina, USA. The farm was known for many years as the Old Ray Place, after
its colorful owner, Rev. Thomas Ray (1780-1862). The book too explores the
particulars of the southern landscape as a way to learn things that are more
universal about soil, ecosystems, management, nature, and time. The region was
covered with acidic soils with primary hardwood forests until about 1800,
changed to long-cultivated cotton, and recently to intensively managed pine
forests. These well-documented records significantly enrich the science of
ecology and pedology, and provide valuable lessons for land management
throughout the world. The book calls for the establishment of a global network
of soil ecosystem studies, to provide further information on sustainable land
management, vital as human demands on soil continue to increase. In their
foreword, W.A. Reiners and P.A. Sanchez write: ”It is a grand tour of soil
change at different temporal scales, done with elegance and scientific rigor.
This story will be of interest to ecologists who have never had a soil science
course, as well as to advanced pedologists, biogeochemists, agronomists,
foresters, and land managers.”
Price: GBP 47.50, USD 69.95.
Orders to: Cambridge University Press, The Edinburgh
Building, Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK. Fax: +44-1223-315052.
E-mail: information@cup.cam.ac.uk. Homepage: www.cup.ac.uk. In
North and Central America: Cambridge University Press, 40 West 20th Street, New
York, NY 10011-4211, USA. Fax: +1-212-6913239. E-mail: information@cup.org.
Homepage: www.cup.org.
Soils
of
Although soil surveys have been carried out in
Malaysia for over 50 years, little or no attempt has been made to make Standard
Descriptions for these soils. Up to now 527 soil series have been established,
and this first volume in the series Soils in Malaysia contains 100 such
standard descriptions of soils mapped in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and
Sarawak. This series of books will become a reference manual for those who in
some way or other work with soils in Malaysia. The book starts with an
introduction to the Malayan soil classification and an overview of the organic
and mineral soils occurring in the country. Each standard description presents
a representative profile description with analytical data, the range of
properties and the differentiating characteristics of the soil. Also mentioned
is the prominent land use and remarks on the suitability for agriculture are
added. All soils are classified in the Malaysian Soil Taxonomy (1998), the USDA
Soil Taxonomy (1998) and the FAO-Unesco Soil Map of the World Revised Legend
(1990).
Orders to: Param Agricultural Soil Surveys, A4-3 Jalan
17/13, 46400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan,
The International
Bibliography on Rice Research, 1951-2000. International Rice
Research Institute, Los Baños, 2000. CD-ROM.
This database contains more than
200,000 references to the world’s technical rice literature, both published and
unpublished, and written in more than 80 languages. The system requirements
are: Disk space 40 mb, memory 16 mb of RAM for Windows 95 and 32 mb for Windows
98, CD ROM drive 8x or higher, Super VGA monitor.
Price: USD 95.00 High Developed
Countries, USD 35.00 Low Developed Countries, PHP
Orders
to: The Library and Documentation Service, IRRI, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila,
Philippines. Fax: +632-845-0606. E-mail: m.ramos-irri@cgiar.org.
Homepage: www.irri.org.
Proceedings
of the Sixth International Conference on the Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements
(ICOBTE 2001). CD-ROM, 672 p. text, 15 p. author index.
This CD-ROM contains the
abstracts of the Plenary presentations (8 abstracts); Special oral symposia (21
abstracts); General oral sessions (351 abstracts); Special poster sessions (15
abstracts) and General poster sessions (357 abstracts). The following topics
are discussed: biosorption of trace elements, bioavailability of metals,
chemical remediation, adsorption reactions on soils and sediments, diagenetic
transformations, bioavailability, content and distribution of arsenic,
chemistry of trace elements in flyash, ecotoxicology, groundwater,
phytoremediation, biological and mineral soil amendments, transport in soils
and waters, and metal-mineral interactions with microorganisms.
Price: Canadian dollars 25.00.
Orders
to: Dr. Kim Bolton, Department of Land Resource Science, University of Guelph,
Guelph, Ontaria, Canada N1G 2W1. Fax: +1-519-823-1587. E-mail: icobte@lrs.uoguelph.ca. Homepage:
icobte.crle.uoguelph.ca
Global
Soil Data Products CD-ROM (IGBP-DIS).
Available online at: http:// www.daac.ornl.gov.
This product represents an international effort to prepare a data set that
incorporates the most complete and consistent information on soil distributions
and their properties. The CD-ROM includes the SoilData System, the Global Pedon
Database, and the FAO Interpreted Surfaces. Partners in this activity are the
USDA, CSIR, FAO, IBBP-DIS and ISRIC.
The
CD-ROM is described on: http://daac.ornl.gov/soils/igbp.html.
Quality
in Chemical Measurements. Training Concepts and
Teaching Materials. N. Neidhart
and W. Wegscheider, editors. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2000, xiv + 177
p. ISBN 3-540-65994-3. Hardcover. With CD-ROM.
Analytical data influence our
daily life and nowadays criteria for assessing quality of chemical measurements
must be classified as socio-politically relevant; thus Analytical Chemistry
becomes part of general education. At this point in time where the introduction
of accreditation/recognition in the Higher Education sector is imminent, it is
already clear that there are too few academics having the necessary
qualifications to carry out its implementation. For this, and other reasons –
in particular the growing economic and socio-political significance of
Analytical Chemistry – the teaching of the subject must be expanded.
The Second EURACHEM Workshop on
Current issues in teaching quality in chemical measurements enabled 50 experts
to meet and exchange ideas on concepts for teaching quality with the aim to
fill the gap between theory and reality. The output of this workshop is
published in this textbook, comprising a collection of 300 very practical
transparencies with graphics and text on CD-ROM as ready to use PowerPoint
documents.
Price: EUR 45.95, plus VAT.
Orders
to: Springer Auslieferungs Gesellschaft, Haberstrasse 7, D-69126 Heidelberg,
Germany. Fax: +49-6221-345229. E-mail: orders@springer.de.
In North America: Springer Verlag, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA.
Fax: +1-212-473-6262. E-mail: orders@springer-ny.com.
Homepage: www.springer-ny.com
Soil
Cover and Land Use in
This brief course of lectures
for university students considers the main soil distribution in Ukraine, the
soil zoning, soil productivity end the use of the soil for farming. It contains
information about the major soil units in the various soil-climatic zones. Much
attention is given to soil conservation. Separate chapters deal with the
improvement of acid, alkaline and eroded soils. Due attention is also given to
the role of organic matter and its loss caused by long-term agricultural use of
the soil. The final chapter considers the use of remote sensing and GIS for
land survey and management.
Orders
to: Prof. V. Starodubtsev, P.O. Box 127, Box 616/3, Kiev 03127, Ukraine.
E-mail: vmstar@chat.ru
Modern
Spatiotemporal Geostatistics. G. Christakos. Oxford
University Press, Oxford and New York, 2000, xvi + 288 p. ISBN 0-19-513895-3.
Hardcover.
Stochastic characterization of
spatial and temporal attributes began as a collection of mathematical concepts
and methods developed originally in the 1930’s through 1950’s. G. Matheron
coined the term “geostatistics” to refer to these developments and applied them
in the mining exploration context. Later, geostatistical techniques were used
in hydrogeology, environmental sciences, etc. It is recognized that the
techniques of classical geostatistics, which have been used for several
decades, have reached their limit and the time has come for some alternative
approaches to be given a chance. This book is an introduction to the
fundamentals of modern spatiotemporal geostatistics. Modern geostatistics is
viewed in this book as a group of spatiotemporal concepts and methods, which
are the products of the advancement of the epistemic status of stochastic data
analysis. The latter is considered from a novel perspective promoting the view
that a deeper understanding of a theory of knowledge is an important
prerequisite for the development of improved mathematical models of scientific
mapping. A spatio-temporal map, e.g., should depend on what we know about the
natural variable it represents, as well as how we know it. As is discussed in
this book, modern geostatistical approaches can be developed that are
consistent with the above epistemic framework. The main focus of the book is
the Bayesian maximum entropy (BME) approach for studying spatiotemporal
geostatistical variables.
Price: GBP 47.50; USD 60.00.
Orders
to: see below.
Methane
Emissions from Major Rice Ecosystems in
Rice production is affected by
changing climate conditions and has the dual role of contributing to global
warming through emissions of the greenhouse gas methane. Climate change has
been recognized as a major threat for the global environment. Due to
insufficient data, rice-growing countries are faced with the problem of
complying with the UN Convention on climate Change to compile a national
inventory off emissions and to explore mitigation options. Given the expected
doubling of rice production in Asia, the need to evaluate the interaction
between climate change and rice production is critical to form a sound basis
for future directions of technology developments.
The present book discusses these
issues and is comprised of two sections. The first documents a comprehensive
overview of the results achieved from an interregional research effort to
quantify methane emission from major rice ecosystems and identify efficient
mitigation options. This research broadened understanding of the contribution
of rice cultivation to methane emissions and clarified that emissions are
relatively low except for specific rice ecosystems and that these high
emissions could be ameliorated without sacricing yield. The second section
represents inputs for future modeling approaches in the role of rice
cultivators. The expanded database generated by other projects are reflected in
modeling efforts.
Price: EUR 91.00; USD 95.00; GBP
60.00.
Orders
to: The Americas: Kluwer Academic Publishers, P.O.Box 358, Hingham, Accord
Station, MA 02018-0358, USA. Fax: +1-781-681-9045. Elsewhere: Kluwer Academic
Publishers, P.O. Box 322, 3300 AH Dordrecht, The Netherlands. Fax:
+31-78-6576474. Homepage: www.wkap.nl.
Developing Indicators.
Lessons learned from Central America. L. Segnestam, M. Winograd and
A. Farrow. CIAT, the World Bank and UNEP, 2000, vii + 48 p. Plus CD-ROM,
entitled: Indicatores de sustentabilitad rural: una visión para América
Central.
Indicators are important for the sustainable use and
management of environmental resources. They give valuable information about the
present status of the resources being measured, the rate and direction of
change, highlighting priority issues and guiding policy formulation. The
project of the three collaborating institutions has focused on the development
and use of indicators for measuring and tracking rural change in Central
America. Given the economic importance of natural resources, and the close link
between the health of natural resources and the economic well being of these
countries, this is an important topic for the region. In addition, the lessons
learned from this exercise have broader implications for other parts of the
world and other indicator efforts.
This report is designed to provide practical guidance to
indicator developers. It recognizes that there is a need to integrate
environmental, economic, and social concerns into development decision-making,
at the regional, national, and local levels. Such integration was designed to
both improve policies and their implementation, and facilitate regular
monitoring and reporting on the state of the environment and development
process. The package with this publication also includes a poster outlining the
steps of indicator development, specific reports on indicator development for
the forestry sector, land use, and climatic risk, as well as a CD-ROM with all
the data and tools used in the project.
For more
information, please contact: Manual Wino grad at m.winograd@cgiar.org, fax:
+57-2-4450073. Internet: www.ciat.cgiar.org/indicators/index.htm.
Orders to: CIAT, Apartado Aero 6713, Cal, Colombia. Fax and Internet as above.
Global Agro-Ecological Zones Assessment: Methodology
and Results. IIASA Interim Report IR-00-
Over the past 20 years, the term agro-ecological zones
methodology (AEZ) has become widely used. AEZ provides a standardized framework
for the characterization of climate, soil and terrain conditions relevant to
agricultural production. In this context, the concepts of Length of Growing
Period (LGP) and of latitudinal thermal
climates have been applied in mapping activities focusing on zoning at various
scales, from sub-national to global level. Also, AEZ matching procedures are
used to identify crop-specific limitations of prevailing climate, soil and
terrain resources, under assumed levels of inputs and management conditions.
These two sets of activities result in very large databases. The information
contained in the datasets from the basis for a number of AEZ applications, such
as quantification of land productivity, extents of land with rain fed or
irrigated cultivation potential, estimation of the land’s population supporting
capacity, and multi-criteria optimization of land resources and development.
The AEZ methodologies and procedures have been extended
and newly implemented to make use of digital geographical databases, and to
cope with the specific characteristics of growing periods in the seasonal
temperate and boreal climates. This report describes the methodological
adaptations necessary for the global assessment and illustrates with numerous
results a wide range of global AEZ applications.