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Resources and Society: A Systems Ecology Study of the Island of Gotland, Sweden (Ecological Studies #56)

Although this book is about a specific area of the world (i.e., Gotland, Sweden), the interdisciplinary nature of the study, with regard to resources, environment, and society, makes it of interest to a number of fields. We have tried to make this book readable for a wide variety of interested parties including systems ecologists, environmental scientists, resource economists, geographers, regional planners, and regional scientists, as well as those interested in Nordic conditions. Since this project was part of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) pro­ gram, this book should be of general interest to the international community. This book is certainly not a textbook, but we see it as being useful for courses in regional analysis with plenty of examples for illustrating analysis and models related to energy, environment, and economics, or to the general field of systems ecology. An instructor could, of course, supplement the material on systems and models with other sources. We hope this small book will serve as a helpful example of the analysis of the complex interdisciplinary problems associated with resources and society. In Chapter 1, we present a brief introduction to the Gotland study as well as to some of the concepts and theories that have guided our investigations.

Conservation Genetics of New World Crocodilians

This book aims to be a comprehensive review of the literature on the conservation genetics of the New World crocodilians, from the biological and demographical aspects of the living species to the application of molecular techniques for conservation purposes. It covers the current status of the molecular genetics applied to phylogenetics, phylogeography, diversity, kinship and mating system, and hybridization, as well its implications for decision making with regards to the conservation of these species at academic and governmental levels. This book can be used as a guide for graduate and undergraduate students to understand how conservation genetics techniques are carried out and how they can help preserve not only crocodilians but also other living species.

Computing the Optical Properties of Large Systems (Springer Theses)

This work addresses the computation of excited-state properties of systems containing thousands of atoms. To achieve this, the author combines the linear response formulation of time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) with linear-scaling techniques known from ground-state density-functional theory. This extends the range of TDDFT, which on its own cannot tackle many of the large and interesting systems in materials science and computational biology. The strengths of the approach developed in this work are demonstrated on a number of problems involving large-scale systems, including exciton coupling in the Fenna-Matthews-Olson complex and the investigation of low-lying excitations in doped p-terphenyl organic crystals.

High-Power Laser Radiation in Atmospheric Aerosols: Nonlinear Optics of Aerodispersed Media (Atmospheric and Oceanographic Sciences Library #4)

Unique properties of laser radiation including its monochromatic properties, polarization, high spectral intensity, coherence, narrow beam divergence, the possibility of controlling the pulse duration and radiation spectrum and, finally, the fact that extremely high power and energy create very favorable conditions for the extensive application of lasers to communi­ cation systems, systems for the lidar sensing and ultra-high-precision ranging, navigation, remote monitoring of the environment, and many other systems operating in the atmosphere. The operative efficiency of the above systems depends significantly on the state of the atmosphere and the corresponding behavior of laser radia­ tion propagating through it. This circumstance has stimulated the studies of the above regularities during the passt 10-15 years. For the investiga­ tions to be carried out the scientists were forced to develop new theories and methods for studying the problem experimentally. Moreover, during such investigations some previously unknown phenomena were observed, among them the nonlinear effects accompanying high-power laser radiation propagating through the atmosphere are of paramount importance. Among the nonlinear effects caused by high-power laser radiation inter­ action with the atmosphere, the effects accompanying the propagation of high-power radiation through the atmospheric aerosols are of particular interest. Aerosols always occur in the atmosphere. It should be noted that the microphysical and optical characteristics of atmospheric aerosols vary widely, this fact causes a great variety in the features of their inter­ action with radiation.

Provenance of Arenites (Nato Science Series C: #148)

Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Reading Provenance from Arenites, Cetraro, Cosenza, Italy, June 3-11, 1984

Reference Frames for Applications in Geosciences (International Association of Geodesy Symposia #138)

Reference systems and frames are of primary importance for many Earth science applications, satellite navigation as well as for practical applications in geo-information. A precisely defined reference frame is needed for the quantification of, e.g. Earth rotation and its gravity field, global and regional sea level variation, tectonic motion and deformation, post-glacial rebound, geocenter motion, large scale deformation due to Earthquakes, local subsidence and other ruptures and crustal dislocations. All of these important scientific applications fundamentally depend on a truly global reference system that only space geodesy can realize. This volume details the proceedigns of the IAG Symposium REFAG2010 (Marne la Vallée, France, October 4-8, 2010) The primary scope of REFAG2010 was to address today’s achievements on theoretical concepts of reference systems and their practical implementations by individual space geodetic techniques and their combinations, underlying limiting factors, systematic errors and novel approaches for future improvements.

Decentralization in Environmental Governance: A post-contingency approach (New Directions in Planning Theory)

Decentralization in Environmental Governance is a critical reflection on the dangers and risks of governance renewal; warning against one-sided criticism on traditional command and control approaches to planning. The book formulates the arguments that support when and how governance renewable might be pursued, but this attempt is not just meant for practitioners and scholars interested in governance renewal. It is also useful for those interested in the challenge of navigating a plural landscape of diverse planning approaches, which are each rooted in contrasting theoretical and philosophical positions. The book develops a strategy for making argued choices between alternative planning approaches, despite their theoretical and philosophical positions. It does so by revitalizing the idea that we can contingently relate alternative planning approaches to the circumstances encountered. It is an idea traced to contingency studies of the mid and late 20th century, reinterpreted here within a planning landscape dominated by notions of uncertainty, complexity and socially constructed knowledge. This approach, called ‘Post-contingency’, is both a theoretical investigation of arguments for navigating the theoretical plurality we face and an empirical study into renewing environmental governance. Next to its theoretical ambitions, Decentralization in Environmental Governance is practical in offering a constructive critique on current processes of governance renewal in European environmental governance.

Decentralization in Environmental Governance: A post-contingency approach (New Directions in Planning Theory)

Decentralization in Environmental Governance is a critical reflection on the dangers and risks of governance renewal; warning against one-sided criticism on traditional command and control approaches to planning. The book formulates the arguments that support when and how governance renewable might be pursued, but this attempt is not just meant for practitioners and scholars interested in governance renewal. It is also useful for those interested in the challenge of navigating a plural landscape of diverse planning approaches, which are each rooted in contrasting theoretical and philosophical positions. The book develops a strategy for making argued choices between alternative planning approaches, despite their theoretical and philosophical positions. It does so by revitalizing the idea that we can contingently relate alternative planning approaches to the circumstances encountered. It is an idea traced to contingency studies of the mid and late 20th century, reinterpreted here within a planning landscape dominated by notions of uncertainty, complexity and socially constructed knowledge. This approach, called ‘Post-contingency’, is both a theoretical investigation of arguments for navigating the theoretical plurality we face and an empirical study into renewing environmental governance. Next to its theoretical ambitions, Decentralization in Environmental Governance is practical in offering a constructive critique on current processes of governance renewal in European environmental governance.

Strukturgüte von Fließgewässern: Grundlagen und Kartierung

Differential Geodesy

Apart from Hotine's work on Mathematical Geodesy, several previously unpublished reports are collected in this monograph, complemented by extensive comments on these contributions and a complete bibliography of Hotine by the editor.

Foundations of Differential Geodesy

Differential geodesy is concerned with the geometry of the gravity field of the Earth, which is of fundamental importance to both theoretical geodesy and geophysics. This monograph presents a unified treatment of the foundations of differential geodesy as proposed originally by Antonio Marussi and Martin Hotine in their work. The principal features of the Marussi-Hotine approach to theoretical aspects are given in the first five chapters (based on leg calculus), while the last five chapters are devoted to the fundamental ideas of the Marussi and Hotine theory. The text includes practical problems and is intended for use by research geodesists, graduate students in geodesy, and theoretical geophysicists.

Pseudodifferential Equations Over Non-Archimedean Spaces (Lecture Notes in Mathematics #2174)

Focusing on p-adic and adelic analogues of pseudodifferential equations, this monograph presents a very general theory of parabolic-type equations and their Markov processes motivated by their connection with models of complex hierarchic systems. The Gelfand-Shilov method for constructing fundamental solutions using local zeta functions is developed in a p-adic setting and several particular equations are studied, such as the p-adic analogues of the Klein-Gordon equation. Pseudodifferential equations for complex-valued functions on non-Archimedean local fields are central to contemporary harmonic analysis and mathematical physics and their theory reveals a deep connection with probability and number theory. The results of this book extend and complement the material presented by Vladimirov, Volovich and Zelenov (1994) and Kochubei (2001), which emphasize spectral theory and evolution equations in a single variable, and Albeverio, Khrennikov and Shelkovich (2010), which deals mainly with the theory and applications of p-adic wavelets.

Damaskus, ein Wort zur Abwehr: Nebst einem Verzeichniss der Schriften des Verfassers

The Hoek-Brown Failure criterion—From theory to application

This book provides a comprehensive coverage of the theory and principle of the Hoek-Brown (HB) failure criterion, methods or guidelines for estimating the HB input parameters, and the methodology of application of the HB criterion in rock engineering projects. It aims to help researchers, engineers and research students who work in the area of rock mechanics and mining engineering. Academics can quickly obtain an overview of the state of the art of the theory and principle of the Hoek-Brown criterion by reading the book before they advance their researches on the topics related to rock failure criteria. Geotechnical engineers can select appropriate Hoek-Brown input parameters for the design and analysis of rock engineering projects with the help of the principles introduced in this book. Research students may use the book as a textbook to learn the principle of rock mechanics related to rock mass properties.

Engineering Asset Management 2016: Proceedings of the 11th World Congress on Engineering Asset Management (Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering)

These proceedings gather selected peer-reviewed papers from the 11th World Congress on Engineering Asset Management (WCEAM), which was held in Jiuzhaigou, China, on 25–28 July, 2016. These proceedings cover a wide range of topics in engineering asset management, including:· strategic asset management;· condition monitoring and diagnostics;· integrated intelligent maintenance;· sensors and devices;· information quality and management;· sustainability in asset management;· asset performance and knowledge management;· data mining and AI techniques in asset management;· engineering standards; and· education in engineering asset management.The breadth and depth of these state-of-the-art, comprehensive proceedings make them an excellent resource for asset management practitioners, researchers and academics, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Traffic and Granular Flow 2019 (Springer Proceedings in Physics #252)

This book gathers contributions on a variety of flowing collective systems. While primarily focusing on pedestrian dynamics, they also reflect the latest developments in areas such as vehicular traffic and granular flows and address related emerging topics such as self-propelled particles, data transport, swarm behavior, intercellular transport, and collective dynamics of biological systems. Combining fundamental research and practical applications in the various fields discussed, the book offers a valuable asset for researchers and practitioners alike.

Praktische Mathematik für Ingenieure und Physiker

Matrizen und ihre Anwendungen 1: Grundlagen Für Ingenieure, Physiker und Angewandte Mathematiker (Klassiker der Technik #30)

Das Buch behandelt Matrizengleichungen und -funktionen sowie die computergerechte Darstellung und Lösung der Bewegungsgleichungen von Schwingungssystemen mit endlich vielen Freiheitsgraden und führt in die Grundlagen der Näherungsmethoden von Rayleigh und Ritz ein. Das Eigenwertproblem wird, anders als sonst üblich, von einem allgemeinen Standpunkt aus betrachtet. Dadurch gewinnt die Darstellung an Verständlichkeit und an Anwendungsbreite. Das Buch ist sowohl für Studierende als auch für Physiker und Ingenieure in der Praxis geschrieben.

Matrizen und ihre Anwendungen für Angewandte Mathematiker, Physiker und Ingenieure: Teil 2: Numerische Methoden

Environmental Applications of Remote Sensing and GIS in Libya

This book addresses the environmental challenges that Libya and similar countries in the regions are currently facing. Each chapter of this book provides a methodology using remote sensing (RS) and geographical information systems (GIS) dealing with one of these environmental challenges such as monitoring and mapping soil salinity and prediction of soil properties, monitoring and mapping of land degradation, spatiotemporal land use/cover, agricultural drought monitoring, hydrological applications such as spatial rainfall distribution, surface runoff, geo-morphometric analysis, flood hazard assessment and mapping, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, pollution hazard assessment, and climate-related geophysical processes. This book also assesses the impacts of climate change on natural resources using both RS and GIS, as well as other applications, covering different parts of Libya. This book is beneficial for graduate students, researchers, policy planners, and stakeholders in Libya as well as other countries that share similar environmental issues. Also, the methodologies followed in the book's chapters can be applied to any other regions around the world with similar landscapes and climatic conditions.

The Soils of Libya (World Soils Book Series)

This book presents the soil pedodiversity in Libya. Soils are the source of all life; there can be no life without them. Further, each soil has its own history and its present conditions, which have been shaped by many different factors (e.g. climate, biota, parent material, and relief or topography). The book, divided into eight chapters, provides extensive information on Libyan soils. Chapter one provides an introduction and a broad perspective of the subject, while Chapter two covers the history of soil mapping and research in Libya. Chapter three focuses on local factors of soil formation and describes the geology and climate of the region to explain the diversity of its soils. Chapter four discusses soil classification systems and those most commonly used in the country. The fifth chapter illustrates the constraints and limiting factors that negatively affect agricultural activities across the country. The land cover/land use and the vegetation of the country are described in Chapter six. In turn, Chapter seven presents the status quo of soil biology, the corresponding related research activities, and the other biological properties of Libyan soils. The final chapter (Chapter eight) focus on land degradation and desertification in Libya, emphasizing the main causes, impacts of the phenomena, and efforts to combat it. This book demonstrates the problems that the country is currently facing as a result of climate change, soil erosion, salinization, and pollution, and outlines potential remedies to improve local food security. Bringing together the perspectives and expertise of many distinguished scientists from various universities and institutions in and outside of Libya, the book represents a unique and highly valuable resource.

Disaster Risk Reduction: Community Resilience and Responses

This book discusses the interconnected, complex and emerging risks in today’s societies and deliberates on the various aspects of disaster risk reduction strategies especially through community resilience and responses. It consists of selected papers presented at the World Congress on Disaster Management, which focused on community resilience and responses towards disaster risk reduction based on South Asian experiences, and closely examines the coordinated research activities involving all stakeholders, especially the communities at risk. Further, it narrates the experiences of disaster risk-reduction in different communities that have policy implications for mitigation of future disaster risks in the societies affected by these types of disasters. Written from the social science perspective to disasters rather than an engineering approach, the book helps development and governance institutions to prioritize disasters as a problem of development rather than being parallel to it.

Kashmir (Oxford India Short Introductions)

Since 1947-48, when India and Pakistan fought their first war over Kashmir, it has been reduced to an endlessly disputed territory. As a result, the people of this region and its rich history are often forgotten. This short introduction untangles the complex issue of Kashmir to help readers understand not just its past, present, and future, but also the sources of the existing misconceptions about it. In lucidly written prose, the author presents a range of ways in which Kashmir has been imagined by its inhabitants and outsiders over the centuries—a sacred space, homeland, nation, secular symbol, and a zone of conflict. Kashmir thus emerges in this account as a geographic entity as well as a composite of multiple ideas and shifting boundaries that were produced in specific historical and political contexts.

Agricultural Drought in Slovakia: NDVI and Satellite Based Data (SpringerBriefs in Environmental Science)

This book gives an insight into the evaluation of drought in Slovakia and provides an assessment of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) as a method suitable for an evaluation of drought in agricultural land. Dry seasons in the time series from 1960 to 2014 were determined according to the monthly Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). The field research was carried out on 12 sites including western Slovakia, Prešov, Trnava and Nitra regions. Data collected from satellite imagery, climate data analyses and drought indices was analysed to determine the value of NDVI as an evaluation tool.

Nanostructured Soft Matter: Experiment, Theory, Simulation and Perspectives (NanoScience and Technology)

This book provides an interdisciplinary overview of a new and broad class of materials under the unifying name Nanostructured Soft Matter. It covers materials ranging from short amphiphilic molecules to block copolymers, proteins, colloids and their composites, microemulsions and bio-inspired systems such as vesicles.