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BioInformation Processing: A Primer on Computational Cognitive Science (Cognitive Science and Technology)
by James K. PetersonThis book shows how mathematics, computer science and science can be usefully and seamlessly intertwined. It begins with a general model of cognitive processes in a network of computational nodes, such as neurons, using a variety of tools from mathematics, computational science and neurobiology. It then moves on to solve the diffusion model from a low-level random walk point of view. It also demonstrates how this idea can be used in a new approach to solving the cable equation, in order to better understand the neural computation approximations. It introduces specialized data for emotional content, which allows a brain model to be built using MatLab tools, and also highlights a simple model of cognitive dysfunction.
Calculus for Cognitive Scientists: Derivatives, Integrals and Models (Cognitive Science and Technology #0)
by James K. PetersonThis book provides a self-study program on how mathematics, computer science and science can be usefully and seamlessly intertwined. Learning to use ideas from mathematics and computation is essential for understanding approaches to cognitive and biological science. As such the book covers calculus on one variable and two variables and works through a number of interesting first-order ODE models. It clearly uses MatLab in computational exercises where the models cannot be solved by hand, and also helps readers to understand that approximations cause errors – a fact that must always be kept in mind.
Calculus for Cognitive Scientists: Higher Order Models and Their Analysis (Cognitive Science and Technology #0)
by James K. PetersonThis book offers a self-study program on how mathematics, computer science and science can be profitably and seamlessly intertwined. This book focuses on two variable ODE models, both linear and nonlinear, and highlights theoretical and computational tools using MATLAB to explain their solutions. It also shows how to solve cable models using separation of variables and the Fourier Series.
Calculus for Cognitive Scientists: Partial Differential Equation Models (Cognitive Science and Technology #0)
by James PetersonThis book shows cognitive scientists in training how mathematics, computer science and science can be usefully and seamlessly intertwined. It is a follow-up to the first two volumes on mathematics for cognitive scientists, and includes the mathematics and computational tools needed to understand how to compute the terms in the Fourier series expansions that solve the cable equation. The latter is derived from first principles by going back to cellular biology and the relevant biophysics. A detailed discussion of ion movement through cellular membranes, and an explanation of how the equations that govern such ion movement leading to the standard transient cable equation are included. There are also solutions for the cable model using separation of variables, as well an explanation of why Fourier series converge and a description of the implementation of MatLab tools to compute the solutions. Finally, the standard Hodgkin - Huxley model is developed for an excitable neuron and is solved using MatLab.
Sustainable Crop Protection under Protected Cultivation
by P. Parvatha ReddyThis book focuses on pests (insect and mite) and diseases (fungal, bacterial, viral and nematode) in protected horticulture (fruits, vegetables and ornamentals) using physical, cultural, chemical, biological, host resistance, and integrated methods. It opens with chapters describing the setting in which integrated pest and disease control operates, i.e., the greenhouse and its environment. Subsequent chapters present the basic strategies and tactics of different control methods including integrated control, with special reference to greenhouse crops. Further chapters include the different facets of biological pest and disease control – its scientific bases, its development in practice, its commercialization and quality control. The concluding chapters of the book highlight the present status of integrated pest and disease control for the most important greenhouse crops (fruits, vegetables and flower crops) worldwide. The book’s final chapter explores future challenges for researchers assigned to identify non-pesticide methods and integrate sustainable pest management technologies that can contribute to increased productivity, such as breeding for durable resistance, biological control and devising integrated methods that will have minimal adverse environmental and social impacts.Among productivity-enhancing technologies, protected cultivation has a tremendous potential to increase the yield of vegetables and flower crops by several fold. Pests and diseases are one of the major challenges to protected cultivation. Year-round warm temperatures and relatively high humidity together with abundant food make the protected environment of greenhouses highly attractive to pests and diseases. Nevertheless, very little attention has been paid to the manipulation of greenhouse environments expressly to avoid disease epidemics and insect infestations, which together can easily account for 30% of crop losses.This book will be of immense value to all members of the scientific community involved in teaching, research and extension activities on protected horticulture. It also offers a useful reference guide for policymakers and practicing farmers, and can be used as a textbook for postgraduate courses.
Rainwater Harvesting for Agriculture and Water Supply
by Qiang Zhu John Gould Yuanhong Li Chengxiang MaThis book offers key resource materials developed for an international training course on Rainwater Harvesting and Utilization hosted annually by the Gansu Research Institute for Water Conservancy in Lanzhou, China since 2003. Topics cover the design, construction and management of rainwater harvesting systems for domestic water supply and supplementary irrigation, rainwater quality issues and runoff farming. It presents case studies from successful rainwater-harvesting projects both in China and around the globe, and provides readers with essential information and inspiration alike. It is a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners and students in the area of water management, agriculture and sustainable development. Qiang Zhu is a research professor at Gansu Research Institute for Water Conservancy, Lanzhou, China; John Gould is a rainwater harvesting consultant based in Christchurch, New Zealand; Yuanhong Li is a research professor at Gansu Research Institute for Water Conservancy, Lanzhou, China; Chengxiang Ma is an engineer at Gansu Research Institute for Water Conservancy, Lanzhou, China.
Water Security, Climate Change and Sustainable Development (Water Resources Development and Management)
by Asit K. Biswas Cecilia TortajadaThis book pursues a comprehensive approach so as to arrive at a better understanding of the implications of climate change on sustainable development, focusing on the perspective of water. Climate change is one of today’s most pressing global issues and will become increasingly important in the decades to come, as societies will feel its pervasive impacts in many aspects of their lives. Given that the majority of these climate change impacts will be felt through the medium of water, the book explores the interrelationships and inter-linkages between water, climate change and sustainable development.
Quantum Computation with Topological Codes: From Qubit to Topological Fault-Tolerance (SpringerBriefs in Mathematical Physics #8)
by Keisuke FujiiThis book presents a self-consistent review of quantum computation with topological quantum codes. The book covers everything required to understand topological fault-tolerant quantum computation, ranging from the definition of the surface code to topological quantum error correction and topological fault-tolerant operations. The underlying basic concepts and powerful tools, such as universal quantum computation, quantum algorithms, stabilizer formalism, and measurement-based quantum computation, are also introduced in a self-consistent way. The interdisciplinary fields between quantum information and other fields of physics such as condensed matter physics and statistical physics are also explored in terms of the topological quantum codes. This book thus provides the first comprehensive description of the whole picture of topological quantum codes and quantum computation with them.
Microbial Interventions in Agriculture and Environment: Volume 3: Soil and Crop Health Management
by Dhananjaya Pratap Singh Ratna PrabhaMicrobial communities and their multi-functionalities play a crucial role in the management of soil and plant health, and thus help in managing agro-ecology, the environment and agriculture. Microorganisms are key players in N-fixation, nutrient acquisition, carbon sequestration, plant growth promotion, pathogen suppression, induced systemic resistance and tolerance against stresses, and these parameters are used as indicators of improved crop productivity and sustainable soil health. Beneficial belowground microbial interactions in the rhizosphere help plants combat abiotic challenges in the unfavourable environmental conditions of native soils. These microorganisms and their products offer potential solutions for agriculture in problematic areas since they are able to degrade xenobiotic compounds, pesticides and toxic chemicals and help remediate heavy metals in the rhizosphere and so make deteriorated soils suitable for crop production. This book compiles the latest research on the role of microbes in the rhizosphere and agro-ecology, covering interaction mechanisms, microbe-mediated crop production, plant and soil health management, food and nutrition, nutrient recycling, land reclamation, clean water systems, agro-waste management, biodegradation, bioremediation, biomass and bioenergy, sanitation and rural livelihood security. It is a comprehensive reference resource for agricultural activists, policymakers, environmentalists and advisors working for governments, non-governmental organizations and industries, helping them update their knowledge of this important, but often neglected, research area.
Lobsters: Biology, Fisheries and Aquaculture
by E. V. Radhakrishnan Bruce F. Phillips Gopalakrishnan AchamveetilThis book is an important addition to the knowledge of lobster research. The book complements other books published on lobster research and management as it focuses on Indian lobster fisheries and aquaculture developments where there have been nearly 350 research papers and reports and 19 PhD awards. The book has 15 chapters written by international experts covering many aspects of the biology of a number of spiny and slipper lobster species occurring in India and world oceans with maps illustrating global distribution of spiny lobster families, genera and species. An updated taxonomy and checklist of marine lobsters, the status and management of lobster fisheries in India and Indian Ocean Rim countries and a review of aquaculture research in India and other major countries have also been presented. The book is timely as the 2nd International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE) is currently underway (2015-2020), 50 years after the original IIOE (1959-1965), with some of the original lobster research on the biology and distribution of phyllosoma larvae being undertaken on the plankton samples collected during the first IIOE. Many of the chapters are contributed by the authors from Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), which has been collecting fishery and biological data on lobsters since 1950 when lobster fishing began on a subsistence scale, followed by some industrial fishing for lobsters in different parts of India. Unfortunately, the development of some of these lobster fisheries was followed by overfishing due to lack of enforcement of regulations. The book provides a valuable addition to our knowledge of the biology, fisheries and aquaculture of spiny and slipper lobsters.
Agronomic Crops: Volume 1: Production Technologies
by Mirza HasanuzzamanAgronomic crops have been used to provide foods, beverages, fodders, fuels, medicines and industrial raw materials since the dawn of human civilization. Today, agronomic crops are being cultivated by employing scientific methods instead of traditional methods. However, in the current era of climate change, agronomic crops are subjected to various environmental stresses, which results in substantial yield loss. To meet the food demands of the ever-increasing global population, new technologies and management practices are being adopted to boost yield and maintain productivity under both normal and adverse conditions. Scientists are now exploring a variety of approaches to the sustainable production of agronomic crops, including varietal development, soil management, nutrient and water management, pest management, etc. Researchers have also made remarkable progress in developing stress tolerance in crops through different approaches. However, achieving optimal production to meet the increasing food demand is an open challenge. Although there have been numerous publications on the above-mentioned problems, and despite the extensive research being conducted on them, there is hardly any comprehensive book available. In response, this book offers a timely resource, addressing all aspects of production technologies, management practices and stress tolerance in agronomic crops in a single volume.
Inequality and Uncertainty: Current Challenges for Cities
by Marta Smagacz-Poziemska M. Victoria Gómez Patrícia Pereira Laura Guarino Sebastian Kurtenbach Juan José VillalónIt is not possible to ignore the fact that cities are not only moving, vibrant and flourishing spaces, promising hope for better quality of life, but that they also accumulate and reflect significant problems. This book explores the relational and dynamic nature of urban inequalities, including their visible and invisible forms. By using the rather elusive term of ‘uncertainty’, the authors zoom in on specific aspects of urban inequalities that are difficult to measure, yet are acutely sensed and experienced by people and, more and more often, perceived as unfair. Here, in the recognition of inequalities as unjust and in the disagreement with the status quo, lies a positive aspect of uncertainty, which can lead to a social awakening and more active citizenship.
Biodiversity of the Himalaya: Jammu and Kashmir State (Topics in Biodiversity and Conservation #18)
by Ghulam Hassan Dar Anzar A. KhurooThe Himalaya, a global biodiversity hotspot, sustains about one-fifth of the humankind. Nestled within the north-western mountain ranges of the Himalaya, the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) State harbours more than half of the biodiversity found in the Indian Himalaya. The wide expanse of State, spread across the subtropical Jammu, through the temperate Kashmir valley, to the cold arid Ladakh, is typical representative of the extensive elevational and topographical diversity encountered in the entire Himalaya.This book, the most comprehensive and updated synthesis ever made available on biodiversity of the J&K State, is a valuable addition to the biodiversity literature with global and regional relevance. The book, arranged into 7 parts, comprises of 42 chapters contributed by 87 researchers, each of whom is an expert in his/her own field of research. The precious baseline data contained in the book would form the foundation for assessing current status of knowledge about the bioresources, identify the knowledge gaps, and help prioritization of conservation strategies to steer the sustainable use of biodiversity in this Himalayan region. Given the breadth of topics covered under the banner of biodiversity in this book, it can surely serve as a model for documentation of biodiversity in other regions of the world. The book will be of immense value to all those who, directly or indirectly, have to deal with biodiversity, including students, teachers, researchers, naturalists, environmentalists, resource managers, planners, government agencies, NGOs and the general public at large.
Statistical Meso-Mechanics of Damage and Failure: Series Publication of Multiscale Mechanics
by Yilong Bai Mengfen Xia Fujiu KeThis book introduces a trans-scale framework necessary for the physical understanding of breakdown behaviors and presents some new paradigm to clarify the mechanisms underlying the trans-scale processes. The book, which is based on the interaction of mechanics and statistical physics, will help to deepen the understanding of how microdamage induces disaster and benefit the forecasting of the occurrence of catastrophic rupture. It offers notes and problems in each part as interesting background and illustrative exercises.Readers of the book would be graduate students, researchers, engineers working on civil, mechanical and geo-engineering, etc. However, people with various background but interested in disaster reduction and forecasting, like applied physics, geophysics, seismology, etc., may also be interested in the book.
Subduction and Closure of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean along the Solonker Suture Zone: Constraints from an Integrated Sedimentary Provenance Analysis (Springer Theses)
by Paul R. EizenhöferThis Ph.D. thesis attempts to decipher the closure of the Palaeozoic Palaeo-Asian Ocean along the enigmatic Solonker Suture in East Asia adopting a methodology that integrates geochemical and geochronological data from Palaeozoic sedimentary and volcanic rocks in the region. It provides an in-detail but also broad insight into the Palaeozoic to early Mesozoic tectonic evolution of the region, not only pin-pointing the debated location of the Solonker Suture but also the timing of final disappearance of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean during Permian to Early Triassic times. The results have led to propose a tectonic ‘soft-collision’ model for the amalgamation of the North China Craton and the Mongolian Terranes in northern Asia explaining the general absence of geologic features characteristic for continent-continent collisions such as the occurrence of regional-scale high-grade metamorphic rocks, ophiolite belts and fold-thrust structures. This new model may serve as a blueprint for the tectonic evolution of similar suture zones that are characterized by the absence of typical collision related lithologies and structures. The thesis is particularly useful as a guide for researchers who seek an in-depth understanding of the Palaeozoic to early Mesozoic tectonic evolution of northern China and Central Asia along the Solonker Suture.
Mine Waste Management in China: Recent Development
by Di WuThis book introduces recent development of technologies for mine waste management in China. For hard rock mines, the main mine wastes are tailings, and the tailings can be disposed above-ground and/or underground. The technology of consolidated tailings stockpile (CTS) that disposes tailings above-ground is introduced, and the application of this technology is also demonstrated. Besides, the technology of cemented tailings (or paste) backfill (CTB or CPB) which deals with tailings underground is also discussed. The properties of CTB materials and the utilization of CTB technology are described and analyzed. For coal mines, the main mine wastes are coal gangue and fly ash. The technology of cemented coal gangue-fly ash backfill (CGFB) that manages coal mine waste underground is presented. The THMC coupling properties of CGFB materials are investigated, which can contribute to a better design of stable, durable and environmentally friendly CGFB mixtures. The application of CGFB technology in a coal mine is also presented. This book, which systematically reviews and discusses the development of mine waste management technologies in China, is expected to provide readers comprehensive information about mine waste management.
Human Geoscience (Advances in Geological Science)
by Yukio Himiyama Kenji Satake Taikan OkiThis book is a product of the joint efforts of interdisciplinary academic fields under the integrative framework of human geoscience. Human geoscience is a new genre of geoscience concerned with the natural phenomena that occur on the surface of the Earth and their relations with human activities. It therefore has connections with many fields of geoscience, namely, physical geography, geomorphology, geology, soil science, sedimentology, seismology, volcanology, meteorology, climatology, oceanography, and hydrology. It also has strong links to the humanities, social sciences, agricultural sciences, and engineering related to disaster prevention or mitigation. All these disciplines are important fields for understanding disasters and global environmental problems and for evaluating the associated risks comprehensively, then proposing mitigation strategies.The volume is designed for those who may not necessarily have a geoscience background but have broad scientific interest in understanding the causes, mechanisms, and consequences of geo-disasters and global environmental problems and wish to make the world more sustainable on that basis. The book consists of six parts: I. Introduction, II. Earth Surface Realms, III. Natural Resources and Society, IV. Natural Hazards and Society, V. Global Environmental Problems, and VI. Global Sustainability Programmes and Human Geoscience, which discusses the contribution of this field of science to a new comprehensive framework for global sustainability.
Prehistoric Maritime Cultures and Seafaring in East Asia (The Archaeology of Asia-Pacific Navigation #1)
by Chunming Wu Barry Vladimir RolettThis book focuses on prehistoric East Asian maritime cultures that pre-dated the Maritime Silk Road, the "Four Seas" and "Four Oceans" navigation system recorded in historical documents of ancient China. Origins of the Maritime Silk Road can be traced to prosperous Neolithic and Metal Age maritime-oriented cultures dispersed along the coastlines of prehistoric China and Southeast Asia.The topics explored here include Neolithisation and the development of prehistoric maritime cultures during the Neolithic and early Metal Age; the expansion and interaction of these cultures along coastlines and across straits; the "two-layer" hypothesis for explaining genetic and cultural diversity in south China and Southeast Asia; prehistoric seafaring and early sea routes; the paleogeography and vegetation history of coastal regions; Neolithic maritime livelihoods based on hunting/fishing/foraging adaptations; rice and millet cultivation and their dispersal along the coast and across the open sea; and interaction between farmers and maritime-oriented hunter/fisher/foragers. In addition, a series of case studies enhances understanding of the development of prehistoric navigation and the origin of the Maritime Silk Road in the Asia-Pacific region.
Ground States of Quantum Field Models: Perturbation of Embedded Eigenvalues (SpringerBriefs in Mathematical Physics #35)
by Fumio HiroshimaThis book provides self-contained proofs of the existence of ground states of several interaction models in quantum field theory. Interaction models discussed here include the spin-boson model, the Nelson model with and without an ultraviolet cutoff, and the Pauli–Fierz model with and without dipole approximation in non-relativistic quantum electrodynamics. These models describe interactions between bose fields and quantum mechanical matters.A ground state is defined as the eigenvector associated with the bottom of the spectrum of a self-adjoint operator describing the Hamiltonian of a model. The bottom of the spectrum is however embedded in the continuum and then it is non-trivial to show the existence of ground states in non-perturbative ways. We show the existence of the ground state of the Pauli–Fierz mode, the Nelson model, and the spin-boson model, and several kinds of proofs of the existence of ground states are explicitly provided. Key ingredients are compact sets and compact operators in Hilbert spaces. For the Nelson model with an ultraviolet cutoff and the Pauli–Fierz model with dipole approximation we show not only the existence of ground states but also enhanced binding. The enhanced binding means that a system for zero-coupling has no ground state but it has a ground state after turning on an interaction.The book will be of interest to graduate students of mathematics as well as to students of the natural sciences who want to learn quantum field theory from a mathematical point of view. It begins with abstract compactness arguments in Hilbert spaces and definitions of fundamental facts of quantum field theory: boson Fock spaces, creation operators, annihilation operators, and second quantization. This book quickly takes the reader to a level where a wider-than-usual range of quantum field theory can be appreciated, and self-contained proofs of the existence of ground states and enhanced binding are presented.
Disaster Studies: Exploring Intersectionalities in Disaster Discourse (Disaster Studies and Management)
by Janki AndhariaThis book covers several dimensions of disaster studies as an emerging discipline. It is the inaugural book in the series ‘Disaster Studies and Management’ and deals with questions such as “Is disaster management a field of practice, a profession, or simply a new area of study?” Exploring intersectionalities, the book also examines areas of research that could help enhance the discourse on disaster management from policy and practice perspectives, revisiting conventional event-centric approaches, which are the basis for most writings on the subject. Several case studies and comparative analyses reflect a critical reading of research and practice concerning disasters and their management. The book offers valuable insights into various subjects including the challenge of establishing inter- and multi-disciplinary teams within the academia involved in disaster studies, and sociological and anthropological readings of post-disaster memoryscapes. Each of the contributors has an enduring interest in disaster studies, thus enriching the book immensely. This book will be of interest to all the students and scholars of disaster studies and disaster management, as well as to practitioners and policymakers.
Remote Sensing Monitoring and Evaluation of Degraded Grassland in China: Accounting of Grassland Carbon Source and Carbon Sink (Springer Geography)
by Wei Zhou Jianlong Li Tianxiang YueThis book focuses on grassland ecosystem evaluation including vegetation coverage, net primary productivity, carbon sink accounting, and grassland degradation evaluation based on mutual data resource, ecosystem model simulation, remote sensing monitoring and driving mechanism exploration. It aims to provide a guide seeking to understand the overall situation of grassland in China in the context of global climate change and build a scenario for the driving force quantitative evaluation. It will be an essential reference to the terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycle and degraded grassland ecological restoration engineer implementation. Chapters are carefully developed to cover (1) situation of grassland in China; (2) spatial-temporal of grassland coverage in China;(3) net primary productivity evaluation; (4) carbon sink/source accounting and its carbon-hydrology effect;(5) grassland landscape pattern; (6) grassland degradation evaluation based on remote sensing;(7) Grassland degradation restoration and constructing green ecological protective screen. The new scenario and driving mechanism evaluation model make this book a valuable read for researcher of land ecosystem carbon cycle, ecosytem degradation remote sensing evaluation as well as organizations engaged in eco-restoration practices.
Magneto-transport Properties of Skyrmions and Chiral Spin Structures in MnSi (Springer Theses)
by Tomoyuki YokouchiThis book provides extensive and novel insights into transport phenomena in MnSi, paving the way for applying the topology and chirality of spin textures to the development of spintronics devices. In particular, it describes in detail the key measurements, e.g. magnetoresistance and nonlinear electronic transport, and multiple material-fabrication techniques based on molecular beam epitaxy, ion-beam microfabrication and micromagnetic simulation. The book also reviews key aspects of B20-type MnSi chiral magnets, which host magnetic skyrmions, nanoscale objects formed by helical spatial spin structures. Readers are then introduced to cutting-edge findings on the material. Furthermore, by reviewing the author’s successful experiments, the book provides readers with a valuable update on the latest achievements in the measurement and fabrication of magnetic materials in spintronics.
Green Transformation and Development (The Great Transformation of China)
by Shuzhong Gu Meie Xie Xinhua ZhangThis book offers an insiders' view into Chinese plans for a green transformation of the economy of China. Analyzing the pressures, drive, and resistance to this green transformation in China, the book explores the key fields, from green finance and green banking to green consumption and green urbanization. Furthermore, it offers a guide on how government officials will be penalized or rewarded for their successful furtherance of green objectives. This book will be of interest to climate activists, China watchers, architects, and all those invested in a sustainable future.
An Interdisciplinary Approach for Disaster Resilience and Sustainability (Disaster Risk Reduction)
by Indrajit Pal Jason Von Meding Sangam Shrestha Iftekhar Ahmed Thayaparan GajendranThis book includes selected papers presented at the international expert forum on “Mainstreaming Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction in Education,” held at the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand on 1–2 December 2017. The journey towards disaster risk reduction and resilience requires the participation of a wide array of stakeholders ranging from academics to policymakers, to disaster managers. Given the multifaceted and interdependent nature of disasters, disaster risk reduction and resilience require a multidisciplinary problem-solving approach and evidence-based techniques from the natural, social, engineering, and other relevant sciences.Traditionally, hazard and disaster-related studies have been dominated by the engineering and social science fields. In this regard, the main purpose of this book is to capture the multidisciplinary and multisectoral nature of disaster risk reduction, and to gather existing data, research, conceptual work, and practical cases regarding risk reduction and its ties to sustainable development under a single “umbrella.” Along with the sustainability aspect, the book also links disaster risk reduction with development, technology, governance, education, and climate change, and includes discussions on challenges, solutions, and best practices in the mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction.
A Synthesis of Depositional Sequence of the Proterozoic Vindhyan Supergroup in Son Valley: A Field Guide (Springer Geology)
by Subir Sarkar Santanu BanerjeeThis book offers extensive information on the course of sedimentation in the Proterozoic Vindhyan Basin and the potential record of ancient life stored within the rocks. It covers topics ranging from facies analysis to sequence-building, from carbonates to siliciclastics, and mixed lithology and life records from microbial to potentially eukaryotes, along with the basin evolutionary history. Further, the book includes 75 color photographs and accompanying hand-sketches to help readers grasp key aspects of Vindhyan Geology. Vindhyan rocks are well known for their excellent preservation of microbial record of earth. Offering a student-friendly field guide containing detailed route maps, geological maps and a wealth of visual examples, it is also extremely useful in terms of understanding the microbe-dominated environments on Mars.