Geomorphology and Environmental Impact Assessment

Geomorphology and Environmental Impact Assessment
Author: M. Marchetti
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 248
Release: 2001-01-01
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9789058093448

This volume focuses on the close relationship between geomorphology and environmental impact assessment, and provides a wide-ranging overview of this topic. It includes several case studies covering a variety of environmental impacts derived from human activities (quarrying, communication infrastructure etc.) on different geomorphologic components (landforms, soil, landscapes etc.) and environments (glacial, fluvial, coastal etc.) The case studies presented offer a methodological guide from the most traditional geomorphological approaches through to the use of spatial data analysis and GIS tools and techniques. Environmental Impact Assessment is a relatively new scientific branch in which a wide variety of specialists are increasingly becoming involved. This volume will be of interest to geomorphologists, biologists, geographers, architects and engineers.

Geoenvironmental Mapping: Methods,Theory and Practice

Geoenvironmental Mapping: Methods,Theory and Practice
Author: Peter T Bobrowsky
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 748
Release: 2001-01-01
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9789054104872

This text illustrates the range of environmental geoscience mapping presently carried out around the world. Specialists in several countries have contributed a number of subdisciplinary and thematic topics including volcanic hazards, landslides, dolines, tsunamis, radon potential, medical geology, rainfall erosion, engineering geology, borehole stratigraphy, lake sediment geochemistry, aggregate resources and remote sensing. The collection, analysis and interpretation of data by geologists, geographers and engineers typically involves the presentation of information in map form, which can range from black/white to colour, 2-D to 3-D and paper copy to digital format illustrations. This volume reaffirms the global need for mapping geoscientific data.

Rural Planning from an Environmental Systems Perspective

Rural Planning from an Environmental Systems Perspective
Author: Frank B. Golley
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 445
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1461214483

This book synthesizes knowledge from several fields that are crucial to sustainable rural development: the physical environment, biological and agricultural production, rural sociology and economics. It takes a systems perspective incorporating systems analysis, landscape analysis and soil, water, and land planning. Directed toward graduate students and professionals, it provides a source of information and concepts for those concerned with land and water policies and practice. It presents an integrated approach using practical and applicable models and methods and takes a middle position between an elementary conceptual approach to land and water management and a highly mathematically advanced treatise based exclusively on system modeling. The book is based on almost twenty years of experience in teaching a course on rural planning and the environment, the authors being specialists from universities, research institutions and companies in Europe and North America.

Ecological Indicators for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Assessment

Ecological Indicators for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Assessment
Author: João Carlos Marques
Publisher: WIT Press
Total Pages: 210
Release: 2009
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1845642090

Ecological indicators address ecosystems structure and/or function and are commonly used to provide synoptic information about their state. Through quantitative representations of either the forces that steer ecosystems, responses to forcing functions, or of previous, current, or future states of an ecosystem, indicators are expected to reveal conditions and trends that will help in development planning and decision making processes. Ecological indicators combine numerous environmental factors in a single value, which may be useful in terms of management and in the development of ecological concepts, compliant with the general public's understanding. Nevertheless, their application is not exempt of criticisms, the first of which is that aggregation results in an oversimplification of the ecosystem under observation. Ecological indicators must therefore be handled following the right criteria and in situations that are consistent with its intended use and scope; otherwise they may drive to confusing interpretations of data.

Ecological indicators in coastal and estuarine environmental quality assessment: a user friendly guide for practitioners

Ecological indicators in coastal and estuarine environmental quality assessment: a user friendly guide for practitioners
Author: Fuensanta Salas
Publisher: Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra / Coimbra University Press
Total Pages: 168
Release: 2006-12-01
Genre:
ISBN: 9892603516

Experience demonstrates that none of the available measures regarding biological effects of pollution can be considered ideal, which is due to the complexity inherent in assessing the environmental quality of a system. In fact, it is always preferable to combine a suite of indices providing complementary information. This book aims at helping researchers and students, as well as managers and authorities of coastal areas in selecting the most suitable ecological indicators for each case, taking into account the type of disturbance they want to assess and the data available to do it. A user friendly guide is proposed, accounting different theoretical approaches and discussing the results of its application in different geographical areas. Recommendations are provided regarding the most adequate application of different indices, illustrating for instance in what situations their use is recommendable, or on the contrary not advisable, depending on the characteristics of the disturbance, the type of data, or the level of taxonomic identification of the organisms.

Territorial Heritage and Development

Territorial Heritage and Development
Author: José Maria Feria
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2012-03-05
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0415621453

This book presents a new approach to heritage, linking it to territory and sustainable development. This new approach entails a broader, integrated view of heritage values on the one hand, and on the other a shift in emphasis from their protection to their valorisation. In short, it provides a view of the joint workings of natural and cultural resources, and, as a consequence, moving away from a protection point of view in favour of a perspective on their suitable sustainable valorisation. In the viewpoint taken here, sustainability is understood as the balance and long-term preservation and enhancement of such natural and cultural resources and processes in a given territory. Territorial Heritage and Development includes contributions from different disciplines (geography, architecture, planning, sociology, environmental studies and archaeology) and case studies drawn from three continents, broaching both analytical and conceptual developments, and a range of initiatives for engaging in territorial heritage as an instrument of sustainable development. The book takes a pioneering and relevant approach to the breadth and complexity of the issue which can be valuable to academics and policy-makers in Geography, Architecture, Planning and Sociology.

City Sustainability and Regeneration

City Sustainability and Regeneration
Author: S. Mambretti
Publisher: WIT Press
Total Pages: 164
Release: 2020-04-28
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 1784664154

A set of new studies are included in this volume which provides solutions that lead towards sustainability. Contributions originate from a diverse range of researchers, resulting in a variety of topics and experiences. Urban areas face a number of challenges related to reducing pollution, improving main transportation and infrastructure systems and these challenges can contribute to the development of social and economic imbalances and require the development of new solutions. The challenge is to manage human activities, pursuing welfare and prosperity in the urban environment, whilst considering the relationships between the parts and their connections with the living world. The dynamics of its networks (flows of energy matter, people, goods, information and other resources) are fundamental for an understanding of the evolving nature of today’s cities. Large cities represent a productive ground for architects, engineers, city planners, social and political scientists able to conceive new ideas and time them according to technological advances and human requirements. The multidisciplinary components of urban planning, the challenges presented by the increasing size of cities, the amount of resources required and the complexity of modern society are all addressed.

Planning the Use of the Earth’s Surface

Planning the Use of the Earth’s Surface
Author: Antonio Cendrero
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 376
Release: 2006-04-11
Genre: Science
ISBN: 354047031X

The purpose of this book is to analyse and discuss a series of topics related with environmental conservation, land-use planning and management and impact prevention as seen from the perspective of the Earth Sciences, but with an inte- grated, interdisciplinary approach. The contributions included in the book intend to give an overview of existing problems and trends and to point out certain lines along which work and/or actions will be par- ticularly needed in the near future. In short, they intend to show where we stand now with regard to those problems and in what direction we should move. Readers will find particularly useful the brief presentation of a variety of important environmental earth science top- ics, the description of the present state of the art and the suggestions for methodological approaches to solve different problems, as well as the guidelines for action presented throughout the book.

Ecosystems and Sustainable Development

Ecosystems and Sustainable Development
Author: J.-L. Usó
Publisher:
Total Pages: 708
Release: 1998
Genre: Conservation of natural resources
ISBN: 9781853125027

Discussing recent work on the engineering and modelling aspects of ecosystems and sustainable development, this volume discusses such areas as: environmental policies; sustainable development models; trade policy and development; and natural resources management.

Picture Planning Perspectives

Picture Planning Perspectives
Author: Hugo de Vos
Publisher: Rozenberg Publishers
Total Pages: 291
Release: 2004-01-06
Genre: Geographic information systems
ISBN: 9051707584

This book investigates problems of GIS implementation in three Costa Rican ministries. It reveals that embedding technology is part of complex institutional processes where actors and politics shape contexts. By linking an historical analysis of land use