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Wetlands and Lakes of the World
by Devashish KarThe occurrence and description of wetlands in India with reference to those around the world is detailed in a sequential manner from local, provincial, regional, and national to global scenario in this book, “Wetlands and Lakes of the World”. The book also deals with a systematic, sequential and comprehensive treatment of the Limnology (physico-chemical and biological features) and Fisheries of the Wetlands in India and is well supported by author’s original data. As Limnology and Fishery Science are interlinked, this book attempts to provide a holistic view of both the fields, along with their methodologies. The book has numerous examples from the local environment that go along with the explained theoretical concepts. Furthermore, a unique feature of the book is that it deals with the protocols of various Limnological methodologies, thus, making it a handy guide for lab and field studies. The book has distinguished itself by incorporating chapter based on Global Information System or GIS. The book also has an up to date Bibliography and summary at the end of each chapter with text on various aspects, particularly, generally not much dealt with aspects like fisherfolk, their fish catching devices, fishing centers, fish markets and, above all, their socio-economic conditions supported by author’s original data. In Brief.. “Wetlands and Lakes of the World” is, a humble treatise to provide the undergraduates with a text concentrating on the common, fundamental features of all aquatic systems, and the for the postgraduates, researchers, policy makers, administrators, etc.with the details of processes and applications with examples.
Wetlands Conservation: Current Challenges and Future Strategies
by Sanjeev Sharma Pardeep SinghWetlands Conservation An up-to-date overview of approaches for addressing wetlands degradation and its effects on ecosystem services, human health, and other ecosystems Wetlands are essential sources of biodiversity, water purification, groundwater replenishment, flood control, storm protection, sediment retention, recreation and tourism, and more. Human exploitation of natural resources over the past 200 years has caused significant wetlands degradation and loss. Although the Ramsar Convention of 1971 drafted polices for wetland conservation and responsible use, many wetland sites remain inadequately conserved or managed. Maintaining the ecological balance and equilibrium of wetlands requires a clear understanding of the vital role of wetlands, the difficulties they face, and the policies enacted for their protection. Wetlands Conservation: Current Challenges and Future Strategies summarizes both current and emerging management strategies, trends, and policies regarding wetlands protection around the world. The authors provide accurate scientific information on wetlands while discussing the effects of climate change, global warming, modernization in agriculture, and other key topics. Designed to assist in the development of future solutions for wetlands conservation and management strategies, this important volume: Highlights the environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural importance of wetlands Identifies the factors responsible for the failure of many conservation initiatives Describes the natural and anthropogenic factors of wetlands degradation Discusses the role of community-based wetlands conservation and management Explores Ramsar wetlands conservation and its impacts worldwide Wetlands Conservation: Current Challenges and Future Strategies is an invaluable resource for graduate and postgraduate students, researchers, ecologists, policymakers, conservation organizations, and others working in the field of natural resources management.
Wetlands Ecology: Eco-biological uniqueness of a Ramsar site (East Kolkata Wetlands, India)
by Susanta Kumar Chakraborty Poulomi Sanyal Ratnadeep RayThis book discusses current knowledge and challenges with the ecological management and conservation of wetlands, with a focus on the East Kolkata Wetlands of India. This area is referred to as a Ramsar Site, a designation given to areas with special protection statuses, since it is the largest natural waste recycling system in the world. The site faces many threats to its biodiversity and ecosystem functioning due to anthropogenic activity in the region, and therefore an assessment of the ecosystem services, bio-ecological uniqueness, and issues stemming from climate change and human impacts is needed to develop protection strategies for the future ecological functioning and sustainability of the wetlands. The authors use GIS and remote sensing techniques to assess and monitor harmful industrial and environmental impacts on the wetlands, and to inform mitigation and conservation strategies in the face of ongoing threats such as pollution, habitat destruction and bioinvasion. The book also highlights various social and economic aspects tied to the functioning and management of the wetlands, along with ecological, biological, and physio-chemical considerations. The study will be of use to students and researchers in aquatic ecology, biodiversity, and environmental sustainability and conservation, as well as to environmental planners, engineers, and policymakers.
Wetlands: Ecosystem Services, Restoration and Wise Use (Ecological Studies #238)
by Shuqing An Jos T. A. VerhoevenThis volume explores major wetland ecosystem services, such as climate cooling and water quality improvement, and discusses the recent wetland conservation and restoration activities in China and neighboring countries. The role of wetlands in either cooling or warming the climate is analyzed as the net balance between carbon sequestration and emissions of methane and nitrous oxide. Wetlands start off having a net warming effect on the climate but in time switch to net cooling. Further, they remove 40% of the N and P from run-off and groundwater flow in agricultural areas, but wetlands need to amount to 10% of the total catchment area to make a difference.Reflecting on the recent large investment in wetland ecological studies in China and neighboring countries, the book addresses invasive species in coastal wetlands as well as the protection and wise use of tidal flats around the Yellow Sea. It also presents promising regional case studies on wetland restoration. The book is intended for academics, students and practitioners in the field of wetland ecology, management and restoration, as well as consultants and professionals working in conservation, wise use and environmental policy.
Wetlands: Monitoring, Modelling and Management
by Tomasz Okruszko Edward Maltby Jan Szatyłowicz Dorota Świątek Wiktor KotowskiWetlands are complex and dynamic ecological systems incorporating two important, inter-linked components: hydrology and vegetation. Modelling wetland components and processes reveals the nature of wetland systems and helps to predict the effects of environmental change. The main goal of much current research is the construction of a vigorous and sp
Wettability (Surfactant Science)
by John C. BergPresents current knowledge of intermolecular interactions, the dynamics of wetting and the importance of wettability phenomena in processes and products, detailing the considerations required for wettability in multicomponent systems. Underlying theory and experimental methods are described.
Wettbewerbsanalyse für Ingenieure (essentials)
by Ekbert HeringEine Wettbewerbsanalyse untersucht systematisch die Stärken und die Schwächen des eigenen Unternehmens in Bezug auf die maßgeblichen Wettbewerber. Ist die eigene Position relativ zu den Wettbewerbern bekannt, so kann durch bestimmte Maßnahmen eine Stärkung der relativen Wettbewerbsfähigkeit erreicht werden. Ausgehend vom Porter´schen Ansatz der wirkenden Wettbewerbskräfte im Markt werden die Chancen und Gefahren sowie die Stärken und Schwächen des betrachteten Unternehmens relativ zu den Wettbewerbern bestimmt. Mit Hilfe von strategischen Karten und die Visualisierung mit Hilfe von Gefahrenkreise der fünf Wettbewerbskräfte sowie der Portfolio-Technik kann die Bedrohungsgefahr unmittelbar erkannt werden. Dadurch können gezielt Maßnahmen zur Steigerung der Wettbewerbsfähigkeit von Produkten und Dienstleistungen von Unternehmen eingeleitet werden. Diese erhöhen den Erfolg (d. h. Umsatz und Ertrag) des Unternehmens.
Wetting and Spreading Dynamics, Second Edition (Surfactant Science #12)
by Victor M. Starov Manuel G. VelardeThis book explains how surface forces acting at the three-phase contact line determine equilibrium, hysteresis contact angles, and other equilibrium and kinetics features of liquids when in contact with solids or other immiscible liquids. It examines the interaction of surface forces, capillary forces, and properties of the transition zone between the bulk liquid and solid substrate. New chapters cover spreading of non-Newtonian liquids over porous substrates, hysteresis of contact angles on smooth homogeneous substrates, equilibrium and hysteresis contact angles on deformable substrates, and interaction of foams with porous substrates. Written for both newcomers and experienced researchers.
Wetting Experiments
by Eli Ruckenstein Gersh BerimWetting Experiments contains experimental wetting studies related to biological problems, polymers, and catalysts. An understanding of wetting is important for numerous practical applications, such as preparing self-cleaning surfaces, manufacturing artificial blood vessels, and developing new lubricants and nonadhesive dishes. As part of Wetting: Theory and Experiments, Two-Volume Set, this volume provides new insights into wetting experiments and fills a need not addressed by other books. Biology-related studies are devoted to the problem synthetic materials selection for use in biological media. Polymers are examined to estimate various surface characteristics, such as the ability of polymeric solids to alter their surface structures between different environments to minimize their interfacial free energy. Aimed at engineers, physical scientists, and materials scientists, this volume addresses the key areas of wetting, providing insights valuable to the field.
Wetting Theory
by Eli Ruckenstein Gersh BerimWetting Theory discusses the numerous practical applications of wetting, such as preparing self-cleaning surfaces, manufacturing artificial blood vessels, and developing new lubricants and nonadhesive dishes. As part of Wetting: Theory and Experiments, Two-Volume Set, this volume provides new, critical insights into the theory of wetting. Chapters are arranged to allow readers to follow the development of a suggested approach (static and dynamic properties of wetting) and how these tools are applied to specific problems. Main attention is given to nanoscale wetting (nanodrops on solid surfaces, liquid in the nanoslit) on the basis of microscopic density functional theory and fluid dynamics on solid surfaces on the basis of hydrodynamic equations. Aimed at engineers, physical scientists, and materials scientists, this volume addresses the key areas of wetting, providing invaluable insights to the field.
Wetware: A Computer in Every Living Cell
by Dennis Bray&“A beautifully written journey into the mechanics of the world of the cell, and even beyond, exploring the analogy with computers in a surprising way&” (Denis Noble, author of Dance to the Tune of Life). How does a single-cell creature, such as an amoeba, lead such a sophisticated life? How does it hunt living prey, respond to lights, sounds, and smells, and display complex sequences of movements without the benefit of a nervous system? This book offers a startling and original answer. In clear, jargon-free language, Dennis Bray taps the findings from the discipline of systems biology to show that the internal chemistry of living cells is a form of computation. Cells are built out of molecular circuits that perform logical operations, as electronic devices do, but with unique properties. Bray argues that the computational juice of cells provides the basis for all distinctive properties of living systems: it allows organisms to embody in their internal structure an image of the world, and this accounts for their adaptability, responsiveness, and intelligence. In Wetware, Bray offers imaginative, wide-ranging, and perceptive critiques of robotics and complexity theory, as well as many entertaining and telling anecdotes. For the general reader, the practicing scientist, and all others with an interest in the nature of life, this book is an exciting portal to some of biology&’s latest discoveries and ideas. &“Drawing on the similarities between Pac-Man and an amoeba and efforts to model the human brain, this absorbing read shows that biologists and engineers have a lot to learn from working together.&” —Discover magazine &“Wetware will get the reader thinking.&” —Science magazine
Weyl and the Problem of Space: From Science to Philosophy (Studies in History and Philosophy of Science #49)
by Julien Bernard Carlos LoboThis book investigates Hermann Weyl’s work on the problem of space from the early 1920s onwards. It presents new material and opens the philosophical problem of space anew, crossing the disciplines of mathematics, history of science and philosophy. With a Kantian starting point Weyl asks: among all the infinitely many conceivable metrical spaces, which one applies to the physical world? In agreement with general relativity, Weyl acknowledges that the metric can quantitatively vary with the physical situation. Despite this freedom, Weyl “deduces”, with group-theoretical technicalities, that there is only one “kind” of legitimate metric. This construction was then decisive for the development of gauge theories. Nevertheless, the question of the foundations of the metric of physical theories is only a piece of a wider epistemological problem.Contributing authors mark out the double trajectory that goes through Weyl’s texts, from natural science to philosophy and conversely, always through the mediation of mathematics. Readers may trace the philosophical tradition to which Weyl refers and by which he is inspired (Kant, Husserl, Fichte, Leibniz, Becker etc.), and explore the mathematical tradition (Riemann, Helmholtz, Lie, Klein) that permitted Weyl to elaborate and solve his mathematical problem of space. Furthermore, this volume analyzes the role of the interlocutors with whom Weyl discussed the nature of physical space (Einstein, Cartan, De Sitter, Schrödinger, Eddington). This volume features the work of top specialists and will appeal to postgraduates and scholars in philosophy, the history of science, mathematics, or physics.
The Whale and the Reactor: A Search for Limits in an Age of High Technology, Second Edition
by Langdon Winner“In an age in which the inexhaustible power of scientific technology makes all things possible, it remains to be seen where we will draw the line, where we will be able to say, here are possibilities that wisdom suggest we avoid.” First published to great acclaim in 1988, Langdon Winner’s groundbreaking exploration of the political, social, and philosophical implications of technology is timelier than ever. He demonstrates that choices about the kinds of technical systems we build and use are actually choices about who we want to be and what kind of world we want to create—technical decisions are political decisions, and they involve profound choices about power, liberty, order, and justice. A seminal text in the history and philosophy of science, this new edition includes a new chapter, preface, and postscript by the author.
Whale Fall Café
by Jacquie SewellOne medium-size whale carcass delivers as much food to the dark, cold ocean depths as 4,000 years of sinking food particles. When a dead whale arrives, the café opens for business, and who better than Dan Tavis to show us the bizarre deep-ocean diners who show up? Hagfish, zombie worms, sleeper sharks—this group of patrons is stranger than the denizens of the Mos Eisley Cantina in Star Wars. A fish in a lab coat, piloting a deep-sea submersible, is our guide to the weirdly fascinating goings-on miles beneath the ocean surface. The backmatter includes rare whale-fall photos from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Dr. Robert Vrijenhoek of MBARI and Dr. Craig Smith, a deep-ocean ecologist at the University of Hawaii, have helped Jacquie Sewell to ensure scientific accuracy.
Whale Music: Thousand Mile Songs in a Sea of Sound
by David RothenbergThe marvelous sonic world of whales, from the perspective of music and science.Whale song is an astonishing world of sound whose existence no one suspected before the 1960s. Its discovery has forced us to confront the possibility of alien intelligence—not in outer space but right here on earth. Thoughtful, richly detailed, and deeply entertaining, Whale Music uses the enigma of whale sounds to open up whales' underwater world of sonic mystery. In observing and talking with leading researchers from around the globe as they attempt to decipher undersea music, Rothenberg tells the story of scientists and musicians confronting an unknown as vast as the ocean itself. His search culminates in a grand attempt to make interspecies music by playing his clarinet with whales in their native habitats, from Russia to Canada to Hawaii.This is a revised edition of Thousand Mile Song, originally published in 2008. The latest advances in cetacean science and interspecies communication have been incorporated into this new edition, along with added photographs and color whale scores.
Whale Quest: Working Together to Save Endangered Species
by Karen Romano YoungDecades of commercial whaling nearly decimated a variety of whales considered a keystone species. Keystone species are indicators of the overall health of Earth's habitats. While whales have made a comeback through an international ban on commercial whaling, they are still threatened with extinction. Global warming, water and noise pollution, and commercial shipping and fishing are among the most serious threats to whale survival. Meet the scientists, citizen scientists, researchers, whale watching guides, and other concerned citizens who are working together to protect whale populations around the globe. Learn about whale biology, habitats, and behavior, and discover more about the high-technology tools that help researchers in their work.
Whale Sharks: Biology, Ecology, and Conservation (CRC Marine Biology Series)
by Alistair D. M. Dove Simon J. PierceWhale sharks are the largest of all fishes, fascinating for comparative studies of all manner of biological fields, including functional anatomy, growth, metabolism, movement ecology, behavior and physiology. These gentle ocean giants have captured the interest of scientists and the imagination of the public, yet their future is uncertain. The conservation status of whale sharks was upgraded to Endangered on the IUCN Red List and the species faces a range of intense threats from human activities. Can these iconic living animals, who have survived for millions of years, survive us? Written by the world’s leading experts in whale shark biology, ecology, and conservation, Whale Sharks: Biology, Ecology and Conservation is the first definitive volume about the world's biggest fish. Chapters include discussions of satellite-linked tags, used to track whale shark movements; genetic sequencing, to examine evolutionary adaptations; even the use of underwater ultrasound units to investigate the species’ reproduction. The editors hope that by collating what is known, they can make it easier for future researchers, conservationists, and resource managers to fill some of the remaining knowledge gaps, and provide the information they need to join the team. As you work your way through this book, we hope that you will develop a sense of awe and marvel at all of our good fortune to share the ocean, and the planet, with this utterly extraordinary species.
Whale-watching
by James Higham Lars Bejder Rob Williams James Higham Lars BejderWithin little more than a generation, whale-watching has been subject to global industrial development. It has been portrayed by destinations and business operators, and advocated by environmental groups, as a sustainable activity and an alternative to whaling. However, in recent years the sustainability of these activities has increasingly been questioned, as research shows that repeated disturbance by boat traffic can severely disrupt critical behaviours of cetaceans in the wild. Bringing together contributions by international experts, this volume addresses complex issues associated with commercial whale-watching, sustainable development and conservation of the global marine environment. It highlights widely expressed concerns for the failure of policy, planning and management and pinpoints both long-standing and emerging barriers to sustainable practice. Featuring numerous case studies, the book provides critical insights into the diverse socio-cultural, political, economic and ecological contexts of this global industry, highlighting the challenges and opportunities that arise along the pathways to sustainability.
Whales and Dolphins: Cognition, Culture, Conservation and Human Perceptions (Earthscan Oceans)
by Philippa Brakes and Mark Peter SimmondsWhales and dolphins are icons for the conservation movement. They are the most conspicuous ambassadors for entire marine ecosystems and possibly even for the biosphere as a whole. Concurrent with our realisation of impending threats to their environment is a growing scientific understanding of the social and cognitive complexity of many of these species. This book brings together experts in the relevant diverse fields of cetacean research, to provide authoritative descriptions of our current knowledge of the complex behaviour and social organization of whales and dolphins. The authors consider this new information in the context of how different human cultures from around the world view cetaceans and their protection, including attitudes to whaling. They show how new information on issues such as cetacean intelligence, culture and the ability to suffer, warrants a significant shift in global perceptions of this group of animals and how these changes might be facilitated to improve conservation and welfare approaches.
Whales and Other Amazing Animals: Leveled Reader Grade 3. 3. 4 Advanced
by Sharon FranklinThe third installment of the Reading Street series, Grade 3, delivers structured content designed for children who have a firm foundation in English and Language Arts and are ready to continue on the path to lifelong reading. This curriculum for homeschooling brings together classic reading selections, fun activities and parent/teacher guides to help you develop lessons that boost your student's English and Language Arts learning. As with all levels of Reading Street, Grade 3 was created using educational research to ensure your child is guided through his or her work by age-appropriate and cutting-edge content. <P><P>Each week, your child will work through a series of reading and writing activities that center around a Big Idea. This structure supports your child's critical thinking skills and ensures he or she builds knowledge suitable for a child in third Grade.
Whales, Dolphins & Porpoises: A Natural History and Species Guide
by Annalisa BertaThe eighty-nine cetacean species that swim our seas and rivers are as diverse as they are intelligent and elusive, from the hundred-foot-long, two-hundred-ton blue whale to the lesser-known tucuxi, ginkgo-toothed beaked whale, and diminutive, critically endangered vaquita. The huge distances these highly migratory creatures cover and the depths they dive mean we catch only the merest glimpses of their lives as they break the surface of the water. But thanks to the marriage of science and technology, we are now beginning to understand their anatomy, complex social structures, extraordinary communication abilities, and behavioral patterns. In this beautifully illustrated guide, renowned marine mammalogist Annalisa Berta draws on the contributions of a pod of fellow whale biologists to present the most comprehensive, authoritative overview ever published of these remarkable aquatic mammals. Opening with an accessible rundown of cetacean biology—including the most recent science on feeding, mating, and communication—Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises then presents species-specific natural history on a range of topics, from anatomy and diet to distribution and conservation status. Each entry also includes original drawings of the species and its key identifiers, such as fin shape and color, tooth shape, and characteristic markings as they would appear both above and below water—a feature unique to this book. Figures of myth and—as the debate over hunting rages on—figures of conflict since long before the days of Moby-Dick, whales, dolphins, and porpoises are also ecologically important and, in many cases, threatened. Written for general enthusiasts, emergent cetacean fans, and biologists alike, this stunning, urgently needed book will serve as the definitive guide for years to come.
Whales of the Southern Ocean: Biology, Whaling and Perspectives of Population Recovery (Advances in Polar Ecology #5)
by Yuri MikhalevBased on actual data of Soviet whaling, and reliable methodologies that existed at the time when this monograph was written, it examines the distribution and migration patterns of whales of the Southern Ocean. It defines distinct populations on the basis of phenes, as well as whale breeding zones, which are located in the adjacent to the Southern Ocean waters at lower latitudes. The book records the presence of a new species of killer whale in the Southern Ocean - Orcinus nana. Prenatal growth patterns, pregnancy and lactation duration, mean sizes of new-born whales are determined. Methods for the graphic recording of registering structures are described, and an original method for their decoding is proposed to determine animal age. The age of sexual and physical maturity, life expectancy is determined. Earlier unknown “pair formations” on the lower jaw of baleen whales and sperm whales are described, together with their macro, histological and electronic microscopic structure.The impact of the extermination of whales on the Southern Ocean ecosystem is examined, recommendations for control of the current state of whale populations are given, and perspectives of whale population recovery are estimated. Regions that could be used as testing areas for whale registration method are defined. The book is intended for biologist-cytologists, ecologists and other specialists interested in cetaceans, and for biology students.
Whales of the World
by W. Nigel BonnerInformative and readable survey of the cetacean species; clear, accurate, and uncomplicated by excessive technical terminology.
Whales, Whaling, and Ocean Ecosystems
by Douglas P. Demaster Daniel F. Doak Terrie M. Williams Robert L. Brownell Jr. James A. EstesThis unprecedented volume presents a sweeping picture of what we know about the natural history, biology, and ecology of whales in the broad context of the dynamics of ocean ecosystems. Innovative and comprehensive, the volume encompasses multiple points of view to consider the total ecological impact of industrial whaling on the world's oceans. Combining empirical research, ecological theory and modeling, and historical data, its chapters present perspectives from ecology, population biology, physiology, genetics, evolutionary history, ocean biogeography, economics, culture, and law, among other disiplines. Throughout, contributors investigate how whaling fundamentally disrupted ocean ecosystems, examine the various roles whales play in food webs, and discuss the continuing ecological chain reactions to the depletion of these large animals. In addition to reviewing what is known of the current and historic whale populations, Whales, Whaling, and Ocean Ecosystems considers how this knowledge will bear on scientific approaches to conservation and whaling in the future and provocatively asks whether it is possible to restore ocean ecosystems to their pre-whaling condition.
Whaling in Maine
by Charles H. LagerbomThe history of American whaling is most frequently associated with Nantucket, New Bedford and Mystic. However, the state of Maine also played an integral part in the development and success of this important industry. The sons of Maine became whaling captains, whaling crews, inventors, investors and businessmen. Towns along the coast created community-wide whaling and sealing ventures, outfitted their own ships and crewed them with their own people. The state also supplied the growing industry with Maine-built ships, whale boats, oars and other maritime supplies. For more than two hundred years, the state forged a strong and lasting connection with the American whaling industry. Author and historian Charles Lagerbom reveals why Maine should rightly take its place alongside its more well-known New England whaling neighbors.