International Perspectives on Global Environmental Change

Environmental change is increasingly considered a critical topic for researchers across multiple disciplines, as well as policy makers throughout the world. Mounting evidence shows that environments in every part of the globe are undergoing tremendous human-induced change. Population growth, urbanization and the expansion of the global economy are putting increasing pressure on ecosystems around the planet. To understand the causes and consequences of environmental change, the contributors to this book employ spatial and non-spatial data, diverse theoretical perspectives and cutting edge research tools such as GIS, remote sensing and other relevant technologies. International Perspectives on Global Environmental Change brings together research from around the world to explore the complexities of contemporary, and historical environmental change. As an InTech open source publication current and cutting edge research methodologies and research results are quickly published for the academic policy-making communities. Dimensions of environmental change explored in this volume include: Climate change Historical environmental change Biological responses to environmental change Land use and land cover change Policy and management for environmental change

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• Chapter 1  Two Cultures, Multiple Theoretical Perspectives: The Problem of Integration of Natural and Social Sciences in Earth System Researchby Diógenes S. Alves
• Chapter 2  History and Prediction of the Asian Monsoon and Glacial Terminations, Based on Records from the South China Seaby Hong Ao and Guoqiao Xiao
• Chapter 3  Climate Change and Health Effectsby Rajan R. Patil
• Chapter 4  Agricultural Technological and Institutional Innovations for Enhanced Adaptation to Environmental Change in North Africaby Ali Nefzaoui, Habib Ketata and Mohammed El Mourid
• Chapter 5  Possible Evolutionary Response to Global Change – Evolutionary Rescue?by Lars A. Bach and Cino Pertoldi
• Chapter 6  How Did Past Environmental Change Affect Carnivore Diversity and Home-Range-Size in Spain?by María T. Alberdi, José L. Prado, Esperanza Cerdeño and Beatriz Azanza
• Chapter 7  Response of Biogenic Silica Production in Lake Baikal and Uranium Weathering Intensity in the Catchment Area to Global Climate Changesby Takuma Murakami, Nagayoshi Katsuta, Takejiro Takamatsu, Masao Takano, Koshi Yamamoto, Toshio Nakamura and Takayoshi Kawai
• Chapter 8  Continental Erosion/Weathering Changes in Central Asia Recorded in the Holocene Sediment from Lake Hovsgol, Northwest Mongolia, by Synchrotron μ-XRF Mapping Analysesby Nagayoshi Katsuta, Takuma Murakami, Yuko Wada, Masao Takano, Masayuki Kunugi and Takayoshi Kawai
• Chapter 9  Primary Succession in Glacier Forelands: How Small Animals Conquer New Land Around Melting Glaciersby Sigmund Hågvar
• Chapter 10  Excess Supply of Nutrients, Fungal Community, and Plant Litter Decomposition: A Case Study of Avian-Derived Excreta Deposition in Conifer Plantationsby Takashi Osono
• Chapter 11  Effect of Environmental Change on Secondary Metabolite Production in Lichen-Forming Fungiby Christopher Deduke, Brinda Timsina and Michele D. Piercey-Normore
• Chapter 12  Investigating Soils, Vegetation and Land Use in a Lunette Dune-Pan Environment: The Case of Sekoma Lunette Dune-Pan Complex, Botswanaby S. Mosweu, J.R. Atlhopheng and M.P. Setshogo
• Chapter 13  Late Quaternary Environmental Changes and Human Interference in Africaby Wolfgang Römer
• Chapter 14  Assessment of the Impact of Land-Use Types on the Change of Water Quality in Wenyu River Watershed (Beijing, China)by Yuanzhi Zhang and Yufei Wang
• Chapter 15  Heavy Metals Contamination of a Mediterranean Coastal Ecosystem, Eastern Nile Delta, Egyptby M. F. Kaiser, H.A. Aboulela, H. A. El-Serehy and H. Ezz El-Din
• Chapter 16  HPLC Fingerprints of Porewater Organic Compounds as Markers for Environmental Conditionsby Viia Lepane
• Chapter 17  Management Strategies for Large River Floodplain Lakes Undergoing Rapid Environmental Changesby Giri Kattel and Peter Gell
• Chapter 18  Satellite-Based Monitoring of Ecosystem Functioning in Protected Areas: Recent Trends in the Oak Forests (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.) of Sierra Nevada (Spain)by M.A. Dionisio, D. Alcaraz-Segura and J. Cabello
• Chapter 19  Linking Sea Level Rise Damage and Vulnerability Assessment: The Case of Greeceby Areti Kontogianni, Christos Tourkolias, Michalis Skourtos and Maria Papanikolaou
• Chapter 20  Strengthening Regional Capacities for Providing Remote Sensing Decision Support in Drylands in the Context of Climate Variability and Changeby Humberto A. Barbosa and T. V. Lakshmi Kumar
• Chapter 21  Using Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping in Environmental Decision Making and Management: A Methodological Primer and an Applicationby Elpiniki Papageorgiou and Areti Kontogianni
• Chapter 22  Wind Farming and the Not-in-My-Backyard Syndrome: A Literature Review Regarding Australia’s Challenge in Relation to Climate Change and CO2 Emissionsby Ingrid Muenstermann