The Arctic is often portrayed as being isolated, but the reality is that the connectivity with the rest of the planet is huge, be it through weather patterns, global ocean circulation, and large-scale migration patterns to name but a few. There is a huge amount of public interest in the ‘changing Arctic’, especially in terms of the rapid changes taking place in ecosystems and exploitation of resources. There can be no doubt that the Arctic is at the forefront of the international environmental science agenda, both from a scientific aspect, and also from a policy/environmental management perspective. This book aims to stimulate a wide audience to think about the Arctic by highlighting the remarkable breadth of what it means to study its ecology. Arctic Ecology seeks to systematically introduce the diverse array of ecologies within the Arctic region. As the Arctic rapidly changes, understanding the fundamental ecology underpinning the Arctic is paramount to understanding the consequences of what such change will inevitably bring about. Arctic Ecology is designed to provide graduate students of environmental science, ecology and climate change with a source where Arctic ecology is addressed specifically, with issues due to climate change clearly discussed. It will also be of use to policy-makers, researchers and international agencies who are focusing on ecological issues and effects of global climate change in the Arctic. About the Editor David N. Thomas is Professor of Arctic Ecosystem Research in the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki. Previously he spent 24 years in the School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Wales. He studies marine systems, with a particular emphasis on sea ice and land-coast interactions in the Arctic and Southern Oceans as well as the Baltic Sea. He also edited a related book: Sea Ice, 3rd Edition (2017), which is also published by Wiley-Blackwell.

The European Arctic and Alpine regions are experiencing large environmental changes. These changes may have socio-economic effects if the changes affect the bioproduction, which form the basis for the marine and terrestrial food chains. This uniquely multidisciplinary book presents the various aspects of contemporary environmental changes in Arctic and Alpine Regions.

Describes a ranking system used to evaluate the potential invasiveness and impacts of 113 non-native plants to natural areas in Alaska. Species are ranked by a series of questions in four broad categories: ecosystem impacts, biological attributes, distribution, and control measures. Also included is a climate screening procedure to evaluate the potential for establishment in three ecogeographic regions of Alaska [Juneau, Fairbanks, Nome].

'This volume on interdisciplinary work in mountain areas is an excellent compilation of examples as well as lessons learned. In effect it provides guidance on how best to approach such work. While different in training and backgrounds the [authors] clearly articulate the global conviction that interdisciplinary work is the only approach. This volume of case studies repeats this strong and important message.' Nikita Lopoukhine Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas and former Director General of National Parks Parks Canada 'Over the past twenty years the rhetoric surrounding inte.

The aristocracy of Antarctic exploration does not include the name of Thomas Orde Hans Lees. He came away from Shackleton's 1914 expedition with the reputation of being the least popular and most criticised of the men involved in the Endurance adventure in the Weddell Sea. Not only was he disliked simply for being himself but he was also expected to become the first victim of cannibalism if the 22 men of Elephant Island had run out of food. Previous accounts of Shackleton's adventure have unfailingly mentioned that Orde Lees was unpopular. Though they have plundered his excellent journal for much of the detail of life on board the Endurance, on the pack ice and finally on Elephant Island, the part he played in keeping the men alive has not been recognised. His journal has - surprinsingly - never been published and this book is a long overdue testament to a much misunderstood - and probably unfairly maligned - man. After his rescue from Elephant Island, Orde Lees campaigned vigorously for the use of parachutes in the newly formed Royal Air Force and he was publicly credited with being the primary advocate. Many pilots owe their lives to his faith in this new invention. He went on to perform more service for his country in Japan and spent the final period of his life in New Zealand.

Unique in the reference literature, this Companion provides students with an introduction to all the major concepts and contemporary issues in the environmental sciences. The text is divided into six sections (Environmental Sciences, Environments, Paradigms and Concepts, Processes and Dynamic, Scales and Techniques, Environmental Issues), with over 200 entries alphabetically organized and authored by key names in the environmental science disciplines. Entries are concise, informative, richly visual and fully referenced and cross referenced. They introduce key concepts and processes that are included in the index, cite relevant websites, and reflect the latest thinking.

Encyclopedia of the World’s Biomes is a unique, five volume reference that provides a global synthesis of biomes, including the latest science. All of the book's chapters follow a common thematic order that spans biodiversity importance, principal anthropogenic stressors and trends, changing climatic conditions, and conservation strategies for maintaining biomes in an increasingly human-dominated world. This work is a one-stop shop that gives users access to up-to-date, informative articles that go deeper in content than any currently available publication. Offers students and researchers a one-stop shop for information currently only available in scattered or non-technical sources Authored and edited by top scientists in the field Concisely written to guide the reader though the topic Includes meaningful illustrations and suggests further reading for those needing more specific information

This long-anticipated reference and sourcebook for CaliforniaÕs remarkable ecological abundance provides an integrated assessment of each major ecosystem typeÑits distribution, structure, function, and management. A comprehensive synthesis of our knowledge about this biologically diverse state, Ecosystems of California covers the state from oceans to mountaintops using multiple lenses: past and present, flora and fauna, aquatic and terrestrial, natural and managed. Each chapter evaluates natural processes for a specific ecosystem, describes drivers of change, and discusses how that ecosystem may be altered in the future. This book also explores the drivers of CaliforniaÕs ecological patterns and the history of the stateÕs various ecosystems, outlining how the challenges of climate change and invasive species and opportunities for regulation and stewardship could potentially affect the stateÕs ecosystems. The text explicitly incorporates both human impacts and conservation and restoration efforts and shows how ecosystems support human well-being. Edited by two esteemed ecosystem ecologists and with overviews by leading experts on each ecosystem, this definitive work will be indispensable for natural resource management and conservation professionals as well as for undergraduate or graduate students of CaliforniaÕs environment and curious naturalists.

Amplified climate change and ecological sensitivity of polar and cold climate environments are key global environment issues. Understanding how projected climate change will alter surface environments in these regions is only possible when present day source-to-sink fluxes can be quantified. The book provides the first global synthesis and integrated analysis of environmental drivers and quantitative rates of solute and sedimentary fluxes in cold environments, and the likely impact of projected climate change. The focus on largely undisturbed cold environments allows ongoing climate change effects to be detected and, moreover, distinguished from anthropogenic impacts. A novel approach for co-ordinated and integrative process geomorphic research is introduced to enable better comparison between studies. This highly topical and multidisciplinary book, which includes case studies covering Arctic, Antarctic, and alpine environments, will be of interest to graduate students and researchers in the fields of geomorphology, sedimentology and global environmental change.