Guide to post-industrial site restoration and re-establishment of rich communities of plant species for the provision of key ecosystem services In line with the UN sustainable development goals, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services on Post-Industrial Land is an expert guide to ecological restoration of post-industrial lands, explaining how to re-introduce biodiversity and ecosystem services by implementing natural processes in the rehabilitation of disturbed sites. It covers both the initial stages associated with the improvement of physicochemical and biological substrate characteristics as a precondition for continuous vegetation, as well as the subsequent re-establishment of rich communities of plant species and how these communities may be optimized for their biodiversity and ecosystem services such as pedogenesis, nutrient cycling, habitation for other organisms, food plants for herbivores, carbon sequestration, and aesthetic value. Case studies of successful restoration of industrial sites from Asia, Africa, North and South America, and Europe, which include coal and mineral mining sites, oil drilling sites, and dumpsites, complement the conceptual part of the text and demonstrate how to put the theory into practice. Written by an experienced researcher in the field, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services on Post-Industrial Land includes information on: Mining sustainability in arid zones, aromatic plants for phytoremediation, and spontaneous flora growth on metalliferous sites Resilience of plant diversity, ecosystem services from rehabilitated waste dumpsites, and plantation forestry for eco-restoration Soil biodiversity and plant-microbe interactions, afforestation of former asbestos mines, and bauxite mine restoration and management Role of the local government in re-use of sites, restoration of wetlands in oil and gas exploration areas, and carbon sequestration in revegetated coal mine soil Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services on Post-Industrial Land is an essential guide for environmental managers, scientists, ecologists, and engineers tasked with restoring post-industrial sites, managers in mining, oil, gas, and other heavy industries, and NGOs involved in sustainable land use.

Climate Change and Cities bridges science-to-action for climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts in cities around the world.

Guide to post-industrial site restoration and re-establishment of rich communities of plant species for the provision of key ecosystem services In line with the UN sustainable development goals, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services on Post-Industrial Land is an expert guide to ecological restoration of post-industrial lands, explaining how to re-introduce biodiversity and ecosystem services by implementing natural processes in the rehabilitation of disturbed sites. It covers both the initial stages associated with the improvement of physicochemical and biological substrate characteristics as a precondition for continuous vegetation, as well as the subsequent re-establishment of rich communities of plant species and how these communities may be optimized for their biodiversity and ecosystem services such as pedogenesis, nutrient cycling, habitation for other organisms, food plants for herbivores, carbon sequestration, and aesthetic value. Case studies of successful restoration of industrial sites from Asia, Africa, North and South America, and Europe, which include coal and mineral mining sites, oil drilling sites, and dumpsites, complement the conceptual part of the text and demonstrate how to put the theory into practice. Written by an experienced researcher in the field, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services on Post-Industrial Land includes information on: Mining sustainability in arid zones, aromatic plants for phytoremediation, and spontaneous flora growth on metalliferous sites Resilience of plant diversity, ecosystem services from rehabilitated waste dumpsites, and plantation forestry for eco-restoration Soil biodiversity and plant-microbe interactions, afforestation of former asbestos mines, and bauxite mine restoration and management Role of the local government in re-use of sites, restoration of wetlands in oil and gas exploration areas, and carbon sequestration in revegetated coal mine soil Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services on Post-Industrial Land is an essential guide for environmental managers, scientists, ecologists, and engineers tasked with restoring post-industrial sites, managers in mining, oil, gas, and other heavy industries, and NGOs involved in sustainable land use.

Ecological Restoration and Environmental Change presents an introduction to the practice of renewing and restoring degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystems and habitats in the environment. The book addresses and challenges key issues which question the core values of the science and practice of restoration ecology. The author explains that the process of restoration has always been defined by human choices and examines the development of restoration practice, to describe different models of restoration with respect to balancing ecological benefit and cultural value. He develops ways to balance more actively these differing areas of concern while planning restorations. This new edition has been fully revised and updated to reflect changes in the field and the new challenges posed to restoration ecology in the face of the rapid pace of climate change. With strong coverage of North and South American, Europe, and Australia, this new edition has been expanded to also address indigenous perspectives and restoration projects in Africa, the Pacific Islands, and Asia. It places special emphasis on the need for restorationists to appreciate and understand the intricacies of planning and managing restorations in novel ecosystems. Lastly, it provides a critique of the new restoration standards published by the Society for Ecological Restoration in 2019. This book is essential reading for students on restoration ecology and conservation courses, as well as professionals and practitioners working on restoration projects.

Human well-being relies critically on ecosystem services provided by nature. Examples include water and air quality regulation, nutrient cycling and decomposition, plant pollination and flood control, all of which are dependent on biodiversity. They are predominantly public goods with limited or no markets and do not command any price in the conventional economic system, so their loss is often not detected and continues unaddressed and unabated. This in turn not only impacts human well-being, but also seriously undermines the sustainability of the economic system. It is against this background that TEEB: The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity project was set up in 2007 and led by the United Nations Environment Programme to provide a comprehensive global assessment of economic aspects of these issues. This book, written by a team of international experts, represents the scientific state of the art, providing a comprehensive assessment of the fundamental ecological and economic principles of measuring and valuing ecosystem services and biodiversity, and showing how these can be mainstreamed into public policies. This volume and subsequent TEEB outputs will provide the authoritative knowledge and guidance to drive forward the biodiversity conservation agenda for the next decade.

Provides a comprehensive strategy for the ecological restoration of any wildland ecosystem.

This book aims to present an alternative based on natural processes and an environmental approach to post-excavation site management, e.g., post-coal mining heaps. These sites are places where various mineral excavation by-products are collected. Nevertheless, some post-mineral excavation sites are oligotrophic, terrestrial, wetland, and water habitat islands, providing unique biodiversity enrichment in the landscape. These oligotrophic mineral habitats are essential in over-fertilized, eutrophic, agricultural and urban-industry surroundings. Some post-mineral excavation sites are places where the wildlife can develop and support the functional processes of novel ecosystems. Implementing the newest biogeochemical and comprehensive knowledge into urban-industry landscape management will help to establish the ecosystem’s processes and environmental functioning. There are several post-industrial sites in Europe where the wildlife areas developed due to natural processes, are becoming wildlife hotspots in densely populated urban-industry areas. In this respect, many of the oligotrophic mineral terrestrial, wetland, and water habitats of anthropogenic origin should not be categorized as environmentally dangerous and undergo economic utility-focused reclamation. Facing the actual environmental constraints of the Anthropocene Epoch, the book’s chapters presenting the natural basics and perquisites of the environmental ecosystem mosaics, will be interesting for a broad range of environmentalists (scientists and students), miners, economists, and sociologists.

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.

Urban biodiversity is an increasingly popular topic among researchers. Worldwide, thousands of research projects are unravelling how urbanisation impacts the biodiversity of cities and towns, as well as its benefits for people and the environment through ecosystem services. Exciting scientific discoveries are made on a daily basis. However, researchers often lack time and opportunity to communicate these findings to the community and those in charge of managing, planning and designing for urban biodiversity. On the other hand, urban practitioners frequently ask researchers for more comprehensible information and actionable tools to guide their actions. This book is designed to fill this cultural and communicative gap by discussing a selection of topics related to urban biodiversity, as well as its benefits for people and the urban environment. It provides an interdisciplinary overview of scientifically grounded knowledge vital for current and future practitioners in charge of urban biodiversity management, its conservation and integration into urban planning. Topics covered include pests and invasive species, rewilding habitats, the contribution of a diverse urban agriculture to food production, implications for human well-being, and how to engage the public with urban conservation strategies. For the first time, world-leading researchers from five continents convene to offer a global interdisciplinary perspective on urban biodiversity narrated with a simple but rigorous language. This book synthesizes research at a level suitable for both students and professionals working in nature conservation and urban planning and management.