The book aims to initiate a sustainable use of land and water resources in Central Asia by the transfer of scientific methods. It deals with the most advanced methods worldwide for better monitoring and management of water and land resources. We offer an array of methods of measuring, assessing, forecasting, utilizing and controling processes in agricultural landscapes. These are laboratory and field measurement methods, methods of resource evaluation, functional mapping and risk assessmen...

This book provides information on key questions of soil science to meet the global challenges of the 21st century. We address the role of soils and key research topics from a landscape perspective. State-of–the art information on research and novel measurement and management technologies is presented in a simple question and answer style. The role of soils for feeding humanity, maintaining biodiversity and protecting the climate is highlighted. Facts are linked with novel international stu...

Visual Soil Evaluation provides land users and environmental authorities with the tools to assess soil quality for crop performance. An important tool for ensuring food security, this book appraises the use of visual soil evaluation in determining the potential of different land types for carbon storage, greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient leaching. Providing a guide to diagnosing and rectifying soil problems, it includes: - Full colour illustrations throughout to show variation of soil ...

This book presents definitions, key concepts and projects in landscape research and related areas, such as landscape science and landscape ecology, addressing and characterising the international role, status, challenges, future and tools of landscape research in the globalised world of the 21st century.The book brings together views on landscapes from leading international teams and emerging authors from different scientific disciplines and regions of the globe. It describes appro...

This book informs about knowledge gain in soil and land degradation to reduce or prevent it for meeting the mission of the Sustainable Developments Goals of the United Nations. Essence, extent, monitoring methods and implications for ecosystem functioning of main soil degradation types are characterized in overview chapters and case studies.Challenges, approaches and data towards identification of degradation in the frame of improving functionality, health and multiple ecosystem se...

The book informs about agricultural landscapes, their features, functions and regulatory mechanisms. It characterizes agricultural production systems, trends of their development, and their impacts on the landscape. Agricultural landscapes are multifunctional systems, coupled with all nexus problems of the 21th century. This has led to serious discrepancies between agriculture and environment, and between urban and rural population. The mission, key topics and methods of research in order ...

The extraction of natural gas from shale formations is no simple task and perhaps the most expensive when compared to over unconventional gases. Although, its popularity has grown over the years, there is much to be done to make their production and processing more cost-effective. Brief but comprehensive, Shale Gas Production Processes begins with an overview of the chemistry, engineering and technology of shale gas. This is quickly followed by self-contained chapters concerning new and ev...

Shale Oil represents a huge additional global fossil fuel resource. However, extracting oil from the shale is no simple task; much still needs to be understood to make the process more cost-effective to increase economic flow rates. Clear and rigorous, Oil Shale Production Process will prove useful for those scientists and engineers already engaged in fossil fuel science and technology as well as scientists, non-scientists, engineers, and non-engineers who wish to gain a general overview o...

Plant Factory: An Indoor Vertical Farming System for Efficient Quality Food Production provides information on a field that is helping to offset the threats that unusual weather and shortages of land and natural resources bring to the food supply. As alternative options are needed to ensure adequate and efficient production of food, this book represents the only available resource to take a practical approach to the planning, design, and implementation of plant factory (PF) practices to yi...

Interest in anaerobic digestion (AD), the process of energy production through the production of biogas, has increased rapidly in recent years. Agricultural and other organic waste are important substrates that can be treated by AD.This book is one of the first to provide a broad introduction to anaerobic digestion and its potential to turn agricultural crops or crop residues, animal and other organic waste, into biomethane. The substrates used can include any non-woody materials, ...

Biomass pellets are a suitable fuel type for a wide range of applications, from stoves and central heating systems up to large-scale plants, and with practically complete automation in all these capacities. This handbook, written and edited by experienced professionals from IEA Bioenergy Task 32 in cooperation with Bios Bioenergiesysteme GmbH, Graz, Austria, other IEA Tasks and external experts, is the first comprehensive guide in English language covering all pellet related issues, as ill...

An Integrated Approach to Managing the World's Water ResourcesWater Reuse: Issues, Technologies, and Applications equips water/wastewater students, engineers, scientists, and professionals with a definitive account of the latest water reclamation, recycling, and reuse theory and practice. This landmark textbook presents an integrated approach to all aspects of water reuse _ from public health protection to water quality criteria and regulations to advanced...