TECTONlCS AND PHYSICS Geology, although rooted in the laws of physics, rarely has been taught in a manner designed to stress the relations between the laws and theorems of physics and the postulates of geology. The same is true of geophysics, whose specialties (seismology, gravimetIy, magnetics, magnetotellurics) deal only with the laws that govern them, and not with those that govern geology's postulates. The branch of geology and geophysics called tectonophysics is not a formalized disci...

Soil biota is an important and fundamental part of terrestrial ecology. The soil organisms include all those life forms which pass significant proportion of their life within a soil profile. The range of organisms may vary from microscopic entities to a macro level organisms. These organisms are the hidden beauties which take up the task of food chain regulation, organic matter decomposition, and nutrient enrichment of soil. Soil organisms can be grouped into three classes viz; chemical en...

This volume discusses innovative advancements in soil and crop microbiome technology and methods to support agricultural sustainability and reduce soil degradation. As climate change impacts agricultural productivity and soil health in impacted regions throughout the world, potential alternatives to find balance between soil health and crop yield are increasingly needed. Therefore, this book provides a timely, global perspective with a collection of expert authors to address how microbiome...

This book provides an updated account of tight junctions of different epithelia and endothelia and addresses their anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, synthesis, assembly, and modulation. It also discusses the relationship between molecular structure, function, regulation, posttranslational modifications of tight junction proteins and their role in gut microbiota maintenance, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and intestinal barrier dysfunction-associated disorders important for the progres...

Freshwater is a finite resource and is being deteriorated directly and indirectly by anthropogenic pressures. Preserving the quality and availability of freshwater resources is becoming one of the most pressing environmental challenges on the international horizon. To ensure the preservation as well as availability of freshwater resources, there is a need to understand the ecology of the freshwater systems, pollution problems, their impacts, restoration techniques to be opted and the conse...

The dependence of present farming on artificial input of “chemical fertilizers” has caused numerous ecological tribulations associated with global warming and soil contamination. Moreover, there is an essential requirement for realistic agricultural practices on a comprehensive level. Accordingly, biofertilizers including microbes have been recommended as feasible environmentally sound solutions for agricultural practices which not only are natural, and cost-effective but also preserve soi...

Aquatic Environmental BioengineeringDiscover the importance of remediation efforts for aquatic ecosystemsMost contamination of water bodies stem from human activity, and the pollution in our water is one of the most important environmental concerns facing future generations. The most significant of these pollutants are halogenated organic compounds, petroleum hydrocarbons, radionuclides, metal and metalloids, pharmaceutical drugs, microbial...

This book explores recent advances in heavy metal contamination research in a global context, and focusses on the role of recent technologies like recombinant bioremediation, phytoremediation, DNA technology and nanotechnology to provide sustainable managing strategies to mitigate adverse environmental and health impacts. Many heavy metals are used in industrial and commercial sectors, including iron, zinc, tin, lead, copper, tungsten, cadmium, arsenic, chromium, thallium, and lead, which,...

Improving Stress Resilience in Plants: Physiological and Biochemical Basis and Utilization in Breeding addresses the urgent need for improved understanding of major plant stress tolerance mechanisms, the identification of the genes and gene products that are key to improving those mechanisms and means of optimizing those genes through molecular approaches. With a focus on plant physiological and biochemical attributes at both cellular and whole plant levels, this book includes the latest i...

An increasing population has put tremendous pressure on agricultural productivity to fulfill the demands of human consumption. Numerous agricultural activities and techniques have been developed to raise annual crop production globally. While agriculture has succeeded in enhancing the yearly crop productivity, this achievement is at the cost of environmental degradation by applying synthetic persistent substances, such as industrial fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, etc. Chemical fertil...

This book highlights the various types of nanomaterials currently available and their applications in three major sectors: energy, health, and the environment. It addresses a range of aspects based on the fact that these materials’ structure can be tailored at extremely small scales to achieve specific properties, thus greatly expanding the materials science toolkit.Further, the book pursues a holistic approach to nanomaterial applications by taking into consideration the various s...

Descriptive Physical Oceanography, Sixth Edition, provides an introduction to the field with an emphasis on large-scale oceanography based mainly on observations. Topics covered include the physical properties of seawater, heat and salt budgets, instrumentation, data analysis methods, introductory dynamics, oceanography and climate variability of each of the oceans and of the global ocean, and brief introductions to the physical setting, waves, and coastal oceanography. This updated versio...