Biodiversity under threat [vol. 25]/ editors, R.E. Hester and R.M. Harrison.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

There is much public concern about threats to global biodiversity. Industrial pollution, changes in agricultural practices and climate change, are all having a direct impact on biodiversity. In this book the Editors provide a broad view of the many pressures imposed by human-induced changes and the many threats to global biodiversity and of the policy responses required to combat them. This excellent text includes the work of some 44 authors and offers a solid description of the current understanding of threats to biodiversity with a range of illustrative examples - a valuable point of reference for ecologists, environmental scientists, and students as well as, policymakers and all other environmental professionals.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Impacts of Agricultural Change on Farmland Biodiversity in the UK
• 1 Introduction (p. 1)
• 2 The Post-war Intensification of Agriculture (p. 2)
• 2.1 Land Drainage (p. 3)
• 2.2 Decline of Mixed Farming and Changes in Crop Rotations (p. 3)
• 2.3 Fertiliser (p. 4)
• 2.4 Pesticides (p. 5)
• 2.5 Field Size and Hedgerows (p. 7)
• 2.6 Autumn Sowing (p. 8)
• 2.7 Management of Grassland (p. 9)
• 2.8 Heather Burning (p. 12)
• 2.9 Grain Storage and Animal Housing (p. 12)
• 2.10 Veterinary Medicines (p. 13)
• 2.11 Supplementary Feeding (p. 13)
• 3 Recent Changes in Agricultural Practices (p. 14)
• 3.1 Farming Systems (p. 14)
• 3.2 Reduced Cultivation Systems (p. 16)
• 3.3 Set-aside (p. 17)
• 3.4 Energy Crops (p. 18)
• 3.5 Genetically Modified Crops (p. 20)
• 4 Measures to Benefit Biodiversity on Farmland (p. 21)
• 4.1 Agri-environment Schemes (p. 21)
• 4.2 Cross-compliance (p. 22)
• 5 Changing Agricultural Policy and Implications for the Future of Farmland Biodiversity (p. 23)
• Acknowledgements (p. 25)
• References (p. 25)
• The Extent and Future of Global Insect Diversity
• 1 Introduction (p. 33)
• 2 A Diversity of Species and Functions (p. 34)
• 3 Services Provided by Insects (p. 35)
• 4 Global Patterns of Insect Diversity (p. 36)
• 5 Threats to Insects Worldwide (p. 38)
• 6 Land-use Change (p. 40)
• 7 Climate Change (p. 41)
• 8 Invasive Species (p. 46)
• 9 Where Do We Go from Here? (p. 47)
• 9.1 A New Taxonomy (p. 47)
• 9.2 Systematic Sampling (p. 47)
• 9.3 Synthesis of Biodiversity Inventories (p. 48)
• 9.4 Multi-factor Research (p. 48)
• 9.5 Generating a Trait-based Understanding of Global Change (p. 48)
• 10 Conclusions (p. 49)
• Acknowledgements (p. 49)
• References (p. 50)
• Biological Invasions in Europe: Drivers, Pressures, States, Impacts and Responses
• 1 Biological Invasions in Europe: a Framework for Best Practice (p. 56)
• 2 The Trouble with Trade and Travel: Economic Drivers of Biological Invasions (p. 58)
• 3 Assessing the Pressure of Invasions on Ecosystems: Propagules, Pathways and People (p. 62)
• 4 The State of the Union: Trends in the Distribution of Alien Species in Europe (p. 63)
• 5 Impacts on Biodiversity: Genes, Populations and Ecosystems (p. 65)
• 6 Responding to the Threat of Biological Invasions: a European Policy Perspective (p. 72)
• 7 A Future Europe: Will Economic Integration Lead to Biotic Homogenisation? (p. 75)
• Acknowledgements (p. 78)
• References (p. 78)
• The Deep Sea: If We Do Not Understand the Biodiversity, Can We Assess the Threat?
• 1 Introduction (p. 81)
• 2 The Deep Sea (p. 84)
• 3 Understanding Modern Deep-sea Biodiversity (p. 86)
• 4 Patterns of Biodiversity in the Deep Sea: Benthos (p. 88)
• 4.1 With Depth (p. 88)
• 4.2 With Latitude (p. 89)
• 4.3 With Productivity (p. 91)
• 4.4 Hydrothermal Vents, Cold Seeps and Whale Falls: Biodiversity Bonus? (p. 92)
• 5 Patterns of Biodiversity in the Deep Sea: Pelagos (p. 93)
• 6 Patterns of Biodiversity in the Deep Sea: Fish (p. 94)
• 7 Is Biodiversity in the Deep Sea Under Threat? (p. 95)
• 7.1 Disposal (p. 95)
• 7.2 Exploitation (p. 97)
• 8 Conclusions (p. 101)
• Acknowledgements (p. 102)
• Glossary of Technical terms (p. 102)
• References (p. 103)
• Threatened Habitats: Marginal Vegetation in Upland Areas
• 1 Introduction (p. 107)
• 2 Case Studies (p. 108)
• 3 Drivers, Pressures and Threats (p. 112)
• 3.1 Climate Change (p. 113)
• 3.2 Grazing (p. 116)
• 3.3 Fragmentation and Isolation (p. 118)
• 4 Managing Biodiversity in Marginal Habitats (p. 122)
• 4.1 Policy Context (p. 122)
• 4.2 Research Priorities (p. 125)
• 4.3 Management Action (p. 127)
• Acknowledgements (p. 128)
• References (p. 129)
• Trends in Biodiversity in Europe and the Impact of Land-use Change
• 1 Introduction (p. 135)
• 2 Biodiversity in Europe: Current Status (p. 135)
• 3 Biodiversity in Europe: Information on Current Trends (p. 137)
• 3.1 Habitat Extent and Quality (p. 137)
• 3.2 Species Diversity (p. 139)
• 3.3 Species Abundance and Biomass (p. 139)
• 3.4 Distribution of Species (p. 140)
• 3.5 Threatened Status of Species (p. 140)
• 4 Biodiversity in Europe: an Historical Perspective (p. 140)
• 5 Biodiversity in Europe: Current and Future Threats (p. 144)
• 6 The Policy Response to Biodiversity Loss (p. 148)
• 7 Quantifying Biodiversity Loss (p. 149)
• 8 Biodiversity and Land-use Change (p. 151)
• 9 Discussion (p. 152)
• References (p. 155)
• Tropical Moist Forests
• 1 Introduction (p. 161)
• 2 Tropical Forest Ecology (p. 162)
• 3 Continental Scale Variation due to Plate Tectonics (p. 164)
• 4 Regional Scale Variation due to Pleistocene Climate Fluctuations (p. 166)
• 4.1 Tropical Climate Change (p. 166)
• 4.2 Direct Evidence for Change (p. 167)
• 4.3 Inferential Evidence for Change (p. 168)
• 4.4 African Late Glacial Climates (p. 169)
• 4.5 Changing Climate Changing Forests (p. 170)
• 4.6 Past Climate Change as a Predictor of Diversity (p. 171)
• 5 Reasons for Local-scale Variation due to Present-day Ecology (p. 173)
• 6 Past Anthropogenic Impact on Tropical Forests (p. 174)
• 7 Present Anthropogenic Impact and Management of Tropical Forests (p. 175)
• 8 Case Study: Management of the Mufindi Forests (p. 178)
• 9 The Future (p. 183)
• References (p. 184)
• The Implementation of International Biodiversity Initiatives: Constraints and Successes
• 1 Towards International Biodiversity Goals (p. 193)
• 2 International Initiatives to Set Goals for Biodiversity Conservation (p. 195)
• 3 How are International Goals Implemented? (p. 195)
• 3.1 How has Finland Organised the Implementation of International Biodiversity Goals? (p. 198)
• 3.2 How has the UK Organised the Implementation of International Biodiversity Goals? (p. 199)
• 3.3 Alternative Routes from International Goals to Local Level Practices: Ranomafana National Park in Madagascar as a Case Study (p. 200)
• 4 When Implementation is Being Constrained (p. 201)
• 5 Does Implementation Lead to Wanted Results? (p. 202)
• 6 Mediation to Help Reach Effectiveness and Legitimacy (p. 204)
• 6.1 Braila Islands: Starting Management from Local Socio-environmental Needs Before Linking with International Goals (p. 208)
• 6.2 From Hunger Strikes to Voluntary Measures: Forest Conservation in Karvia (p. 209)
• 6.3 Turning Symbolic Participation into Effective Deliberation (p. 210)
• 6.4 A Successful Community-led Biodiversity Management Process: the Farming for Nature Initiative (p. 212)
• 7 Conclusions (p. 213)
• Acknowledgements (p. 213)
• References (p. 213)
• Biodiversity Assessment and Change - the Challenge of Appropriate Methods
• 1 Introduction (p. 217)
• 1.1 The Progressive Inclusion of Biodiversity Measures in Environmental Monitoring (p. 217)
• 1.2 The Challenge of Adequately Representing Complexity (p. 218)
• 1.3 Complexity and Ambiguity of the Term Biodiversity (p. 218)
• 1.4 Approaches to Reduce Complexity (p. 219)
• 2 Surrogate Measures, Indicators and Indices (p. 221)
• 2.1 Forerunners and First Steps in the 1980s (p. 221)
• 2.2 A Muddle of Terms (p. 222)
• 2.3 "It Starts with the Right Question" or "the Choice of Values and Measures" (p. 222)
• 2.4 Adoption of the Biodiversity Surrogate Approach (p. 223)
• 2.5 Biodiversity Indices (p. 224)
• 3 Indicators of Biodiversity and its Change for LTER Sites (p. 224)
• 3.1 LTER Sites and Biodiversity: Basic Concepts and Keystones (p. 224)
• 3.2 LTER Networks at Pan-European Level in Practice: the Experience of UN-ECE CLRTAP ICP IM and ICP Forests (p. 226)
• 3.3 Biodiversity Status and Change in Forest Ecosystems: Examples from Italy (p. 228)
• 3.4 Biodiversity Status and Change in Freshwater Ecosystems: Examples from North-Italy (p. 232)
• 3.5 Biodiversity Status and Change in the Marine Ecosystem: Examples from the Pelagic Ecosystem in Italy (p. 235)
• 3.6 Toward a Core Set of Biodiversity Indicators for LTER Sites (p. 236)
• 4 Indicators of Biodiversity and its Change for the "Wider Countryside" (p. 237)
• 4.1 Limitations of Discrete, Intensively Monitored Locations (p. 238)
• 4.2 Advantages of Supplementary Monitoring in the Wider Landscape (p. 239)
• 4.3 Data Sources that could Contribute to Surveillance in the Broader Landscape (p. 240)
• 5 How to Communicate Biodiversity Assessments to Stakeholders and the Public? (p. 241)
• 5.1 General Principles (p. 242)
• 5.2 Setting Objectives (p. 242)
• 5.3 Selecting the Target Audience (p. 243)
• 5.4 Selection of Appropriate Tools (p. 243)
• 5.5 How to Do It? (p. 244)
• 5.6 Evaluation of Success (p. 244)
• 5.7 Case Study: Visitor Centre in Vacratot, Hungary (p. 245)
• 6 Conclusions (p. 246)
• References (p. 247)
• Drivers and Pressures on Biodiversity in Analytical Frameworks
• 1 Introduction (p. 252)
• 2 Different Approaches to Classify the Drivers and Pressures on Biodiversity (p. 253)
• 2.1 Scenarios of Biodiversity Change for the Year 2100 and the Ranking of the Main Drivers (p. 253)
• 2.2 The Stress-Response Framework (p. 254)
• 2.3 The DPSIR Framework (p. 254)
• 2.4 The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Framework (MA) (p. 255)
• 3 The Main Drivers and Pressures on Biodiversity (p. 257)
• 3.1 Land-use Changes (p. 258)
• 3.2 Climate Change (p. 258)
• 3.3 Changes in Matter Fluxes (p. 258)
• 3.4 Biological Invasions (p. 259)
• 4 Conclusions (p. 259)
• Acknowledgements (p. 261)
• References (p. 261)
• Subject Index (p. 263)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

The series has been edited by Professors Hester and Harrison since it began in 1994.

Professor Roy Harrison OBE is listed by ISI Thomson Scientific (on ISI Web of Knowledge) as a Highly Cited Researcher in the Environmental Science/Ecology category. He has an h-index of 54 (i.e. 54 of his papers have received 54 or more citations in the literature). In 2004 he was appointed OBE for services to environmental science in the New Year Honours List. He was profiled by the Journal of Environmental Monitoring (Vol 5, pp 39N-41N, 2003). Professor Harrison's research interests lie in the field of environment and human health. His main specialism is in air pollution, from emissions through atmospheric chemical and physical transformations to exposure and effects on human health. Much of this work is designed to inform the development of policy.

Now an emeritus professor, Professor Ron Hester's current activities in chemistry are mainly as an editor and as an external examiner and assessor. He also retains appointments as external examiner and assessor / adviser on courses, individual promotions, and departmental / subject area evaluations both in the UK and abroad.