Ecological Processes Handbook
By Luca Palmeri, Alberto Barausse, Sven Erik Jorgensen
To Be Published August 22nd 2013 by CRC Press – 401 pages
Description
Ecology is cross-disciplinary field involving many different aspects of science. Written with this in mind, this book introduces ecological processes, ranging from physical processes, to chemical processes and biological processes. It contains all the necessary information on an ecological process: a clear, detailed but not too lengthy definition, some practical examples, the main mathematical models which have been used to describe the process, the key interconnections with other ecological processes that must be known in order to apply what has been learned from the book.
Reviews
"Handbook of Ecological Processes presents an overview of the multi-faceted reality of ecosystems. However, far from being a simple collection of particular aspects of the environment, the book presents a comprehensive vision of ecosystems based on thermodynamics, viewed as a unifying principle which every evolutionary system must obey."
––Stefano Marsili Libelli, Department of Information Engineering, University of Florence, Italy
Contents
The ecosystem as an object for research
Introduction
Holism vs reductionism
Interpreting ecosystem reality
Ecosystem structure
Complexity and self-organization
Energy flows through the biosphere
History of the biosphere in brief
Conservation principles
Space conservation
Mass conservation
Energy conservation: thermodynamics’ st principle
Information
Energy dissipation
The second principle
Illustration : Statistical significance of entropy
Dissipative structures
Irreversible processes
Entropy production
A perspective from information and systems theory
Information: definition and measure
Thermodynamic entropy and Shannon’s information
Solar energy and information
Illustration : Energy and Emergy balance calculation
Ecological network analysis
Exergy
Illustration : Exergy as a measure of useful work Example calculations
Ecological Processes: An Overview
PART II – PHYSICAL PROCESSES
Space and time
Scale and hierarchy
Space delimitation: boundaries
Flows through open systems
Equilibrium, stability and steady state
Mass transport
Advection and diffusion
Dispersion
Mass balance and reactors
Settling and resuspension
Transport in porous media
Transport at interfaces
Reaeration
Volatilization
Transport over membranes
Energetic factors
Solar radiation
Light extinction
Evapotranspiration
The effects of waves in aquatic ecosystems
PART III – CHEMICAL PROCESSES
Chemical reactions
Chemical equilibrium
Enzymatic processes
Redox
Acid-base
Solutions, precipitation and flocculation
Chemical lysis
Hydrolysis
Proteolysis
Photolysis
Phase partition
Adsorption and partition of organic compounds
Ion exchange
Complex Formation
Activities and Activities Coefficients
Illustration
PART IV – BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES
Biogeochemical cycles
Oxygen cycle
Aerobic and anaerobic conditions
The carbon cycle and biosphere stability conditions
Nitrogen cycle
Phosphorus cycle
Photosynthesis
Growth
The metabolic growth model
Allometric principles
Primary production
Limitation
The rationale beyond Michaelis-Menten
Nutrient limitation
Temperature dependence
Light dependence
Co-limitation
Illustration
Respiration
Nutrient and metal uptake
Excretion
Fixation
Mortality
Production of upper trophic levels
Grazing
Predation
Microbial processes
Microbial loop
The role of detritus
Biological decomposition
Ecotoxicological Processes
Biodegradation
Bioaccumulation, bioconcentration, biomagnification
Illustration : Toxic substance concentrations and biomagnification series
The equilibrium between spheres: partition of toxic substances between air, water, soil and biota
Biological Interactions
Adaptation and Shift in the Species’ Composition
Illustration : Development of SDM for Darwin’s Finches
Competition
Other biological interactions
Trophic networks
PART V – LANDSCAPE PROCESSES
Aquatic ecosystems
Eutrophication
Lakes
Wetlands, transitional water ecosystems
Rivers
Open Sea
Fishery
Terrestrial Ecosystems
Decomposition of organic matter in soil
Toxic Substances in Soil
Erosion and Leaching
Ecosystem Transitions
Landscapes and Urban Ecosystems
Landscape Processes
Population Growth
Illustration
Environmental Processes and Urban Ecosystems
Urban solid waste management
The Atmosphere
Atmospheric Pollution by gases and Particles
Modifying the Distribution Patterns
Ozone depletion
Henry’s Law
Illustration
Acidification
APPENDIX - The Double logarithmic representation
A. Double logarithmic Diagrams applied on Acid-Base reactions
A. Molar Fraction, Alkalinity and Buffer Capacity.
A. Dissolved Carbon Dioxide
Illustration A.
Illustration A.
A. Precipitation and Dissolution: solubility of hydroxides
A. Solubility of Carbonates in open Systems
A. Solubility of Complexes
Illustration A.
A. Complex Formation
A. The environmental Importance of Complex Formation
A.Conditional Constant
Illustration A.
Illustration A.
A. The Application of Double Logarithmic Diagrams to determine the Conditional Constants for Complex Formation
Illustration A.
A. Redox Equilibria: Electron activity and Nernst’s Law
Illustration A.
A. pe as Master Variable
A. Examples of relevant Processes in the aquatic Environment
A. Redox Conditions in natural Waters
Illustration A.
Illustration A.
A. The Construction of pe-pH DIAGRAMS
Illustration A.
A. Redox Pontential and Complex Formation
Illustration A.
REFERENCES
THE AUTHORS
Related Subjects
Name: Ecological Processes Handbook (Hardback) – CRC Press
Description: By Luca Palmeri, Alberto Barausse, Sven Erik Jorgensen. Ecology is cross-disciplinary field involving many different aspects of science. Written with this in mind, this book introduces ecological processes, ranging from physical processes, to chemical processes and biological processes. It contains all the...
Categories: Environmental Sciences, Biodiversity, Environmental Chemistry
