Ecological Wisdom Inspired Restoration Engineering

This book focuses on ecological wisdom inspired restoration engineering through theories, hypotheses, policies, practical understanding, and case studies. Understanding nature’s processes is a prerequisite for the healthy and sustainable functioning of a habitable Earth. As such, the book provides a guide for readers seeking to understand and build sustainable, urban socio-ecological systems using restoration technologies based on wisdom. Motivated by recent rapid advances in restoration engineering, such as the role of green building materials in urban infrastructures, and developing sustainable landscapes to benefit the environment, economy and communities, it is an essential reference on the most promising innovative technologies. It discusses engineering methods and practices in the restoration of soil, water, heritage sites, and other ecosystems, as well as the development and applications of green building materials. It presents a holistic and systematic approach that utilizes natural resources and the concept of ecological wisdom to reap sustainable environmental, economic and social benefits to fulfill the concept of living in harmony with nature. This book is a valuable resource for civil- and environmental engineering researchers as well as organizations engaged in eco-restoration practices.

Learn from this integrated approach to the management and restoration of ecosystems edited by an international leader in the field The Handbook of Ecological and Ecosystem Engineering delivers a comprehensive overview of the latest research and practical developments in the rapidly evolving fields of ecological and ecosystem engineering. Beginning with an introduction to the theory and practice of ecological engineering and ecosystem services, the book addresses a wide variety of issues central to the restoration and remediation of ecological environments. The book contains fulsome analyses of the restoration, rehabilitation, conservation, sustainability, reconstruction, remediation, and reclamation of ecosystems using ecological engineering techniques. Case studies are used to highlight practical applications of the theory discussed within. The material in the Handbook of Ecological and Ecosystem Engineering is particularly relevant at a time when the human population is dramatically rising, and the exploitation of natural resources is putting increasing pressure on planetary ecosystems. The book demonstrates how modern scientific ecology can contribute to the greening of the environment through the inclusion of concrete examples of successful applied management. The book also includes: A thorough discussion of ecological engineering and ecosystem services theory and practice An exploration of ecological and ecosystem engineering economic and environmental revitalization An examination of the role of soil meso and macrofauna indicators for restoration assessment success in a rehabilitated mine site A treatment of the mitigation of urban environmental issues by applying ecological and ecosystem engineering A discussion of soil fertility restoration theory and practice Perfect for academic researchers, industry scientists, and environmental engineers working in the fields of ecological engineering, environmental science, and biotechnology, the Handbook of Ecological and Ecosystem Engineering also belongs on the bookshelves of environmental regulators and consultants, policy makers, and employees of non-governmental organizations working on sustainable development.

This book uses theories, hypotheses, policies, practical insights and case studies to introduce and elucidate green building materials for sustainable construction. Cement is the most widely used building material in construction; however, it is not sustainable, being responsible for 7% of global carbon dioxide emissions and consuming huge quantities of energy. In order to limit the ecological damage, sustainable building materials are needed. Ecosystems are a source of important lessons and models for transitioning the built environment onto a sustainable path that opens options for sustainable building material in construction. The book provides a guide for readers seeking knowledge on sustainable building materials with the potential to lower environmental impact by reducing CO2 emission throughout the building’s lifecycle. The book is motivated by recent rapid advances in sustainable building materials production, including green building materials made of industrial by-products and recycled wastes, earth materials, plant-based materials, microbial-based materials or supplementary cementitious materials, to reduce the environmental impacts of traditional building materials. Discussing the development and applications of various sustainable building materials, including related case studies, and addressing the environmental issue with a holistic and systematic approach that creates an ecology of construction for sustainability in infrastructures, it offers promising solutions to achieve renewable and sustainable building materials for the future.

This edited volume is an inclusive collection of information on crop holobiome, their function and diversity, the plausible role of soil microbes in crop growth, protection from pathogens and stresses, the use of resilient microbiomes for changing climate, and the use of new technologies to study plant-insect-microbe molecular interactions in agricultural systems. Holobiomes provide information about both plants and their microbiomes, which gives a more comprehensive insight, particularly for changing climatic scenarios. By optimizing the crop holobime function crop productivity and plant health can be enhanced manifold. This book deep dives into the numerous ways in which holobiome supports the improving plant health, nutrient uptake, disease control, and stress resistance in major food crops. It helps researchers, academicians, agri-entrepreneurs, and technologists understand the structure and function of holobiomes in crop growth, health, stress tolerance under climatic changes, and holobiome diversity and evolution. The book is also helpful in designing new dimensions in the holobiome research and development of new products and technologies. This volume is of interest and useful to agriculture scientists, microbiologists, ecologists, and is a valuable source of reference to researchers and students.

This book focuses on food security and safety issues in Africa, a continent presently challenged with malnutrition and food insecurity. The continuous increase in the human population of Africa will lead to higher food demands, and climate change has already affected food production in most parts of Africa, resulting in drought, reduced crop yields, and loss of livestock and income. For Africa to be food-secure, safe and nutritious food has to be available, well-distributed, and sufficient to meet people’s food requirements. Contributors to Food Security and Safety: African Perspectives offer solutions to the lack of adequate safe and nutritious food in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as highlight the positive efforts being made to address this lack through a holistic approach. The book discusses the various methods used to enhance food security, such as food fortification, fermentation, genetic modification, and plant breeding for improved yield and resistance to diseases. Authors emphasize the importance of hygiene and food safety in food preparation and preservation, and address how the constraints of climate change could be overcome using smart crops. As a comprehensive reference text, Food Security and Safety: African Perspectives seeks to address challenges specific to the African continent while enhancing the global knowledge base around food security, food safety, and food production in an era of rapid climate change.

The book includes current and emerging concepts in the areas of environmental biotechnology such as pollution sources, control and measurement, solid waste management, bioremediation, biofuels, biosensors, bioleaching, conservation biotechnology and more. The book also includes recent innovations made in this field and incorporates case studies to help in understanding the concepts. This book applies principles from multidisciplinary sciences of environmental engineering, metabolic engineering, rDNA technology and omics to study the role of microbes and plants in tackling environmental issues. It also includes content related to risk assessment and environmental management systems. Each chapter provides problems and solutions of different topics with diagrammatic illustrations and tables for students, researchers and other professionals in environmental biotechnology. Explores cutting-edge technologies, including nanotechnology-based bioremediation, value-added products from waste and emerging techniques related to environmental risk assessment and monitoring Reviews the current methods being applied in the environment field for pollution control, waste management, biodegradation of organic and inorganic pollutants and so on Provides in-depth knowledge of the latest advancements in the field of environmental biotechnology such as bioleaching, biomining and advances in biotechnology-based conservation of biodiversity Introduces undergraduate and post-graduate students to basic concepts of environmental biotechnology and allied fields Discusses different products such as biofuels, biopolymers and biosensors that are being produced using biotechnological methods, thus contributing towards the goal of sustainable development Dr. Neetu Sharma is Assistant Professor in the Department of Biotechnology, GGDSD College, Chandigarh, India. The main thrust of her research centers on biotechnology, bioremediation and nanotechnology. Abhinashi Singh Sodhi is Assistant Professor in the Department of Biotechnology, GGDSD College, Chandigarh, India. His current research focuses on waste reduction, valorization and bioproduct formation. Dr. Navneet Batra is Associate Professor and Head, Department of Biotechnology, GGDSD College, Chandigarh, India. He has extensive academic and research experience of over 20 years with specialization in biotechnology and biochemical engineering.

Integrated Environmental Technologies for Wastewater Treatment and Sustainable Development provides comprehensive and advanced information on integrated environmental technologies and their limitations, challenges and potential applications in treatment of environmental pollutants and those that are discharged in wastewater from industrial, domestic and municipal sources. The book covers applied and recently developed integrated technologies to solve five major trends in the field of wastewater treatment, including nutrient removal and resource recovery, recalcitrant organic and inorganic compounds detoxification, energy saving, and biofuel and bioenergy production for environmental sustainability. The book provides future directions to young researchers, scientists and professionals who are working in the field of bioremediation and phytoremediation to remediate wastewater pollutants at laboratory and field scale, for sustainable development. Illustrates the importance of various advanced oxidation processes in effluent treatment plants Describes underlying mechanisms of constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell technologies for the degradation and detoxification of emerging organic and inorganic contaminants discharged in wastewater Highlights the reuse and recycling of wastewater and recovery of value-added resources from wastewater Focuses on recent advances and challenges in integrated environmental technologies, constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell, microbial electrochemical-constructed wetlands, biofilm reactor-constructed wetland, and anammox- microbial fuel cell technology for sustainable development Illustrates the importance of microbes and plants in bio/phytoremediation and wastewater treatment

This book includes twenty-one comprehensive chapters addressing various soil and crop management issues, including modern techniques in enhancing crop production in the era of climate change. There are a few case studies and experimental evidence about these production systems in specific locations. Particular focus is provided on the state-of-the-art of biotechnology, nanotechnology, and precision agriculture, as well as many other recent approaches in ensuring sustainable crop production. This book is useful for undergraduate and graduate students, teachers, and researchers, particularly in the fields of crop science, soil science, and agronomy.