Measuring Environmental Distinctiveness

One of the cornerstones of life's wonders is the vast array of species filling the planet. From plants to animals to humans, there is no shortage of beings to provide 'spice of life' variety is said to be. Periodically, scientists announce the discovery of a 'new' form of life, so it seems as if Earth is capable of producing new species just to keep us on our toes. At times, the immense breadth of living things can even feel overwhelming, as one pauses to ponder how numerically insignificant humans are when compared to the insect population. Given the biological diversity of the planet, it is incumbent upon humans to safeguard the natural beauty of the environment. To that end, conservation takes on special importance, necessitating the balancing of industrial expansion with preserving the flora and fauna surrounding us. This book is an important tool in understanding and researching the many different life forms spanning the globe. Collected here is a substantial and carefully selected listing of relevant literature on biological diversity and its conservation. Following this bibliography are author, title, and subject indexes to allow for further access to this information. The sheer bulk of the works about biological diversity can be so intimidating that a book such as this one becomes useful in sorting through the resources about the importance of life's variety.

The question of how to measure the quality and effectiveness of the output of the planning process is a current major debate. This book deals with issues of defining quality, public sector management, the use of indicators and the planning process.

Ecological diversity, or the variety and abundance of species in different habitats and communities, is one of the central themes of ecology. However, much of the existing literature on this subject is diffuse, often confusing, and in many cases complicated by unnecessarily difficult mathematics. This book aims to provide a succinct and clear summary of the relevant literature and a practical guide to the measurement of diversity. The author discusses the methods of describing ecological diversity in conjunction with specific recommendations for the selection and interpretation of diversity measures. In addition, she considers the sampling problems often encountered in ecological censusing. The work concludes with a discussion of the empirical value of diversity measures. A special feature that makes the book particularly accessible to readers without great expertise in mathematics is the inclusion of worked examples of the main diversity measures and models.

Environmental Psychology: An Introduction offers a research-based introduction to the psychological relationship between humans and their built and natural environments and discusses how sustainable environments can be created to the benefit of both people and nature Explores the environment's effects on human wellbeing and behaviour, factors influencing environmental behaviour and ways of encouraging pro-environmental action Provides a state-of-the-art overview of recent developments in environmental psychology, with an emphasis on sustainability as a unifying principle for theory, research and interventions While focusing primarily on Europe and North America, also discusses environmental psychology in non-Western and developing countries Responds to a growing interest in the contribution of environmental psychologists to understanding and solving environmental problems and promoting the effects of environmental conditions on health and wellbeing

The Environmental Audit Committee reports that Government plans to introduce a system of 'biodiversity offsetting' for new building developments could enhance the way the planning system accounts for the damage done to valuable natural habitats, but the proposals must be improved to properly protect Britain's wildlife and woodlands. The Green Paper does not provide an evidence based analysis of how offsetting would deliver "biodiversity gain". The twenty minute assessment for calculating biodiversity losses at a site, proposed by Ministers, is also overly simplistic. It should include particular species, local habitat significance, ecosystem services provided - such as pollination and flood prevention - and 'ecosystem network' connectivity to reflect the full complexity of habitats. Sites of special scientific interest and ancient woodlands should be even more rigorously protected. A mandatory, rather than voluntary, offsetting system would allow more environmentally and economically viable offset projects to be brought forward. The report also warns of a danger that an offsetting market could produce many offsets of a similar, lowest-cost, type rather than a mixed range of habitats. Natural England should monitor schemes to ensure a balance of habitat types are covered in the offsets. It is also important to consider the implications of biodiversity offsetting for people's access to nature and well-being. A decision on the Government's offsetting proposals should not be made at this time. Offsetting pilots, set up in 2011, should be allowed to run their course and then be subjected to the independent evaluation previously promised by ministers.

This series provides complete coverage of A Level Edexcel, OCR and AQA psychology specifications. Activities such as media watch and interactive angles encourage student involvement. It should also be suitable as an introductory text for undergraduates. This textbook provides students with an in-depth understanding of how the spaces we live in affect both individuals and society. It incorporates contemporary research and is packed with studies to enhance student evaluation.

Clearly written, global in approach, and theoretically broad-minded, this text is an ideal introduction to environmental economics.Assuming no prior knowledge of economics, the international author team introduces fundamental economic concepts as they relate to our environment. They then use the fundamental concepts to explore and assess current and potential policy responses to some of the major environmental issues of ourtime. Examples are drawn from all over the world and include such vital issues as climate change, natural resource use, waste management, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity.