Global Ecology A Derivative of Encyclopedia of Ecology

About this book

Global Ecology focuses on the perception of the biosphere or the ecosphere as a unified cooperative system with numerous synergistic effects, which describe the distinctive properties of this sphere. This book is subdivided into five parts dealing with diverse aspects in global ecology.

The first part of Global Ecology provides comprehensive description of the biosphere, including its unique characteristics and evolution. This part also describes various spheres in the biosphere, such as the hydrosphere, noosphere, and pedosphere as well as their composition. The next part focuses on the global cycles, including calcium, carbon, iron, microbial nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, and water cycles. In addition, global balances and flows are explained. Presented in the third part are the results of the global cycles and flows as well as the patterns of the climatic factors and marine currents. There is also a part discussing the climate interactions, climatic changes, and its effect on the living organisms.

Global Ecology concludes by covering the application of stoichiometry in the biosphere and in ecosystems. The book offers a comprehensive view of global ecology and ecological stoichiometry, which will aid in the processes of global ecology.

Contents

List of Contributors
Preface

Part A: Global Ecology, The Biosphere and its Evolution
- Introduction
- Abiotic and Biotic Diversity in the Biosphere
- Anthropospheric and Antropogenic Impact on the Biosphere
- Astrobiology
- Biogeocoenosis as an Elementary Unit of Biogeochemical Work in the Biosphere
- Biosphere. Vernadsky’s Concept
- Deforestation
- Environmental and Biospheric Impacts of Nuclear War
- Evolution of Oceans
- Evolution of ‘Prey–Predator’ Systems
- Fungi and Their Role in the Biosphere
- Gaia Hypothesis
- Hydrosphere
- Noosphere
- Pedosphere
- Phenomenon of Life: General Aspects
- Structure and History of Life

Part B: Global Cycles, Balances and Flows
- Calcium Cycle
- Carbon Cycle
- Energy Balance
- Energy Flows in the Biosphere
- Entropy and Entropy Flows in the Biosphere
- Information and Information Flows in the Biosphere
- Iron Cycle
- Matter and Matter Flows in the Biosphere
- Microbial Cycles
- Nitrogen Cycle
- Oxygen Cycle
- Phosphorus Cycle
- Radiation Balance and Solar Radiation Spectrum
- Radionuclides: Their Biochemical Cycles and the Impacts on the Biosphere
- Sulphur Cycle
- Water Cycle
- Xenobiotics Cycles

Part C: Global Patterns and Processes
- Agriculture
- Material and Metal Ecology
- Methane in the Atmosphere
- Monitoring, Observations, and Remote Sensing – Global Dimensions
- Ocean Currents and Their Role in the Biosphere
- Precipitation Pattern
- Temperature Patterns
- Urbanization as a Global Process
- Weathering

Part D: Climate Change
- Climate Change 1: Short-Term Dynamics
- Climate Change 2: Long-Term Dynamics
- Climate Change 3: History and Current State
- Coevolution of the Biosphere and Climate
- Global Change Impacts on the Biosphere

Part E: Ecological Stoichiometry
- Ecological Stoichiometry: Overview
- Ecosystem Patterns and Processes
- Evolutionary and Biochemical Aspects
- Organisal Ecophysiology
- Population and Community Interactions
- Trace Elements

Index

Customer Reviews

Biography

Sven Erik Jørgensen was the professor emeritus in environmental chemistry at the University of Copenhagen. He received a master of science in chemical engineering from the Danish Technical University (1958), a doctor of environmental engineering (Karlsruhe University) and a doctor of science in ecological modelling (Copenhagen University). He was the honourable doctor at Coimbra University, Portugal and at Dar es Salaam University (Tanzania). In 1975 he founded the journal Ecological Modelling and in 1978 the ISEM (International Society of Ecological Modelling). He has received several awards, the Ruder Boskovic Medal, the Prigogine Prize, the Pascal Medal, the Einstein professorship at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Santa Chiara Prize for multidisciplinary teaching and the very prestigious Stockholm Water Prize. He has published 366 papers of which 275 were published in peer-reviewed international journals and he has edited or authored 76 books, of which several have been translated to other languages (Chinese, Russian, Spanish and Portuguese). He has authored a successful textbook in ecological modelling Fundamentals of Ecological Modelling, which was published as a fourth edition together with Brian Fath in 2011. It has been translated into Chinese and Russian (third edition). He authored a well received textbook in system ecology entitled Introduction to Systems Ecology. It was published as an English edition in 2012 and as a Chinese edition in 2013. He was editor in chief of the Encyclopedia of Ecology, published in 2008, and of the Encyclopedia of Environmental Management, published in December 2012. He has taught courses in ecological modelling in 32 different countries. He is the editorial board member of 18 international journals in the fields of ecology and environmental management. He was the president of ISEM and he also was elected member of the European Academy of Sciences, for which he was the chairman of the Section for Environmental Sciences.