The Arid Zones PDF Download

Author: Kenneth Walton
Publisher: Transaction Publishers
ISBN: 0202369471
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 178

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Author: David S. G. Thomas
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470519096
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 658

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Book Description
The new edition of Arid Zone Geomorphology aims to encapsulate the advances that have been made in recent years in the investigation and explanation of landforms and geomorphological processes in drylands. Building on the success of the previous two editions, the Third Edition has been completely revised and updated to reflect the latest developments in the field. Whilst this latest edition will remain a comprehensive reference to the subject, the book has been restructured to include regional case studies throughout to enhance student understanding and is clearly defined into five distinct sections; Firstly, the book introduces the reader to Large Scale Controls and Variability in Drylands and then moves on to consider Surface Processes and Characteristics; The Work of Water, The Work of the Wind. The book concludes with a section on Living with Dryland Geomorphology that includes a chapter on geomorphological hazards and the human impact on these environments. Once again, recognised world experts in the field have been invited to contribute chapters in order to present a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of current knowledge about the processes shaping the landscape of deserts and arid regions. In order to broaden the appeal of the Third Edition, the book has been reduced in extent by 100 pages and the Regional chapters have been omitted in favour of the inclusion of key regional case studies throughout the book. The Editor is also considering the inclusion of a supplementary website that could include further images, problems and case studies.

Author: Hilton Kramer
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351485881
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 162

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Book Description
The hot and temperate deserts and their marginal steppe lands comprise one-third of the land surface of the world and are an increasingly critical area for the economic wellbeing of world populations. The remarkable mechanisms of floral, faunal, and human adaptation to the distinct and difficult environment of these arid zones, as well as the potential of modern technology for facilitating adaptation, are described and explained by Walton in the light of our most recent knowledge of the phenomena and processes involved.Beginning with a clarification of the definitions of arid and semi-arid regions and with the delineation of techniques for measuring the degree of aridity in these areas, the author shows that there is wide variation among the arid zones in landscape and climate and that there are numerous local and microclimates within any single arid region. The life cycles of the plants and animals of the arid zones are described and the water resources, including problems of salinity, mineral contamination, and the construction of reservoirs, are examined. Extensive treatment is given to potential agricultural adaptations and to pastoralism as the most widespread response to dry land. A final chapter summarizes attempts at adaptation to prevailing drought and discusses the kinds of future development that the author deems most likely in arid zones.Throughout the book emphasis is placed on specific, detailed analysis, with adequate tables and formulas for in-depth understanding of particular aspects of aridity. Examples from both Old and New Worlds are used to demonstrate the spheres in which progress is being made and to show the mistakes in past and present land use in arid areas. An essential supplement for courses in physical geography, the book will be useful in many area studies and in studies of economic development.

Author: Diana K. Davis
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262333546
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 302

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Book Description
An argument that the perception of arid lands as wastelands is politically motivated and that these landscapes are variable, biodiverse ecosystems, whose inhabitants must be empowered. Deserts are commonly imagined as barren, defiled, worthless places, wastelands in need of development. This understanding has fueled extensive anti-desertification efforts—a multimillion-dollar global campaign driven by perceptions of a looming crisis. In this book, Diana Davis argues that estimates of desertification have been significantly exaggerated and that deserts and drylands—which constitute about 41% of the earth's landmass—are actually resilient and biodiverse environments in which a great many indigenous people have long lived sustainably. Meanwhile, contemporary arid lands development programs and anti-desertification efforts have met with little success. As Davis explains, these environments are not governed by the equilibrium ecological dynamics that apply in most other regions. Davis shows that our notion of the arid lands as wastelands derives largely from politically motivated Anglo-European colonial assumptions that these regions had been laid waste by “traditional” uses of the land. Unfortunately, such assumptions still frequently inform policy. Drawing on political ecology and environmental history, Davis traces changes in our understanding of deserts, from the benign views of the classical era to Christian associations of the desert with sinful activities to later (neo)colonial assumptions of destruction. She further explains how our thinking about deserts is problematically related to our conceptions of forests and desiccation. Davis concludes that a new understanding of the arid lands as healthy, natural, but variable ecosystems that do not necessarily need improvement or development will facilitate a more sustainable future for the world's magnificent drylands.

Author: Scott E. Ingram
Publisher: University of Arizona Press
ISBN: 0816502188
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 391

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Book Description
Traditional Arid Lands Agriculture is the first of its kind. Each chapter considers four questions: what we don’t know about specific aspects of traditional agriculture, why we need to know more, how we can know more, and what research questions can be pursued to know more. What is known is presented to provide context for what is unknown. Traditional agriculture, nonindustrial plant cultivation for human use, is practiced worldwide by millions of smallholder farmers in arid lands. Advancing an understanding of traditional agriculture can improve its practice and contribute to understanding the past. Traditional agriculture has been practiced in the U.S. Southwest and northwest Mexico for at least four thousand years and intensely studied for at least one hundred years. What is not known or well-understood about traditional arid lands agriculture in this region has broad application for research, policy, and agricultural practices in arid lands worldwide. The authors represent the disciplines of archaeology, anthropology, agronomy, art, botany, geomorphology, paleoclimatology, and pedology. This multidisciplinary book will engage students, practitioners, scholars, and any interested in understanding and advancing traditional agriculture.

Author: Gerald E. Wickens
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3662037009
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 348

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Book Description
This book deals with arid and semi-arid environments and their classification, and the physiological restraints and adaptations of plants to the environment. Further, it discusses economic botany and the needs and methods of conserving economic plants. A broad view is taken regarding the definition of economic plants, taking into account their value to the environment as well as to man and to livestock. The individual deserts and associated semi-arid regions are described in separate chapters, providing background information on the regional environments in terms of climate and major plant formations. The economic plants within these formations, their usages, geographical distribution together with their morphological and physiological adaptations are treated in detail.

Author: A.E. Hall
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642673287
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 357

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Book Description
The semi-arid zones of the world are fragile ecosystems which are being sub stantially modified by the activities of mankind. Increasing human populations have resulted in greater demands on semi-arid zones for providing human susten ance and the possibility that this may enhance desertification is a grave concern. These zones are harsh habitats for humans. The famines that resulted from drought during the late 1960's and the 1970's in the African Sahel illustrated the unreliability of present agricultural systems in this zone. Large fluctuations in ag ricultural production have occurred in semi-arid zones of Australia, North Ameri ca, and the Soviet Union due to periodic droughts, even though considerable ag ricultural technology has been devoted to agricultural development in these zones. The challenge to mankind is to manage these different semi-arid zones so that pro ductivity is increased and stabilized, and environmental deterioration is decreased. Irrigation can be used to increase and stabilize agricultural production in semi-arid zones as discussed in Volume 5 of this series, Arid Zone Irrigation. The present volume, Agriculture in Semi-Arid Environments, focuses on dryland farming in semi-arid zones, and is relevant to the large areas of the world where rainfall is limiting and where water is not available for irrigation. This volume is designed to assist agricultural development in these areas and consists of reviews and analyses of available information by scientists working in Africa, Australia, and at the U ni versity of California.

Author: Reginald W. Herschy
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0412740605
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 793

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Book Description
The fresh water supplies of the Earth are finite and as the world's population continues to grow humanity's thirst for this water seems unquenchable. Intense pressure is being exerted upon freshwater resources and a lack of adequate clean water is seen as one of the most serious global problems for the 21st century. Indeed it has been said that the next war will be fought over water, not oil. Human health and the health of supporting ecosystems increasingly depends upon our ability to find, control, manage and understand water. In a single volume, The Encyclopedia of Hydrology and Water Resources provides the reader with a comprehensive overview and understanding of the diverse field of hydrology. The intimate inclusion of material on water resources emphasizes the practical applications of this field, applications which are indispensable in any modern approach to the subject. This volume is a vital reference for all hydrologists, hydrogeologists and water engineers worldwide, whether they are concerned with the exploitation of new sources of water, the protection and management of existing reserves, or the science of surface water and groundwater flow. 114 eminent scientists from 17 countries worldwide have contributed to this authoritative volume. Superbly illustrated throughout, it includes almost 300 entries on a range of key topics, including arid and semi-arid zones, climates and climate change, floods and droughts, desertification, entropy, flow measurement, groundwater, hydrological cycle, hydrological models, infiltration, karst hydrology, paleohydrology, precipitation, remote sensing, river pollution prevention, rivers, lakes and seas, satellite hydrology, soil erosion, water treatment, water use, weather radar, and world water balance.

Author: Mohammad Jafari
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 331954828X
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 267

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Book Description
This book provides an overview of arid and semi-arid lands conditions, their general characteristics, methods of management, conservation, exploitation and reclamation. It also focuses on how to utilize the potential of arid lands with the minimum manipulation and alteration. Arid and semi-arid areas represent a major part of natural ecosystems not only in Iran, but around the world, and mismanagement and inappropriate exploitation of these areas may lead to further gradual degradation. As such, an understanding of the characteristics of these areas is vital if they are to be conserved and reclaimed.

Author: Michael Hill
Publisher: Hodder Murray
ISBN: 9780340800324
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 154

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Book Description
Arid and Semi-Arid Environments focuses upon major themes in the study of desert landscapes, processes and landforms. The book considers the physical causes of aridity, the desert hydrological cycle and the problems of water supply. Particular attention is paid to desert ecosystems and how they are related to aridity. A detailed study is made of the wide range of landforms which are unique to desert areas and how they were formed. Evidence in the landscape of past climates is examined in relation to the current debate on desertification.