Vector-borne diseases continue to be one of the most important determinants affecting human and animal health. Large numbers of people suffer from diseases like malaria, dengue, filariasis and leishmaniasis, especially in the tropics. Whereas these diseases were eradicated from the temperate climate zones, in recent years the rising incidence of 'emerging' vector-borne diseases such as bluetong…
How can nature be protected and biodiversity be preserved while the threats of zoonotic diseases are minimised? Expanding nature areas and creating ecological networks across Europe is not only beneficial for wildlife, but also for the pathogens they carry. A prominent case is Lyme borreliosis, which has risen from relative obscurity to become a major public health problem in Europe. The Dutch …
Estuaries are defined by mixing of river and sea water, thus freshwater inflow is a key driver of estuary ecosystem structure and function. While there is much concern about water quality, there is much less about water quantity. As water is diverted for human use, less is flowing to the coast, which threatens estuary ecosystems. Some jurisdictions are now setting inflow standards, but there…
This is an open access book. This professional volume provides scientific background and practical guidance on forest management in light of ecological connectivity. Readers will gain a great understanding of shifting species in response to climate change and the resulting loss of various resources. The main drivers of these variations are the quality of the availability, quantity, and quality …
This open access book, written by world experts in aquaponics and related technologies, provides the authoritative and comprehensive overview of the key aquaculture and hydroponic and other integrated systems, socio-economic and environmental aspects. Aquaponic systems, which combine aquaculture and vegetable food production offer alternative technology solutions for a world that is increasingl…
Aquatic ecosystems are rich in biodiversity and home to a diverse array of species and habitats, providing a wide variety of benefits to human beings. Many of these valuable ecosystems are at risk of being irreversibly damaged by human activities and pressures, including pollution, contamination, invasive species, overfishing and climate change. Such pressures threaten the sustainability of the…
This open access book describes the serious threat of invasive species to native ecosystems. Invasive species have caused and will continue to cause enormous ecological and economic damage with ever increasing world trade. This multi-disciplinary book, written by over 100 national experts, presents the latest research on a wide range of natural science and social science fields that explore the…
Die Energieproduktion aus Windkraft ist ein wesentlicher Bestandteil der Energiewende in Deutschland. Seit Jahren zeigen jedoch Untersuchungen, dass vor allem Fledermäuse und Großvögel vielfach durch Kollisionen an Windenergieanlagen sterben. Der richtige Umgang mit diesem Dilemma stellt eine politische, gesellschaftliche und wissenschaftliche Herausforderung dar. Um im Rahmen der Energiewen…
Chilean Patagonia, located at the southwestern tip of South America, is one of the last regions on earth where highly intact environments predominate. With a coastline that extends along some 100,000 km of fjords, channels, and islands, it has one of the world´s most extensive marine-terrestrial interfaces. Local place-based and Indigenous cultures and management practices are a vital presence…
The aim of this open access book is to facilitate the identification and description of the different organs as well as pathogens and diseases affecting the most representative species of cephalopods focussed on Sepia officinalis, Loligo vulgaris and Octopus vulgaris. These species are valuable ‘morphotype’ models and belong to the taxonomic groups Sepioidea, Myopsida and Octopoda, which in…