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Informationen zum Autor N. A. Geeson is the editor of Mediterranean Desertification: A Mosaic of Processes and Responses , published by Wiley. C. J. Brandt is the editor of Mediterranean Desertification: A Mosaic of Processes and Responses , published by Wiley. John B. Thornes is the editor of Mediterranean Desertification: A Mosaic of Processes and Responses , published by Wiley. Klappentext Desertification is land degradation in arid and semi-arid regions from both climatic and anthropogenic causes. The Northern Mediterranean with its irregular rainfall, poor soils, abandonment of traditional agriculture and unsustainable water exploitation has been recognised as a region with increasing desertification problems. The MEDALUS project was set up to improve the scientific basis for understanding and managing semi-arid environments that are undergoing great change. The material presented includes the results of interdisciplinary in-depth investigations undertaken over the last 10 years. It will provide a unique collection of research results that will assist rural planners, and regional and national authorities in preparing plans for mitigation. Includes: Field based research carried out in the MEDALUS project Authors with first hand research experience of their material Results of direct applicability to land use management in Mediterranean environments Detailed thematic and spatially-based analyses Original material based on specific case studies Of particular interest to geographers, ecologists, agronomists, rural planners, and all authorities on desertification problems in Mediterranean environments, from both scientific and land use management perspectives. A practical contribution to undergraduate and postgraduate university courses on the Mediterranean environment, and a useful reference source for secondary education. Zusammenfassung Desertification includes land degradation due to both climatic and anthropogenic causes, where land includes water, soil, and the biosphere. This book presents the findings from the European Community's MEDALUS project, which was formed to understand and manage semi arid environments that are undergoing great change. Inhaltsverzeichnis List of Contributors. Preface. PART 1: THEMATIC ISSUES. Section I; Introduction. The Evolving Context of Mediterranean Desertification (J.B. Thornes). Section II; Climate, Processes and Responses. Extreme Climatic Events over the Mediterranean (M. Conte, et al.). Potential Effects of Rising CO2 and Climatic Change on Mediterranean Vegetation (C.P. Osborne and F.I. Woodward). Use of NOAA-AVHRR NDVI Data for Climatic Characterization of Mediterranean Areas (G. Cannizzaro, et al.). Section III; Land Use, Processes and Responses. The Effect of Land Use on Soil Erosion and Land Degradation under Mediterranean Conditions (C. Kosmas, et al.). Agro-pastoral Activities and Land Degradation in Mediterranean Areas: Case Study of Sardinia (G. Enne, et al.). Landscape Protection from Grazing and Fire (N.S. Margaris and E. Koutsidou). Bioengineering Principles and Desertification Mitigation (J.N. Quinton, et al.). Section IV; Physical Processes and Responses. Differing Responses of Greek Mediterranean Plant Communities to Climate and the Combination of Grazing and Fire (A. Dalaka et al). Vegetation Cover Assessment in Mediterranean Semi-arid Landscapes (F. Garcia-Haro, et al.). The Impact of Rock Fragments on Soil Degradation and Water Conservation (B. van Wesemael, et al.). Aridification in a Region Neighbouring the Mediterranean(A. Kertesz, et al.). Soil Salinization in the Mediterranean: Soils, Processes and Implications (L....
