The aim of the present volume is to review the effects of human activity on physical environment processes, and this is justified not only as a complement to the approach taken by G. P. Marsh his volume Man and Nature (1864), but also as a sequel to the work produced since 1864, with contributions since the mid-nineteenth century to the study of th

Spatial planning defines how men use one of the most important and scarce resources on Earth: land. Planners therefore play a key role in countering or deepening the current ecological crisis. To foster ecological transitions, planning scholars and practitioners need to be equipped with sound theories and practical tools. To this end, this book advocates a re-foundation of spatial planning under the paradigm of “ecological rationality”, based on the revaluation of early pioneers of ecological planning and mutual fertilization with different disciplines, including decision-making science, ecology, (eco)system theory, land use science and political ecology. The key principles of ecological rationality and its application to spatial planning are discussed and this conceptual framework is used to explain the main underlying drivers of ecological degradation and their spatial manifestations at the local level. Current policy instruments in the European context, which can be used to underpin ecological planning, such as Green Infrastructure and the Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystem Service (MAES) initiative, are also examined.

1. Introduction 2. Climatic and Topographic Factors 3. Edaphic Factors (Soil Science)4. Biotic Factor 5. Ecological Adaptations 6. Autecology of Species 7. Population - Structure and Dynamics 8. Community-Structure and Classification 9. Community Dynamics (Ecological Succession)10. Ecosystem: Structure and Function 11. Habitat Ecology 12. Degradation of Natural Resources andthe Environmental Problems 13. Energy Crisis and Non-Conventional Sources 14. Biodiversity and Wildlife of India and its Conservation 15. Environment and Development-India's Viewpoint16. Global Warming and Climate Change 17.

The authors examine the environmental, social and economic aspects of colonial and post-colonial experience in Fiji.