Detecting Ecological Impacts: Concepts and Applications in Coastal Habitats focuses on crucial aspects of detecting local and regional impacts that result from human activities. Detection and characterization of ecological impacts require scientific approaches that can reliably separate the effects of a specific anthropogenic activity from those of other processes. This fundamental goal is both technically and operationally challenging. Detecting Ecological Impacts is devoted to the conceptual and technical underpinnings that allow for reliable estimates of ecological effects caused by human activities. An international team of scientists focuses on the development and application of scientific tools appropriate for estimating the magnitude and spatial extent of ecological impacts. The contributors also evaluate our current ability to forecast impacts. Some of the scientific, legal, and administrative constraints that impede these critical tasks also are highlighted. Coastal marine habitats are emphasized, but the lessons and insights have general application to all ecological systems.

The increasing population densities of Asia, Africa and Oceania are in conflict with the ecosystem. A growing demand for food and fiber causes agriculture to rely heavily upon chemical fertilization, herbicides and pesticides. Rising industrial output creates higher contamination from cadmium, lead, selenium, and other metals. Soils and Groundwater Remediation explores the toxic levels of metals, radionuclides, inorganics, and anthropogenic organic compounds found in the soils and groundwater of Asia, Africa and Oceania. This 14 chapter book reviews the distribution, transformation, and dynamics of the pollutants. The authors also reflect on the impact of Acid-rain. The contributors to this book are well-known scientists from Japan, China, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia, and Kenya. The authors address their findings to researchers, educators, government regulators, and students. As the title suggests, the book is ultimately concerned with remediation. Huang and Iskandar feel "the potential for restoring ecosystem health ... in these areas is enormous." The contributions of Soils and Groundwater Remediation will bring science closer to achieving that possibility.

Proceedings of the Fourth Symposium on Our Environment, held in Singapore, May 21-23, 1990

The Kakadu reg10n of northern Australia is swarming over the landscape with their meters steeped in cultural history and natural grandeur. and notebooks and a vast store of information Over the past few decades the rich cultural and was gathered. This book is a summary of the natural heritage of this fascinating region has immense amount of information collected on the become increasingly known to more and more geobotanic features of the region. The cultural people. At the same time as the natural heritage of heritage of the traditional Aboriginal inhabitants the region was being recognised by conser of the region and the diverse and populous fauna vationists and tourists alike the mineral wealth were also investigated. but both these subjects was being recognised by mining enterprises. warrant their own separate volumes and are not Almost inevitably, the mix of conservation and treated here. Throughout this period of intense scientific mining interests led to conflict that is still not completely resolved. However, much has hap interest the very nature of the region has changed. pened over the years and we now have a major Besides changes in human habitation the physical and biological environment has come under national park that is largely leased from the Aboriginal traditional owners under a manage challenge and even threat. We now have more weed species. We no longer have the large ment agreement.