This completely revised second edition includes new information on biomass in relation to climate change, new coverage of vital issues including the "food versus fuel" debate, and essential new information on "second generation" fuels and advances in conversion techniques. The book begins with a guide to biomass accumulation, harvesting, transportation and storage, as well as conversion technologies for biofuels. This is followed by an examination of the environmental impact and economic and social dimensions, including prospects for renewable energy. The book then goes on to cover all the main potential energy crops.

Fjords are deep, glacia11y carved estuaries that are pecu1iar to certain coast1ines, and have severa1 characteristics that dist inguish them from sha110wer embayments. At higher latitudes they indent the western coast1ines of Scandinavia, North and South America, and New Zea1and. They are a1so a common feature of much of the arctic coast1ine. The papers contained in this vo1ume were presented at a workshop funded by the NATO Advanced Studies Institute in Victoria, British Co1umbia. It may seem curious to the reader that this specia1 c1ass of estuaries shou1d have attracted an international gathering of oceanographers from severa1 different discip1ines. The reas on for this interest stems from both practica1 and scientific considerations. On the one hand, fjords are a feature common to the coast1ines of severa1 countries that depend heavi1y on the oceans for communication, fisheries and other resources. The impact of man's activities on these coasts has created a demand for new know1edge of the physica1, bio10gica1 and chemica1 aspects of fjords. Sometimes man's inf1uence on the ocean is intentiona1 as, for examp1e, in the artificia1 contro1 of ice cover; often it is the more insidious bui1d-up of toxic wastes that is of concern. These prob1ems are particu1ar1y acute where the conf1icting demands of fisheries, industria1 deve10pment and re creation meet in a sing1e fjord; and indeed, this is a common occurence a10ng severa1 of the fjords in Scandinavia and Canada.

Opuntias are multipurpose plants that are increasingly being used in agricultural systems in arid and semi-arid areas. Due to its high water-use efficiency, it is particularly useful as forage in times of drought and in areas where few other crops can grow, and it is now considered a key component for the productivity and sustainability of these regions. This publication presents current scientific and practical information on the use of the cactus Opuntia as forage for livestock.

Rhizobia are bacteria which inhabit the roots of plants in the pea family and "fix" atmospheric nitrogen for plant growth. They are thus of enormous economic importance internationally and the subject of intense research interest. Handbook for Rhizobia is a monumental book of practical methods for working with these bacteria and their plant hosts. Topics include the general microbiological properties of rhizobia and their identification, their potential as symbionts, methods for inoculating rhizobia onto plants, and molecular genetics methods for Rhizobium in the laboratory. The book will be invaluable to Rhizobium scientists, soil microbiologists, field and laboratory researchers at agricultural research centers, agronomists, and crop scientists.

Computational multibody system approaches have been extensively used in modeling many physical systems. Railroad Vehicle Dynamics: A Computational Approach presents computational multibody system formulations that can be used to develop computer models for complex railroad vehicle systems. Focusing on nonlinear formulations, this book explains the limitations of linearized formulations that are frequently used in analysis. Vehicle/rail interaction, a distinguishing feature of railroad vehicle systems, requires a special force or kinematic element to be included in multibody system algorithms. Using this approach, the authors address and solve geometric problems that are specific to railroad vehicle systems.