Aridity

The continued aridity trend occurring in many regions worldwide is a manifestation of the response of the earth system to global change. It hinders severely the sustainable development of these region

At the intersection of environmental science and human biology, this book deals with dry ecosystems, the societies so affected, and the inventiveness of those living under such conditions. It also tri

When Henry David Thoreau went for his daily walk, he would consult his instincts on which direction to follow. More often than not his inner compass pointed west or southwest. "The future lies that

Its fires help give to the Interior West a peculiar character, fundamental both to its natural and human histories. While a general aridity unites the region, defined here as the states of Nevada, Uta

Why do cows have four stomachs? Where - and how - do plants survive in conditions of extreme aridity? How do animals plan complex hunting strategies? How many elephants are too many? This book explore

The Ming period of Chinese history is often depicted as one of cultural aridity, political despotism, and social stasis. Recent studies have shown that the arts continued to flourish, government rema

More than any other single characteristic, aridity defines the American West. Water scarcity and its biologically critical function have also molded the regional literature of the region. Using novel

Desert Frontier is a study of the ecological and economic impact of a long-term trend toward increasing aridity along the southern edge of the western Sahara. Beginning in the early seventeenth cent

With over 100 drawings, this text offers explanations for over 250 ballet terms. In order to soften the aridity of technical terms, references are made to ballet steps in actual performance. The autho

Aridity prevails over more than one third of the land area of the Earth and over a significant fraction of the oceans as well. Yet to date there has been no comprehensive reference volume or textbook dealing with the weather processes that define the character of desert areas. Desert Meteorology fills this gap by treating all aspects of desert weather, such as large-scale and local-scale causes of aridity; precipitation characteristics in deserts; dust storms; floods; climate change in deserts; precipitation processes; desertification; land-surface physics of deserts; numerical modelling of desert atmospheres; and the effect of desert weather on humans. A summary is provided of the climates and surface properties of the desert areas of the world. The book is written with the assumption that the reader has only a basic knowledge of meteorology, physics and calculus, making it useful to those in a wide range of disciplines. It includes review questions and problems for the student. This

Now notorious for its aridity and air pollution, Mexico City was once part of a flourishing lake environment. In nearby Xochimilco, Native Americans modified the lakes to fashion a distinctive and remarkably abundant aquatic society, one that provided a degree of ecological autonomy for local residents, enabling them to protect their communities' integrity, maintain their way of life, and preserve many aspects of their cultural heritage. While the area's ecology allowed for a wide array of socioeconomic and cultural continuities during colonial rule, demographic change came to affect the ecological basis of the lakes; pastoralism and new ways of using and modifying the lakes began to make a mark on the watery landscape and on the surrounding communities. In this fascinating study, Conway explores Xochimilco using native-language documents, which serve as a hallmark of this continuity and a means to trace patterns of change.

本書是一部講述水與對水的征服的歷史。作者力圖通過兩個途徑來破解既有的美國西部神話：一是發現、分析自然，特別是自然中的水，在西部歷史的演進過程中扮演的角色；二是超越西部，在一個遠為宏闊、久遠的時空中理解西部的水與人類的關係，考察水與水控制的歷史。這兩個途徑在流淌的水中“合入其流域的獨圈”，映現出橫亙於西部大大小小的水壩、溝渠上方的主題：通過技術與資本成就的對自然的主宰，與掌握技術與資本的人對其他人的

This book is a study of the traditional relationships that exist in Oman between land and social organization, and how they have evolved. The author starts with the theme of aridity and, using the ext