John R. Waldman - Böcker

The Hudson River Estuary is a comprehensive look at the physical, chemical, biological and environmental management issues that are important to our understanding of the Hudson River. Chapters cover the entire range of fields necessary to understanding the workings of the Hudson River estuary; the physics, bedrock geological setting and sedimentological processes of the estuary; ecosystem-level processes and biological interactions; and environmental issues such as fisheries, toxic substances, and the effect of nutrient input from densely populated areas. This 2006 book places special emphasis on important issues specific to the Hudson, such as the effect of power plants and high concentrations of PCBs. The chapters are written by specialists at a level that is accessible to students, teachers and the interested layperson. The Hudson River Estuary is a fascinating scientific biography of a major estuary, with relevance to the study of any similar natural system in the world.

The Hudson River Estuary is a comprehensive look at the physical, chemical, biological and environmental management issues that are important to our understanding of the Hudson River. Chapters cover the entire range of fields necessary to understanding the workings of the Hudson River estuary; the physics, bedrock geological setting and sedimentological processes of the estuary; ecosystem-level processes and biological interactions; and environmental issues such as fisheries, toxic substances, and the effect of nutrient input from densely populated areas. This 2006 book places special emphasis on important issues specific to the Hudson, such as the effect of power plants and high concentrations of PCBs. The chapters are written by specialists at a level that is accessible to students, teachers and the interested layperson. The Hudson River Estuary is a fascinating scientific biography of a major estuary, with relevance to the study of any similar natural system in the world.

Acipenser brevirostrum female 58 cm long from the Hudson River near Kingston, New York, above Acipenser oxyrinchus male 58 cm long from the Lawrence River near St. Vallier, Quebec, by Paul I. Voevodine from Vladykov & Greeley (1963). 1 Sturgeon landing on the Volga River. From an engraving in Moynet . p. 85. 1 Moynet, M. 1867. LaVolga. LeTourduMonde15: 81-96. Environmental Biology of Fishes 48: 373-380,1997. (c) 1997 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. Sturgeons and the Aral Sea ecological catastrophe Iliya Zholdasova Institute of Bioecology, Karakalpak Branch of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Nukus, Republic Ka- kalpakstan Received5.4.1995 Accepted16.3.1996 Key words: Amu-Dar River, Syr-Dar River, Pseudoscaphirhynchus kaufmanni, P. fedtschenkoi, P. hermanni, Acipenser nudiventris, pollution, acclimatization, Nitzschia Synopsis A short description of the catastrophic changes in the ecology of the Aral Sea basin during the three last decades is presented. These changes have influenced the status oftwo acipenserid endemics to the area, the large Amu-Dar shovelnose, Pseudoscaphirhynchus kaufmanni, and the ship sturgeon,Acipensernudiventris.The main biological characteristics ofboth species in the new environmental conditions are given. Previous unsuccessful attempts to introduce other acipenserid species into the area are also described. International cooperationisneededforsavingthelastsurvivingspeciesrepresentingthegenusPseudoscaphirhynchus.The only twootherspeciesofthe same genus, P.fedtschenkoi and P . hermanni, have alreadybecome victims ofthe Aral Sea catastrophe and are apparently extinct. Introduction 1993). Twosturgeonspecies, the Syr-Dar and small Amu-Dar shovelnose sturgeons, were among the Historically the endemic fauna ofthe Aral Sea ba- first victims of this disaster and seem to be extinct.

Given the realities of climate change and sea level rise, coastal cities around the world are struggling with questions of resilience. Resilience, at its core, is about desirable states of the urban social-ecological system and understanding how to sustain those states in an uncertain and tumultuous future. How do physical conditions ecological processes, social objectives, human politics, and history shape the prospects for resilience? Most books set out "the answer." This book sets out a process of grappling with holistic resilience from multiple perspectives, drawing on the insights and experiences of more than fifty Scholars and practitioners working together to make Jamaica Bay in New York-City an example for the world. Prospects for Resilience establishes a framework for understanding resilience practice in urban watersheds. Using Jamaica Bay, the largest contiguous natural area in New York, home to millions of New Yorkers, and a hub of global air travel with John F.Kennedy International Airport, the authors demonstrate how various components of social ecological systems interact, ranging from climatic factors to plant populations to human demographics.They also highlight essential tools for creating resilient Watersheds, including monitoring and identifying system indicators; computer modelling; green infrastructure; and decision science methods. Finally, they look at the role and importance of a "boundary organisation" like the new Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay in coordinating and facilitating resilience work, and consider significant research questions and prospects for the future-of urban watersheds. Prospects for Resilience sets forth an essential foundation of information and advice for researchers, urban planners, students and others who need to create more resilient cities that work with, not against, nature.