Environmental geography : science, land use, and earth systems / 2nd ed.

Preface p. iii
Introduction p. v
Chapter 1 A World in Crisis: Environment and Humanity in the Twenty-First Century p. 1
1.1 Introduction p. 1
1.2 Prospects for the Next Century p. 2
1.3 The Concept of Development p. 5
1.4 Earth's Capacity to Support Humans p. 8
1.5 Limits to Growth p. 9
1.6 Your Role in the Global Environmental Community p. 11
Chapter 2 Preparing to Understand Environmental Geography p. 14
2.1 Introduction p. 14
2.2 The Scope of Environmental Geography p. 14
2.3 The Global Context and Setting p. 16
2.4 Our Geographically Integrated Planet p. 21
2.5 Human Use of the Earth p. 23
2.6 The Roles of Human Values and Environmental Regulations p. 27
Chapter 3 Environment, Land Use, and Sustainable Development p. 32
3.1 Introduction p. 32
3.2 The Growing Environmental Impact of Human Activity p. 33
3.3 Sustainable Land Use: The Key to Environmental Management p. 35
3.4 Necessary Changes in Resource Policies for Sustainability p. 37
3.5 Constraints on Achieving Sustainable Land Use p. 39
3.6 Some Geographic Requisites for Sustainability p. 40
3.7 A Grass-Roots Effort at Sustainable Land Use p. 41
Chapter 4 The Spread and Development of Human Population p. 44
4.1 Introduction p. 44
4.2 Human Dispersal and Adaptation p. 45
4.3 The Rise of Human Populations p. 45
4.4 Frontier Environments and the Modern Threat p. 48
4.5 The Wet Tropics p. 49
4.6 The Dry Lands p. 52
4.7 The Cold Lands p. 55
4.8 The Mountain Lands p. 57
4.9 The Continental Shelves p. 58
Chapter 5 Global Cycles and Systems p. 63
5.1 Introduction p. 63
5.2 The General Organization of the Earth's Environments p. 64
5.3 The Source of Energy for the Earth's Environments p. 68
5.4 The Major Energy Systems of Earth p. 70
5.5 The Cycle of Matter in Ecosystems p. 72
5.6 Interrelations in Environmental Systems p. 76
5.7 The Gaia Concept p. 78
Chapter 6 Ecosystems and the Bioclimatic Environment p. 81
6.1 Introduction p. 81
6.2 Basic Form and Function of an Ecosystem p. 82
6.3 Plant Productivity: Feeding Ecosystems p. 84
6.4 Types of Ecosystems and Their Characteristics p. 87
6.5 Ecosystem Patterns and Distributions p. 91
6.6 Models of Spatial Dynamics in Ecosystems p. 96
6.7 Land Use as Ecosystems p. 97
6.8 Human Impact and Disturbance of Ecosystems p. 99
Chapter 7 The Human Population: Trends and Patterns p. 106
7.1 Introduction p. 106
7.2 Historical Perspective of Population Trends p. 107
7.3 Population Patterns and Trends p. 109
7.4 Fertility, Age, Structure, and Population Momentum p. 119
7.5 Family Planning Programs in the Developing World p. 120
7.6 A Worldwide Program to Stabilize World Population--A New Approach p. 121
7.7 Migration: Where Do People Go? p. 121
7.8 Problems Faced by Developing Countries with Rapidly Growing Populations p. 124
7.9 Perceived Problems in Developed Countries with Stable or Declining Populations p. 127
7.10 Two Alternative Views of Future Population Trends p. 127
Chapter 8 Agriculture, Food Production, and Hunger p. 131
8.1 Introduction p. 131
8.2 Cultural Evolution and the Development of Global Agriculture p. 132
8.3 Industrialization and the Changing Nature of Agriculture p. 133
8.4 Food Choices: The Plants and Animals that Feed the World p. 134
8.5 Systems of Agricultural Production p. 137
8.6 A Geographic Perspective on World Hunger and Malnutrition p. 140
8.7 New Horizons in World Agriculture: The Green Revolution p. 143
8.8 Agriculture and the Environment p. 147
8.9 Moving Toward Sustainable Agricultural Production p. 152
8.10 Can Sustainable Agriculture Supply Future Global Demand? p. 155
Chapter 9 Energy Generation, Use, and the Environment p. 159
9.1 Introduction p. 159
9.2 Global Energy Sources and Uses p. 161
9.3 Fossil Fuels p. 162
9.4 Nuclear Power p. 172
9.5 Renewable and Perpetual Energy Resources p. 175
9.6 Using Energy More Efficiently p. 182
Chapter 10 Atmospheric Environment and Land Use p. 187
10.1 Introduction p. 187
10.2 The General Composition of Air p. 188
10.3 Thermal Structure of the Atmosphere p. 189
10.4 Atmospheric Pressure and General Circulation p. 190
10.5 Solar Radiation in the Atmosphere p. 194
10.6 Breakdown of the Solar Beam p. 195
10.7 Earth's Heat Balance p. 197
10.8 The Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming p. 199
10.9 The Effects of Urban Climate p. 203
10.10 Managing the Global Climate p. 206
Chapter 11 Air Pollution: Patterns, Trends, and Impacts p. 210
11.1 Introduction p. 210
11.2 Types of Air Pollution p. 211
11.3 Sources of Air Pollution p. 213
11.4 Processes, Patterns, and Scales of Air Pollution p. 217
11.5 Patterns of Pollution in the Urban Region p. 223
11.6 Air Pollution Impacts on People and Environment p. 227
11.7 Air Pollution Control: How Well Are We Doing? p. 230
Chapter 12 Hydrologic Environment and Land Use p. 237
12.1 Introduction p. 237
12.2 The Hydrologic Cycle p. 238
12.3 Precipitation, Storms, and Their Impact on Environment p. 240
12.4 Streamflow and Floods p. 247
12.5 Flood Hazard and Land Use p. 248
12.6 Groundwater p. 251
12.7 Lakes, Ponds, and Wetlands p. 254
12.8 Human Use of Water p. 256
12.9 Managing Water Resources for Sustained Use p. 261
Chapter 13 Water Pollution: Patterns, Trends, and Impacts p. 264
13.1 Introduction p. 264
13.2 Types of Water Pollution p. 265
13.3 Measuring Water Pollution p. 265
13.4 Water Pollution Sources and Distribution Processes p. 267
13.5 Groundwater Pollution p. 275
13.6 Pathways and Sinks in the Hydrologic Cycle p. 278
13.7 Pollution of the Oceans p. 280
13.8 Pollution Control with Treatment Systems p. 281
Chapter 14 Hazardous Waste Production and Disposal p. 288
14.1 Introduction p. 288
14.2 Types and Sources of Disposable Waste p. 289
14.3 Traditional Methods of Waste Disposal p. 293
14.4 Some Consequences of Improper Waste Management p. 297
14.5 Hazardous Waste Regulation in the United States p. 299
14.6 Modern Hazardous Waste Disposal Methods p. 300
14.7 Hazardous Waste Treatment p. 303
14.8 Waste Reduction and Recycling p. 305
Chapter 15 Soil, Land, and Land Use p. 312
15.1 Introduction p. 312
15.2 Geographic Organization of the Land p. 313
15.3 Topography and Land Use p. 314
15.4 The Soil Mantle: Sources of Parent Material p. 316
15.5 Soil Properties: Key Soil Traits and Components p. 318
15.6 Soil-Forming Processes: Solum as a Chemical System p. 322
15.7 Integrated Models of Soil, Land Use, and Environment p. 325
15.8 Soil Loss by Erosion p. 328
15.9 Environmental Impacts of Soil Erosion p. 332
Chapter 16 Biological Diversity and Land Use p. 336
16.1 Introduction p. 336
16.2 The Concept of a Species p. 337
16.3 Genetic Diversity p. 340
16.4 Species Counts, Estimates, and Extinction Trends p. 342
16.5 Geographical Biodiversity p. 344
16.6 Endangered, Threatened, and Protected Species p. 351
16.7 Ways of Cutting Biodiversity Losses p. 352
Chapter 17 Open-Land Resources: Forests, Rangelands, Parks, and Preserves p. 359
17.1 Introduction p. 359
17.2 Development and Exploitation of Open-Land Resources p. 360
17.3 Conservation and Preservation of Open-Land Resources p. 362
17.4 Forests, Woodlands, and Land Use p. 363
17.5 Rangelands, Herding, and Ranching p. 372
17.6 The Parks Movement p. 375
17.7 The Wilderness Movement p. 379
Chapter 18 Managing the Global Environment p. 384
18.1 Introduction p. 384
18.2 Global Environmental Trends at the Beginning of the New Millenium p. 384
18.3 Progress Toward Substainable Land Use Systems p. 388
18.4 International Institutions to Manage the Environment p. 388
18.5 Monitoring Environmental Change with Remote Sensing p. 392
18.6 Geographic Information Systems p. 405
18.7 The Role of GIS in Environmental Management p. 408
18.8 Global Change, Research, and Information Systems p. 408
References for Further Reading p. 413
Appendix Units of Measurements and Conversions p. 421
Glossary p. 423
Credits p. 441
Index p. 1