Ecological Engineering Design. Restoring and Conserving Ecosystem Services

Learn from this integrated approach to the management and restoration of ecosystems edited by an international leader in the field  The  Handbook of Ecological and Ecosystem Engineering  delivers a comprehensive overview of the latest research and practical developments in the rapidly evolving fields of ecological and ecosystem engineering. Beginning with an introduction to the theory and practice of ecological engineering and ecosystem services, the book addresses a wide variety of issues central to the restoration and remediation of ecological environments.  The book contains fulsome analyses of the restoration, rehabilitation, conservation, sustainability, reconstruction, remediation, and reclamation of ecosystems using ecological engineering techniques. Case studies are used to highlight practical applications of the theory discussed within.  The material in the  Handbook of Ecological and Ecosystem Engineering  is particularly relevant at a time when the human population is dramatically rising, and the exploitation of natural resources is putting increasing pressure on planetary ecosystems. The book demonstrates how modern scientific ecology can contribute to the greening of the environment through the inclusion of concrete examples of successful applied management. The book also includes:  A thorough discussion of ecological engineering and ecosystem services theory and practice An exploration of ecological and ecosystem engineering economic and environmental revitalization An examination of the role of soil meso and macrofauna indicators for restoration assessment success in a rehabilitated mine site A treatment of the mitigation of urban environmental issues by applying ecological and ecosystem engineering A discussion of soil fertility restoration theory and practice Perfect for academic researchers, industry scientists, and environmental engineers working in the fields of ecological engineering, environmental science, and biotechnology, the  Handbook of Ecological and Ecosystem Engineering  also belongs on the bookshelves of environmental regulators and consultants, policy makers, and employees of non-governmental organizations working on sustainable development.

Offers a holistic approach to guiding product design, manufacturing, and after-sales support as the manufacturing industry transitions from a product-oriented model to service-oriented paradigm This book provides fundamental knowledge and best industry practices in reliability modelling, maintenance optimization, and service parts logistics planning. It aims to develop an integrated product-service system (IPSS) synthesizing design for reliability, performance-based maintenance, and spare parts inventory. It also presents a lifecycle reliability-inventory optimization framework where reliability, redundancy, maintenance, and service parts are jointly coordinated. Additionally, the book aims to report the latest advances in reliability growth planning, maintenance contracting and spares inventory logistics under non-stationary demand condition. Reliability Engineering and Service provides in-depth chapter coverage of topics such as: Reliability Concepts and Models; Mean and Variance of Reliability Estimates; Design for Reliability; Reliability Growth Planning; Accelerated Life Testing and Its Economics; Renewal Theory and Superimposed Renewals; Maintenance and Performance-Based Logistics; Warranty Service Models; Basic Spare Parts Inventory Models; Repairable Inventory Systems; Integrated Product-Service Systems (IPPS), and Resilience Modeling and Planning Guides engineers to design reliable products at a low cost Assists service engineers in providing superior after-sales support Enables managers to respond to the changing market and customer needs Uses end-of-chapter case studies to illustrate industry best practice Lifecycle approach to reliability, maintenance and spares provisioning Reliability Engineering and Service is an important book for graduate engineering students, researchers, and industry-based reliability practitioners and consultants.

Ecosystem services are the resources and processes supplied by natural ecosystems which benefit humankind (for example, pollination of crops by insects, or water filtration by wetlands). They underpin life on earth, provide major inputs to many economic sectors and support our lifestyles. Agricultural and urban areas are by far the largest users of ecosystems and their services and (for the first time) this book explores the role that ecosystem services play in these managed environments. The book also explores methods of evaluating ecosystem services, and discusses how these services can be maintained and enhanced in our farmlands and cities. This book will be useful to students and researchers from a variety of fields, including applied ecology, environmental economics, agriculture and forestry, and also to local and regional planners and policy makers.

Ecologists are increasingly tackling difficult issues like global change, loss of biodiversity and sustainability of ecosystem services. These and related topics are enormously challenging, requiring unprecedented multidisciplinary collaboration and rapid synthesis of large amounts of diverse data into information and ultimately knowledge. New sensors, computers, data collection and storage devices and analytical and statistical methods provide a powerful tool kit to support analyses, graphics and visualizations that were unthinkable even a few years ago. New and increased emphasis on accessibility, management, processing and sharing of high-quality, well-maintained and understandable data represents a significant change in how scientists view and treat data. These issues are complex and despite their importance, are typically not addressed in database, ecological and statistical textbooks. This book addresses these issues, providing a much needed resource for those involved in designing and implementing ecological research, as well as students who are entering the environmental sciences. Chapters focus on the design of ecological studies, data management principles, scientific databases, data quality assurance, data documentation, archiving ecological data and information and processing data into information and knowledge. The book stops short of a detailed treatment of data analysis, but does provide pointers to the relevant literature in graphics, statistics and knowledge discovery. The central thesis of the book is that high quality data management systems are critical for addressing future environmental challenges. This requires a new approach to how we conduct ecological research, that views data as a resource and promotes stewardship, recycling and sharing of data. Ecological Data will be particularly useful to those ecologists and information specialists that actively design, manage and analyze environmental databases. However, it will also benefit a wider audience of scientists and students in the ecological and environmental sciences.

Location-Based Services (LBS) are the delivery of data and information services where the content of those services is tailored to the current location and context of a mobile user. This is a new and fast-growing technology sector incorporating GIS, wireless technologies, positioning systems and mobile human-computer interaction. Geo-Information (GI) Engineering is the design of dependably engineered solutions to society’s use of geographical information and underpins applications such as LBS. These are brought together in this comprehensive text that takes the reader through from source data to product delivery. This book will appeal to professionals and researchers in the areas of GIS, mobile telecommunications services and LBS. It provides a comprehensive view and in-depth knowledge for academia and industry alike. It serves as essential reading and an excellent resource for final year undergraduate and postgraduate students in GIScience, Geography, Mobile Computing or Information Systems who wish to develop their understanding of LBS.

Covering the whole value chain – from product requirements and properties via process technologies and equipment to real-world applications – this reference represents a comprehensive overview of the topic. The editors and majority of the authors are members of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering, with backgrounds from academia as well as industry. Therefore, this multifaceted area is highlighted from different angles: essential physico-chemical background, latest measurement and prediction techniques, and numerous applications from cosmetic up to food industry. Recommended reading for process, pharma and chemical engineers, chemists in industry, and those working in the pharmaceutical, food, cosmetics, dyes and pigments industries.

Praise for the first edition: “This excellent text will be useful to every system engineer (SE) regardless of the domain. It covers ALL relevant SE material and does so in a very clear, methodical fashion. The breadth and depth of the author's presentation of SE principles and practices is outstanding.” –Philip Allen This textbook presents a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to System Engineering analysis, design, and development via an integrated set of concepts, principles, practices, and methodologies. The methods presented in this text apply to any type of human system – small, medium, and large organizational systems and system development projects delivering engineered systems or services across multiple business sectors such as medical, transportation, financial, educational, governmental, aerospace and defense, utilities, political, and charity, among others. Provides a common focal point for “bridging the gap” between and unifying System Users, System Acquirers, multi-discipline System Engineering, and Project, Functional, and Executive Management education, knowledge, and decision-making for developing systems, products, or services Each chapter provides definitions of key terms, guiding principles, examples, author’s notes, real-world examples, and exercises, which highlight and reinforce key SE&D concepts and practices Addresses concepts employed in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), Model-Driven Design (MDD), Unified Modeling Language (UMLTM) / Systems Modeling Language (SysMLTM), and Agile/Spiral/V-Model Development such as user needs, stories, and use cases analysis; specification development; system architecture development; User-Centric System Design (UCSD); interface definition & control; system integration & test; and Verification & Validation (V&V) Highlights/introduces a new 21st Century Systems Engineering & Development (SE&D) paradigm that is easy to understand and implement. Provides practices that are critical staging points for technical decision making such as Technical Strategy Development; Life Cycle requirements; Phases, Modes, & States; SE Process; Requirements Derivation; System Architecture Development, User-Centric System Design (UCSD); Engineering Standards, Coordinate Systems, and Conventions; et al. Thoroughly illustrated, with end-of-chapter exercises and numerous case studies and examples, Systems Engineering Analysis, Design, and Development, Second Edition is a primary textbook for multi-discipline, engineering, system analysis, and project management undergraduate/graduate level students and a valuable reference for professionals.

This compilation of proceedings covering the latest scientific and technological developments in design, development, and applications of engineering ceramics and composites provides a useful one-stop resource for understanding the most important issues in design, development, and applications of engineering ceramics and composites. Logically organized and carefully selected articles give insight into design, development, and applications of engineering ceramics and composites and incorporates the latest developments related to design, development, and applications of engineering ceramics and composites including developments in engineering ceramics, advanced ceramic coatings, and geopolymers.

This book fills a gap between high-level overview texts that are often too general and low-level detail oriented technical handbooks that lose sight the «big picture». This book discusses SOA from the low-level perspective of middleware, various XML-based technologies, and basic service design. It also examines broader implications of SOA, particularly where it intersects with business process management and process modeling. Concrete overviews will be provided of the methodologies in those fields, so that students will have a hands-on grasp of how they may be used in the context of SOA.