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Abstract
מסמך זה מהווה סקריה ספרותית לסוגיית השיקום האקולוגי של שטחים מופרים בתנאי אקלים היפר-ארידיים
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Written for researchers and practitioners in environmental pollution, management and ecology, this interdisciplinary account explores the ecological issues associated with industrial pollution to provide a complete picture of this important environmental problem from cause to effect to solution. Bringing together diverse viewpoints from academia and environmental agencies and regulators, the contributors cover such topics as biological resources of mining areas, biomonitoring of freshwater and marine ecosystems and risk assessment of contaminated land in order to explore important questions such as: What are the effects of pollutants on functional ecology and ecosystems? Do current monitoring techniques accurately signal the extent of industrial pollution? Does existing policy provide a coherent and practicable approach? Case studies from throughout the world illustrate major themes and provide valuable insights into the positive and negative effects of industrial pollution, the provision of appropriate monitoring schemes and the design of remediation and restoration strategies.
On large spatial scales, species diversity is typically correlated positively with productivity or energy supply (Wright et al. 1993, Huston 1994, Waide et al. 1999). In line with this general pattern, deserts are assumed to have relatively few species for two main reasons. First, relatively few plants and animals have acquired the physiological capabilities to withstand the stresses exerted by the high temperatures and shortage of water found in deserts (reviewed by Noy-Meir 1974, Evenari 1985, Shmida et al. 1986). A second, more ecological mechanism is resource limitation. In deserts, the low and highly variable precipitation levels, high temperatures and high evapotranspiration ratios limit both plant abundance and productivity to very low levels (Noy-Meir 1973, 1985, Polis 1991d). This lack of material at the primary producer level should exacerbate the harsh abiotic conditions and reduce the abundance of animals at higher trophic levels by limiting the types of resources and their availability. Animal abundance should be even further reduced because primary productivity is not only low, but also tends to be sporadic in time and space (MacMahon 1981, Crawford 1981, Ludwig 1986). Herbivores should have difficulties tracking these variations (e.g., Ayal 1994) and efficiently using the available food resources. Hence, herbivore populations in deserts have low densities relative to other biomes (Wisdom 1991) and most of the primary productivity remains unused (Crawford 1981, Noy-Meir 1985). This low abundance of herbivores should propagate through the food web and result as well in lower abundance of higher trophic levels. The number of individuals and the number of species are not always positively correlated; in particular, some examples of low diversity at high productivity with high densities are well documented (e.g., salt marshes, reviewed by Waide et al. 1999). However, several distinct mechanisms have led to the expectation that when productivity and the number of individuals are low, the number of species is also likely to be low. First, within trophic levels, the “statistical mechanics” model of Wright et al. (1993) may operate. In this model, the amount of energy present determines the probability distribution of population sizes for the members of the species pool in a region.
Ecological restoration is becoming an increasingly important component of land stewardship throughout the world. After several decades of observing the decline in biodiversity and function of natural areas, land stewards have initiated the process of guiding their properties into healthy, functioning ecosystems through a variety of ecological restoration activities. The process of ecological restoration has no magic formula, as each site is unique, with its own set of degrading causes, ongoing stressors, and operational constraints. The challenge of managing a complex array of stressors and the lack of a routine system of project development are the root causes for the failure or diminished success of the many ecological restoration projects that we have observed. We have been involved in conducting ecological restoration projects for the past thirty years. During this time, we have experienced a wide range of projects with varying causes of degradation as well as several vegetation types. Over the years, we have seen several projects exhibit short-term improvements, only to see the gains quickly reversed by the original damaging source, which was never properly addressed. Ecological restoration projects are performed by a wide range of individuals and groups with an equally wide range of experiences and knowledge. Today, many professionals and volunteers are involved in the various aspects of ecological restoration project work. Some consider themselves professional practitioners of ecological restoration, others work as professional land managers or stewards, and still others assist restoration project managers by providing stakeholder input, technical expertise, fund-raising, or manual labor. © 2014 John Rieger, John Stanley, and Ray Traynor. All rights reserved.
The book adopts an application-oriented approach for ecorestoration of coalmine degraded. The theoretical aspects of ecorestoration, and steps involved in ecorestoration process and experimental aspects of thorough analytical procedures have been discussed in detail. It emphasizes on the types of mining, land degradation, and biodiversity conservation while giving details of technical and biological steps, topsoil management, selection of plant species, seeding, nursery practices; adoption of innovative approaches like mulching, biofertlizer application, hydroseeding, superabsorbent; use of grass-legume mix; monitoring and aftercare of reclaimed sites; the indicators of sustainable ecorestoration; and Rules and Acts implemented and followed across the world. Best ecorestoration practices, mine closure issues, collection, laboratory analysis and interpretation of minesoil and topsoil samples, monitoring biological parameters, litterfall and tree growth analysis, erosion management, design of drainage and sedimentation retention basin, and brief description of tree species with identifying character for field people are all part of the book. [Message by Prominent Academician] It is now urgent that methods of coal mining be integrated with engineering for ecorestoration because the larger society will not accept devastated waste land. A book, coming out from the hands of one of the persistent researchers of the field, cannot be more timely.
Two-thirds of the coastal dune area along the Israeli Mediterranean Sea has been lost owing to intensive urbanization and infrastructure development. The remaining dunes are fragmented and only a small part of them have been declared protected. Nizzanim LTER is the largest nature reserve (2,000 ha). Because of low wind velocity in the area, the dunes are experiencing a stabilization process followed by a reduction in the characteristic biodiversity and a shift in desert and psammophilic organisms into characteristic Mediterranean, opportunists and generalists’ species. In order to inhibit the complete stabilization of the entire dunes and to conserve the characteristic biodiversity of the nature reserve, the perennial vegetation was removed from several stabilized dunes in order to reactivate them to a mobile state and to encourage the re-establishment of sand-dwelling organisms. Four years later, the treated dunes are very different from the mobile or semi-stabilized dunes, but are still similar to the stabilized dunes.
This rapid response assessment delineates case studies that have successfully implemented ecological restoration projects that range in scope from agriculture to health and waste water management. This report chronicles these projects from inception to design to application. It ultimately proposes future directions for modeling and support while continuing the efforts of the UNEP.--Publisher's description.
Things we know 1 Invertebrates have many attributes of a good indicator. 2 Numerous taxa are available as indicators. 3 Invertebrates can indicate a wide range of restoration objectives. 4 Invertebrate assemblages rather than single species are typically used as indicators. 5 Mine rehabilitation leads the way in the application of invertebrate indicators. Knowledge gaps 6 The 'build it and they will come' paradigm is flawed. 7 Multiple indicators are needed for the restoration of multiple ecosystem characteristics. 8 Functional approaches show promise. 9 Assessment of invertebrate indicators should include control sites and long-term monitoring. 10 Choice of invertebrate indicator(s) needs clear conceptual justification.
