CABI Publishing

Agrobiodiversity management for food security; a critical review.

This collection of thirteen articles on agrobiodiversity showcases current scholarship in the field with a focus on the use of public policy to encourage biodiversity conservation efforts and manage resources for enhanced world-wide food security. Topics discussed include agrobiodivdersity and the origins of agriculture, the impact of modern varieties on crop diversity, above-ground and below-ground biodiversity and agrobiodiversity management for climate change. Contributors include academics and researchers from European, Middle Eastern and Asian institutions. Distributed in the US by Stylus Publishing. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Climate change biology.

While climate change elicits a broad range of opinions — from fervent belief to complete denial — it has nonetheless captured the attention of governments, news media, and citizens. This textbook explores how climate change could affect life in general and human populations. The authors have divided the topic into four major elements: the evidence of climate change and modeling attempts to predict what the future may be; impacts from physiology to evolution; impacts specific to natural resources, agriculture, and forestry; and an overview of current research on impact prediction and the limitations inherent in making those predictions. Authors are Newman, Hunt, and Anand (environmental sciences, U. of Guelph, Canada), Henry (biology, U. of Western Ontario, Canada), and Gedalof (geography, U. of Guelph). The book is intended for use in undergraduate and graduate courses on climate change impact, and for researchers entering the field. Distributed in the US by Stylus Publishing. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Farm business management; analysis of farming systems.

This comprehensive volume on farm management theory examines methods for developing business methodologies for agricultural concerns and explores modeling and optimization processes for implementing customized efficiency programs. Topics discussed include uncertain decision making, cost-benefit analysis, farm survey procedures and methods, improved systems from survey data, income variability reduction plans, budgeting, linear and dynamic programming and large system simulation. Chapters include in-depth statistical analysis tools and provide detailed example formulas and models. Nuthall is an expert on farm management from New Zealand with extensive experience in the US, UK and Australasia. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Food security in Africa and Asia; strategies for small-scale agricultural development.

Formerly an agricultural consultant in Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America, Bakker, now based in Britain, argues that food security in low-income countries may be achieved through sustained effort by local small-scale and subsistence farming communities, with active support from local, national, and international agencies. Such communities will not make the necessary effort unless they feel their interests are protected, he warns, so they must be involved in the process of designing and implementing the project. His perspectives include defining the food security problem, alternative approaches, researching the situation to define strategies, the competition for resources for food production, and small-scale and subsistence farmers' households and selected farming systems. Distributed in the US by Stylus Publishing. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Soil hydrology, land use and agriculture; measurement and modelling.

This technical volume for engineers explores the effects of land use management and agricultural practices on soil hydrology, providing nineteen articles on a wide variety of related subjects in data modeling. Beginning with an overview of soil hydrology principles, the essays cover topics such as hydrological modeling for stream water availability, modeling agricultural management systems with APEX, case studies in hydrological modeling in the Kosi Himalayan basin, climate change and soil hydrology, and soil erosion under future climate change models. Chapters include numerous illustrations, tables and technical drawings. The contributors are soil scientists and practicing engineers from a variety of international institutions. Dist. in U.S. by Stylus Publishing. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)