Wageningen Agricultural University Papers

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Aquatic ecosystems and development. Comparative Asian Perspectives. Edited by Fritz Schiemer, David Simon, Upali S. Amarasinghe & Jaques Moreau.
2008; XII + 512pp.; numerous figures and tables, hardbound. ISBN: 978-3-8236-1530-9. The EU funded FISHSTRAT project on a holistic approach to sustainable reservoir and lacustrine fisheries in three tropical Asian countries. It encompasses the broad research context and the project’s origin and rationale of research. The study linked three diverse disciplines, namely limnology, fisheries and socio-economic development. The importance of such holistic, catchment-oriented approaches to research and management is increasingly widely recognized.
The five water bodies considered are:  Minneriya, Udawalawe and Victoria reservoirs in Sri Lanka, Ubolratana reservoir in Thailand’s Khon Kaen Province, and Lake Taal, a natural volcanic lake south of Manila on Luzon Island in  the Philippines. These selected reservoirs  represent a wide range of productivities and trophic structures of fish communities, as well as  a variety of direct and indirect impacts from human activities in their respective catchment areas. This enabled us to understand better the impact of limited biological productivity upon commercial fish yields as well as the extent of any unexploited fish populations.
The volume provides a comprehensive overview of the principal research findings and policy conclusions, structured broadly in line with our objectives and the implications of our interdisciplinary and comparative methodology. The  22 chapters following  the Introduction  are divided into six sections, on the basis of coherence and progressively increasing degrees of interdisciplinary integration and comparative analysis. The Section A (Chapters 1-4) provides general description of physical, hydrological and catchment characteristics of the water bodies in the three countries as the f basis  for the more detailed analysis that follows. The key conditions for understanding the limnological processes are set by the overall catchment characteristics, its human utilisation and the seasonality of the monsoonal climate. Section B (Chapters 5-9) examines comparative aspects of the aquatic ecosystems, focusing successively on phytoplankton; the regulation of phytoplankton primary production; microbial aspects of carbon dynamics and the detrital food chain; the effects of seasonality on zooplankton populations and status; and the biomass, production  and productivity of copepods and cladocerans.
In Section C (Chapters 10-14) the focus shifts to fish ecology. The important themes covered include  the innovative use of hydroacoustics for assessing fish stocks; feeding ecology of fish assemblages; ecomorphological aspects of diet; selective feeding of small zooplanktivorous pelagic fish species; and a modelling approach to daily feeding patterns and food consumption in certain fish populations. Section D (Chapters 15-18) addresses fisheries and aquaculture, analysing capture fisheries; population dynamics of non-exploited and under-exploited fish species; population dynamics of commercially important species; and the status and significance of aquaculture. Chapter 18 also examines the socio-economics of aquaculture, thereby providing a useful bridge to Section E (Chapters 19-20) on socio-economics, which comprises detailed surveys of the social economy of fish and fishing in littoral communities, and of fish trading and marketing.
Finally, Section F (Chapters 21-23) attempts to draws together the principal findings and conclusions from each disciplinary area and part of the investigation. This part   offers a holistic analysis as the basis for more appropriate policy and management guidelines for the promotion of sustainable resource utilisation. Moreover, Chapter 23 assesses the overall contribution of the study,  summarises  and explains the principal findings and conclusions, and finally explores the implications for sustainable resource utilisation and management. $340.00

A natural resource of international and historical significance. D. Dudley Williams & Catherine Duigan (Eds), 2009; XIV + 344pp.; (incl. 8 color plates), 19 x 26 cm, hardbound. Situated on the western margin of Europe, Wales has been molded by the erosional and depositional power of its fresh waters by virtue of high rainfall interacting with extensive regions of bedrock and post- Ice Age glacial debris. The result is a still  evolving landscape rich in upland bogs, springs, mountain streams and lakes, rivers running through deeply eroded valleys, and large, lowland rivers meandering across wide floodplains into estuaries and the sea - as Professor Brian Moss says in his preface to the book: “When it comes to freshwaters, the Celts have the best of it.” Subsequent chapters bring together, for the first time, the combined expertise of a group of scientists whose intimate and collective knowledge of the Welsh aquatic landscape is unparalleled. The authors begin by describing the knowledge base of these important habitats, emphasising the structure and role of their plant, animal, and microbial communities. Upon this are built chapters that review the pioneering role of Welsh river studies in the development of running water science and, very poignantly, assess the high degree of human alteration of the principality’s riverine ecosystems. These are followed by chapters that discuss the need for further scientific study, management, conservation, restoration and education so that future impacts on Welsh waters may be understood and minimized. Throughout the book flows the underlying theme that there has been and always will be a close link between water resources and the development of Welsh society. The book is data-rich, very well illustrated, and contains a bibliography of over 1,100 references to the scientific literature. $270.00

Tidal Freshwater Wetlands.  Aat Barendregt, Dennis Whigham & Andrew Baldwin (Editors). June 2009.  ISBN: 978-3-8236-1551-4. Tidal freshwater wetlands occur in the upper part of estuaries, where fresh water from the river is influenced by tides. Sedimentation is prominent in the tidal freshwater zone; mud flats become elevated and may become fertile agriculture areas after reclamation. Many prominent cities (e.g., Hamburg, Rotterdam, Philadelphia, Washington, DC) were founded in or near tidal freshwater systems, resulting in their loss or degradation. A number of characteristic plant and animal species occur in tidal freshwater wetlands, reflecting their unique biological, chemical, and physical processes. These communities are distributed over different subsystems, such as the river, tidal creeks, reed and bulrush marshes, higher marshes, and various types of tidal swamp forest. Productivity of tidal freshwater wetlands is similar to that of salt marshes but plant and macrofaunal diversity are higher. Sets of case studies illustrate various conditions from Europe and North America. While many tidal freshwater wetlands have disappeared, during the last decades restoration projects have been initiated to conserve this diverse and productive ecosystem. $350.00

Key biodiversity areas of the Seychelles Islands. Gerlach, Justin. 2008; 128 pp.; ISBN: 978-3-8236-1550-7; paper. $100.00

Plant Invasions. Human perception, ecological impacts and management. 2008. Tokarska-Guzik, B., J.H. Brock, G. Brundu,
L. Child, C.C. Daehler & P. Pysek (Eds). This volume continues the tradition of publishing key presentations from a series of biennial International Conferences on the Ecology and Management of Alien Plant Invasions (EMAPi) beginning in 1992 (see de Waal et al. 1994, Pyšek et al. 1995, Brock et al. 1997, Starfinger et al. 1998, Brundu et al. 2001, Child et al. 2003). The first conference, held in Loughborough, UK in 1992 brought together the latest research and thinking on alien plant management within Europe. Since then, the conference has widened its scope having been hosted in Kostelec nad ?ernými Lesy, Czech Republic (1993); Tempe, Arizona, USA (1995); Berlin, Germany (1997); La Maddalena, Sardinia, Italy (1999); Loughborough, UK (2001); Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA (2003) and most recently, in Katowice, Poland (2005). The next conference is planned for Perth, Australia in 2007. The number of participating countries and organisations has increased steadily over the years with 150 delegates from over 30 countries and five continents represented at the Katowice conference. This is an indication of the world-wide importance of plant invasions and the need for a global network to exchange research outcomes, ideas and best management practices of invasive plants. Plant invasions are, of course, only a fraction of the whole process of biological invasions concerning marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments, including plants and other living organisms. Another notably parallel conference series has been organised in Europe by the German Working Group on Biological Invasions NEOBIOTA. This group aims to coordinate responses to the ever increasing problems caused by the invasion of alien plants, animals, fungi and micro-organisms, focussing mainly on Central Europe, with its first conference held in 2000 in Berlin, Germany (Kowarik & Starfinger 2000, 2003, Kühn & Klotz 2004, Nentwig et al. 2005).

The effects of invasive alien species (IAS) are widespread and pose a significant threat to global biodiversity. The European Union has recognised the proliferation of invasive alien species as an emerging issue, funding the GIANT ALIEN project, which focused on Heracleum mantegazzianum (Pyšek et al. 2007), and the EPIDEMIE project (Exotic Plant Invasions: Deleterious Effects on Mediterranean Island Ecosystems) (Hulme et al. 2007) under the 5th Framework Programme in 2002–2005, as well as ongoing projects addressing biological invasions (ALARM – Assessing Large Scale Risks for Biodiversity with Tested Methods; DAISIE – Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe) under the 6th Framework Programme. During the Environment December 2006 meeting (2773rd) the Council of the European Union called upon the European Commission to assess gaps in the current legal policy and economic framework for the prevention of introduction and for the control and eradication of invasive alien species. Furthermore, the Council invited the Commission, in cooperation with the member States, to prepare an EU strategy and an effective early warning system, on the basis of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Guiding Principles on Invasive Alien Species. Since the 1992 CBD, this is probably the strongest legal European commitment to address invasive species with legislation and regulatory tools.

The United Nations’ 2002 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has recognized an urgent need to address the impacts of IAS and has included ‘Trends in invasive alien species’ with trial indicators to be developed and used for assessing global progress towards the 2010 target of halting biodiversity loss. In this framework, a pan European initiative, Streamlining Biodiversity Indicators by 2010 (SEBI 2010), was launched in 2004. One of the deliverables of this initiative will be the editing of a list of the worst invasive alien species threatening biodiversity in Europe. Some of the species that are present in the SEBI draft list, such as Ailanthus altissima, Carpobrotus spp., Fallopia japonica are the prime subject of papers presented in this volume. At an international level, the Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP) has encouraged countries to recognize that they cannot solve problems connected with biological invasions by working solely within their own administrative borders. By their very definition, IAS are an international problem. Apart from their threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services, invasive species have a significant socio-economic impact. Developing countries are particularly vulnerable to the threats posed by invasive species because their economies typically rely heavily on agriculture, locally cultivated varieties, forestry and fishing. Moreover, within these countries it is generally the rural communities that are most at risk, as their livelihoods are almost solely based on these economic sectors, while the poorest people may be dependent on local biodiversity for food, fuel and construction material (GISP 2007).

The number of meetings, workshops and scientific publications on biological invasions is steadily increasing at a global level, seemingly in relationship with the dynamics of the process, and the field has been receiving increasing attention (Pyšek et al. 2006). Actions are now in progress, including amelioration of the legislation, even in those countries where, until recently, the presence of invasive alien plants was regarded as a botanical curiosity. There is now increasingly consolidated knowledge available about best practices for prevention, control, monitoring, risk assessment, and – in limited cases – eradication of IAS. Finally, biological invasions provide an exciting laboratory for ecological studies, e.g. as in the case of geographical or biogeographical islands (Daehler 2006) or concerning the relationships between species invasiveness and habitat invasibility (Richardson and Pyšek 2006). Nevertheless, in total conflict both with the general increasing background knowledge and evidence of actual impacts, species continue to be introduced in many regions of the world without any comprehensive risk assessment. Introductions continue to be made for diverse purposes e.g. as ornamentals in the Mediterranean, for erosion control in China and Asia and to protect from desertification and provide fodder, charcoal and fuel wood in the dry zones of Africa. Furthermore, in many countries, a national legislation framework is lacking showing that continued raising of awareness and education are needed in addition to scientific study. This volume aims to contribute to this growing field, exploring human perceptions of plant invasions and the role of humans in the invasion process from different perspectives and geographical areas. It also covers case studies of the biology and ecology of invasive species, mechanisms of invasion and ecological impacts, while offering solutions through a variety of control and management techniques. The terminology associated with plant invasions is diverse and sometimes confusing. As in the previous volumes, we have attempted to standardize terminology used in this book following suggestions by Richardson et al. (2000) and Pyšek et al. (2004). xviii, 428 p., 92 figs, 56 tables, paper. ISBN 978-90-5782-188-2.  $215.00

The Geology, Biodiversity and Ecology of Lake Hövsgöl (Mongolia). by Clyde E. Goulden, Tatiana Sitnikova, Jon Gelhaus & Bazartseren Boldgiv (Eds). 2006 (February). Lake Hövsgöl , one of the large ancient lakes of Asia is located in northern Mongolia south of the Eastern Sayan mountain chain that forms the border between Mongolia and the Russian Federation. Its basin represents the southern boundary of the Baikal Rift System and though not as old, it is a sister lake to Lake Baikal in that both are ancient lakes formed by tectonic activity. Hövsgöl is estimated to be at least five million years old. Though the diversity of the plant and animal groups is not high and the level of endemism does not approach that of Lake Baikal, it has a unique flora and fauna. New paleolimnology studies just beginning are likely to provide a great deal of information on the Pleistocene history of the Lake and the surrounding area that should help to explain the lake’s low biodiversity, despite a high regional terrestrial biodiversity. It is Mongolia’s largest freshwater lake and classed as the 16th largest naturally formed lake in the world by water volume. It contains 60% of the freshwater of Mongolia and is a constant source of clean freshwater flowing to the Selenge River through its outflow Egiin gol. The Selenge River is the major river entering Lake Baikal.  xxii, 526 p., 130 figs, 60 tables, hardbound (Biology of Inland Waters). ISBN 90-5782-162-1. $281.60

Danube Delta. Genesis and Biodiversity. by Claudiu & Maria M. Tudorancea (Eds). 2006 (February). contents : Danube Delta geology, geomorphology and geochemistry; Physiography and climate; The hydrological regime of the Danube River in the deltaic sector; The chemistry of the Danube Delta; The Danube Delta ecosystems; Phytoplankton and its primary production in the Danube Delta; Aquatic macrophytes; The zooplankton structure and productivity in Danube Delta lacustrine ecosystems; Benthic fauna of the Danube Delta; Structure and function of the Oligochaeta communities in lentic ecosystems of the Danube Delta; Weed-bed fauna of the Danube Delta; Benthic microbial communities; The ichthyofauna of the Danube Delta; The Danube Delta avifauna; Human presence in the Danube Delta. xvi, 444 pages, 89 figs & 66 tables, hardbound (Biology of Inland Waters). ISBN 90-5782-165-6. $249.60

State of Lake Michigan: Ecology, Health and Management. T. Edsall & M. Munawar (Eds). 2005, xiv, 639 p., 153 figs, 28 tables, hardbound (EWMS) . ISBN 81-7898-458-X. $300

PROTA

Cereals and pulses (PROTA 1). Brink, M. & G. Belay (Eds). 2006, 300 p., figs, distribution maps, indices, paper. ISBN 90-5782-171-0 (= book + cd-rom). $60.80

Vegetables (PROTA 2). Grubben, G.J.H. & O.A. Denton (Eds). 2004, 668 p., 114 figs, distribution maps, indices, paper. ISBN 90-5782-148-6 (= book + cd-rom). $80.00

Dyes and tannins. (PROTA 3.)  by P.C.M. Jansen & D. Cardon. 2005, 216 p., 33 figs, 28 distribution maps, glossary, paperbound. ISBN 90-5782-159-1. $51.20 print & CDROM

Sulfur transport and assimilation in plants in the post genomic era. by K. Saito, L.J. De Kok, I. Stulen, M.J. Hawkesford, E. Schnug, A. Sirko &
H. Rennenberg (Eds). 2005 (December), x, 270 p., 97 figs, 24 tables, hardbound . ISBN 90-5782-166-4. $156.80

Lepidoptera of the Seychelles islands. by Justin Gerlach & Pat Matyot. 2005, 130 p., 3 textfigs, several line drawings, 32 col. pls, paperbound. ISBN 90-5782-168-0 € 36

Fundamentals of Temperate Zone Tree Fruit Production. J. Tromp, A.D. Webster & S.J. Wertheim (Eds). Preface In a way, this book is a successor of a former Dutch book called ‘Grondslagen van de Fruitteelt’ (‘Fundamentals of Fruit Production’), published in 1976. That handbook, edited by three Dutch researchers (J. Tromp, H. Jonkers, S. J. Wertheim), contained contributions of fruit researchers from the Netherlands, Belgium and South Africa. As the book was soon sold out, the editors were regularly approached for a renewed edition, but the time for such a task was always lacking. During the last two decades of the 20th century, the collaboration between fruit researchers within Europe greatly intensified, which led, among other things, to the foundation of Eufrin (European Fruit Research Institutes Network). In one of the annual Eufrin meetings, it was decided to try to publish a book comparable to the aforementioned Dutch textbook, but now written in the English language, with contributions from the various countries involved in the network at that time. The present book is a result of the efforts of ten authors, among them the three editors. It covers a wide range of topics related to the various aspects of fruit growing and is meant for all people actively involved in temperate pome and stone fruit production, such as growers, nurserymen, advisors, post harvest specialists, as well as horticultural teachers and students. Therefore, highly specialized disciplines, such as modelling and biochemistry have been largely avoided. It should be made clear at the beginning that the book is not a manual with detailed recommendations for cultural practices, but rather tries to explain the underlying principles and mechanisms of the many phenomena practitioners regularly see or experience. Given the rapid developments in the various temperate fruit industries, a practically based manual would soon be out of date. Also, practices vary considerably between regions of fruit production, on account of differences in environmental factors and grower traditions. It is hoped that this book, which attempts to explain many of the principles underpinning these varied commercial practices, will be of more value in the longterm. 2005 (July), xvi, 400 p., 196 figs, 108 tables, hardbound. ISBN 90-5782-152-4; $256.00

Phosphates in sediments. Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium, Carmona (Spain), 9-12 September 2003. H.L. Golterman & L. Serrano (eds). Preface This publication presents the Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on phosphate in sediments held at Carmona (Spain) from 9 to 12 Sept. 2003. These P-symposia are the spin-off of the first symposium “Interactions between sediments and fresh water”, held at Amsterdam, 6 – 10 Sept. 1976. The proceedings of that symposium were edited by Golterman, 1976. The second sediment symposium was held in Kingston, Canada, 1981 and the third in Geneva in 1984. During the Amsterdam meeting a group of scientists concentrating their work on phosphate in sediments decided that it would be useful to have a meeting dedicated to this subject only. In Geneva it was decided to have the first symposium on Phosphate in Sediments, which was finally organized in the Department of Limnology, University of Vienna; the proceedings were edited by Psenner & Gunatilaka (1988).
The second symposium was organized in the Laboratory of Limnology of the University of Uppsala (Sweden) in 1988. No proceedings were published; a short report is published by Enell et al., 1989. The third one was held at Woudschoten (Netherlands) in 1991. The proceedings were published by Boers et al. (1993).  The fourth symposium was organized by the Department of Plant Biology and Ecology of the University of Sevilla with cooperation of the Instituto del Agua, Universidad de Granada. It took place in the splendid environment of the Parador of Carmona. The main themes were: 1) Exchange and release processes (7 lectures; Chairman: C. Bonetto) In this session the following papers or posters were read: G. Bally et al., J. Borovec, A. Maine et al. (2 papers), A. Mitchell et al., G. Nürnberg & H. Cyr, L. Serrano et al. 2) Vertical distribution in sediment; P-Composition & Availability (6 lectures; chairman: M. A. Maine) In this session the following papers were read: A. deVicente et al., W. Eckert & A. Nishri, A. Maine et al., A. Jorcin et al., B. Ruiz, et al., M. T. Barral et al. 3) Methodology (5 lectures; chairman: P. Ekholm) In this session the following papers were read: P. Ekholm, H. Jensen, M. K. Leivuori et al., C. Orona et al., K. Reitzel. 4) P-transformations (3 lectures; chairman: A. Kleeberg) In this session the following papers were read: R. Gilbin et al., B. Grüneberg et al., H. Mugni & C. Bonetto. 5) P-Transport and Fluxes (5 lectures; Chairman: F. Ø. Andersen) In this session the following papers were read: M. Alvarez et al., M. Flindt, J. Lewandoski, H. Mugni et al., H. Golterman. 6) Miscellaneous topics (8 lectures; chairman: D. Baldwin) In this session the following papers were read: A. Kleeberg et al., D. R. Thomsen et al., G. Wauer et al., D. Baldwin, U. Selig et al., K. B. Nielsen & F. Ø. Andersen, M. E. Jacobson-Meyers et al., Shigeo Tsujimura.
2005, xiv+202 p., 62 figs, 69 tables, 4to, paperbound. ISBN 90-5782-154-0; $140.80

NEW Series

PLANT RESOURCES OF TROPICAL AFRICA
RESSOURCES VÉGÉTALES DE L’AFRIQUE TROPICALE

This brandnew PROTA series, a companion series to the internationally acclaimed Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA), is planned to publish in 16 volumes a complete up-to-date survey of the plant resources found in tropical Africa. Again, each volume is thoroughly researched and refereed, and edited by the top experts in their field. This series will be published ONLY in paperbound format, and there will be both an English-language edition, as well as a French translation. Of each published volume, there will also be produced a CD-ROM (which is NOT available separately). You can choose whether you wish to order ONLY the book, or BOTH book+CD-ROM!

Cereals and Pulses (PROTA 1)
expected Summer 2005

Vegetables (PROTA 2) English
Grubben, G.J.H. & O.A. Denton (Eds)
2004, 668 p., 114 figs, distribution maps, indices, paperbound

ISBN 90-5782-147-8 (book only!)
Industrialised countries: $60.00

ISBN 90-5782-148-6 (= book + CD-ROM)
Industrialised countries: $75.00

Légumes (PROTA 2) French
Grubben, G.J.H. & O.A. Denton (Eds)
2004, 750 p., 114 figs, distribution maps, indices, paperbound

ISBN 90-5782-149-4 (= book only!)
Pays industrialisés: $60.00

ISBN 90-5782-150-8 (= book + CD-ROM)
Pays industrialisés: $75.00