Catálogo de publicaciones - libros

The knowledge of the history of regional geosystems and prediction of their future evolution trends are indispensable for nature conservation. Global warming threatens to become catastrophic and is thus an urgent scientific and social problem. The last century of the past millennium was marked by an exceptional growth of global air temperature which became 0.6 higher than at the end of the Little Ice Age (1550-1850). Warming was especially rapid after the 1960s, with a linear trend of 0.20 C per decade (global) and 0.29 C per decade in the Northern Hemisphere (Grusa et al., 2001). The past decade was the warmest over the millennium, and 1998 was the globally warmest year. Arctic ice sheets in warm season have reduced in surface area for 10-15% and have become 40% thinner for the past 50 yr. Mountain glaciers in Asia have been reducing and permafrost has been degrading. Scientists are not unanimous about the prospects, some believing that warming-related global change can speed up and cause regional- and global-scale socioeconomic ill effects, and others considering the problem ambiguous and poorly understood; the latter opinion is that prediction has even increased in uncertainty lately instead of being resolved (Boehmer- Christiansen, 2000). Prediction for global change and its short-term consequences is difficult because the changes are driven by sophisticated interplay of numerous climate controls and feedback mechanisms, while the available field and modeling data remain insufficient. The relative contributions of natural and cultural effects to the ongoing warming have not been so far constrained unambiguously.

The solution of problems of sustainable development of agricultural production and biodiversity conservation calls for the consideration of regional climate change. According to the data given by weather station in Barnaul city mean annual air temperature rose by 2.8C over the period from 1838 till 2004. Warming was observed mainly during the cold period (October – March) and constituted 3.4C. Secular cycle of precipitation variations with its minimum in the mid-nineteenth century and maximum in the early twentieth century has been defined. New secular circle of humidity variations has started. However the rate of temperature rise exceeds precipitation rate resulting in drastic reduction of glaciers in Altai-Sayan Mountains that leads to desertification and other negative after effects.

Modern knowledge of the reasons of climate change is not specifically complete [4]. This especially concerns estimation of the role of ʺsmall” climate-forming factors.

There are climatic changes registered in the area of South Moravia. They can be documented by both climatic values and evaluation of phenological data. The elongation of the big vegetation period is especially important. It is particularly caused by its earlier beginning over the last 50 years period. At the same time vegetation summer would begin earlier and earlier. A growth in number of days (frequency) with effective temperatures over +5C and over +15C was revealed. A gradual increase in yearly totals of effective temperatures over +5C is remarkable. The above facts represent a change in growth conditions of plants, especially forest trees. Direct relationship has been proved between the onset of phenophases and mean air temperatures. The increase in need of humidity for plants in steppe area of South Moravia in respect to elongation of assimilation period can be documented as well. The water regime of ecosystems has considerably changed after the hydraulic engineering adjustments and transformation from nival regime to evaporative regime. The future utility of the ecosystems is unthinkable without effective revitalization measures. The above stated facts indicate a change in growth conditions of plants, particularly longterm adapted forest trees.

Assessment of correlation between environment and human activity makes it incontestable that degradation of environment renders a growing impact on life quality: people’s health, poverty level, economic development and even national safety. So, for example, pollution of river reservoirs lead to productivity reduction of irrigated territories and, as a consequence, to poverty increase of countrymen.

An overview of the CCMS Pilot Study on ʺEnvironmental Decision-Making for Sustainable Development in Central Asia” is presented. This CCMS pilot study is focused on the following countries of the Central Asia (CA) region: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The presentation discusses the pilot study objectives, historical information concerning establishment of this pilot study, technical issues addressed, and overall approach focused on capacity building, as based on declared Central Asian needs for education; training; and technical assistance (involving decision-making tools such as risk assessment, cost-benefit analysis, landscape science tools, decision support software, structural/functional analysis, etc.).

The land cover of today is transforming at an accelerating rate. There are several reasons for it in the general Mediterranean region. The principle reason on the Mediterranean islands is a change in land use. The dominant directions of land use change are urban sprawl and land abandonment. The latter often finds its reason in the first one. Tourism is the driving force. The more tourism, the more urban sprawl, which also often leads to a loss in rural population because the job prospects in tourism are much better. So, tourism can often be called the economic backbone of islands. Natural and agricultural areas suffer from this development. This paper shows the development on the islands of Elba and Malta, and addresses the effects and consequences of the land cover transformation that are not as obvious as urban sprawl, but are certainly just as meaningful.

Soil preservation and recultivation are basic guidelines of human scientific and practical activity in environmental protection. Continuous climate changes and improper use of soil lead to its destruction which is an important reason for wind and water erosion and decrease of its fertility.

The aim of the article is to analyze the problems of food safety and instability of agricultural nature management in four large countries of Central Asia, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and Russia, and in the remote boundary regions.

Nutrition is the most intensive land use and influences human health directly. Traditional food processing, which has been done in regional units or on farms, increase the added value in the region and develop a regional culture for special food products and recepies. This regional culture is a treasure which makes people to be proud of their culture and landscape. By changing food habits towards more convenience products, the globalisation in food processing and trade influences todays knowledge about food. Young people might have to learn again more about food production and the link to regional land use and landscape. The paper presents some examples for Germany.