From antiquity until today, trees and woods have inspired artists, writers and scientists; they have shaped cultures and reverberated through belief systems. Yet worldwide forest cover has declined dramatically over the last 1,000 years. Now, primeval forests are only to be found at a few sites unreachable by humans, and even then they are affected by climate change, atmospheric pollution and species extinctions. Nonetheless, ancient woods, trees and forests are at the core of many global landscapes. Understanding the vital resources that they provide requires genuinely multidisciplinary research. With contributions from major authorities in the field such as Oliver Rackham, Frans Vera, Elisabeth Johann, George Peterken and Melvyn Jones among others, this timely volume reflects on the importance of our oldest trees from a range of perspectives and varied geographical locations. Individual chapters consider eco-cultural heritage, the archaeology of trees, landscape history, forest rights, tree management, saproxylic insects, the importance of deadwood, practical conservation and monitoring, biodiversity, wood-pasture and more. Fresh insights are provided from across Europe as far as Turkey. Given the urgent need to understand, conserve and restore ancient woodlands and trees, this book will do much raise awareness, foster enthusiasm and inspire wonder.

We show here how, through the efforts of a range of governmental and non-governmental organisations, habitats and species are now being managed to preserve our biodiversity for the future. In this period of rapid environmental change and ever increasing human impact, the success of such conservation initiatives has never been more vital. Over the past half-century there have been many changes in the Yorkshire countryside. Deciduous woodlands have been felled and replaced by conifer plantations; wetlands and ponds have been drained; grasslands have been reseeded, and arable fields have been intensively farmed. Our river systems and coastline have also been subjected to increasing pressure and pollution. All these changes have had dramatic effects on YorkshireÕs semi-natural habitats and their associated wildlife. Added to these effects, our climate is altering more rapidly than at any time in the last 10,000 years, leading to further challenges for plants and animals.

This book brings together the experiences of engineers and scientists from Australia and the United Kingdom providing the current status on the management of stormwater and flooding in urban areas and suggesting ways forward. It forms a basis for the development of a framework for the implementation of integrated and optimised storm water management strategies and aims to mitigate the adverse impacts of the expanding urban water footprint. Among other topics it also features management styles of stormwater and flooding and describes biodiversity and ecosystem services in relation to the management of stormwater and the mitigation of floods. Furthermore, it places an emphasis on sustainable storm water management measures. Population growth, urbanisation and climate change will pose significant challenges to engineers, scientists, medical practitioners, policy makers and practitioners of several other disciplines. If we consider environmental and water engineers, they will have to face challenges in designing smart and efficient water systems which are robust and resilient to overcome shrinking green spaces, increased urban heat islands, damages to natural waterways due to flooding caused by increased stormwater flow. This work provides valuable information for practitioners and students at both senior undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

This book addresses present-day landscapes, ecosystem functioning and biodiversity as legacies of the past. It implements an interdisciplinary approach to understand how natural or human-impacted ecological systems have changed over time. Historical Ecology combines theory, methods, regional case studies and syntheses to provide a complete up-to-date overview of historical ecology. Beginning with the crucial role of time and inference from observed patterns, the book critically reviews the main methodological approaches, including monitoring of permanent plots, analysis of old maps, repeat photography, remote sensing, soil analysis, charcoal analysis, botanical indicators, and combinations of these methods applied to forest ecosystems. A series of case studies from various biomes shows how historical ecology can help in understanding today’s socio-ecosystems, such as mainland and island forests, orchards, tundra and coastal dunes. The book concludes by showing how historical ecology can answer timely fundamental research questions and provide science-based evidence for landscape and ecosystem management.

Through a global and interdisciplinary lens, this book discusses, analyzes and summarizes the novel conservation approach of rewilding. The volume introduces key rewilding definitions and initiatives, highlighting their similarities and differences. It reviews matches and mismatches between the current state of ecological knowledge and the stated aims of rewilding projects, and discusses the role of human action in rewilding initiatives. Collating current scholarship, the book also considers the merits and dangers of rewilding approaches, as well as the economic and socio-political realities of using rewilding as a conservation tool. Its interdisciplinary nature will appeal to a broad range of readers, from primary ecologists and conservation biologists to land managers, policy makers and conservation practitioners in NGOs and government departments. Written for a scientifically literate readership of academics, researchers, students, and managers, the book also acts as a key resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses.

Lose yourself in the beauty of nature this winter... A ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020 For readers of George Monbiot, Isabella Tree and Robert Macfarlane - an urgent and lyrical account of endangered places around the globe and the people fighting to save them. 'Powerful, timely, beautifully written and wonderfully hopeful' Rob Cowen, author of Common Ground All across the world, irreplaceable habitats are under threat. Unique ecosystems of plants and animals are being destroyed by human intervention. From the tiny to the vast, from marshland to meadow, and from Kent to Glasgow to India to America, they are disappearing. Irreplaceable is a love letter to the haunting beauty of these landscapes and their wild species. Exploring coral reefs and remote mountains, tropical jungle, ancient woodland and urban allotments, it traces the stories of threatened places through local communities, grassroots campaigners, ecologists and academics. Julian Hoffman's rigorous, impassioned account is a timely reminder of the vital connections between humans and nature - and all that we stand to lose. It is a powerful call to arms in the face of unconscionable natural destruction. ***** 'A terrific book, prescient, serious and urgent' Amy Liptrot, author of The Outrun 'Unforgettable. At a time when the Earth often seems broken beyond repair, this courageous and hopeful book offers life-changing encounters with the more-than-human world' Nancy Campbell, author of The Library of Ice 'Wonderful, tender and subtle, beautifully written and filled with a calm authority' Adam Nicolson, author of The Seabird's Cry *Highly Commended Finalist for the Wainwright Prize for Writing on Global Conservation 2020*