http://ir.mksu.ac.ke/handle/123456780/5968 Mon, 06 Apr 2026 02:06:28 GMT 2026-04-06T02:06:28Z http://ir.mksu.ac.ke/handle/123456780/6290 Sustainability Science Heinrichs, Harald; Martens, Pim; Michelsen, Gerd; Wiek, Arnim Three hundred years after defi ning sustainable development in forestry and 25 years after conceptualizing sustainability as a societal guiding vision and regulative idea, the necessity for further operationalizing and realizing sustainability is greater than ever. The textbook at hand provides a state-of-the-art overview of key areas of sustainable development. Like a mosaic, the chapters compose building blocks, which assemble an encompassing perspective on sustainability science. We hope to contribute with this textbook to the further establishment of sustainability science and to enable the next generation of sustainability experts to get a “grip” on the challenging and exciting “centenary topic” of sustainable development. Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.mksu.ac.ke/handle/123456780/6290 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.mksu.ac.ke/handle/123456780/6201 Geomorphology of Desert Environments Parsons, Anthony J.; Abrahams, Athol D. About one-third of the Earth’s land surface experiences a hyperarid, arid, or semi-arid climate, and this area supports approximately 15% of the planet’s population. This percentage continues to grow and with this growth comes the need to learn more about the desert environment. Geomorphology is only one aspect of this environment, but an important one, as geomorphic phenomena such as salt weathering, debris flows, flash flooding, and dune encroachment pose major problems to desert settlement and transportation. The geomorphology of deserts has been the subject of scientific enquiry for more than a century, but desert geomorphology did not emerge as an identifiable subdiscipline in geomorphology until the 1970s when the first textbooks on the subject appeared, namely Geomorphology in deserts in 1973 and Desert landforms in 1977. Also, in 1977 the Eighth Annual (Binghamton) Geomorphology Symposium was devoted to the theme ‘Geomorphology in Arid Lands’ and the proceedings of the symposium were published in the same year. The 1980s have seen the appearance of titles dealing with particular topics within desert geomorphology, the most notable of these being Urban geomorphology in drylands and Dryland rivers. As we enter the 1990s, a new generation of textbooks on desert geomorphology has reached the bookstores. Arid zone geomorphology and Desert geomorphology incorporate the advances in knowledge that have occurred during the past 20 years but are primarily written for the college student. By contrast, the present volume assumes that the reader already has some knowledge of desert geomorphology. It is pitched at a level somewhat higher than the standard text and is intended to serve mainly as a reference book. Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.mksu.ac.ke/handle/123456780/6201 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.mksu.ac.ke/handle/123456780/6118 ArcGIS for Environmental and Water Issues Bajjali, William The study of geographic information systems (GIS) applications is enlightening, challenging, and very interesting. This workbook was created as a guide to students and professionals on the applications of GIS in the geoscience field. GIS applications is now considered an important course in the curriculum of undergraduate geoscience, environmental, and in some fields of engineering programs. It is a result of several years of experience in applying GIS technology to water resources and environment related problems. The databases and the applications used in the text reflect real world problems from different environmental settings that have been gathered from the author’s works in the USA and the Middle-East. Each chapter presents a different set of scenarios and case studies that include an environmental problem that needs a solution. A step-by-step approach was adopted to provide answers and solutions to the problems for the scenarios presented. The textbook is intended as an introductory course either at the undergraduate level or as a dual-level undergraduate/graduate course, and it can be used as a self-study workbook for professionals in the field of geoscience. It aims to teach students and professionals the various environmental disciplines of mapping and spatial analysis skills using ArcGIS and state of the art methodologies to acquire, visualize, and analyze data. Mon, 01 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.mksu.ac.ke/handle/123456780/6118 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z http://ir.mksu.ac.ke/handle/123456780/5993 Principles of Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology Chapin, F. Stuart; Matson, Pamela A.; Vitousek, Peter M. Human activities are affecting the global environment in many ways, with numerous direct and indirect effects on ecosystems. The climate and atmospheric composition of Earth are changing rapidly. Humans have directly modified half of the ice-free terrestrial surface and use 40% of terrestrial production. Our actions are causing the sixth major extinction event in the history of life on Earth and radically modify the interactions among forests, fields, streams, and oceans. This book is written to provide a conceptual basis for understanding terrestrial ecosystem processes and their sensitivity to environmental and biotic changes. We believe that an understanding of ecosystem dynamics must underlie our analysis of both the consequences and the mitigation of human-induced changes. This book is intended to introduce the science of terrestrial ecosystem ecology to advanced undergraduate students, beginning graduate students, and practicing scientists from a wide array of disciplines. We define terrestrial ecosystem ecology to include freshwater ecosystems and their terrestrial matrix. We also include a description of marine ecosystems to provide a broader context for understanding terrestrial ecosystems and as a basis for Earth-System analysis. We provide access to some of the rapidly expanding literature in the many disciplines that contribute to ecosystem understanding. This second edition incorporates new material that accounts for both the substantial scientific advances in ecosystem ecology during the past decade, as well as the evolution of our own understanding. Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://ir.mksu.ac.ke/handle/123456780/5993 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z