Anthropogenic Geomorphology: A Guide to Man-Made Landforms

ISBN-13: 9789048130573 / Angielski / Twarda / 2010 / 250 str.

Jozsef Szabo; Lorant David; Denes Loczy

Opis

Today, society s impact on the geographical environment, and especially on the Earth s surface, is obvious. Yet up until the last century, the forces of nature held sway, with mankind vulnerable and exposed to its vagaries. However, our recent development has meant that our effect on our surroundings is now commensurate with the power of nature itself. More and more, we face the consequences mostly disadvantageous of our interventions, and we must pay more attention to the wider impacts of our activities, which include everything from the extraction of fossil fuels to the influence of tourism. Anthropogenic geomorphology, as the study of the way man affects his physical environment, has thus developed rapidly as a discipline in recent decades. This volume provides guidance to students discussing the basic topics of anthropogenic geomorphology. The chapters cover both its system, and its connections with other sciences, as well as the way the subject can contribute to tackling today s practical problems. The book represents all fields of geomorphology, giving an introduction to the diversity of the discipline through examples taken from a range of contexts and periods, and focusing on examples from Europe. It is no accident that anthropogenic geomorphology has been gaining ground within geomorphology itself. Its results advance not only the theoretical development of the science but can be applied directly to social and economic issues. Worldwide, anthropogenic geomorphology is an integral and expanding part of earth sciences curricula in higher education, making this a timely and relevant text. "

Spis treści

Anthropogenic Geomorphology: Subject and System.- Anthropogenic Geomorphology and Related Disciplines.- Human Impact in a Systems Approach.- Anthropogenic Geomorphology in Environmental Management.- Anthropogenic Geomorphology and Landscape Ecology.- Impacts of Various Human Activities on the Landscape.- Agriculture: Crop Cultivation and Horticulture.- Agriculture: Grazing Lands and Other Grasslands.- Agriculture: Cultivation on Slopes.- Agriculture: Deforestation.- Quarrying and Other Minerals.- Mining: Extraction of Fossil Fuels.- Water Management.- Urban Development and Anthropogenic Geomorphology.- Transportation and Industry.- Military Activities: Warfare and Defence.- The Impact of Tourism and Sports Activities.- Impacts in Extreme Environments.- An Anthropogenic Geomorphological Synthesis.- Nature and Extent of Human Geomorphological Impact – A Review.

O autorze

József Szabó is Professor Emeritus, Vice-President of the Hungarian Geographical Society, Corresponding Member of the CERG - Strasbourg and a Member of the International Landslide Research Group - Palo Alto, California. His research fields are mass movements and other geomorphological processes, land evaluation, anthropogenic geomorphology, geomorphological hazards and history of physical geography.

Lóránt Dávid is a college professor and Head of the Department of Tourism and Regional Development at Károly Róbert College. He has longstanding teaching and research experience in the fields of anthropogenic geomorphology, environmental protection, tourism and regional development, and has worked as an expert in a number of government programs.

Dénes Lóczy is an associate professor, Head of the Department of Physical Geography and Deputy Director of the Institute of Geography at Janus Pannonius University, Pécs. From 2001 till 2005 he was Secretary of the International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG/AIG). His research interests are land evaluation, land use studies, floodplain geomorphology and environmental protection.

Blurb

Today, human impact on the environment, and especially on the Earth’s surface, is obvious. We increasingly face the consequences of our interventions, and we must pay more attention to the wider impacts of our activities, which include everything from the extraction of fossil fuels to the influence of tourism. Anthropogenic geomorphology, as the study of the way man affects his physical environment, has therefore developed rapidly as a discipline in recent decades.

This volume provides guidance to students discussing the basic topics of anthropogenic geomorphology. The chapters cover both its system, and its connections with other sciences, as well as the way the subject can contribute to coping with practical problems. The book represents all fields of geomorphology, giving an introduction to the diversity of the discipline through examples taken from a range of contexts and periods, and focusing on examples from Europe.

It is no accident that anthropogenic geomorphology has been gaining ground within geomorphology itself. Its results advance not only the theoretical development of the science but can be applied directly to social and economic issues. Worldwide, anthropogenic geomorphology is an integral and expanding part of the Earth sciences curricula in higher education, making this volume timely and relevant.

Key themes: Anthropogenic Geomorphology - Dynamic equilibrium – Environmentalism - Geomorphic processes - Human impact - Man-made landforms

József Szabó is Professor Emeritus at the Department of Physical Geography and Geoinformatics, University of Debrecen. He is President of the Hungarian Geographical Society, a Corresponding Member of the CERG (Strasbourg) and a Member of the International Landslide Research Group (Palo Alto, California). His research fields are mass movements and other geomorphological processes, land evaluation, anthropogenic geomorphology, geomorphological hazards, and history of physical geography.

Lóránt Dávid is a college professor and Head of the Department of Tourism and Regional Development at Károly Róbert College, Gyöngyös. He has longstanding teaching and research experience in the fields of anthropogenic geomorphology, environmental protection, tourism, and regional development, and has worked as an expert in a number of government programs.

Dénes Lóczy is an associate professor, Director of the Institute of Environmental Sciences at the University of Pécs. From 2001 to 2005 he was Secretary of the International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG/AIG). He has established and chairs a Working Group on Human Impact on the Landscape (HILS). His research interests are land evaluation, land use studies, floodplain geomorphology, and landscape rehabilitation.