The purpose of this book is to analyse and discuss a series of topics related with environmental conservation, land-use planning and management and impact prevention as seen from the perspective of the Earth Sciences, but with an inte- grated, interdisciplinary approach. The contributions included in the book intend to give an overview of existing problems and trends and to point out certain lines along which work and/or actions will be par- ticularly needed in the near future. In short, they intend to show where we stand now with regard to those problems and in what direction we should move....