Contaminants in Terrestrial Environments (Springer Series in Physical Environment)

Defining ecology as a system-theory oriented synthesis of both earth and life sciences, the book aims at a novel co- herent understanding of chemicalimpact on the lower at- mosphere and characteristic types of terrestrial ecosystems. To this end comprehensive flux-analytical and hierarchical modelling approaches were developed and consulted, which in- clude a thorough consideration of the specific physical and geographic boundary conditions of the processes involved. The first part is devoted to fundamentals of environmental chemistry and ecology, while the second deals with the com- plex atmospheric pathways of anthropogenic chemicals. In the last part, the manifold interactions of these compounds or their metabolites with the soil-vegetation complex of eco- systems are described. Chapters on pollutant impact on mate- rials and a review of chemical fate modelling are included. Thus scientists and practitioners facing ecological projects may expect to obtain a deeper insight into landscape ecology from the impact point of view owing to the concise presenta- tion of complex mechanisms and the generalized modelling ap- proach.