Mimicking Natures Fire

In Mimicking Nature's Fire, forest ecologists Stephen Arno and Carl Fiedler present practical solutions to the pervasive problem of deteriorating forest conditions in western North America.

This book is specially designed to get a basic idea about biomimicry as a solution for sustainable development, how animal and plant models become an ideal natural teacher to construct and design modern mans requirements without causing pollution. This book has nine chapters. The first section is devoted for introduction, the second for sustainable development, the third one for inspiration derived from plants (twenty-four examples), fourth one for inspiration derived from animals (thirty-five examples). The fifth chapter is devoted for research in biomimicry, and the sixth chapter is for development in biomimicry at the molecular level. The seventh one is for modern city planning by mimicking nature, with special reference to Lavasa, the first biomimicry town planning in India. The eighth chapter is for explanation of some case studies in biomimicry, and the last chapter is to inform the reader about some access point in biomimicry resources, followed by further study, and the last section is an index of the contents.

Aquinas on Imitation of Nature highlights and explores the doctrine of the imitation of nature, a crucial aspect of Aquinas’ metaethics and fills the gap in research on Aquinas’ moral doctrine and theory of action. It conveys Aquinas’ doctrine of the imitation of nature as a natural feature of right practical reason regarding moral thinking and action, indeed as an indispensable feature of virtuous flourishing in individual and communal aspects of human life. The book starts with an overview of some of recent interpretations of Aquinas’ moral doctrine and natural law, introducing the need to explore the role of the imitation of nature in human practical reasoning and action in this area of Aquinas’ teaching. The chapters that follow are based on a careful reading of selected texts of Aquinas, and gradually develop a thorough and comprehensive picture of his doctrine of the imitation of nature as a source of practical principles. The final chapter provides various examples of how Aquinas understands the imitation of nature in the realm of moral reasoning and action. The originality of this volume comes from its account of Aquinas’ medieval doctrine of the imitation of nature, in light of which the principles of right practical reason and virtuous action are congruent with and epistemologically dependant upon the basic terms of the movements of natural, sensible, non-rational agents. Through its thorough reading of Aquinas on the imitation of nature, the book aims to open new ways of appropriation of the metaphysical and natural tenets of his moral doctrine in the areas of theory of action, practical reason, natural law, and contemporary virtue ethics.

"Fire management, and forest and rangeland fuels management, over the past century have altered the wildland fire situation dramatically, thus also altering the institutional approach to how to deal with the changing landscape. Also, climate change, extended drought, increased insect and disease outbreaks, and invasions of exotic plant species have added complications to fire management on public and private lands. In an effort at a national campaign to deal with the overall issue of fire management, eight Federal and nongovernmental organizations met in Santa Fe, NM, for 4 days in May 2004 to explore cooperative efforts and alternative options. The "Managing the Unexpected Workshop" goal was to explore and possibly adopt the concepts of the "High Reliability Organization" to managing for unexpected fire events and plan for fire uses. This publication includes presentation material, discussion points, alternatives explored, and planning efforts."

Meticulously written, "The Bitterroot and Mr. Brandborg" tells the story of Guy M. Brandborg and his impact on the practices of the U.S. Forest Service. It articulates Brandborg's Progressive-era idealism and is based on extensive archival research in collections throughout the Rockies and the Northwest, including the Brandborg family papers.

The 2003 symposium of systems analysis in forest resources brought together researchers and practitioners who apply methods of optimization, simulation, management science, and systems analysis to forestry problems. This was the 10th symposium in the series, with previous conferences held in 1975, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2000, and 2002. The forty-two papers in these proceedings are organized into five application areas: (1) sustainability, criteria and indicators, and assessment; (2) techniques and decision support for forest planning; (3) forest assessment and planning case studies; (4) fire suppression, fire planning, and fuels management; (5) harvest scheduling; and (6) mill supply and forest product markets.