The Mediterranean Basins

The Mediterranean Sea, nestled between Africa, southern Europe, and the Middle East, may be envisioned as a complex picture-puzzle comprising numerous intricate pieces, many of which are already in place. A general image, in terms of science, has emerged, although at this time large gaps are noted and some areas of the picture remain fuzzy and indistinct. In recent years this fascinating, mind-teasing puzzle image has become clearer with individual pieces more easily recognized and rapidly emplaced, largely by means of multidisciplinary and multinational team efforts. In this respect, the Special Program Panel on Marine Sciences of the NATO Scientific Af fairs Division considered the merits of initiating four conferences bearing on the Mediterranean ecosystem. It was suggested that the first, emphasizing geology, should dovetail with subsequent seminars on physical oceanogra phy, marine biology, and ecology and man's influence on the natural Medi terranean regime. At a conference held in Banyuls-sur-Mer, France, in August 1979, Profes sor Raimondo Selli was urged by some panel members to initiate an Ad vanced Research Institute (ARI) that would focus primarily on the geologi cally recent evolution of the Mediterranean Sea and serve as a logical base for future NATO conferences on the Mediterranean.

This volume offers a comprehensive survey of Roman villas in Italy and the Mediterranean provinces of the Roman Empire, from their origins to the collapse of the Empire. The architecture of villas could be humble or grand, and sometimes luxurious. Villas were most often farms where wine, olive oil, cereals, and manufactured goods, among other products, were produced. They were also venues for hospitality, conversation, and thinking on pagan, and ultimately Christian, themes. Villas spread as the Empire grew. Like towns and cities, they became the means of power and assimilation, just as infrastructure, such as aqueducts and bridges, was transforming the Mediterranean into a Roman sea. The distinctive Roman/Italian villa type was transferred to the provinces, resulting in Mediterranean-wide culture of rural dwelling and work that further unified the Empire.

In view of the massive change in the area of distribution of many world biota across classical biogeographical realms, and of the drastic restructuring of the biotic components of numerous ecosystems, the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) decided at its general Assembly in Ottawa, Canada, in 1982 to launch a project on the 'Ecology of Biological Invasions'. Several regional meetings were subsequently organized within the framework of SCOPE, in order to single out the peculiarities of the invasions that took place in each region, the behaviour of their invasive species and the invasibility of their ecosystems. Most noteworthy among such workshops were one in Australia in August 1984, one concerning North America and Hawaii in October 1984, and one dealing with southern Africa in November 1985. A leitmotiv of these workshops was that most of the invasive species to those regions were emanating from Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, inadvertently or intentionally introduced by man. It was therefore considered as a timely endeavour to organize the next regional meeting in relation to this region. The workshop on 'Biological Invasions in Europe and the Mediterranean Basin' was held in Montpellier, France, 21 to 23 May 1986, thanks to the financial support of SCOPE and of the A.W. Mellon Foundation, and the logistic facilities of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (C.N .R.S.).

Almost 20 years after the first MEDPINE book "Ecology, biogeography and management of Pinus halepensis and P. brutia forest ecosystems in the Mediterranean basin "(Ne'eman and Trabaud, 2000) was published, this new book presents up-to-date and state of the art information, covering a wide range of topics concerning Mediterranean pine trees growing in native and planted forests, their ecosystems and management. This will be an essential source of scientific information for learning, exploring planning and managing mediterranean pine and mixed forests. We focus on: genetics, adaptation, distribution and evolution; ecophysiology and drought resistance; pine and mixed forest ecosystems; forest dynamics biodiversity and biotic interactions; fire ecology; ecosystem services and policy; afforestation and management; all under the effect of global climate change. While forests are studied mainly in temperate and tropical zones, in the light of current climate change, focusing on Mediterranean forests growing in semi-humid to semi-arid zones is more important than ever. This book will include mostly review chapters (and two outstanding case studies) contributed by leading scientists, foresters and managers, and will serve as a scientific textbook for students of biology, agriculture and forestry, researchers of ecology forestry and related fields, forest managers, policy and decision makers.

"The coexistence in space and time of growing mountain belts and actively extending basins poses a number of yet unsolved questions in terms of mechanics. This problem is particularly crucial in the Mediterranean regions, where all Cenozoic basins opened in the internal zones of mountain belts." "This volume brings together contributions from geologists and geophysicists in the quest to solve the complex dynamic problem posed by the Mediterranean region. It presents a wealth of new data on various topics centred on the Mediterranean region from the deep mantle structure to the detailed geometry of sedimentary basins."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This book considers the development of oil flows in the Mediterranean area. This involves a full consideration of major suppliers and potential producers. In the downstream phase of the industry the book evaluates the evolution of the refining industry, and the stresses caused by environmental concerns and poor profitability. It also assesses the role of the Mediterranean in the world system.

Of Volume 4A.- 1. Mediterranean and Tethys.- I. Introduction.- II. The Overall Situation.- III. Tethyan Faunas and Paleotectonics.- IV. Paleotectonic and Paleogeographic Evolution.- A. Permian and Triassic: Paleotethys and Early Rifting.- B. Jurassic: The Oceanic Tethys.- C. Cretaceous to Recent: Alpine Orogeny and Mediterranean.- V. Conclusions.- Acknowledgments.- References.- 2. Tectonic Evolution of the Mediterranean Basins.- I. Introduction.- A. Statement of Three Hypotheses.- B. Physiographic Provinces of the Mediterranean.- II. Balearic Basin.- A. Crustal Structure and Age.- B. Origin.-

Water Resources in the Mediterranean Region summarizes and collates scientific developments around water resources in the Mediterranean socio-economic environment through a multidisciplinary framework synthesizing hydrology, hydrogeology, climate, bioclimatology, economics, and geography. As such, it provides essential information for any reader looking to learn more about the Mediterranean which is experiencing the impact of climate change and concurrent complex issues of anthropogenic effects, especially in agriculture and other resource uses. Water Resources in the Mediterranean Region covers different challenges in the issue of the evolution of water resources in the Mediterranean. It is intended for PhD students, research scientists, and managers interested in new solutions and approaches for water management and in the forecast of future water dynamics. Offers multidisciplinary content providing global visions of the challenges faced in the Mediterranean region Presents fundamental and operational studies, providing the reader with information on how to implement these actions and results themselves Written in a pedagogical manner, allowing for ease of reading for both researchers and water managers

This book addresses physical, chemical, and biological methods for the preservation of ancient artifacts. Advanced materials are required to preserve the Mediterranean belt's historic, artistic and archaeological relics against weathering, pollution, natural risks and anthropogenic hazards. Based upon the 10th International Symposium on the Conservation of Monuments in the Mediterranean Basin, this book provides a forum for international engineers, architects, archaeologists, conservators, geologists, art historians and scientists in the fields of physics, chemistry and biology to discuss principles, methods, and solutions for the preservation of global historical artifacts.

Here is a wonderful overview of the landscape and vegetation of the five regions of the world that have a Mediterranean climate. In addition to the Mediterranean Basin itself, this climate of mild, rainy winters and dry, warm summers is found in California and parts of Chile, South Africa, and Australia. 30 maps. 18 tables. 46 line illustrations. 75 color and 90 b&w photos.