In my office I am encased in bookshelves which hold an accumulation of literature on ecology that represents the papers and books over the last 50 years. My students enjoy rummaging through this collection be cause it contains a record of the history of ecology and is full of sur prises. Some of the most recent material pertains to landscape ecology, a subject that literally emerged fully active at the Veldhoven Interna tional Congress organized by the landscape ecologists of The Nether lands in 1981. The subject has developed quickly. It has one or more journals, which publish short works. It has a series of text books. And, it has just begun a series on monographs. One of the textbooks in land scape ecology is titled Principles and Methods in Landscape Ecology and was written by the Italian ecologist Almo Farina in 1998. My stu dents like this text especially well because it is direct, to the point and comprehensive. "Farina" is on loan much of the time. In the present volume Almo Farina again addresses the subject of Landscape Ecology but from a different perspective than he took in his textbook. Landscape in Action focuses on the application of the princi ples and concepts to problem solving. The two books make a pair, with the first technical and conceptual and the second applied to problems of land and water at large scale.

Presents the principles, theory, methods, and applications of landscape ecology and is supplemented by numerous examples and case studies from a variety of systems.

This book has been written to present major and efficient applications in landscape ecology, as well as to propose a solid action for this category of topics. The book aims to illustrate various treatment methods of the land-use models impact on landscape ecology creation. The book is divided into three parts: Part I: Ecological interpretation of land-use act - in this part, ecosystem and land use turn out to be a significant factor in the process of creating an ecological landscape. Part II: Landscape district in applied ecological analysis - this part attempts to illustrate the best possible model of analysis integrated with landscape in practical case studies. Part III: The anthropogenic impacts on landscape creation - this part discusses the human impact on landscape creation.

The urgent need for a sustainable environment has resulted in the increased recognition of the field of landscape ecology amongst policy makers working in the area of nature conservation, restoration and territorial planning. Nonetheless, the question of what is precisely meant by the term landscape ecology'is still unresolved. No doubt, a proper foundation of the discipline must first be cemented. This book develops such a foundation. In doing so it provides all the diverse applications of the discipline with a solid framework and proposes an effective diagnostic methodology to investigate the ecological state and the pathologies of the landscape.

This series is dedicated to serving the growing community of scholars and practitioners concemed with the principles and applications of environ mental management. Each volume is a thorough treatment of a specific topic of importance for proper management practices. A fundamental objective of these books is to help the reader discem and implement man's stewardship of our environment and the world's renewable re sources. For we must strive to understand the relationship between man and nature, act to bring harmony to it, and nurture an environment that is both stable and productive. These objectives have often eluded us because the pursuit of other individual and societal goals has diverted us from a course of living in balance with the environment. At times, therefore, the environmental manager may have to exert restrictive control, which is usually best applied to man, not nature. Attempts to alter or hamess nature have often failed or backfired, as exemplified by the results of imprudent use of herbicides, fertilizers, water, and other agents. Each book in this series will shed light on the fundamental and applied aspects of environmental management. It is hoped that each will help solve a practical and serious environmental problem.

Landscape Ecology - a rapidly growing science - quantifies the ways ecosystems interact. It establishes links between activities in one region and repercussions in another. Landscape Ecology: A Top-Down Approach serves as a general introduction to this emerging area of study. In this book the authors take a "top down" approach. They believe that

Wageningen Univerisity and Research Centre is known for its practical and societally relevant research in spatial development. Stakeholders currently put much emphasis on participatory processes in landscape planning procedures. This poses a special challenge for research. What role does research play in our present world characterised by complexity, competing claims and development needs, and an increased concern for climate change and environmental impact? In the book 'Knowledge in Action' we explore different types of transdisciplinary research that scientists engage in. Depending on the societal context and the interests of local citizens, researchers apply different research approaches to optimally incorporate the various points of view in their research and promote processes enhancing dialogue and shared results. In the book authors present their research experiences: their theoretical inspiration, the research methodology applied to consult, share and collaborate with societal actors in order to create options for change. The book includes several striking examples from The Netherlands (both successful and less effective), and also innovative examples from communities in Africa and Asia. The authors reflect on opportunities, problems and dilemma's they had to deal with. They especially address how far the role and theoretical perspectives of collaborative researchers can lead them in action research. Can they limit themselves to joint knowledge production and learning processes or should they engage in strategic positioning, advocacy and entrepreneurship to make it happen? The book discusses the issues that researchers should consider when they position their research activities within ongoing developments at landscape level. Read the book and judge for yourself.