Encyclopedia of Environmental Change

John A. Matthews is Emeritus Professor of Physical Geography at Swansea University, Wales.

In this day of instant information via the Internet, one can legitimately ask the question as to whether the concept of an encyclopedia is outdated. I would on the contrary argue that a volume as complete as the Encyclopedia of Environmental Change has a very legitimate raison d'etre in today's world. The range of topics included in the Encyclopedia edited by John A. Matthews, from the past to the future, from the physical to the social and economic spheres, enables a comprehensive overview of topics that are often inter-related in subtle and complex ways; it is through these linkages that an encyclopedia takes on its full meaning. I am certain that the Encyclopedia of Environmental Change will be of interest to both the research community and a wider public, often keen to know more about the evolving environments of today and tomorrow. -- Martin Beniston * Martin Beniston * The editors are to be congratulated on delivering this comprehensive reference guide to environmental change. The scope and content are truly impressive. This Encyclopedia will serve students and practitioners in the field of environmental change very well for many years to come. -- Chris Cocklin * Chris Cocklin * Environmental change is an important and timely subject that has been increasingly studied in colleges. This is a unique and comprehensive compilation of knowledge covering almost every topics related to environmental change. This encyclopedia covers not only facts and concepts of environmental change but also methodology and techniques that are used to study environmental change. Its uniqueness is that it spans disciplines from natural sciences, including ecology and climatology, to social sciences, including economic, political and management aspects. It covers spatial and temporal scales, from local to global and from past to future. -- Zicheng Yu This Encyclopedia is an authoritative and indispensable reference work for all of us who are interested in the rapidly evolving field of Environmental Change. It serves as a reliable state-of-the-art guide for scientists, educators, students and professionals alike. I recommend it as an excellent and comprehensive compendium for anyone working in environmental science as it covers the entire range of this ever-changing field from the most up-to-date perspective. -- Mathias Vuille Environmental change has become an acute global challenge. We are now witnessing the most profound human impact the planet has ever experienced, and the issue attracts ever increasing student, researcher, and media attention. Until now, it was difficult to find one resource with a broad coverage of this diverse interdisciplinary topic. The Encyclopedia of Environmental Change is a very welcome set of volumes which for the first time provides a broad base of perspectives including techniques for recording environmental change, the basic natural science behind it, as well as the impact by and on human communities in the past and present. These volumes are an essential resource for instructors, students and researchers. -- Arlene Rosen "Accessibly written by a team of international authors, the Encyclopedia of Environmental Change provides a gateway to the complex facts, concepts, techniques, methodology and philosophy of environmental change." -- Sir Read A Lot