Environmental Issues and Challenges

List of Figures viii
List of Tables x
Preface xii
Acknowledgments xiv
1 Scope and relevance of environmental studies 1
2 Ecosystems and their structure and functions 22
3 Environmental pollution 92
4 Threats to and conservation of biological diversity 157
5 Renewable and non-renewable resources 198
6 Environmental policies, practices, and legislation 227
7 Global environmental issues 262
8 Human communities and the environment 290
Index 316

Abhik Gupta is former Professor of Ecology and Environmental Science, and Pro Vice-Chancellor of Assam University, Silchar, India. He has an experience of over 35 years of teaching biology and environmental science in both undergraduate and post-graduate courses and has supervised over 25 doctoral theses. His research interests include biodiversity studies, environmental pollution, policy, and ethics. His recent publications include Heavy Metal and Metalloid Contamination of Surface and Underground Water (2020) and Ethics and Biodiversity (2021).
Susmita Gupta is former Professor of Ecology and Environmental Science in Assam University, India, and has a teaching and research experience of about 20 years. Her research area of interest is freshwater ecology and biomonitoring.