CRC Press Biodiversity and Conservation: Characterization and Utilization of Plants, Microbes and Natural Resources for Sustainable Development and Ecosystem ... in Ethnomusicology: Outstanding Dissertatio)

This volume provides an enlightening and pragmatic approach to preserving biological diversity by gathering a wide range of peer-reviewed scientific content from biodiversity researchers and conservators from around the world. It brings comprehensive knowledge and information on the present status of conservation of biological diversity including floral, faunal, and microbial diversity. A detailed account of recent trends in conservation and applications under changing climate conditions, focusing mainly on agriculturally and industrially important microbes and their sustainable utilization, is presented as well. Over the past five decades, extensive research work has been done on many aspects of biodiversity conservation and sustainable utilization of biological resources. This book examines this crucial issue. Chapters discuss biodiversity concepts, benefits, and values for economic and sustainable development; explores applications and strategies for biodiversity preservation; and considers the role of biodiversity conservation in public awareness services and cultural significance. The volume also examines the process of evolution and the future of biodiversity in conjunction with climate change factors, with special reference to infectious diseases. About the Author Jeyabalan Sangeetha, PhD, is Assistant Professor at Central University of Kerala at Kasaragod, South India. She earned her BSc in Microbiology and PhD in Environmental Science from Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India. She holds an MSc in Environmental Science from Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. She is the recipient of a Tamil Nadu Government Scholarship and a Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship from the University Grants Commission, Government of India, for her doctoral studies. She served as the Dr. D.S. Kothari Postdoctoral Fellow and a UGC Postdoctoral Fellow at Karnatak University, Dharwad, South India, during 2012–2016 with funding from the University Grants Commission, Government of India, New Delhi. Her research interests are in environmental toxicology, environmental microbiology, and environmental biotechnology, and her scientific/community leadership has included serving as editor of an international journal, Acta Biololgica Indica. Devarajan Thangadurai, PhD, is Senior Assistant Professor at Karnatak University in South India, President of the International Society for Applied Biotechnology, and General Secretary for the Association for the Advancement of Biodiversity Science. In addition, Dr. Thangadurai is Editor-in-Chief of two international journals, Biotechnology, Bioinformatics and Bioengineering and Acta Biologica Indica. He received his PhD in Botany from Sri Krishnadevaraya University in South India. During 2002–2004, he worked as a CSIR Senior Research Fellow with funding from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. He served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Madeira, Portugal, University of Delhi, India, and ICAR National Research Centre for Banana, India. He is the recipient of the Best Young Scientist Award with a Gold Medal from Acharya Nagarjuna University, India, and the VGST-SMYSR Young Scientist Award of the Government of Karnataka, Republic of India. He has authored and edited nineteen books, including Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (3 vols.); Genes, Genomes and Genomics (2 vols.); Mycorrhizal Biotechnology; Genomics and Proteomics; Industrial Biotechnology; and Environmental Biotechnology, with publishers of national and international reputation. He has also visited Portugal, Indonesia, Ukraine, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, Oman, Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Georgia, United Arab Emirates, Myanmar, Egypt, Italy, and Russia for academic work, scientific meetings, and international collaborations. Hong Ching Goh, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Built Environment