Includes bibliographical references (p. [244]-250) and index.

|a Machine generated contents note: List of Tables xiv -- List of Figures xvii -- 1 Interlinkages between Ecology and Economics 1 -- Introduction 1 -- World Economic Development and Limitations 4 -- of Spaceship Earth -- Ecology and Economics: Conflicting Paradigms 6 -- Ecological Concern in the Evolution of Economic -- Thought 11 -- Need for New Eco-principles 15 -- Scheme of the 7Work 19 -- 2 The Biosphere and the Ecosystems 21 -- Earth, Life and Biosphere 21 -- Ecosystem 23 -- Components of Ecosystem: Biotic Environment 25 -- Abiotic Environment 27 -- Inorganic Substances 27 -- Organic Substances 28 -- Climate Condition and Limiting Factors 29 -- Soil 31 -- Energetics of Ecosystem 33 -- Biodiversity 37 -- Ecological Regions of an Economy 42 -- 3 Energy flow in the Ecosystem 44 -- Energy Flow and Economic Process 44 -- Concept of Energy and its Role in the Biosphere 45 -- Solar Energy Flow 48 -- Energy Flow along Food Chain 59 -- Solar Energy Flow and Ecological Economics 66 -- 4 Bio-geo-chemical Cycles 68 -- Why are Bio-geo-chemical Cycles Relevant in 68 -- the Economic Context? -- Concept of Bio-geo-chemical Cycles 69 -- Hydrological Cycle 71 -- Gaseous Cycle: Carbon Cycle 74 -- Nitrogen Cycle 77 -- Oxygen Cycle 82 -- Sedimentary Cycles: Phosphorous Cycle 83 -- Sulphur Cycle 85 -- Nutrient Budget and Ecosystem 87 -- Nutrient Cycles and Human Well-being 90 -- 5 Population Ecology and Human Population Growth 91 -- Population of Species and Human System 91 -- Population Attributes 92 -- Population Growth 93 -- Biotic Population Growth Pattern 96 -- Human Population Growth 100 -- Population Density, Migration and Trade 107 -- Density and Use of Manmade Capital 108 -- and Technology -- Migration 109 -- Trade and Liberalization 111 -- Population and Environment 113 -- Ecology of the Poor 115 -- Ecology of the Affluent 117 -- India's Human Settlement 120 -- 6 Human Ecology: The Limits of Sources and Sinks 134 -- Nature as Source and Sink 134 -- Land, Soil and Food 135 -- Food Security 135 -- Land Use 138 -- Land Degradation 140 -- Soil Erosion 141 -- Chemical Degradation 143 -- Physical Degradation 144 -- Unsustainable Agricultural Practice 144 -- and Land Degradation -- Impact of Soil Degradation 146 -- Water 149 -- Water Resources Balance 149 -- Water Pollution 153 -- Development and Water Management 155 -- Forest 157 -- Forest as a Resource 157 -- Extent of Deforestation and Degradation 160 -- Biodiversity 167 -- Extent of Biodiversity 167 -- Loss of Biodiversity 172 -- Energy 176 -- Development and Energy Security 176 -- Energy and Environmental Pollution 181 -- India's Energy Scene and Sustainability 184 -- Non-energy Materials 189 -- Sink and Wastes 194 -- Wastes 194 -- Case of Pesticides 198 -- Global Pollution: Acid Rain 200 -- Ozone Depletion 202 -- Global Warming 203 -- Degradation of Sink: Desertification 213 -- 7 Sustainability of Economic Development 215 -- Concept of Sustainable Development 215 -- Policy Approach of Sustainable Development 225 -- Role of Technology and Human Values 225 -- Management of Sustainable Development and 230 -- Institutions -- Annexe India's Agro-Ecological Regions 235 -- References 244 -- Index 251.