The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience by Rob Hopkins Green Books Ltd. 2008 240 pages ISBN: 978-1-099322-18-8 Permaculture is described by Graham Bell as the "design and maintenance of agriculturally productive systems which have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems" (p. 137). Author Rob Hopkins teaches permaculture and natural building in the United Kingdom and uses that topic as the basis for this book. The Transition Handbook is a resource and practice manual for moving communities toward a "powered-down" or low-energy-use future. Hopkins uses his experience with the tenets of permaculture and the practice of active transition communities in the United Kingdom to chart a path to address the social, cultural, and economic challenges that are a result of the twin global realities of climate change and peak oil. There are many recent books on sustainability and sustainable development in the United States (see Epstein 2008; Esty and Winston 2006; Laszlo 2003; and McDonough and Braungart 2002). These books often provide information on technological innovations, community development projects, or global industrial advances. The authors of these efforts reinforce a vision of the future with abundant and free energy from alternative or renewable sources, clean manufacturing and development, and a continuing global green consumer culture. Many predict and describe in some detail the types of technological, economic, or social changes that might lead us toward this preferred future and prevent the destruction of the planet. Hopkins' book uniquely describes a labor-, collaboration-, and learningintensive process of transitioning communities to local and supportable agrarian production systems in order to increase their ability to persist through significant loss in the availability of energy, materials, and trade and to reduce the possibility of disruptive or violent social upheaval. The Transition Handbook describes alternatives, processes, tools, and methods that can be used by local citizen groups to expand their understanding and skills and to reinvent a positive approach to the preservation of the quality of hearth and home during what Hopkins sees as the inevitable energy descent that will occur as oil supplies dwindle and the climate changes. Hopkins describes the twin crises of peak oil and global climate change as two great and inevitable aspects of the same problem. When considered together, he concludes that the possible scenarios for life beyond peak oil range from a stable or enlightened transition to complete societal collapse. The only optimistic possibilities he identifies are adaptation or evolution. Since adaptation depends on the discovery and deployment of new technologies and efficiencies, failure of the adaptation model could result in a need for military protection of access to oil supplies. This holds the possibility of the rapid collapse of civilization. The evolution scenarios require a great transition to a low-energy future in which sharing of resources and localization of economic activity lead to an orderly "powering down" of the economic system controlled at the local level. The failure of the evolution model would result in a return to a tribal culture of limited trade and transport but could preserve culture and result in a positive new beginning. In Hopkins' view, the adaptation, or technology, innovation scenario is too dependent on unknown and possibly unlikely discoveries and the risks of failure are unacceptable. He believes that the evolution of communities using permaculture practice has less risk and more potential for reward in terms of quality of life. Hopkins identifies the pace of depletion and society's level of engagement as the factors that will determine the success or failure of the transition. In this way, Hopkins echoes authors such as Thomas Friedman (2008) in calling for significant, proactive grassroots support for action rather than depending on the more reactive forces of government or the free market to develop and deploy solutions. …

The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience

Abstract This article aims at finding efficient hyperspectral indices for the estimation of forest sun leaf chlorophyll content (CHL, µg cm leaf − 2 ), sun leaf mass per area (LMA, g dry matter m leaf − 2 ), canopy leaf area index (LAI, m 2 leaf m soil − 2 ) and leaf canopy biomass (B leaf , g dry matter m soil − 2 ). These parameters are useful inputs for forest ecosystem simulations at landscape scale. The method is based on the determination of the best vegetation indices (index form and wavelengths) using the radiative transfer model PROSAIL (formed by the newly-calibrated leaf reflectance model PROSPECT coupled with the multi-layer version of the canopy radiative transfer model SAIL). The results are tested on experimental measurements at both leaf and canopy scales. At the leaf scale, it is possible to estimate CHL with high precision using a two wavelength vegetation index after a simulation based calibration. At the leaf scale, the LMA is more difficult to estimate with indices. At the canopy scale, efficient indices were determined on a generic simulated database to estimate CHL, LMA, LAI and Bleaf in a general way. These indices were then applied to two Hyperion images (50 plots) on the Fontainebleau and Fougeres forests and portable spectroradiometer measurements. They showed good results with an RMSE of 8.2 µg cm − 2 for CHL, 9.1 g m − 2 for LMA, 1.7 m 2 m − 2 for LAI and 50.6 g m − 2 for Bleaf. However, at the canopy scale, even if the wavelengths of the calibrated indices were accurately determined with the simulated database, the regressions between the indices and the biophysical characteristics still had to be calibrated on measurements. At the canopy scale, the best indices were: for leaf chlorophyll content: ND chl  = ( ρ 925  −  ρ 710 )/( ρ 925  +  ρ 710 ), for leaf mass per area: ND LMA  = ( ρ 2260  −  ρ 1490 )/( ρ 2260  +  ρ 1490 ), for leaf area index: D LAI  =  ρ 1725  −  ρ 970 , and for canopy leaf biomass: ND Bleaf  = ( ρ 2160  −  ρ 1540 )/( ρ 2160  +  ρ 1540 ).

Calibration and validation of hyperspectral indices for the estimation of broadleaved forest leaf chlorophyll content, leaf mass per area, leaf area index and leaf canopy biomass

The publication of Mayo Ethnobotany deserves our celebration. Combining field observations, library and herbarium research, authors Yetman and Van Devender pooled their resources to produce a comprehensive portrait of the geology, geography, history, language, culture and botany of the Mayos, an indigenous people of northwestern Mexico. As with many other cultures, Mayo traditional knowledge is rapidly being lost as the people are absorbed into modern Mexico. The authors, who started out working in the Rı́o Mayo region independently and explored the land for several years unbeknownst to each other, spent six years studying the Mayo region, though their studies continue. They had previously lived and worked in the Sonoran Desert for decades, and their attention was drawn to Rı́o Mayo because the ‘‘desert dwindles away and merges into more tropical’’ systems. The book’s contents are divided into two sections. Part one consists of a description of the people and the land, a brief ethnography of the Mayos, their history, and an overview of plant and animal life. That section concludes with an extended portrayal of ‘‘Eight Plants that Make Mayos Mayos,’’ nominated because they are known to all, and integral to Mayo life. Part two, the second half the book, is devoted to an annotated list of plants arranged alphabetically by plant family. The list appears to be complete, both in species listed, and usage. The botanical descriptions are detailed and picturesque, and special attention is given to information about habitat. Culinary, medicinal and veterinary use, industrial, construction, artifact, and every other human use are relayed. Non-native crop species are included when they make a significant contribution to the cash economy of the growers. Hence, we learn that many Mayos plant ajonjoli (sesame) as a cash crop. Thousands of acres of ajonjoli are planted in the Mayo region and almost all of the seeds are sold in the international market. They are accustomed to ‘‘interplant beans, squash and, above all, watermelon,’’ a practice that reminds this writer of a similar list of species intercropped with sesame in the Wadi Hadhramaut region of Yemen. Care was taken to present supplemental documentary records. A number of informative black and white illustrations are scattered through the volume. Six Appendices offer data that may be useful to future researchers: Mayo region place names and their meanings; Yoreme consultants; Gazetteer of the Mayo region; Mayo plants listed by Spanish names; Mayo plants listed by Mayo name; and Glossary of Mayo and Spanish terms. A dozen pages of notes at the end of the book provide elaboration of specific facts. Another dozen pages devoted to a thorough index follow a five-page bibliography. Affordable and easy to read and to use, it should be added to every professional’s library.

Exploring Agrodiversity: Daniel F. Austin, Book Review Editor

Interaction and Coevolution.

Une civilisation Ouest-Africaine : els Diola de la Basse Casamance

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Réponses et adaptations aux changements globaux : quels enjeux pour la recherche sur la biodiversité ? Prospective de recherche

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