This chapter is devoted specifically to count data for three reasons: (i) they are common in ecological studies (e.g. clutch sizes, numbers of fledglings from a nest, numbers of seeds per pod...); (ii) they are simple to collect and are therefore often the data collected by students (e.g. numbers...

Large lungworms can cause clinical disease and occasional mortality, whereas infections with small lungworms are often subclinical. Although several species of small lungworm have been isolated from small ruminants, this book chapter describes the most commonly described in the scientific...

Particulates from combustion sources are a major component of outdoor and indoor air pollutants. During fires, they contribute to acute injury and deaths from smoke exposure; and through chronic daily exposure in homes, workplaces and the outdoor environment they are a major cause of long-term...

Radon is a rare natural radioactive gas. It produces solid progeny which emit alpha particles implicated in inducing cellular lesions in human bronchial epithelial tissue after inhalation. As early as the 15th century, increased rates of mortality due to respiratory diseases were observed in...

This chapter considers in detail different possibilities for optimizing the feed conversion ratio (FCR) for intensive production. Among the factors that were discussed includes: physical presentation (pellet size and quality) of the diet, feed storage, number of diets, age, sex, purpose of rabbits...

This chapter focuses on the basics of biotic mortality agents (parasitoids and predatory arthropods) and the apparent responses or adaptations of various lepidopteran species to these agents. The various mechanisms used by Lepidoptera in ensuring their survival are also discussed.

This chapter explores the various aspects of adult butterfly behaviour in relation to predation by vertebrates and arthropods. The various risks encountered by butterflies during its adult life are presented and the various defence mechanisms they employ to evade predation are discussed.

This book chapter emphasize alarming evidence that major contaminants originating from biological sources as well as pollutants generated spontaneously or as a result of anthropogenic activity cause: human morbidity by exacerbating conditions such as asthma, COPD and cardiovascular disease (CVD),...

Human health has changed throughout history as environmental conditions have changed. Causes of ill health and vulnerability to these risk factors combine and intersect in a complex and place-specific manner. This chapter reviews available published data on past and recent global trends in neonatal ...

In more developed societies, as children become more likely to survive to adulthood and people begin to live longer in general, the age distribution of the population changes from high numbers of young people and low numbers of elderly, with most deaths occurring in early childhood, to a more even...