x Contents
5.5 Biodiversity and Landscape 106
5.5.1 Flora and Fauna 107
5.5.2 Biotopes 108
5.5.3 Pressures on the Natural Landscape 108
5.5.4 Greek Landscape: A Characteristic Example 109
5.5.4.1 Landscape Attributes and Alterations 109
5.5.4.2 Degradation of the Coastal Zones 111
5.5.4.3 Sites of Outstanding Beauty 112
6 The Environment in the City
115
6.1 The Urban Environment 115
6.2 The City and Urban Activities 116
6.3 Cities in the Developing World 118
6.4 Cities in Industrial Countries 119
6.5 Noise Pollution 121
6.6 Pollution from Urban Solid Waste 123
6.7 Indoor Pollution 125
6.7.1 Sick Building Syndrome 127
6.8 Green and Open Spaces 128
6.8.1 The Periurban Natural Environment 128
6.8.2 Streams in the Cities 130
6.8.2.1 Streams in a Mediterranean City:
The Case of Athens 130
6.8.3 Nature in the City 132
6.8.3.1 The Urban Ecosystem 134
6.8.3.2 Difficulties Involved in Creating
Urban Biotopes in Some Cities 136
7 Toxic Pollution
137
7.1 Toxic Pollutants, Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification 137
7.2 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) 139
7.3 Toxic Synthetic Organic Compounds 139
7.3.1 Toxic Substances for the Protection
of Agricultural Production 140
7.3.2 Non-Toxic Means of Protecting
Agricultural Production 145
7.4 Toxic Pollution from Metals and Inorganic Substances 146
7.4.1 Lead 146
7.4.2 Mercury 147