Customer Reviews:
Insightful overview of tropical ecology.......2007-03-09
I found Tropical Nature to be an interesting and easy read. Organized neatly into 17 chapters and an appendix, each covers a specific a specific species of ecological concept. I found chapter 6, "Listen to the flowers" the most interesting, detailing the different mechanisms plants employ in order to have evolutionary advantages as well as trick other species.
(I read this as a precursor to a may term course at my college where I shall be going to the rain forests of Ecuador)
great adventure!.......2007-01-18
I began reading this book for a class involving tropical studies and travel and I wasn't sure what to expect. This is a great book. Easy read. The book takes a broad yet, also in depth exploration of different *interesting* topics in tropical ecology. Although it is definitely not a scientific text, this book takes you for a wondrous adventure into the tropics.
Tropical Nature.......2006-11-13
This book was great. It is written a bit technically, so it would help to have a science backgroung to fully enjoy it. The literary style is easy to read and the book is difficult to put down. I'm sure that having read this book will enhance my trip to the rain forest. Thanks!!
Best Intro to the Natural History of Tropical Forests.......2006-10-15
Buy this Book! This book is a great read for anybody who is interested in life on our planet. It would make a dandy companion to E.O. Wilson's "The Diversity of Life."
ENCHANTING DEPICTION OF THE RAIN FOREST.......2006-04-10
Among books that aim to express to readers the wonders of the rain forest, this one stands out. In 17 chapters that touch upon different aspects of the rain forest, the authors transmit their own passion for the rain forest and the unique intricacies that make rain forests some of the most precious places on earth.
The book is not written as one coherent whole, but rather as 17 individual chapters or essays. Below is a brief sample of topics:
- the strategy of dung scarabs to capture important proteins
- the symbiotic relationship of sloths with the trees they prefer
- the mimicry some insects have developed to elude their main predators, birds
- the reason why some birds have developed migratory patterns to temperate climates
- the reason why some frogs developed a parental care strategy and even marsupial pouches
- the reason why some trees are hollow
- how parasited species can benefit even in the most unlikely scenarios
- why some plants developed hallucinogenic substances
These are just a few of the topics covered in the book. It is written in a pop science format, so that an interested reader will easily understand and appreciate these and many more concepts. The authors carefully explain the relationships, often comparing the rain forest experience with those of temperate forests. The authors also focus on the possible evolutionary principles involved in adaptations presented.
This is the very best introductory book on the subject. It is designed to excite the reader into learning more and even visiting the rain forest. In the mold of Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Dawkins, Miyata and Forsyth write a masterpiece that will make the reader feel smarter after reading it.
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Introduction to Forest Ecosystem Science and Management
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Harlow and Harrar's Textbook of Dendrology
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Introduction to Wildlife and Fisheries
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Forest Ecosystems
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Wildlife Ecology and Management (5th Edition)
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Ecosystem Management: Adaptive, Community-Based Conservation
ASIN: 0471331457 |
Book Description
Conveying the wide-ranging scope of forestry and the great challenges that lie ahead, this Third Edition brings together leading forestry experts and gives readers a broad overview of the field. Coverage ranges from the basic cell, individual trees, and the forest stand, to management of the forest stand and acquisition of goods and services from the forest.
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- Better Trout Habitat: A guide to Stream Restoration and Mana
- Good Trout Habitat and Life Cycle Reference
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Better Trout Habitat: A Guide To Stream Restoration And Management
Christopher J. Hunter
Manufacturer: Island Press
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Trout Stream Therapy
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Trout and Salmon of North America
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Trout of the World
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Stream Hydrology: An Introduction for Ecologists
ASIN: 0933280777 |
Book Description
Explains the physical, chemical, and biological needs of trout, and shows how climate, geology, vegetation, and flowing water all help to create trout habitat.
Customer Reviews:
Better Trout Habitat: A guide to Stream Restoration and Mana.......2001-11-01
This book provides an in depth review of the methods and techniques used to provide habitat characteristics to a variety of streams. The writting style is excellent for both the lay reader as well as someone with a scientific back ground. However, it does not dwell on some fot the more technical details which requires a more technical level book to provide more indepth details. However, as a general manual to habitat resoration it provides an excellent background as well as the necessary caution needed when conducting these types of instream restoration projects.
Good Trout Habitat and Life Cycle Reference.......2000-06-07
This book offers a good variety of man-made trout improvement structures, but the current (2000) state-of-the art in trout habitat improvement trends toward a more natural, vegetation and channel reconstruction approach. This book provides excellent design guidelines and background information on trout and their life cycle, and perhaps the most useful part of this book was the author's ability to teach the reader enough about the habitat requirements of trout to allow the reader some latitude and innovation with their habitat improvement designs.
I personally enjoyed the workable, readable and philosophical approach to fish habitat improvement, and I believe that this book would be a good reference for anyone who wishes to improve trout habitat.
Remember, an ounce of habitat preservation is better than ten pounds of habitat restoration efforts! (Also, the information in this book will help the reader become a more effective trout fisherman!)
Book Description
This textbook covers
Plant Ecology from the molecular to the global level. It covers the following areas in unprecedented breadth and depth:
- Molecular ecophysiology (stress physiology: light, temperature, oxygen deficiency, drought, salt, heavy metals, xenobiotica and biotic stress factors)
- Autecology (whole plant ecology: thermal balance, water, nutrient, carbon relations)
- Ecosystem ecology (plants as part of ecosystems, element cycles, biodiversity)
- Synecology (development of vegetation in time and space, interactions between vegetation and the abiotic and biotic environment)
- Global aspects of plant ecology (global change, global biogeochemical cycles, land use, international conventions, socio-economic interactions)
The book is carefully structured and well written: complex issues are elegantly presented and easily understandable. It contains more than 500 photographs and drawings, mostly in colour, illustrating the fascinating subject.
The book is primarily aimed at graduate students of biology but will also be of interest to post-graduate students and researchers in botany, geosciences and landscape ecology. Further, it provides a sound basis for those dealing with agriculture, forestry, land use, and landscape management.
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Ecology of Desert Systems
Walter G. Whitford
Manufacturer: Academic Press
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Ecology of Desert Rivers
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Desert Ecology
ASIN: 0127472614 |
Book Description
Conventional wisdom considers deserts stark, harsh regions that support few living things. Most people also believe that water alone makes the desert bloom.
Ecology of Desert Systems challenges these conventional views.
This volume explores a broad range of topics of interest to ecosystem, population, community, and physiological ecologists. Climate, weather patterns, geomorphology, and wind and water processes are examined as variables that affect the distribution of biota through fundamental ecosystem processes. Descriptions of morphological, behavioral, and physiological adaptations of desert biota illuminate, through the lens of patch dynamics, principles for understanding observed patterns of primary production, nutrient cycling, and the effects of consumers. Desertification, and the techniques for monitoring and quantifying it, is examined within the framework of desert ecosystem patterns and processes.
* Focuses on the interactions of climate, soil, and biota along a spectrum of spatial and temporal scales
* Details the role of animals in desert ecosystems and landscape processes
* Examines watershed scale processes, the ecology of ephemeral lakes, and the ecological changes identified with desertification
* Outlines the fundamental concepts relevant to sustainable development of arid lands
Book Description
"...a clarion call to society for the need to balance human demands with the needs of our world's rivers, the arterial system of life on this planet. The authors describe the vanguard movement to restore rivers and to reconnect rivers with their flood plains, portraying the under-appreciated life support services our rivers perform, their ecological function, and the threats to riverine ecosystems." -MIKE DOMBECK, CHIEF EMERITUS OF THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE AND PIONEER PROFESSOR OF GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-STEVENS POINT
"Finally! A book that pays attention to flow, not just pollutants, as central to river restoration. Blending science and readability, Rivers for Life offers refreshing insights into allocating limited water to meet the needs of humans and rivers." -JAMES R. KARR, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, SEATTLE
The conventional approach to river protection has focused on water quality and maintaining some "minimum" flow that was thought necessary to ensure the viability of a river. In recent years, however, scientific research has underscored the idea that the ecological health of a river system depends not on a minimum amount of water at any one time but on the naturally variable quantity and timing of flows throughout the year.
In Rivers for Life, leading water experts Sandra Postel and Brian Richter explain why restoring and preserving more natural river flows are key to sustaining freshwater biodiversity and healthy river systems, and describe innovative policies, scientific approaches, and management reforms for achieving those goals. Sandra Postel and Brian Richter: explain the value of healthy rivers to human and ecosystem health; describe the ecological processes that support river ecosystems and how they have been disrupted by dams, diversions, and other alterations; consider the scientific basis for determining how much water a river needs; examine new management paradigms focused on restoring flow patterns and sustaining ecological health; assess the policy options available for managing rivers and other freshwater systems; explore building blocks for better river governance
Sandra Postel and Brian Richter offer case studies of river management from the United States (the San Pedro, Green, and Missouri), Australia (the Brisbane), and South Africa (the Sabie), along with numerous examples of new and innovative policy approaches that are being implemented in those and other countries.
Rivers for Life presents a global perspective on the challenges of managing water for people and nature, with a concise yet comprehensive overview of the relevant science, policy, and management issues. It presents exciting and inspirational information for anyone concerned with water policy, planning and management, river conservation, freshwater biodiversity, or related topics.
Customer Reviews:
A Gentle Warrior.......2005-10-26
Sandra Postel writes in a clear and lyrical style which is entertaining to read. Her content is not overly technical nor is it patronisingly simplistic. Postel has a pleasing habit of rejecting jargon and buzz phrases.
I found her assertions, research and conclusions to be creditable. I enjoyed the breadth of the discussion.
She is not strident nor angry in her criticism of individuals or corporations, rather she lets good science do her talking.
Postel enjoys a wide audience and is often represented in university reading lists. She is one of the more enjoyable reads to be found there.
a wisdom runs through it.......2004-03-13
This book, like previous works by Sandra Postel, is a clarion warning call about the dangers in how we have been managing our waters. The message from this book that is of particular importance, is that truly successful, and therefore sustainable, environmental management is really just as much about managing people as it is about managing natural systems. For this reason, I have placed this important book on the reading list for my watershed management course at Harvard. And also, I am grateful that Sandra Postel agreed to write a front-end blurb for my recently published (by Green Frigate Books) book entitled Deep Immersion: The Experience of Water.
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Fisheries Ecology and Management
Carl J. Walters , and
Steven J. D. Martell
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
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Quantitative Fisheries Stock Assessment: Choice, Dynamics and Uncertainty
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Marine Fisheries Ecology
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The Ecological Detective
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Modelling and Quantitative Methods in Fisheries
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Successful Fisheries Management: Issues, Case Studies, Perspectives
ASIN: 0691115451 |
Book Description
Quantitative modeling methods have become a central tool in the management of harvested fish populations. This book examines how these modeling methods work, why they sometimes fail, and how they might be improved by incorporating larger ecological interactions. Fisheries Ecology and Management provides a broad introduction to the concepts and quantitative models needed to successfully manage fisheries.
Walters and Martell develop models that account for key ecological dynamics such as trophic interactions, food webs, multi-species dynamics, risk-avoidance behavior, habitat selection and density-dependence. They treat fisheries policy development as a two-stage process, first identifying strategies for varying harvest in relation to changes in abundance, then finding ways to implement such strategies in terms of monitoring and regulatory procedures. This book provides a general framework for developing assessment models in terms of state-observation dynamics hypotheses, and points out that most fisheries assessment failures have been due to inappropriate observation model hypotheses rather than faulty models for ecological dynamics.
Intended as a text in upper division and graduate classes on fisheries assessment and management, this useful guide will also be widely read by ecologists and fisheries scientists.
Book Description
Drawn since boyhood to the beauty and allure of marshes, naturalist William Burt has prowled them by day and night, in every season, from one edge of North America to the other. For thirty years he has hauled his large-format camera with him, seeking to capture on film the elusive birds, the wildflowers and grasses, and the unique wild beauty of the marshes. In this breathtakingly lovely book, he selects ninety of his most striking photographs. He also offers his reflections on the marshes he has visited, inviting his readers to come with him and become acquainted with this hidden world, its richness, and its vulnerability.
Burt explores marshes near and far, from Connecticut to Manitoba, the Gulf of Mexico, California’s Central Valley, the Northern Plains, and elsewhere. His photographs explore all aspects and seasons of marsh life but focus especially on such shy inhabitants as rails, bitterns, grebes, and gallinules. While the photographs tell stories of their own, Burt’s narrative invokes the marshes of the past and compares them to today’s, with prose as picture-sharp as the photography.
No book has ever evoked the mystery and beauty of the marshes so compellingly as this by William Burt. And no reader, having accompanied the author to this secret world, will fail to appreciate the rare privilege of having been there.
Book Description
Increasingly, cracks are appearing in the capacity of communities, ecosystems, and landscapes to provide the goods and services that sustain our planet's well-being. The response from most quarters has been for "more of the same" that created the situation in the first place: more control, more intensification, and greater efficiency.
"Resilience thinking" offers a different way of understanding the world and a new approach to managing resources. It embraces human and natural systems as complex entities continually adapting through cycles of change, and seeks to understand the qualities of a system that must be maintained or enhanced in order to achieve sustainability. It explains why greater efficiency by itself cannot solve resource problems and offers a constructive alternative that opens up options rather than closing them down.
In Resilience Thinking, scientist Brian Walker and science writer David Salt present an accessible introduction to the emerging paradigm of resilience. The book arose out of appeals from colleagues in science and industry for a plainly written account of what resilience is all about and how a resilience approach differs from current practices. Rather than complicated theory, the book offers a conceptual overview along with five case studies of resilience thinking in the real world. It is an engaging and important work for anyone interested in managing risk in a complex world.
Customer Reviews:
A Pathway to Our New Future.......2007-07-04
A MUST read for environmentalists. And for business, community and anyone willing to adapt the thinking to their situation. Brian and David have done a superb job in translating resilience theory and its close ties to complex adaptive systems. I have been looking for a book to recommend to my clients and students and this is it. I would also strongly recommend that the 'old guard' sustainability brigade have a look at this. The strategies that sustainability largely pursues are unsustainable. Resilience thinking is a more accurate path for us to head toward something that resembles sustainability. Well done.
Well written explanation of complexity in ecosystems.......2007-07-02
This is a great book. I've read several books on this topic, and so far, they have all had a similar issue: They are written by people who are scientists first, writers second. This book has two authors. One is a scientist and the other is a science writer. This made for a well put-together, understandable explanation of complex adaptive systems, which are what ecosystems are currently understood to be.
The authors have done a few things to make the book great. First, they have broken the topic down into a set of subtopics, with one chapter explaining each subtopic. At the end of each chapter is a summary of important points so it's clear what the authors are hoping you get out of the chapter. Each chapter is then followed by a case study that is used to illustrate the ideas just covered.
If you are looking for an introductory book on ecosystems and how humans affect their ability to maintain themselves, this is the book to read. The authors also provide several good resources at the end of the book if you would like to expand your knowledge further.
Book Description
Nowhere on Earth is the challenge for ecological understanding greater, and yet more urgent, than in those parts of the globe where human activity is most intense - cities. People need to understand how cities work as ecological systems so they can take control of the vital links between human actions and environmental quality, and work for an ecologically and economically sustainable future. An ecosystem approach integrates biological, physical and social factors and embraces historical and geographical dimensions, providing our best hope for coping with the complexity of cities. This book is the first of its kind to bring together leaders in the biological, physical and social dimensions of urban ecosystem research with leading education researchers, administrators and practitioners, to show how an understanding of urban ecosystems is vital for urban dwellers to grasp the fundamentals of ecological and environmental science, and to understand their own environment.
Customer Reviews:
understanding urban ecosutem.......2007-09-17
I bought these books for my son who goes to college. I only looked at the books briefly. I was very happy with the books.
Books:
- Understanding Nutrition (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac) (Understanding Nutrition)
- Voyage of the Turtle: In Pursuit of the Earth's Last Dinosaur
- Where Did I Come From?
- Why?: The Best Ever Question and Answer Book About Nature, Science, and the World Around You
- YOU: The Owner's Manual: An Insider's Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger
- A-Z of Quantitative PCR (IUL Biotechnology, No. 5) (Iul Biotechnology Series)
- An Introduction to Medical Statistics (Oxford Medical Publications)
- Are you a Grasshopper? (Backyard Books)
- Basic Principles of Structural Equation Modeling : An Introduction to Lisrel and Eqs (Springer Texts in Statistics)
- Biology of Cancer
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Italian American Heritage: A Companion to Literature and Arts
- Silence on the Wire: A Field Guide to Passive Reconnaissance and Indirect Attacks
- Purple Place for Dying
- Robot Trilogy: The Caves of Steel, The Naked Sun, The Robots of Dawn
- Photography
- Principles and Applications of Aquatic Chemistry
- Race, State, and Armed Forces in Independence-Era Brazil: Bahia
- Alex Harris: Islas en el Tiempo
- Journal of a Prairie Year
- Lichenographia universalis
A Neotropical Companion
Costa Rica: A Traveler's Literary Companion (Traveler's Literary Companions)
Costa Rica (Traveller's Wildlife Guides)
Costa Rican Wildlife: An Introduction to Familiar Species (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press)
A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica (Comstock Book)
