Ecological science, the Biosphere Books

Book SynopsisA unique and personal insight into the ecology and evolution of pollinators, their relationships with flowers, and their conservation in a rapidly changing world. The pollination of flowers by insects, birds and other animals is a fundamentally important ecological function that supports both the natural world and human society. Without pollinators to facilitate the sexual reproduction of plants, the world would be a biologically poorer place in which to live, there would be an impact on food security, and human health would suffer. Written by one of the world's leading pollination ecologists, this book provides an introduction to what pollinators are, how their interactions with flowers have evolved, and the fundamental ecology of these relationships. It explores the pollination of wild and agricultural plants in a variety of habitats and contexts, including urban, rural and agricultural environments. The author also provides practical advice on how individuals and organisations can study, and support, pollinators. As well as covering the natural history of pollinators and flowers, the author discusses their cultural importance, and the ways in which pollinator conservation has been portrayed from a political perspective. The book draws on field work experiences in South America, Africa, Australia, the Canary Islands and the UK. For over 30 years the author has spent his career researching how plants and pollinators evolve relationships, how these interactions function ecologically, their importance for society, and how we can conserve them in a rapidly changing world. This book offers a unique and personal insight into the science of pollinators and pollination, aimed at anyone who is interested in understanding these fascinating and crucial ecological interactions.Trade ReviewSUPERB. It contains everything I've spent the last 10 years trying to grasp, all in one book, AND written in a way I can understand! It makes such a difference to a non-scientist (like me) to be able to grasp the facts, and the science behind the facts, without having to first look up dozens of terms I don't understand. -- Brigit Strawbridge Howard * Author of Dancing with Bees: A Journey Back to Nature *Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgements 1. The importance of pollinators and pollination 2. More than just bees: the diversity of pollinators 3. To be a flower 4. Fidelity and promiscuity in Darwin's entangled bank 5. The evolution of pollination strategies 6. A matter of time: from daily cycles to climate change 7. Agricultural perspectives 8. Urban environments 9. The significance of gardens 10. Shifting fates of pollinators 11. New bees on the block 12. Managing, restoring and connecting habitats 13. The politics of pollination 14. Studying pollinators and pollination References Index

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Book SynopsisCovering diverse species from garter snakes to Komodo dragons, this book delves into the evolutionary origins and fascinating details of the mysterious social lives of reptiles. Reptiles have been too often dismissed as dull animals with tiny brains and simple, asocial lives. In reality, reptiles engage in a remarkable diversity of complex social behavior. They can live in families; communicate with one another while still in the egg; and hunt, feed, migrate, court, mate, nest, and hatch in groups. In The Secret Social Lives of Reptiles, J. Sean Doody, Vladimir Dinets, and Gordon M. Burghardtthree of the world's leading experts on reptilesbring together a wave of new research with a synthesis of classic studies to produce the only authoritative look at the social behaviors of the most provocative animals on the planet. The book covers turtles, lizards, snakes, crocodilians, and the enigmatic tuatara. Enhanced with dozens of images, it takes readers through a myriad of social interactTrade ReviewThe authors show that many ideas about reptile behavior are based more on folklore and bias than science. They review the research and present findings in highly readable accounts, demonstrating that reptiles interact with each other in surprising and intricate ways. The Secret Social Lives of Reptiles reveals, once again, that life on this planet is far more stunning than we can imagine.—Matthew Miller, Nature - Cool Green ScienceScience writing about family lives in turtles, snakes and crocodilians promises a much needed corrective to our assumptions about 'lowly' reptiles.—Times Literary SupplementThis is an excellent book on an underappreciated topic. The coverage is thorough and the insights are sharp, as is to be expected from a group of authors with tremendous expertise in the social behavior of diverse groups of reptiles.—Herpetological ReviewTable of ContentsForeword, by Gordon W. SchuettPrefaceAcknowledgmentsChapter 1. Social Behavior Research: Its History and a Role for ReptilesChapter 2. Reptile Evolution and BiologyChapter 3. Mating Systems, Social Structure, and Social OrganizationChapter 4. CommunicationChapter 5. Courtship and MatingChapter 6. Communal Egg-Laying: Habitat Saturation or Conspecific Attraction?Chapter 7. Parental CareChapter 8. Hatching and Emergence: A Perspective from the Underworld Chapter 9. Behavioral Development in Reptiles: Too Little Known but Not Too LateChapter 10. The Reach of Sociality: Feeding, Thermoregulation, Predator Avoidance, and Habitat ChoiceChapter 11. Looking toward the FutureReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisThe study of the Quaternary ice age has revolutionized ideas about Earth system change and the pace of landscape and ecosystem dynamics. The Ice Age: A Very Short Introduction looks at evidence from the continents, the oceans, and the ice core records, and the human stories behind it all. Jamie Woodward examines the remarkable environmental shifts that took place during the Great Ice Age of the Quaternary Period. He explores the evolution of ideas, evaluates the contributions of the leading players in the great debates, and presents some of the ingenious methods that have been used to retrieve information about the recent geological past.In an era of warming climate, the study of the ice age past is now more important than ever. This book examines the wonders of the Quaternary ice age - to show how ice age landscapes and ecosystems were repeatedly and rapidly transformed as plants, animals, and humans reorganized their worlds. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Trade ReviewWoodward's book tells a remarkable story in a succinct yet comprehensive way... The historical development of ideas relating to Ice Ages has always fascinated me and will no doubt enthral the general readership for which it is intended. * John A Matthews, The Holocene *I very much enjoy delving into the A Very Short Introduction series for a short, but not too short, summary of a subject. The Ice Age is another in this extensive series published by Oxford University Press. There are more than 350 volumes in the series and they aim to provide a 'stimulating and accessible' way into a new subject. * Weather *For me, this is just the right approach. Science is not just facts, but it is also people, blind alleys, prejudices... and egos. Taken together, this is a heady mixture which has been expertly stirred together. * Geological Journal *This is a quite delightful book, in every way. It is well written. It is stacked with new research, something that is not easy for such a 'well-worn' topic, and not a word is wasted. It also includes a large number of cameos that enhance our understanding of Quaternary Science. * Proceedings of the Geologists's Association *Well written, engaging, and accessible. * Geographical Journal *The idea of the Ice Age is now entirely conventional, but it's an idea that took centuries to extract from the evidence around us. As Jamie Woodward's book shows, there was plenty of physics involved in developing the story. * IOPscience *This is a truly comprehensive, highly accessible, and entertaining biography of Ice Age research. * Climatica *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. The Quaternary Ice Age ; 2. Erratic Boulders and the Diluvium ; 3. Monster Glaciers ; 4. Die Eiszeit ; 5. 1840 ; 6. Ice sheets or icebergs ; 7. Glacials, interglacials, and celestial cycles ; 8. Deep ocean sediments and dating the past ; 9. Ice cores, abrupt climate shifts, and ecosystem change ; Epilogue ; Further reading

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Book SynopsisFROM THE AUTHOR OF THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER,THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREESA simultaneously stimulating and soothing blend of nature writing and science Strongly encourages tree hugging for our own, human sake' Guardian Summer Reads 2021A powerful return to the forest, where trees have heartbeats and roots are like brains that extend underground. Where the colour green calms us, and the forest sharpens our senses.In The Heartbeat of Trees, renowned forester Peter Wohlleben draws on new scientific discoveries to show how humans are deeply connected to the natural world. In an era of climate change, many of us fear we've lost our connection to nature, but Wohlleben is convinced that age-old ties linking humans to the forest remain alive and intact. We just have to know where to look.Drawing on science and cutting-edge research, The Heartbeat of Trees reveals the profound interactions humans can have with nature, exploring:the language of the forestthe consciousness of plantsand the eroding Trade Review‘A simultaneously stimulating and soothing blend of nature writing and science’ Guardian ‘Wohlleben confronts [climate change] directly. He is trenchant in his critique of tree plantations and wood-pellet-power plants, which claim to help the climate but, he argues, end up destabilizing it further’ New Yorker ‘[A] detailed, easy-to-read summary of what research has shown us about “the language of the forest, the consciousness of plants, and the eroding boundary between flora and fauna.” In this excellent and updated sequel to his The Hidden Life of Trees,[…] Wohlleben writes beautifully about the reciprocal bonds we can form with trees and all sorts of nature’ Psychology Today ‘It’s hard to dispute the book’s overall message; namely, that time spent in nature can serve as both a balm for anxiety and a bulwark against despair’ Globe and Mail ‘[An] eclectic look at humanity’s relationships with trees… Nature-minded readers will enjoy this episodic deep dive’ Publishers Weekly ‘Drawing on scientific evidence and his many years of experience, [Peter Wohlleben] extolls the wonders of the forest. A persuasive invitation to get outside and bathe in nature, perfect for tree huggers and fans of the author’s other books’ Kirkus Reviews ‘A return to the wonders of trees’ Booklist ‘[The Heartbeat of Trees] showcases the interconnectedness of humans and nature … Wohlleben takes a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating history, science, medicine, and mysticism. He balances poetic descriptions with analytical thoughts; beauty is at the heart of both. The result is a text that is full of wonder and insatiable curiosity, and that invites love for humanity and the natural world’ Foreword Reviews ‘[Like] a walk in the woods…[Wohlleben] urges hope, not despair, about our environmental malaise. [The Heartbeat of Trees] will appeal to fans of popular science and anyone curious about natural history’ Library Journal

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Book SynopsisIncludes a preface and epilogue that brings Wilderness and the American Mind into dialogue with contemporary debates about wilderness. This is a study of changing attitudes toward wilderness during American history, as well as the origins of the environmental and conservation movements.Trade Review"One of those rare works that combines exemplary scholarship and readability."—Washington Post Book World (on an earlier edition)

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of The Humanure Handbook, an expert guide to compost toilets you can build yourself The Compost Toilet Handbook is an illustrated instructional manual explaining how to make, use, and manage compost toilets, which are waste-free toilets that rely on the biological process of composting to recycle toilet material. It is based on the author’s 40+ years of first-hand experience with “composting as a sanitation alternative.” The 254-page indexed book has 161 pages of color photos including 203 photos or illustrations from 13 countries where compost toilet systems are in use. The 2nd half of the book includes case study reviews of compost toilet projects in African prisons and schools; Haitian schools, orphanages, and villages; schools in Mozambique; neighborhoods in Mongolia; a school and village in Nicaragua; and an ecovillage in the US. Along with the nuts and bolts of compost toilet construction, use, and management, the book covers emergency preparedness, cold weather composting, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, health, and safety.

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Book SynopsisThere is much to love between this book's covers. . . . There are many eureka moments in Life Sculptedand some truly beautiful ones.Eugenia Bone, Wall Street Journal Meet the menagerie of lifeforms that dig, crunch, bore, and otherwise reshape our planet. Did you know elephants dig ballroom-sized caves alongside volcanoes? Or that parrotfish chew coral reefs and poop sandy beaches? Or that our planet once hosted a five-ton dinosaur-crunching alligator cousin? In fact, almost since its fascinating start, life was boring. Billions of years ago bacteria, algae, and fungi began breaking down rocks in oceans, a role they still perform today. About a half-billion years ago, animal ancestors began drilling, scraping, gnawing, or breaking rocky seascapes. In turn, their descendants crunched through the materials of life itselfshells, wood, and bones. Today, such bioeroders continue to shape our planetfrom the bacteria that devour our teeth to the mighty moon snail, always hunting for food, as evidenced by tiny snail-made boreholes in clams and other moon snails. There is no better guide to these lifeforms than Anthony J. Martin, a popular science author, paleontologist, and co-discoverer of the first known burrowing dinosaur. Following the crumbs of lichens, sponges, worms, clams, snails, octopi, barnacles, sea urchins, termites, beetles, fishes, dinosaurs, crocodilians, birds, elephants, and (of course) humans, Life Sculpted reveals how bioerosion expanded with the tree of life, becoming an essential part of how ecosystems function while reshaping the face of our planet. With vast knowledge and no small amount of whimsy, Martin uses paleontology, biology, and geology to reveal the awesome power of life's chewing force. He provokes us to think deeply about the past and present of bioerosion, while also considering how knowledge of this history might aid us in mitigating and adapting to climate change in the future. Yes, Martin concedes, sometimes life can be hardbut life also makes everything less hard every day.Trade Review"It is often said that life changes the environment. But after reading Martin’s Life Sculpted, it seems more accurate to say that living changes the environment. It was true of the dinosaur era, and it remains true today. . . . For readers who are fascinated by living fossils such as bryozoans and horseshoe crabs, there is much to love between this book’s covers. . . . There are many eureka moments in Life Sculpted—and some truly beautiful ones. . . . The key takeaway of Life Sculpted, and ichnology more generally, is that geology is indistinguishable from biology. A prevailing theme in popular culture these days is that all life is connected. But what Martin implies is that it is not only biotic organisms that are interdependent, but the geological and chemical systems of the planet, too. And while the gap between the biotic and abiotic worlds may seem huge, it’s the science that’s complicated. So, while Life Sculpted is not everybody’s idea of beach reading, think of it this way: It’s the beach." -- Eugenia Bone * Wall Street Journal *"A sampling of chapter headings in Life Sculpted: 'A Boring History of Life,' 'More Bones to Pick' and—most memorably—'Your Beach is Made of Parrotfish Poop.' Ever the tuned-in observer, Martin once noticed a sound while snorkeling, 'a crunching and popping reminiscent of sugary breakfast cereals meeting milk.' Fish, he discovered, were chowing down on the reef and then ejecting sand. Some sedimentary cycles later, we get a postcard-worthy playground. And don’t get him started on starfish: 'If you ever find a wayward sea star or other echinoderm near a beach, whatever you do, do not put it in freshwater, as this will surely kill it,' he writes. 'The same principle applies to keeping it on a shelf at home, or wearing one as a sheriff badge, which will quickly become a stinking badge, which you do not need.' You groan, but will you forget that image?" -- Candice Dyer * Atlanta Journal-Constitution *"A bewildering array of lifeforms break, scrape, and mold our planet to their own ends, from elephants digging caves by volcanoes to bacteria breaking down rocks in the oceans. Bioerosion is a distinct area of science, covering paleontology, biology, and geology. It's also testament to how life adapts to change, something relevant in the current Anthropocene era." * Bookseller *"Much of Martin's discussion involves ichnology, the study of trace fossils, such as tracks, burrows, bite marks, holes. He describes how snails drill into their prey, pine beetles munch trees, otters use rocks as tools to bust clam shells, and stingrays emit high pressure jets of water to expose quarry hiding in sediment. Martin’s writing is witty, rich in facts (the teeth of beavers are enhanced with iron), and spiced with eclectic references, such as the films Jurassic Park, Alien, and Jaws, authors ranging from Aeschylus to H.P. Lovecraft, and TV shows House Hunters and Breaking Bad. Mingling geology, biology, and paleontology, Martin has fashioned a unique and engaging portrait of the earth's many movers and shakers." * Booklist *“With an equal dose of wit and scholarship, Martin turns what is literally a boring topic—how animals and other species drill and chew through rock, bone, and wood—into an epic tale of evolution. Fun and readable, yet academically rigorous, Martin is one of the finest popularizers of paleontology today, and one of my favorite science writers.” -- Steve Brusatte, professor and paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh, New York Times–bestselling author of "The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs"“A truly original cracker of a book. Martin is one of the world’s top experts in trace fossils, and his life-long experience in doing primary research in this field shows clearly. The scientific information is first-class and highly informative. But his prose is also beautiful and refreshingly expressive. Martin has a real mastery of words that is rare. Enthralling.” -- John A. Long, author of "The Dawn of the Deed"“Anthony J. Martin is the Mary Roach of paleontology.” -- Mary Roach, @mary_roachTable of ContentsPreface Chapter 1: A Boring History of Life Chapter 2: Small but Diminishing Chapter 3: Rock, Thy Name Is Mud Chapter 4: Your Beach Is Made of Parrotfish Poop Chapter 5: Jewelry-Amenable Holes of Death Chapter 6: Super Colossal Shell-Crushing Fury! Chapter 7: Woodworking at Home Chapter 8: Driftwood and Woodgrounds Chapter 9: Bone Eaters of the Deep Chapter 10: More Bones to Pick Chapter 11: The Biggest and Most Boring of Animals Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Covering an impressive swath of ground, this book presents insightful and challenging departures in theory and methodology and is a worthwhile read for ecological scientists and social theorists alike." -- Dani Slabaugh * LSE Review of Books *"In insightful, inviting, and compelling ways, Underflows brings attention to possibilities beneath and beyond the surface flows of straight/settler science…[I]nnovative, collaborative approaches like Wölfle Hazard’s, particularly where they support and align with Indigenous-led stewardship and maintenance, are more crucial than ever." * H-Net Reviews *"Underflows will be deeply relevant to thinkers across and beyond academic disciplines. At various times addressed to practitioners of the ecological sciences, river workers, queer and trans theorists, ecocritics, and queer and trans folks outside academia, Wölfle Hazard’s exciting and thought-provoking study offers much-needed insight into queer and trans ecology and its affinities with Indigenous science, environmental justice, ecopoetics, and river ecosystems." * ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment *

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Book SynopsisAn exploration of how the Cryogenian Period, when our planet was covered in ice for millions of years, created today’s remarkable biodiversityTrade Review“A spellbinding read from one of the deepest thinkers about deep time. Part scientific autobiography, part paean to unsung heroes of the past, and part thrilling detective story, this book is the culmination of three decades of field research. Graham Shields pieces together an astonishing new answer to the oldest question: Where did we come from?”—Nick Lane, author of Vital Question: Energy, Evolution, and the Origins of Complex Life“Born of Ice and Fire is a fresh take on the mystery that most vexed Darwin: the seemingly sudden appearance of animal life in Cambrian strata. Graham Shields explores Earth’s evolving biogeochemical system and the extreme ice age that ushered in a brave new oxygen-rich world.”—Marcia Bjornerud, author of Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World“Born of Ice and Fire is engagingly and fluently written and is an authoritative, detailed overview of a highly complex and interdisciplinary subject.”—Rachel Wood, author of Reef Evolution“Graham Shields takes us on a worldwide tour, presenting the latest geological evidence about the Precambrian period and investigating how stark physical conditions like a lack of oxygen and a world covered in ice established the first life on Earth.”—Michael J. Benton, author of Dinosaurs Rediscovered and When Life Nearly Died: The Greatest Mass Extinction of All Time

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Book SynopsisThis interdisciplinary volume discusses animal housing and welfare, captive breeding, conservation, zoo legislation, and visitor behaviour. This book is an important resource for students studying zoo biology and management, animal welfare, animal behaviour, wildlife conservation and veterinary science, and anyone with a general interest in zoos.Table of Contents1. Zoos and research; 2. Defining zoos, their culture and visitors; 3. Zoos and education; 4. Anthrozoology and visitor behaviour; 5. Zoo organisation and regulation; 6. Ethics, zoos and public attitudes; 7. The contribution of zoos to Zoology; 8. Animals and their enclosures; 9. Animal welfare; 10. Enrichment and training; 11. Conservation breeding, reproduction and genetics; 12. Restoration, rehabilitation and in situ conservation; 13. Animal nutrition and conservation medicine; 14. The past and future of zoos.

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Book SynopsisAn Australian biologist delves into the extraordinary world of koalas, from their ancient ancestors to the current threats to their survival

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Book Synopsis‘Mushrooms are having a moment. [A] natural sequel for the many readers who enjoyed Merlin Sheldrake’s Entangled Life.’—Library Journal ‘If you enjoyed Merlin Sheldrake’s Entangled Life . . . I highly recommend this book. . . . In the vein of Louis Theroux, Bierend journeys deep in the wonderfully strange subculture of the mushroom-mad.’—Idler magazine From ecology to fermentation, in pop culture through to medicine – mushrooms are quite literally everywhere! Author Doug Bierend guides readers through the weird, wonderful world of fungi and the amazing mycological movement. In Search of Mycotopia introduces us to an incredible, essential and oft-overlooked kingdom of life – fungi – and all the potential it holds for our future, through the work and research being done by an unforgettable community of mushroom-mad citizen scientists and microbe devotees. This engrossing and mind-expanding book will captivate readers who are curious about the hidden worlds and networks that make up our planet. Bierend uncovers a vanguard of mycologists: growers, independent researchers, ecologists, entrepreneurs and amateur enthusiasts exploring and advocating for fungi’s capacity to improve and heal. From decontaminating landscapes and waterways to achieving food security, In Search of Mycotopia demonstrates how humans can work with fungi to better live with nature – and with one another. ‘Comprehensive and enthusiastic. . . . This fascinating, informative look into a unique subculture and the fungi at its center is a real treat.’—Publishers WeeklyTrade ReviewLibrary Journal— “The author’s sharp ear for dialogue imbues his word portraits with vivid detail. . . . Mushrooms are having a moment. In Search of Mycotopia could be a natural sequel for the many readers who enjoyed Merlin Sheldrake’s Entangled Life.”Publishers Weekly— “Comprehensive and enthusiastic . . . This fascinating, informative look into a unique subculture and the fungi at its center is a real treat.”Booklist— “As well as gaining new respect for fungi, readers will master new vocabulary on the order of frass, saprophytic, and microrrhizal. It sounds perhaps bizarre now, but humanity’s future may depend on slime molds.”“In Search of Mycotopia is for mycophiles everywhere, from old hands to young enthusiasts, profiling in lively prose the kooky, brilliant, and inspiring folks who are changing the way we understand fungi, nature, and ourselves.”—Eugenia Bone, author of Mycophilia and Microbia“In Search of Mycotopia is as wondrous and hopeful as its awe-inspiring subject. Doug Bierend deftly extends the mycelial threads of his curiosity into the many communities that congregate around fungi, from academic researchers to hipster entrepreneurs to Indigenous groups engaged in cultural mycoremediation. The resultant book is a masterpiece of intersectional fungal anthropology that will send you running for the mushroom stand at your nearest farmers market—and may even inspire you to venture forth on some forest forays yourself.”—Ben Goldfarb, author of Eager“Fungi are nature’s alchemists, the circulatory and nervous system of the forest ecosystem, and the providers of nutrition, healing, remediation, and spiritual awakening. In this compelling book, Doug Bierend awakens the myco-nerd in each of us, uplifts the stories of queer, Black, and young citizen scientists, and challenges us to ameliorate our fungal illiteracy. Bierend convinces us that the healing of our planet requires that we remember the fringe and oft-forgotten fungal kingdom.”—Leah Penniman, cofounder of Soul Fire Farm, author of Farming While Black “What if our world were connected by unseen strands, by dynamic webs of life that maintain nature as we know it, a largely hidden substrate capable of healing us, feeding us, teaching us, churning death into life, sustaining the soil, plants, and animals? Well, it is, actually. Amiable, brilliant, and endlessly curious, Doug Bierend is the perfect guide to both the marvelous realm of fungi and to the radical human subcultures that have sprung up to celebrate it—citizen mycologists, cultivators, and activists from the Ecuadorian Amazon to the Pacific Northwest. In Search of Mycotopia is a fascinating, humble, and hopeful book, a glimpse at a cosmos of which we are not the center; in which everything is interconnected, and life humbly, quietly persists.”—Ben Ehrenreich, author of Desert Notebooks: A Road Map for the End of Time“There’s a fungus among us, and it’s all good. As Doug Bierend’s engaging journey through mycoculture reveals, it’s time to make like a mushroom, join the club, and grow a distributed, curious, and sustainably prosperous world together—from the bottom up.”—Douglas Rushkoff, host and author of Team Human“Doug Bierend’s book is a vivid trip past the flora and fauna of this world and into the reigning kingdom of Fungi. The most mind-altering forays take readers far beyond psychedelic ‘shroomer culture, which turns out to be one in a collection of subversive subcultures of enthusiasts, scientists, and citizen scientists from all walks of life. Written by a playful and candid storyteller, In Search of Mycotopia vindicates the mushroom, the literal and symbolic fabric that tightly binds together all life.”—Caren Cooper, author of Citizen Science“In Search of Mycotopia is a must-read! Leaving no stone unturned, Bierend covers everything from cultivation to psychedelic studies, providing insight into how critical fungi are toward healing the planet and its inhabitants, and ultimately encouraging readers to become a part of the community. Nothing is impossible if you bring mushrooms into your life, and reading this book is a great way to begin your journey.”—Tradd Cotter, author of Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation“With a fresh and welcoming voice, Doug Bierend takes us on a journey through the far-reaching branches of the modern mycocultural movement. As his search for mycological knowledge expands across the pages, so do we also find ourselves enmeshed in the underground world of citizen scientists, DIY mushroom growers, and landscape healers. Bierend presents voices that are rarely heard elsewhere, and rarer still is his holistic approach to such a diverse and dynamic community. This book offers a rich glimpse into a rapidly growing culture, as well as inspiring insights on the many ways that you can get involved in the future of fungi. A much-needed compass for the ever-evolving landscape of mycology, and a vivid portrait of fungi and the humans who work with them, In Search of Mycotopia is a must-read for anyone wanting to join in the fungi fun.”—Peter McCoy, author of Radical Mycology"Bierend writes with sensual verve and specificity, enthusiasm, and humor. . . .[He] introduces us to the staggering variety of mushrooms, their mystery, their funk, and the way they captivate our imaginations, as well as to the array of characters involved in this 'mycological renaissance.'”—The Boston Globe"Bierend offers an engaging and entertaining introduction to the broad field of mycology, demonstrating how fungi epitomize the concept of ecological relations. [He] proves his skill as a science journalist through interviews and experiences shared with mushroom experts and citizen scientists. . . . Bierend’s budding enthusiasm and passion for everything related to fungi makes the text fun to read. Bierend introduces surprising edge topics that serve as jumping off points for deeper thought. This would make an excellent introduction to mycology for undergraduate students and all readers interested in learning more about an important kingdom uniquely positioned within the empire of life."—Choice

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Book SynopsisA powerful argument that our current path toward progress, based on continual economic expansion and inefficient use of resources, runs contrary to three foundational scientific laws. In this compelling, cogently argued, and acclaimed book, Tom Wessels demonstrates how our current path toward progress, based on continual economic expansion and inefficient use of resources, runs contrary to three foundational scientific laws that govern all complex natural systems. It is a myth, he contends, that progress depends on a growing economy. Wessels explains his theory with his three laws of sustainability: the law of limits to growth; the second law of thermodynamics, which exposes the dangers of increased energy consumption; and the law of self-organization, which results in the marvelous diversity of such highly evolved systems as the human body and complex ecosystems. Wessels argues that these laws, scientifically proven to sustain life in its myriad forms, have been cast aside since the eighteenth century, first by Western economists, political pragmatists, and governments attracted by the idea of unlimited growth, and more recently by a global economy dominated by large corporations, in which consolidation and oversimplification have created large-scale inefficiencies in both material and energy usage. Wessels makes scientific theory readily accessible by offering examples of how the laws of sustainability function in the complex systems we can observe in the natural world around us. Demonstrating that all environmental problems have their source in a disregard for the laws of sustainability, he concludes with an impassioned argument for cultural change. This new edition has a new preface wherein the author regards The Myth of Progress as his most important work. It has been in constant demand since it was first published in 2006. Trade Review“Wessels is a tried-and-true master of nature writing. . . . [He] argues deftly that due to the limits of material resources, the finitude of time itself and the laws which govern the states in which energy can be captured, transferred or lost, we simply cannot expect to progress for no other reason than progress itself. We must have a moral underpinning that grounds and informs our interactions, both economic and interpersonal, within the world we inhabit.” * Monadnock Ledger-Transcript *“This is an impassioned, critical, and bold book. Wessels is guided by his overwhelming sense that the laws of sustainability demand respect, understanding, and interpretation, and unless we educate ourselves about their full complexity and truth, we will do irreparable damage to the landscapes we love.” * Northern Woodlands *Table of ContentsPreface to the Revised EditionAcknowledgmentsPrologueIntroduction1.The Myth of Control: Complex versus Linear Systems2.The Myth of Growth: Limits and Sustainability3.The Myth of Energy: The Second Law of Thermodynamics4.The Myth of the Free Market: The Loss of Diversity, Democracy, and Economic Resiliency5.The Myth of Progress: A Need for Cultural ChangeEpilogue: From Consumption to ConnectionGlossary of Scientific TermsIndex

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Book Synopsis*Part of the 5-Volume Set 2022 Nautilus Book Award Gold Medal Winner: Ecology & Environment and Special Honors as Best of Anthology Volume 5 of the Kinship series revolves around the question of practice: What are the practical, everyday, and lifelong ways we become kin? We live in an astounding world of relations. We share these ties that bind with our fellow humans—and we share these relations with nonhuman beings as well. From the bacterium swimming in your belly to the trees exhaling the breath you breathe, this community of life is our kin—and, for many cultures around the world, being human is based upon this extended sense of kinship. Kinship: Belonging in a World of Relations is a lively series that explores our deep interconnections with the living world. These five Kinship volumes—Planet, Place, Partners, Persons, Practice—offer essays, interviews, poetry, and stories of solidarity, highlighting the interdependence that exists between humans and nonhuman beings. More than 70 contributors—including Robin Wall Kimmerer, Richard Powers, David Abram, J. Drew Lanham, and Sharon Blackie—invite readers into cosmologies, narratives, and everyday interactions that embrace a more-than-human world as worthy of our response and responsibility. These diverse voices render a wide range of possibilities for becoming better kin. From the perspective of kinship as a recognition of nonhuman personhood, of kincentric ethics, and of kinship as a verb involving active and ongoing participation, how are we to live? “Practice,” Volume 5 of the Kinship series, turns to the relations that we nurture and cultivate as part of our lived ethics. The essayists and poets in this volume explore how we make kin and strengthen kin relationships through respectful participation—from creative writer and dance teacher Maya Ward’s weave of landscape, story, song, and body, to Lakota peace activist Tiokasin Ghosthorse’s reflections on language as a key way of knowing and practicing kinship, to cultural geographer Amba Sepie’s wrestling with how to become kin when ancestral connections have frayed. The volume concludes with an amazing and spirited conversation between John Hausdoerffer, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Sharon Blackie, Enrique Salmon, Orrin Williams, and Maria Isabel Morales on the breadth and qualities of kinship practices. Proceeds from sales of Kinship benefit the nonprofit, non-partisan Center for Humans and Nature, which partners with some of the brightest minds to explore human responsibilities to each other and the more-than-human world. The Center brings together philosophers, ecologists, artists, political scientists, anthropologists, poets and economists, among others, to think creatively about a resilient future for the whole community of life.Trade Review“This collection is a passionate call to turn towards the living Earth with reverence and respect, and in so doing to cultivate new and old forms of curiosity, of understanding, and of responsibility. Across five captivating volumes, Kinship: Belonging in a World of Relations brings together a rich diversity of voices and perspectives. Contributions range in form from poetry to interviews and essays, drawing on and engaging with the insights of Indigenous stories, philosophy, the natural sciences, and much more. Ultimately, this is a collection that does much more than simply describe the webs of relationship that are our world of kin. At the same time, it invites and at times pulls the reader into a sense of the fundamental sharedness of all life and our profound obligations, perhaps now more than ever, to hold open room for others to be and to become in their own unique and precious ways.”—Thom van Dooren, author of The Wake of Crows: Living and Dying in Shared Worlds“Essential reading about the question of our time: how to belong. A chorus of beautiful, wise, grieving, exulting, and generative voices, guiding us into true ‘family values’ for a wild living Earth. These collections offer rare and rich insight into how to find, honor, and heal the bonds of blood, place, time, and ethics that knit us to all other beings.”—David George Haskell, author of The Forest Unseen and The Songs of Trees"Sometimes when we are working with a document, when it’s growing and changing, we call it “live.” Likewise, this book is live. It’s full of life. It’s living inside you as you read it and you are living inside it. It’s changing you and you’re changing it. May this book be a living document that guides us toward love and care for all kin."—Janisse Ray, author of Wild Spectacle"The Kinship series of books is an ensemble of outstanding essays that reveal the truth that reality is rooted in relationships. After reading these marvellous essays, it becomes crystal clear that there is no reality outside relationships. These books shatter the old story of separation between humans and Nature and explode the belief that nature is a machine and the planet Earth is a dead rock. Here is the new story of the living Earth and a celebration of deep connectivity of life; human as well as more-than-human life. These are inspiring and enlightening essays. They will change your perception of Nature. I recommend these books wholeheartedly!"—Satish Kumar, Founder, Schumacher College, Editor Emeritus, Resurgence & Ecologist“What a joyful series this is, this family of books, crafted with love, clarity, and compassion by a family of poets, scholars, and sages. Together the volumes form a five-part harmony, converging beautifully around notions of kinship and kinning. The authors ask, how do we rightly relate? How may we learn to live well with our kin? Can we listen with sensitivity to the voices and languages of others, the beings with fur, claws, wings, scales, and fins with whom we share the mountains, rivers, seas, grasslands, and forests, places that ring with spirit and meaning, too, who are family, too? The chapters are stories as much as studies, narratives born from experience, wisdom, and observations over many generations. I can’t wait to share this family with my students and colleagues in conservation and anthropology, and with my friends and kin everywhere.”—Dr. Amanda Stronza, Anthropologist and Professor of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University“Kinship is essential reading. Five books of elemental grace and charm, beginning with a spider's web. Each strand glistens in the sunlight, dreaming, catch and release, a journey through the multiverse. Each gathering of words, a page, a tribe, a story of who we are, who we have been, and who we've yet to become, shiny, bright, new, and very old. The DNA of rock and stone, of all our relations, the chemistry of breathing, letting go, and Love. Again, again, and again.”—John Francis, PhD, author of Planetwalker: 17 Years of Silence, 22 Years of Walking “At a time when divisive politics and human-first ideologies dominate public discourse, Kinship provides a deeply-moving, soul-rejuvenating, and course-correcting primer for recognizing and building relationships among all living things. Here readers will find solace in essays and poems about what we’re losing, as well as inspiration for how to live well with other humans—and with our other-than-human kin. But Kinship is more than instructive. Taken together, these exquisite volumes are a balm for the soul.”—Dr. Amy Brady, Executive Director of Orion magazine"Kinship is the type of series I would want to gift to my wild, untamed, and unschooled children, for from its pages springs an education at the end of homogenous time, a crack in the tarmac of ascension, an insurgency of the hitherto invisible. At a time when the human is no longer tenable as a category unto itself, we will need the prophetic voices of these poets, philosophers, mothers, fathers, scientists, thinkers, public intellectuals, artists, and awestruck fugitives to kindle a politics of humility, to help us fall down to earth from our gilded perches, to help us stray from the threatening familiarity of our own image. It is time to meet the others we imagined we left behind: this constellation of stars will guide us."—Bayo Akomolafe, Ph.D., author of These Wilds Beyond our Fences: Letters to My Daughter on Humanity’s Search for Home “The Kinship series upends colonial paradigms around humans and our relationship with more-than-human nature. These paradigms have driven mainstream environmental movements to engage in myopic efforts that at times have exacerbated ecological imbalances. Through stories, essays, art, poetry, and more, contributors chip away at the layers that bind our collective colonial ethos. Rather than owning nature, we are urged to think about our kinship with all that is nonhuman. Rather than controlling our environments using methods rooted in human exceptionalism (i.e., we know best), we are urged to learn from our kin. Rather than “using” land, water, and wildlife as “natural resources,” we are urged to be in reciprocity and right relationship with our kin. Rather than labeling birds, rocks, and rivers as “it,” we are urged to think of them as persons who have their own rights. Rather than being static, we are urged to be kinetic (Kin-etic?). Decolonization begins with unlearning, and this is a good place to begin.”—Aparna Rajagopal (she/her), founding partner of the Avarna Group and cofounder of PGM ONE Summit"The wonderful essays gathered here will stir minds and open hearts with the reminder that kinship is about how all things are connected, and that these relationships are best when acknowledged, attended to, and above all, savored."—Florence Williams, author of The Nature Fix: How Being in Nature Makes us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative

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Book SynopsisWe live in a complex and dynamic world. Understanding how to monitor, manage and conserve species and habitats - the goal of applied ecology - is of ever-increasing importance. Applied Ecology shows students how an understanding of ecological theory can be used to address the most important issues facing ecologists today. Its explicitly problem-solving approach reflects the reality of using ecological tools and approaches in applied contexts, while also highlighting the key ecological theories that underpin those applications to make the link between theory and practice clear. With an emphasis throughout on the realities of applying ecological theory, the book features interviews with a range of leading applied ecologists, and over 30 case studies to give students a clear sense of contemporary applied ecology in action. In addition, over 20 Hot Topic panels capture issues and approaches at the forefront of current practice.Online Resources:The online resources to accompany Applied Ecology feature:For students:- Twelve bonus case studies to augment those featured in the book- Extended versions of the Interviews with Applied Ecologists that appear in the bookFor lecturers:- Problem-solving activities for use in a workshop, seminar, or tutorial setting- Figures from the book in digital format, for use in lecture presentationsTrade ReviewThis book provides essential information on key concepts in ecology and how they can be applied to address human-induced environmental impacts. With a focus on applying ecological principles to ensure successful outcomes, it is a cornerstone publication for all undergraduate students studying ecology. * Dr Duncan B. Westbury, The University of Worcester *A clear and comprehensive review of applied ecology and its applications to conservation and land management * Professor John Warren, Aberystwyth University *A gold mine of case studies and examples * Dr Nicholas Worsfold, University of Bedfordshire *Table of ContentsPART 1 OVERVIEW; PART 2 MONITORING; PART 3 MANAGING; PART 4 CONSERVING

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Book SynopsisThis is a book about how ecologists can integrate remote sensing and GIS in their research. It will allow readers to get started with the application of remote sensing and to understand its potential and limitations. Using practical examples, the book covers all necessary steps from planning field campaigns to deriving ecologically relevant information through remote sensing and modelling of species distributions. An Introduction to Spatial Data Analysis introduces spatial data handling using the open source software Quantum GIS (QGIS). In addition, readers will be guided through their first steps in the R programming language. The authors explain the fundamentals of spatial data handling and analysis, empowering the reader to turn data acquired in the field into actual spatial data. Readers will learn to process and analyse spatial data of different types and interpret the data and results. After finishing this book, readers will be able to address questions such as “What is the distance to the border of the protected area?”, “Which points are located close to a road?”, “Which fraction of land cover types exist in my study area?” using different software and techniques. This book is for novice spatial data users and does not assume any prior knowledge of spatial data itself or practical experience working with such data sets. Readers will likely include student and professional ecologists, geographers and any environmental scientists or practitioners who need to collect, visualize and analyse spatial data. The software used is the widely applied open source scientific programs QGIS and R. All scripts and data sets used in the book will be provided online at book.ecosens.org. This book covers specific methods including: what to consider before collecting in situ data how to work with spatial data collected in situ the difference between raster and vector data how to acquire further vector and raster data how to create relevant environmental information how to combine and analyse in situ and remote sensing data how to create useful maps for field work and presentations how to use QGIS and R for spatial analysis how to develop analysis scripts Table of ContentsPreface 1. Introduction and overview 1.1 Spatial data 1.2 First spatial data analysis 1.3 Next steps Part I. Data acquisition, data preparation and map creation 2. Data acquisition 2.1 Spatial data for a research question 2.2 AOI 2.3 Thematic raster map acquisition 2.4 Thematic vector map acquisition 2.5 Satellite sensor data acquisition 2.6 Summary and further reading 3. Data preparation 3.1 Deciding on a projection 3.2 Reprojecting raster and vector layers 3.3 Clipping to an AOI 3.4 Stacking raster layers 3.5 Visualizing a raster stack as RGB 3.6 Summary and further reading 4. Creating maps 4.1 Maps in QGIS 4.2 Maps for presentations 4.3 Maps with statistical information 4.4 Common mistakes and recommendations 4.5 Summary and further reading Part II. Spatial field data acquisition and auxiliary data 5. Field data planning and preparation 5.1 Field sampling strategies 5.2 From GIS to global positioning system (GPS) 5.3 On-screen digitization 5.4 Summary and further reading6. Field sampling using a global positioning system (GPS) 97 6.1 GPS in the field 98 6.2 GPX from GPS 101 6.3 Summary 102 7. From global positioning system (GPS) to geographic information system (GIS) 103 7.1 Joint coordinates and measurement sheet 104 7.2 Separate coordinates and measurement sheet 105 7.3 Point measurement to information 106 7.4 Summary 108 Part III. Data analysis and new spatial information 8. Vector data analysis 110 8.1 Percentage area covered 114 8.2 Spatial distances 118 8.3 Summary and further analyses 121 9. Raster analysis 122 9.1 Spectral landscape indices 122 9.2 Topographic indices 128 9.3 Spectral landscape categories 128 9.4 Summary and further analysis 133 10. Raster-vector intersection 134 10.1 Point statistics 135 10.2 Zonal statistics 136 10.3 Summary 138 Part IV. Spatial coding 11. Introduction to coding 140 11.1 Why use the command line and what is ‘R’? 140 11.2 Getting started 142 11.3 Your very first command 142 11.4 Classes of data 144 11.5 Data indexing (subsetting) 145 11.6 Importing and exporting data 147 11.7 Functions 148 11.8 Loops 149 11.9 Scripts 149 11.10 Expanding functionality 150 11.11 Bugs, problems and challenges 151 11.12 Notation 152 11.13 Summary and further reading 15212. Getting started with spatial coding 153 12.1 Spatial data in R 153 12.2 Importing and exporting data 158 12.3 Modifying spatial data 162 12.4 Downloading spatial data from within R 166 12.5 Organization of spatial analysis scripts 170 12.6 Summary 171 13. Spatial analysis in R 172 13.1 Vegetation indices 172 13.2 Digital elevation model (DEM) derivatives 174 13.3 Classification 175 13.4 Raster-vector interaction 179 13.5 Calculating and saving aggregated values 182 13.6 Summary and further reading 184 14. Creating graphs in R 185 14.1 Aggregated environmental information 185 14.2 Non-aggregated environmental information 189 14.3 Finalizing and saving the plot 194 14.4 Summary and further reading 195 15. Creating maps in R 196 15.1 Vector data 197 15.2 Plotting study area data 202 15.3 Summary and further reading 206 Afterword and acknowledgements 207 References 209 Index 210

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Book SynopsisInvasive species are everywhere, from forests and prairies to mountaintops and river mouths. Their rampant nature and sheer numbers appear to overtake fragile native species and forever change the ecosystems that they depend on. Concerns that invasive species represent significant threats to global biodiversity and ecological integrity permeate conversations from schoolrooms to board rooms, and concerned citizens grapple with how to rapidly and efficiently manage their populations. These worries have culminated in an ongoing “war on invasive species,” where the arsenal is stocked with bulldozers, chainsaws, and herbicides put to the task of their immediate eradication. In Hawaii, mangrove trees (Avicennia spp.) are sprayed with glyphosate and left to decompose on the sandy shorelines where they grow, and in Washington, helicopters apply the herbicide Imazapyr to smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) growing in estuaries. The “war on invasive species” is in full swing, but given the scope of such potentially dangerous and ecologically degrading eradication practices, it is necessary to question the very nature of the battle. Beyond the War on Invasive Species offers a much-needed alternative perspective on invasive species and the best practices for their management based on a holistic, permaculture-inspired framework. Utilizing the latest research and thinking on the changing nature of ecological systems, Beyond the War on Invasive Species closely examines the factors that are largely missing from the common conceptions of invasive species, including how the colliding effects of climate change, habitat destruction, and changes in land use and management contribute to their proliferation. There is more to the story of invasive species than is commonly conceived, and Beyond the War on Invasive Species offers ways of understanding their presence and ecosystem effects in order to make more ecologically responsible choices in land restoration and biodiversity conservation that address the root of the invasion phenomenon. The choices we make on a daily basis—the ways we procure food, shelter, water, medicine, and transportation—are the major drivers of contemporary changes in ecosystem structure and function; therefore, deep and long-lasting ecological restoration outcomes will come not just from eliminating invasive species, but through conscientious redesign of these production systems.Trade ReviewChoice- "Emphasizing a holistic use of what is present in the landscape, rather than what managers presume should be there, Orion (Oregon State Univ.) delves into the somewhat controversial field of invasive ecology, using both plant and animal examples in ecosystem restoration. She thoughtfully discusses the ethics of restoring function to ecosystems and looks at species migrations and movements in a broader context than would most land managers having conversations on landscape scales. She also points out many examples in which understanding the roles and relationships of problem species could lead to multiple solutions for ecosystem health and society. A permaculture perspective is not widely seen in restoration science; however, Orion calls for managers and scientists to recognize destructive patterns, especially with changing climate, habitat shifts, and society's attitudes toward conservation. This thought-provoking book is an interesting read for anyone dealing with natural resources or agricultural sciences who aspires to be an environmental steward of a healthier planet. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers, graduate students, researchers/faculty, and professionals/practitioners.”Library Journal, Starred Review- "Here is a brilliant, alternative way of dealing with nonnative, invasive species. Oregon State University permaculturist Orion’s emphasis is on plants, and her survey of relevant literature is a virtuoso incorporation of books, journals, electronic resources, and personal communications, written in commendable expository prose. In the face of overwhelming political correctness, which dictates that invasive species should be eliminated, the author offers ways to exploit and adapt to them in addition to extolling the virtues some of the species exhibit. As an instructor, Orion teaches ways to manage ecosystems with an eye to long-term results, free of herbicides and destructive attempts to remove species seen as undesirable. She pays special attention to the behaviors of ‘primitive' societies in relation to their surroundings. In her view, pre-Columbian America was already far from pristine; it underwent many changes wrought by Native Americans, especially through fire. This thoughtful, controversial, and well-documented book is guaranteed to infuriate many and to provoke us into rethinking our attitudes about what is natural and best for the land. With essays such as 'The Myth of Wilderness,' the reader is challenged to confront revolutionary ideas about our landscapes. VERDICT: Ideal for all interested in natural history, agriculture, chemicals, climate change, ecology, and anthropology.” Booklist- "Ecosystem restoration, broadly defined as reinstating native flora and fauna by controlling invasive species, is a noble goal. But in the case of plants, it is often achieved through the use of harsh pesticides. This irony is not lost on botanist Orion, who encourages fellow environmental professionals to factor in the larger picture and “turn on the macroscope” to meet desired end goals. Systematically pointing out avenues for improvement in our approach to restoration, from consuming more local foods to changing how we work with “pristine” nature, Orion provides us with a practical worksheet that takes the permaculture view, a holistic way of looking at habitat. This slender volume might be too “textbookish” to be accessible to the lay reader but Orion’s reminders that the very definition of “native” is in flux (a process exacerbated by climate change) and her eco-friendly suggestions about what to do with “unwanted” species should be essential reading for all. Plenty of real-world instances of invasive flora and fauna (e.g., kudzu, zebra mussels) make the case effectively.”“Some of our most productive and tasty plants in the permaculture landscape are vilified as invasive weeds that need controlling. This is a mindset that also promotes a delineation between conservation and agriculture. My personal response is to cultivate fewer conventional annual vegetables and grow and eat as many of these weeds as is appropriate, creating an extensive, diverse, and resilient forage system in my own backyard. It is time to stop putting land management into boxes and create wildlife habitats and food in stacked systems. "Tao Orion explains how to take advantage of the vigor of ‘invasive’ edible and useful exotics and harvest them. This is how to bring ecosystems back into balance. This is adaptive permaculture thinking at the broad-scale level. Chelsea Green has produced yet another pioneering book, demonstrating how permaculture is way ahead of conventional land-management practices.”--Maddy Harland, editor of Permaculture magazine, cofounder of The Sustainability Centre in the UK, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts“An interesting and valuable contribution to the ongoing refutation of invasive species ideology. Detailed and wide-ranging, Orion extends and deepens several analyses of invasionism, and offers several interesting new perspectives. She points to holistic systems management as an alternative to the current war on invasives. Land managers and invasionists would do well to give it a careful read.”--D.I. Theodoropoulos, author of Invasion Biology: Critique of a Pseudoscience“Beyond the War on Invasive Species creates an essential pathway for deeper care of the Earth. The holistic perspective of invasives is shared through deep experience and thoughtfulness and ultimately leads us to a greater and more aligned role in restoration of our home’s ecosystems in these changing times. This book offers a critical role in civilization’s evolution and highlights actions that recognize deeper values that benefit our society as a whole.”--Katrina Blair, author of The Wild Wisdom of Weeds: 13 Essential Plants for Human Survival“In her fascinating and highly readable book, Beyond the War on Invasive Species, author Tao Orion points out the shortcomings of our current approach toward landscape restoration and invasive species. Rather than seeing these exotic plants and animals simply as invaders that need to be eradicated, she argues, we should recognize the beneficial role they play in the environment and the many essential services they could provide to human beings. “Embracing rampancy,” as Orion exuberantly puts it, turns the perceived problem of invasive species into practical solutions that also allow us to make peace with both the land and ourselves.”--Larry Korn, author of One-Straw Revolutionary: The Philosophy and Work of Masanobu Fukuoka“This book brings much-needed balance to the overheated debate about so-called invasive species. Tao Orion’s meticulously researched yet engaging work shows that the true culprits are nearly always human-caused disturbance and development, and that species shifts are a symptom, not a cause, of this habitat destruction. Beyond the War on Invasive Species is an important book that offers a path away from unsuccessful restoration efforts—based on poor science and policy—and toward new, ecologically sound programs for building and preserving biodiversity.”--Toby Hemenway, author of Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture and The Permaculture City: Regenerative Design for Urban, Suburban, and Town Resilience“Beyond the War on Invasive Species is part of a new, much more nuanced conversation about ‘invasive’ species that is taking place in science, agriculture, and land management. It provides an analysis of the new science that looks for ecosystem function as well as harm from newly arrived species, looks at species migration in the context of climate change, and broadens our conversation to look at these organisms in the context of the human ecological footprint. Orion offers land management guidelines, based in permaculture design process, that help to chart a new way forward in our new land of novel ecosystems.”--Eric Toensmeier, author of Paradise Lot and Perennial Vegetables“Tao Orion has brought together personal experience, careful study, and visionary thinking to turn us toward becoming useful people of place. Her exploration widens the narrow concept of invasion (so often repeated but seldom carefully thought through) and elucidates the trouble of short sightedness. We are not threatened by aliens, but rather we are turning our backs on the big picture.”--Tom Ward, author of Greenward, Ho! Herbal Home Remedies and cofounder of Siskiyou Permaculture“A gathering body of evidence against the scale of chemical interventions in both agriculture and wild nature is fueling a battle of geopolitical proportions. In the process of asking the questions about how best to restore nature, Orion exposes a deep ethical corruption at the heart of both ecological science and the environmental movement.”--David Holmgren, from the Foreword“Beyond the War on Invasive Species is a devastating exposé of the military industrial invasive species complex and a sorely needed and impeccably researched volume that should become one of many as we recover from self-destructive attempts to eradicate parts of nature instead of acting with an understanding of the whole.”--Ben Falk, author of The Resilient Farm and Homestead and founder of Whole Systems Design

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Book SynopsisThis is a book about how ecologists can integrate remote sensing and GIS in their daily work. It will allow ecologists to get started with the application of remote sensing and to understand its potential and limitations. Using practical examples, the book covers all necessary steps from planning field campaigns to deriving ecologically relevant information through remote sensing and modelling of species distributions. All practical examples in this book rely on OpenSource software and freely available data sets. Quantum GIS (QGIS) is introduced for basic GIS data handling, and in-depth spatial analytics and statistics are conducted with the software packages R and GRASS. Readers will learn how to apply remote sensing within ecological research projects, how to approach spatial data sampling and how to interpret remote sensing derived products. The authors discuss a wide range of statistical analyses with regard to satellite data as well as specialised topics such as time-series analysis. Extended scripts on how to create professional looking maps and graphics are also provided. This book is a valuable resource for students and scientists in the fields of conservation and ecology interested in learning how to get started in applying remote sensing in ecological research and conservation planning.Trade ReviewRemote Sensing and GIS for Ecologists could become an essential undergraduate-level textbook, but it is also a guide to practising ecologists who want to broaden their toolkit. * Conservation Biology *We recommend this book not only as an interesting and informative guide to remote sensing concepts, but also as a vehicle to quickly delve into hands-on processing and analysis of remote sensing data to answer many questions relevant to landscape ecologists. -- Danica Schaffer-Smith and Jennifer J. Swenson * Landscape Ecology *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Spatial Data and Software 2 Introduction to Remote Sensing and GIS 3 Where to Obtain Spatial Data? 4 Spatial Data Analysis for Ecologists: First Steps 5 Pre-Processing Remote Sensing Data 6 Field Data for Remote Sensing Data Analysis 7 From Spectral to Ecological Information 8 Land Cover or Image Classification Approaches 9 Land Cover Change or Change Detection 10 Continuous Land Cover Information 11 Time Series Analysis 12 Spatial Land Cover Pattern Analysis 13 Modelling Species Distributions 14 Introduction to the added value of Animal Movement Analysis and Remote Sensing Outlook and Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPreface xiii List of Contributors xv 1 What Is the Arctic? 1Kjell Danell 1.1 Setting the Scene 1 1.2 In Which Ways Is the Arctic Different? 2 1.3 How Was the Arctic Discovered? 3 1.4 How Large Is the Arctic? 4 1.5 What Is in the Arctic? 4 1.5.1 Arctic Haze and Ice Fog 4 1.5.2 Aurora Borealis 5 1.6 Climate and Weather 5 1.7 Ice and Snow 6 1.8 Permafrost, Polygons, Pingos, and Palsas 6 1.9 Animals, Plants, and Fungi 7 1.10 Arctic Ecosystems 9 1.10.1 Terrestrial Ecosystems 10 1.10.2 Freshwater Ecosystems 12 1.10.3 Marine Ecosystems 14 1.10.4 Humans 15 1.11 Which Natural Resources and Ecosystem Services does the Arctic Offer? 17 1.12 Biotic Changes in the Arctic 19 References 22 2 Arctic Ecology – A Paleoenvironmental Perspective 23Michael Pisaric and John P. Smol 2.1 Introduction 23 2.2 The Distant Past 25 2.2.1 Bones, DNA, and Megafauna 26 2.2.2 Beringian Biota 27 2.2.3 Ancient DNA 29 2.3 Rings and Things: Examining Paleoenvironmental and Paleoclimatic Change Using Dendrochronology 30 2.3.1 Dendrochronology in Action: Examples from the Field 32 2.4 Lake Sediments: Continuous Archives of Environmental Change 33 2.5 Paleolimnology and Arctic Climate Change 37 2.5.1 Subfossil Pollen, Stomata, and Macrofossils for Tracking Vegetation Change 38 2.5.2 Charcoal and Past Wildfires 39 2.5.3 Using Past Assemblage Changes in Lake Biota to Reconstruct Past Climatic Trends 39 2.5.4 Using Paleolimnology to Study the Source and Fate of Contaminants 43 2.5.5 Linking Paleolimnology and Archeology: Tracking the Limnological Effects of Early Peoples in the Arctic 48 2.6 Concluding Remarks 49 References 50 3 Climate Change in the Arctic 57Edward Hanna, Joseph E. Nolan, James E. Overland, and Richard J. Hall 3.1 Introduction to Arctic Climates – Datasets Available for Analyzing Climate Change 57 3.2 Atmospheric Aspects of Arctic Climate Change: Arctic Amplification and Global Warming, Changes in Air Temperature and Precipitation, and Changes in Atmospheric Circulation 59 3.3 Oceanic Aspects of Arctic Climate Change, Including Surface and Deep Ocean Circulation Changes 61 3.4 Climate Change Impacts on Arctic Sea Ice and Greenland Ice Sheet – The Unprecedented Recent Decline in Late Summer Sea-Ice Cover and Record Greenland Ice Sheet Surface Melt and Mass Loss 65 3.5 Feedbacks in the Arctic Climate System and Global Impacts – the Ice/Albedo Feedback and Ice Insulation Feedbacks – the “Warm Arctic, Cold Continents” Hypothesis 71 3.6 Concluding Remarks 73 References 75 4 Arctic Permafrost and Ecosystem Functioning 81Torben R. Christensen 4.1 Permafrost and Ecosystems in the Arctic 81 4.2 Permafrost Shapes the Landscape 83 4.2.1 Permafrost Specific Landforms and Their Importance for Ecosystems 83 4.2.2 Permafrost Specific Landforms and Effects of a Changing Climate 86 4.3 The Biology of Permafrost 87 4.3.1 Microbes 87 4.3.2 Vegetation 88 4.4 Ecosystem Function – Carbon Cycling in Permafrost Environments 91 4.4.1 General Carbon Cycling 91 4.4.2 Methane Emissions 92 4.5 Concluding Remarks 94 References 95 5 Arctic Tundra 103John Hobbie, Gaius Shaver, Toke Thomas Høye, and Joseph Bowden 5.1 Distribution and Description of Arctic Tundra 103 5.2 Tundra Organisms: A Typical Food Web 105 5.3 Flora and Fauna: Diversity and Communities 106 5.4 Primary Production and Organic Matter Stocks in the Low and High Arctic 110 5.5 Primary Production and Organic Matter Stocks 112 5.6 Adaptations to the Arctic Tundra 112 5.6.1 Plant Adaptations 112 5.6.2 Microbial Activity and Soil Carbon and Nitrogen 115 5.6.3 Invertebrates: Diversity, Freeze-Tolerance, and Freeze-Avoidance 116 5.6.4 Vertebrates of the Tundra: Wintertime Survival Strategies 117 5.7 Reproductive Strategies 118 5.8 Populations and Communities of the Tundra 120 5.8.1 Diversity and Interactions: The Case of Beringia 120 5.8.2 Development of Arctic Tundra Food Webs: Complexity, Insects 121 5.8.3 Belowground Arctic Food Web: Bacteria, Mycorrhizal Fungi, Nitrogen, and Carbon Cycling 122 5.9 Tundra Ecosystem Analysis 123 5.9.1 Why Nutrient Limitation? 123 5.9.2 Nitrogen Budget: Pools of Nitrogen, Rates of Transport, and Transformations 124 5.9.3 Carbon Budget: Pools, Gross Photosynthesis and Respiration, Accumulation and Feedbacks 126 5.9.4 Insights from Manipulation Experiments: Control of Net Primary Production and Herbivory by Nutrients, Light, and Heat 126 5.10 Expected Future Changes and Responses in Arctic Tundra 128 5.10.1 Effects of Increased Shrubs 128 5.10.2 Pest Outbreaks, Changes in Phenology and Species Interactions 129 References 130 6 Ecology of Arctic Glaciers 133Alexandre M. Anesio and Johanna Laybourn-Parry 6.1 Introduction 133 6.2 The Biodiversity and Food Webs of Glacial Habitats 136 6.2.1 Ice Shelves 136 6.2.2 Supraglacial or Cryolakes 138 6.2.3 Cryoconite Material, Cryoconite Holes, and Wet Ice Surfaces 139 6.2.4 Snow on the Surface of Ice 141 6.2.5 Life Within Ice 141 6.2.6 Life in Subglacial Environments 143 6.3 Quantification of Microbial Processes in Glaciers and Export of Material to Adjacent Ecosystems 144 6.3.1 Supraglacial Habitats: Ice Shelf Lakes, Ponds, Cryoconites 144 6.3.2 Subglacial Habitats 149 6.4 Anthropogenic Impacts 151 References 152 7 Ecology of Arctic Lakes and Ponds 159Erik Jeppesen, Kirsten S. Christoffersen, Milla Rautio, and Torben L. Lauridsen 7.1 Introduction 159 7.2 Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Arctic Lakes and Ponds 160 7.3 Biological Communities and Production 162 7.3.1 Phytoplankton and Phytobenthos 162 7.3.2 Macrophytes 164 7.3.3 Microbial Loop 165 7.3.4 Zooplankton and Zoobenthos 165 7.3.5 Fish 168 7.3.6 Food Webs 169 7.4 Global Climate Change and Arctic Lakes 171 References 174 8 Ecology of Arctic Streams and Rivers 181Alexander D. Huryn 8.1 Introduction 181 8.1.1 What Is an Arctic River? 181 8.2 A Primer on Stream Ecology: General and Arctic Perspectives 183 8.2.1 The Longitudinal Dimension 184 8.2.2 The Vertical Dimension 202 8.2.3 The Lateral Dimension 207 8.3 Concluding Remarks 209 References 211 9 Ecology of Arctic Pelagic Communities 219Malin Daase, Jørgen Berge, Janne E. Søreide, and Stig Falk-Petersen 9.1 Introduction 219 9.2 The Arctic Marine Highways: The Transpolar Drift and the Interconnected Current Systems 220 9.3 Members and Key Players of Arctic Pelagic Communities 224 9.3.1 At the Base – Primary Producers and Microbial Communities 224 9.3.2 In the Middle – Resident Consumers and Life Strategies of Arctic Zooplankton 229 9.3.3 At the Top – Pelagic Predators 239 9.4 A Lipid-Driven Food Chain 241 9.5 Effects of Climate Change 242 9.5.1 Timing 243 9.5.2 Changes in Species Distribution 243 References 246 10 Ecology of Arctic Sea Ice 261C. J. Mundy and Klaus M. Meiners 10.1 Introduction to Sea Ice 261 10.2 Types of Habitats 262 10.3 Food Webs and Carbon Flow 264 10.4 Physical Environment 268 10.5 Colonization of Sea Ice and Winter Survival 270 10.6 Adaptations to and Relationships with Environmental Conditions 272 10.6.1 Temperature and Salinity 272 10.6.2 Space and Permeability 275 10.6.3 Light 276 10.7 Climate Change and the Ice-Associated Ecosystem 278 References 279 11 Ecology of Arctic Shallow Subtidal and Intertidal Benthos 289Paul E. Renaud, Jan Marcin Węsławski, and Kathleen Conlan 11.1 Introduction 289 11.2 The Physical Environment 290 11.2.1 Temperature 290 11.2.2 Light 290 11.2.3 Waves 291 11.2.4 Ice Cover 291 11.2.5 Freshwater Discharge and Salinity 293 11.3 Biomes 294 11.3.1 Origins and Distribution of Sediments 294 11.3.2 Soft-Sediment Communities 295 11.3.3 Hard Substrate 297 11.3.4 Vegetated Substrate 300 11.4 Disturbance Regimes and Succession 302 11.4.1 Ice Scour 302 11.4.2 Strudel Scour 304 11.4.3 Natural Gas Seepage and Petroleum Extraction 305 11.4.4 Large-Mammal Feeding Pits 305 11.4.5 Recolonization of Arctic Benthos 306 11.4.6 Human Impacts 307 11.5 Trophic Interactions 308 11.5.1 Feeding Strategies in Arctic Shallow Benthos 308 11.5.2 Food Sources for Benthic Fauna 309 11.5.3 Benthos as a Food for Top Predators in the Arctic 310 11.5.4 Carbon and Nutrient Cycling 314 11.6 Reproduction in Coastal Benthos 315 11.7 Effects of Global Climate Change on Shallow Arctic Benthos 316 11.7.1 Reduced Ice Cover 319 11.7.2 Documented Effects on Natural Systems in the Intertidal Zone 319 11.7.3 Coastal Erosion 319 References 320 12 Ecology of Arctic Shelf and Deep Ocean Benthos 325Monika Kędra and Jacqueline M. Grebmeier 12.1 Introduction 325 12.2 The Physical Environment 326 12.2.1 Light 327 12.2.2 Temperature 327 12.2.3 Sea Ice 328 12.2.4 Sediment Characteristics 328 12.3 Biodiversity, Community Structure, and Functioning of Shelf and Deep Sea Benthos 330 12.3.1 Benthic Definitions 330 12.3.2 Brief Overview of Major Taxa in Benthic Communities 331 12.3.3 Biodiversity 335 12.3.4 Functional Diversity 337 12.3.5 Arctic Commercial Benthic Species 338 12.4 Productivity and Food Webs of Shelf and Deep Sea Benthos 339 12.4.1 Primary Production and Food Sources 339 12.4.2 Pelagic–Benthic Coupling 341 12.4.3 Benthic Community Structure and Food Webs 343 12.4.4 Benthic Communities as a Food Source for Benthic-Feeding Upper Trophic Levels 346 12.5 Impact of Global Climate Change on Shelf and Deep Sea Benthic Communities 348 References 349 13 Fat, Furry, Flexible, and Functionally Important: Characteristics of Mammals Living in the Arctic 357Niels M. Schmidt, Olivier Gilg, Jon Aars, and Rolf A. Ims 13.1 Introduction 357 13.2 The Mammal Assemblage in the Arctic Today 358 13.2.1 Terrestrial Mammals 358 13.2.2 Herbivores 358 13.2.3 Predators 359 13.2.4 Marine Mammals 360 13.3 Arctic Mammals and Adaptations to Life in the Arctic 366 13.3.1 Fur, Fat and Extremities 367 13.3.2 Behavioral Adaptations to Life in the Arctic 368 13.4 The Role of Mammals in Arctic Ecosystems 369 13.4.1 Removal of Plant Material by Terrestrial Herbivores 371 13.4.2 Transport of Nutrients and Seeds by Arctic Mammals 372 13.4.3 Mammal Predator–Prey Dynamics 374 13.5 The Future for Arctic Mammals in a Changing Climate 374 13.6 Concluding Remarks 377 References 377 14 Ecology of Arctic Birds 385Anthony D. Fox 14.1 Introduction: The Bird Species and Their Feeding Ecology 385 14.2 Traveling to Breed 386 14.3 Long Distance Migrations 388 14.4 Reproduction 389 14.5 Survival 394 14.6 Population Change 396 14.7 Climate Change 397 14.8 Endangered Species 399 14.9 Concluding Remarks 402 References 403 15 Arctic Ecology, Indigenous Peoples and Environmental Governance 409Mark Nuttall 15.1 Introduction 409 15.2 The Impacts of Social and Environmental Change 410 15.3 Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Wildlife Management 413 15.4 Arctic Ecology and Community-Based Monitoring 415 15.5 Indigenous Peoples and Environmental Policy: The Case of the Inuit Circumpolar Council 418 15.6 Concluding Remarks 419 References 420 Index 423

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Book SynopsisBeavers are widely recognised as a keystone species which play a pivotal role in riparian ecology. Their tree felling and dam building behaviours coupled with a suite of other activities create a wealth of living opportunities that are exploited by a range of other species. Numerous scientific studies demonstrate that beaver-generated living environments that are much richer in terms of both biodiversity and biomass than wetland environments from which they are absent. Emerging contemporary studies indicate clearly that the landscapes they create can afford sustainable, cost-effective remedies for water retention, flood alleviation, silt and chemical capture. Beaver activities, especially in highly modified environments, may be challenging to certain land use activities and landowners. Many trialled and tested methods to mitigate against these impacts, including a wide range of non-lethal management techniques, are regularly implemented across Europe and North America. Many of these techniques will be new to people, especially in areas where beavers are newly re-establishing. This handbook serves to discuss both the benefits and challenges in living with this species, and collates the wide range of techniques that can be implemented to mitigate any negative impacts. The authors of this handbook are all beaver experts and together they have a broad range of scientific knowledge and practical experience regarding the ecology, captive husbandry, veterinary science, pathology, reintroduction and management of beavers in both continental Europe and Britain.Trade ReviewThe authors of this handbook include many of the most significant names in beaver conservation in Europe, drawing on a wide range of experiences and perspectives, which gives this book great depth and insight.... For me, working on the River Otter Beaver Trial here in Devon, this book is already providing a quick reference guide which I’m finding easy to use and full of valuable information. It is well organised and referenced and will become vital for those managing land which beavers recolonise in the decades ahead. -- Mark Elliott * ECOS *... I recommend Eurasian Beaver Handbook for land managers, policy writers, and landowners interested in managing European landscapes that include, or may potentially include, beavers. ... Although this book focuses on the European beaver, practitioners in North America also could benefit from reading this book to compare management styles, tools, and techniques. -- Jimmy D. Taylor, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Wildlife Research Center * Journal of Wildlife Management *Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. The history of beavers in Britain 3. Beaver biology and ecology 4. Legislation 5. Effects of beavers 6. Managing beaver impacts 7. Survey and monitoring 8. Learning to live with beavers Appendices References Index

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Book SynopsisHow does Nature work? When one looks closely at the enormously complex web of life, it is impossible not to be caught by the wonder of how all living things - including rocks and crystals - are interconnected. Just as there is thought behind action, so there is energy behind matter. Schauberger is able to demonstrate how Nature works because he has been able to observe and describe how its energies manifest and produce the material world.

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Book Synopsis''Astonishing ... beautiful, compelling and terrifying'' Observer''Wadhams'' writing sparkles ... a lyrical sense of wonder at the natural world ... essential reading ... may be the best reader-friendly account of the greenhouse effect available to date'' John Burnside, New StatesmanIce is beautiful and complex. It regulates our planet''s temperature. And it is vanishing - fast. Peter Wadhams, the world''s leading expert on sea ice, draws on his lifetime''s research in the Arctic region to illuminate what is happening, what it means for the future, and what can be done.''This most experienced and rational scientist states what so many other researchers privately fear but cannot publicly say'' John Vidal, Guardian''Wadhams brings huge expertise to his subject - and he is an excellent writer'' Martin Rees''Utterly extraordinary'' Jonathon PorrittTrade ReviewWadhams's particular combination - of scientific passion, a lyrical sense of wonder at the natural world, an ability to pluck clear analogies from the air, and outspoken analysis of consumer-capitalist politics - marks out A Farewell to Ice as essential reading. -- John Burnside * New Statesman *A passionate, authoritative overview of the role of ice in our climate system, past, present and, scarily, the future. -- Carl Wunsch, Professor Emeritus of Physical Oceanography, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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Book SynopsisCommunity ecology has undergone a transformation in recent years, from a discipline largely focused on processes occurring within a local area to a discipline encompassing a much richer domain of study, including the linkages between communities separated in space (metacommunity dynamics), niche and neutral theory, the interplay between ecology and evolution (eco-evolutionary dynamics), and the influence of historical and regional processes in shaping patterns of biodiversity. To fully understand these new developments, however, students continue to need a strong foundation in the study of species interactions and how these interactions are assembled into food webs and other ecological networks. This new edition fulfils the book''s original aims, both as a much-needed up-to-date and accessible introduction to modern community ecology, and in identifying the important questions that are yet to be answered. This research-driven textbook introduces state-of-the-art community ecology to a Table of Contents1: Community ecology's roots Part I The Big Picture: patterns, causes, and consequences of biodiversity 2: Patterns of biological diversity 3: Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning Part II The Nitty-Gritty: species interactions in simple modules 4: Population growth and density dependence 5: The fundamentals of predator-prey interactions 6: Selective predators and responsive prey 7: The fundamentals of competitive interactions 8: Species coexistence and niche theory 9: Beneficial interactions in communities: Mutualism and facilitation Part III Putting the Pieces Together: food webs, ecological networks and community assembly 10: Species interactions in ecological networks 11: Food chains and food webs: Controlling factors and cascading effects 12: Community assembly and species traits Part IV Patial Ecology: metapopulations and metacommunities 13: Patchy environments, metapopulations and fugitive species 14: Metacommunities Part V Species in Changing Environments: ecology and evolution 15: Species in variable environments 16: Evolutionary community ecology 17: Some concluding remarks and a look ahead

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Book SynopsisHow our growing knowledge of the evolution of complex ecosystems, using the latest genetic tools, can help us heal them - and surviveThis is not another Chicken Little book about the environment. Every reader already knows how overpopulation, ignorance and tribalism are contributing to environmental destruction and breakdowns in public health. We are all aware of the grim possibility that during our lifetimes the Earth might flip to a new ecological equilibrium, threatening our very survival.Why Ecosystems Matter explores an exciting new way to avoid such threats, by using our exponentially-growing knowledge of how evolution has shaped and is continuing to shape the complex communities of living ecosystems on which we all depend. Throughout this book we will visit ecosystems where the author has worked or has had direct experience, beginning with a tour of the amazing series of ecosystems that span the entire eastern slope of the Peruvian Andes. This journey provides a vivid glimpse of ecosystems'' diversity and capacity for rapid change. Next, we trace how Darwin gained a fundamental insight about the origins of such ecosystem complexity. He realized that, when subgroups of the same species inhabit even slightly different ecosystems, these subgroups will evolve in diverging directions. This divergent evolution is primarily driven by interactions with the many other species in each ecosystem, which are themselves evolving in different directions in the different ecosystems. We explore how this subtle and fascinating concept lies at the heart of the evolutionary ferment that powers ecosystem diversity and resilience - the bubbling evolutionary cauldrons of the book''s title. This ferment pervades ecosystems, but it is especially active in their microorganism communities. We then examine the evolutionary forces that power these cauldrons, starting with between-species interactions and tunnelling down to their causes. Using real-world examples, we explore how the technologies available for measuring these changes are increasing exponentially in precision and scope. We show how this deluge of new genetic and environmental information can be used to protect and restore a wide variety of damaged ecosystems. Ecosystems have survived dramatic changes in the past, often becoming even more wondrous and diverse than before. We are now learning how this happens, and how we can preserve this astounding ability.

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Book Synopsis'A work of remarkable scope' - GuardianFT Best science books of 2018Primate Change has been adapted into a radio series for the BBC WORLD SERVICE.*This is the road from climate change to primate change.PRIMATE CHANGE is a wide-ranging, polemical look at how and why the human body has changed since humankind first got up on two feet. Spanning the entirety of human history - from primate to transhuman - Vybarr Cregan-Reid's book investigates where we came from, who we are today and how modern technology will change us beyond recognition.In the last two hundred years, humans have made such a tremendous impact on the world that our geological epoch is about to be declared the 'Anthropocene', or the Age of Man. But while we have been busy changing the shape of the world we inhabit, the ways of living that we have been building have, as if under the cover of darkness, been transforming our bodies and altering the expression of our DNA, too.Primate Change beautifully unscrambles the complex architecture of our modern human bodies, built over millions of years and only starting to give up on us now.'Our bodies are in a shock. Modern living is as bracing to the human body as jumping through a hole in the ice. Our bodies do not know what century they were born into and they are defending and deforming themselves in response.'Trade ReviewNature and nurture commingle to fascinating effect. - NatureA work of remarkable scope. - GuardianAbsorbing. - Telegraph IndiaAn excellent evaluation of our bodily shortcomings. - Financial Times

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Book SynopsisThat humans originated from Africa is well-known. However, this is widely regarded as a chance outcome, dependant simply on where our common ancestor shared the land with where the great apes lived. This volume builds on from the ''Out of Africa'' theory, and takes the view that it is only in Africa that the evolutionary transitions from a forest-inhabiting frugivore to savanna-dwelling meat-eater could have occurred. This book argues that the ecological circumstances that shaped these transitions are exclusive to Africa. It describes distinctive features of the ecology of Africa, with emphasis on savanna grasslands, and relates them to the evolutionary transitions linking early ape-men to modern humans. It shows how physical features of the continent, especially those derived from plate tectonics, set the foundations. This volume adequately conveys that we are here because of the distinctive features of the ecology of Africa.Trade Review... the book is exceptionally well written, and very recommendable as a foundational introduction to modern Africa savanna ecology for a readership ranging from undergraduates to professional researchers in paleoanthropology.' Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo, Evolutionary Anthropology'In Only in Africa Owen-Smith presents us with copious evidence of the complexity of interactions within and between species of plants, herbivores, and carnivores, coherently linking the trophic levels. He also makes a compelling case that the early stages of human evolution could only have happened in Africa. For those willing to accept that their knowledge of relevant contemporary African ecosystems and their critical role in human evolution could do with some updating and refreshing, Norman Owen-Smith's new book provides just the help they need. Its importance for paleoanthropology cannot be exaggerated.' Bernard Wood, Journal of Human Evolution'a cross-disciplinary textbook that provides a natural historian's overview of the ecology of Africa, with a gradually sharpening focus on the primates that originated there and evolved into modern humans … Owen-Smith provides a refreshing look at a continent in its entirety and all the life it has generated, facilitating a perspective quite different from the usual focus on only one particular aspect of that life … Highly recommended.' L. Swedell, Choice ConnectTable of ContentsPreface; Foreword; List of abbreviations; Part I. The physical cradle: Land forms, geology, climate, hydrology and soils: 1. High Africa: Eroding surfaces; 2. Climate: Rainfall seasonality; 3. Water in rivers, lakes and wetlands; 4. Bedrock geology: Volcanic influences; 5. Soils: Foundations of fertility; Part II. The savanna garden: Grassy vegetation and plant dynamics: 6. Forms of savannah; 7. How savanna trees and grasses grow and compete; 8. Plant demography and dynamics: Fire traps; 9. Paleo-savannas: Expanding grasslands; Part III. The big mammal menagerie: Herbivores, carnivores and their ecosystem impacts: 10. Niche distinctions: resources versus risks; 11. Big fierce carnivores: Hunting versus scavenging; 12. Herbivore abundance: Bottom-up and top-down; 13. How large herbivores transform savanna ecosystems; 14. Paleo-faunas: Rise and fall of the biggest grazers; Part IV. Evolutionary transitions: From primate ancestors to modern humans: 15. Primate predecessors: From trees to ground; 16. Primate ecology: From forests into savannas; 17. How an ape became a hunter; 18. Cultural evolution: From tools to art and genes; 19. Reticulate evolution through turbulent times; 20. Prospects for a lonely planet; Index.

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Book SynopsisPonds and small lakes support an extremely rich biodiversity of fascinating organisms. Many people have tried pond-dipping and encountered a few unfamiliar creatures, such as dragonfly nymphs and caddisfly larvae. However, there is a far richer world of microscopic organisms, such as diatoms, desmids and rotifers, which is revealed in this book. Anyone with access to a microscope can open up this hidden dimension. Identification keys are provided so that readers can identify, explore and study this microscopic world. There are also many suggestions of ways in which readers can then make original contributions to our knowledge and understanding of pond ecology. The book not only explores the fascinating world of the creatures within ponds and their interactions, but also explains the many ways in which ponds are important in human affairs. Ponds are being lost around the world, but they are a key part of a system that maintains our climate. In the face of climate change, it has never been more important to understand the ecology of ponds. Includes keys to: A – Traditional key to kingdoms of organisms; B – Contemporary key to kingdoms of organisms; C – Pragmatic key to groups of microorganisms; D – Algae visible, at least en masse, to the naked eye; E – Periphyton, both attached to surfaces and free living; F - Protozoa; G- Freshwater invertebrates and; H – Common phytoplankton genera in ponds.Trade Review...this is an excellent guide to its subject from an expert sadly no longer with us. Professor Moss has left us many excellent works on freshwater ecology and this one will be a worthy addition. -- Ian Lancaster * School Science Review *It is a brief modern insight into freshwater ecology and limnology aimed at a wide non-specialist audience. I am convinced that this handbook will prove to be an extremely helpful source of information, not only for people with an interest in water microorganisms and ecology, but also students dealing with different groups of freshwater macro organisms (e.g., especially students of the biology and ecology of water insects) and also a useful source of inspiration for biology teachers. -- M. Papáček * European Journal of Entomology *I find this book does a great job of bridging the gap between an ecology text book (that can feel a little dry and isolated, and is aimed at helping the student pass a module rather that rolling up their sleeves and getting into nature) and the field guide that helps the naturalist identify what they have found but only provides limited understanding of the ecosystem as a whole. -- Andy Chick * Amateur Entomologists' Society Bulletin *This is a fascinating book, and one that makes the reader work hard to get the best from it, though the rewards are numerous; most importantly it is a fitting swan-song that encapsulates the author’s ability to synthesise ideas from a wide range of sources and to make new links, the sign of a true polymath. -- Peter Barnard * Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine *There can be few of us who have not dabbled with a pond net during the course of childhood; this excellent new work bridges the gap between the highly commendable leisure activity of getting wet and muddy whilst looking for a huge range of aquatic animals and plants and the serious scientific study of aquatic ecology. Identification keys are provided to all living things likely to be encountered, but stop short, deliberately, of naming taxa to species level. The aim is to interest and stimulate the reader who might then progress to a more serious involvement. -- Colin W. Plant * Entomologists' Record *Table of Contents1 Ponds 2 Living in freshwater 3 The littoral 4 Plankton 5 Catchments, nutrients and organic matter 6 The ecological development of ponds and lakes 7 Food webs and structures in ponds 8 Problems with ponds and small lakes 9 Ponds and the future 10 Bibliography and further information Index

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Book SynopsisA funny and beautifully written welcome to the enigmatic, weird and wonderful world of wasps' DAVE GOULSON, author of SILENT EARTHThere may be no insect with a worse reputation than the wasp, and none guarding so many undiscovered wonders.Where bees and ants have long been the darlings of the insect world, wasps are much older, cleverer and more diverse. They are the bee's evolutionary ancestors flying 100 million years earlier and today they are just as essential for the survival of our environment. A bee, ecologist Professor Seirian Sumner argues, is just a wasp that has forgotten how to hunt.For readers of Entangled Life, Other Minds and The Gospel of Eels, this is a book to upturn your expectations about one overlooked animal and the wider architecture of our natural world.With endless surprises, this book might teach you about the wasps that spend their entire lives sealed inside a fig, about stinging wasps, about parasitic wasps, about wasps that turn cockroaches into living zoTrade Review‘Sumner's tale is thrilling, warm and scholarly in equal measure, and brilliantly repairs the reputation of wasps – most beautiful and wonderful as they truly are’Adam Rutherford, author of How to Argue with a Racist ‘A book I never knew I needed that is an absolute delight to read … Finally, a cure for our irrational fear of this unfairly demonised insect … A book that draws us in to the strange beauty of what we so often run away from’Robin Ince ‘If you’ve ever wondered “why do wasps exist?” you must read this book. There is so much more to them than you ever imagined. A funny and beautifully written welcome to the enigmatic, weird and wonderful world of wasps’Dave Goulson, author of Silent Earth ‘I thought I knew about wasps – I was wrong … A tremendously good read that left me buzzing with excitement and reminded me why I became an entomologist’George McGavin ‘Sometimes the most perfect books are those that shine a light on surprising, neglected subjects. Endless Forms is just such a book. Summer writes lucidly and entertainingly about this most fascinating of creatures’Will Storr ‘You also shouldn’t miss Endless Forms … which explains why you shouldn’t, on any account, go squashing these remarkable creatures to a pulp … [A] marvellous, revelatory natural history’Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller, Editor’s Choice ‘Contains splendidly vivid descriptions of modern techniques of entomological heredity and genomics, as well as insect-scale neuroscience … it would be a tetchy soul who did not begrudgingly admire them a bit more’Telegraph ‘Sumner’s vivid enthusiasm for wasps is contagious … with every animated description of the daily lives of a wasp family, my prejudices melt away’Guardian ‘Sumner is an exuberant guide to the world of wasps and may even persuade you not to whack the next one you find in your kitchen’Daily Mail

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[A] riveting account. ... In places, Fossil Men seems more reality television show than a work of popular science, as we follow an outrageous cast. ... The story lines border on the insane: There are civil wars, gunfights, at least one grenade rolling around the feet of scientists as they drive into the desert. ... Pattison... is every bit as good as the best scientist-writers. He describes the intricacies of the human wrist and foot with the skill of a poet... [and] explains in clear and compelling prose how scientists build family trees of ancient species." — New York Times Book Review "Entertaining. ... Satisfying. ... Gripping. ... Big personalities, simmering turmoil, and fascinating popular science." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “At the core of Kermit Pattison’s rip-roaring tale is the prickly, obsessive, brilliant American paleonaut, Tim White, who braves revolutions, tribal warfare, and bitter scientific rivals to unearth ancient bones, without which there would be no pre-history, no civilization, no humanity.” — PETER NICHOLS, New York Times bestselling author of The Rocks and Evolution's Captain “Reads like an Indiana Jones sequel. ...This is a book about the ongoing quest to find us—and what human nature is at its core.” — Politico "Brilliant. ... A work of staggering depth. ... Pattison deftly weaves strands of science, sociology and political science into a compelling tale that stretches over decades. ... His prose is lively and accessible. ... An ambitious work that fully justifies the extraordinary effort that went into it, both by the fossil men and by the writer who chronicled their work." — Minneapolis Star Tribune “Fossil Men is a wonderful mix of history, science and politics, full of pathos and insight in equal measure. I found it difficult to put down, and I didn’t want it to end....This book should be required reading for all those who care about how science may help answer the question of who we are as humans. A monumental achievement!” — HASOK CHANG, Professor of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge "An exciting book, full of colorful personalities, momentous discoveries, and new ideas that challenge us to reconsider everything we believed about the evolution of humankind." — Booklist "Compelling science. ... Perfect for National Geographic readers who want to dig deep into the human evolutionary tree." — Library Journal "A riveting story of academic, political, and personal intrigue." — Christian Science Monitor (Best Books of November 2020 Roundup) "A dazzling journey into deep geological time. ... Pattinson combines his meticulously researched examination of the science of ancient humans with a visceral and penetrating tale of... intrigue, academic rivalry, pathological jealousy and intellectual inertia. He uses his first-hand experience of being on site in Ethiopia to detail the art, science, joys and challenges of fossil-hunting. ... Fascinating. ... Unexpected and revelatory." — The Spectator (London) "Equal parts biography and adventure novel, Pattison illustrates the colorful characters — flaws and all — whose research has shaped our origin story as we know it today." — Discover magazine “[A] lively debut. … Pattison ably combines the adventure yarn with scientific minutiae. … Those interested in human origins should check out this vivid and thorough study.” — Publishers Weekly "Blends science and drama to tell the story of a major paleoanthropology find. ... For anyone interested in fossil hunting, evolutionary science and a hominid skeleton like no other, this book delivers." — Science News “Pattison weaves the multiple intrigues of science, politics, and personalities into a masterly structured tale…. Leaves readers with a new sense of wonder at the origins of humankind.” — Christian Science Monitor "Fascinating. ... Exciting." — Twin Cities Pioneer Press "Any science-minded person... will truly enjoy Fossil Men." — Danville Commercial-News "Perceptive and revealing. ... Pattison has a commendable and enviable grasp of a wide range of difficult methods and concepts, and he does a fine job of presenting and explaining the many scientific developments that have enriched the way we interpret the hominin fossil record.” — Journal of Human Evolution

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPrologue The Importance of Inland Waters Water as a Substance Rivers and Lakes - Their Distribution, Origins, and Forms Hydrological Systems Light in Inland Waters Fate of Heat Water Movements Structure and Productivity of Aquatic Ecosystems Water as a Chemical Environment Oxygen Salinity and Ionic Composition of Inland Waters The Inorganic Carbon Complex The Nitrogen Cycle The Phosphorus Cycle Other Important Elements Algae and Cyanobacteria Communities Ecology of Algae and Cyanobacteria (Phytoplankton) Zooplankton Communities: Diversity in Time and Space Ecology and Functioning of Zooplankton Communities Benthic Animals Fish Pelagic Bacteria, Archaea, and Viruses Freshwater Plants Benthic Algae and Cyanobacteria of the Littoral Zone Shallow Lakes and Ponds Sediments and Microbiomes Organic Carbon Cycling and Ecosystem Metabolism Wetlands Paleolimnology: Approaches and Applications Inland Waters: The Future of Limnology is Interdisciplinary, Collaborative, Inclusive, and Global

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Book SynopsisTable of Contents1. The Myxomycetes: Introduction, Basic Biology, Life Cycles, Genetics, and Reproduction 2. The History of the Study of Myxomycetes 3. The Phylogeny of Myxomycetes 4. The Barcoding of Myxomycetes 5. Genomics and Gene Expression in Myxomycetes 6. Molecular Techniques and Current Research Approaches 7. Physiology and Biochemistry of Myxomycetes 8. Taxonomy and Systematics: Current Knowledge and Approaches on the Taxonomic Treatment of Myxomycetes 9. Ecology and Distribution of Myxomycetes 10. Biogeographical Patterns in Myxomycetes 11. Techniques for Recording and Isolating Myxomycetes 12. Integrated Biology of Physarum polycephalum: Ultrastructure, cell biology, cellular cognition and behavior of plasmodial networks 13. Uses, Applications and Disciplinary Integration using Myxomycetes 14. Myxomycetes in Education: The Use of These Organisms in Promoting Active and Engaged Learning

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Book SynopsisThis thought-provoking book introduces a way to study ecosystems that is resonant with current thinking in the fields of earth system science, geobiology, and planetology. Instead of organizing the subject around a hierarchical series of entities (e.g. genes, individuals, populations, species, communities, and the biosphere), the book provides an alternative process-based approach and proposes a truly planetary view of ecological science. It demonstrates how the idea of fundamental ecological processes can be developed at the systems level, specifically their involvement in control and feedback mechanisms. This enables the reader to reconsider fundamental ecological processes such as energy flow, guilds, trade-offs, carbon cycling, and photosynthesis, and to put them in a global (and even planetary) context. In so doing, the book places a much stronger emphasis on microorganisms. Since publication of the first edition in 2006, ever growing societal concern about environmental sustainability has ensured that the earth system science/Gaian approach has steadily gained traction. Its integration with ecology is now more important than ever if ecological science is to effectively contribute to the massive problems and future challenges associated with global environmental change. The Fundamental Processes in Ecology is an accessible text for senior undergraduates, graduate student seminar courses, and researchers in the fields of ecology, environmental sustainability, earth system science, evolutionary biology, palaeontology, history of life, astrobiology, planetology, climatology, geology, and physical geography.Table of ContentsPreface Part I: Introduction 1: Introducing the Thought Experiment Part II: The Fundamental Processes 2: Energy Flow 3: Multiple Guilds 4: Trade-offs and Biodiversity 5: Dispersal 6: Ecological Hypercycles: Covering a Planet with Life 7: Merging of Organismal and Ecological Physiology 8: Photosynthesis 9: Carbon Sequestration Part III: Emerging Systems 10: Nutrient Cycling as an Emergent Property 11: Historical Contingency and the Development of Planetary Ecosystems 12: From Processes to Systems

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisThis work sounds an early warning about an environmental catastrophe that has become all too familiar today - the invasion of nonnative species. The author explains the devastating effects that invasive species can have on local ecosystems.

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Book SynopsisFocusing on the field of terrestrial ecology, this work includes soil structure and function, economics of biodiversity, crop growth and development, ethnobotany and conservation. The volume is useful for professionals and researchers in the field of botany, zoology, ecology, vegetation science, agriculture, forestry and population biology.Table of ContentsPreface; R.S. Ambasht, N.K. Ambasht. 1. Applied Terrestrial Ecology; R.S. Ambasht, N.K. Ambasht. 2. The Influences of Compaction on Soil Structure and Soil Function in Forest Sites; E.E. Hildebrand, H.S. Kirchner. 3. An Overview of Ecological Plant Classification Systems: Linking Functional Response and Functional Effect Groups; A. Symstad. 4. Ecology of Soil Borne Pathogens in Crop Fields; M.W. Lee, Y.S. Lee. 5. Economics of Biodiversity; L. Fernandez. 6. Effects of Air Pollution on Crops in Developing Countries; J.N.B. Bell, F. Marshall. 7. Applied Ecology of Biodiversity; N.K. Ambasht, R.S. Ambasht. 8. Restoration and Management of Degraded Tropical Forest Landscapes; J.A. Parrotta. 9. Nutrient Export in Tropical Rain Forests; W.H. McDowell. 10. Ozone Stress Impacts on Plant Life; J. Bender, H.J. Weigel. 11. The effects of UV-B radiation on crop growth and development; A.K. Tobin. 12. Vegetation Ecology and Regeneration of Tropical Mountain Forests; R.W. Bussmann. 13. Influence of elevated levels of CO2 on Plants; M. Agrawal. 14. Plant Cover-Ecological Implications and Methodical Approaches; H. Dietz, T. Steinlein 15. Ecology of Individuals: Individual based Models of Single Population Dynamics; J. Uchmanski. 16. Concepts and Application of Non linear Complex Systems Theory to Ecological Succession; G.R. Walther, et al. 17. Soil Organisms and Litter Decomposition; G. Gonzáles. 18. Applied Ecology of Succession in Pine Forests of WesternJapan; M. Fujihara, et al. 19. Ethanobotany and Biodiversity Conservation; R.W. Bussmann. Index

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Book SynopsisOver the millennia, from simple hunter-food gatherers, humans developed the art of agriculture, domestication of animals, identification of medicinal plants, devising hunting and fishing techniques, house building, and making clothes.Table of ContentsPreface; R.S. Ambasht, N.K. Ambasht. 1. Bioassessment of Health of Aquatic systems by the use of Diatoms; J. John. 2. The Management of Wetlands for Biological Diversity: Four Principles; P. Keddy, L.H. Fraser. 3. Organic waste management in relation to wetland pollution; A.J. McComb, J.M. Chambers. 4. Use of Plants in Monitoring Heavy metals in River Water; B. Whitton. 5. Hydrochemical Determinism, Ecological Polymorphism and Indicator Values of Aquatic Bryophytes for Water Quality; A. Vanderpoorten. 6. Ecological Succession in Littoral Habitats: Observations, explanations and empirical evidence; L.B. Cecchi. 7. Phycoremediation: algae as tools for remediation of mine-void Wetlands; J. John. 8. UV-B Impact on the life of Aquatic Plants; D.P. Häder. 9. The significance of Ultraviolet Radiation for Aquatic Animals; H.E. Zagarese, et al. 10. Stress responses in Cyanobacteria; R.P. Sinha. 11. Biomonitoring and Bioindicators in Aquatic Ecosystems; N. Oertal, J. Salanki. 12. The Ecology of Wetland Created in mining affected landscapes; A.J. McComb, J.M. Chambers. 13. Conservation of soil and nutrients through plant cover on wetland margins; R.S. Ambasht, N.K. Ambasht. 14. Identification, Assessment and Mitigator of Environmental Impacts on Dam Projects; R. Zwahlen. Index.

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Book SynopsisPulitzer Prizewinning biologist Edward O. Wilson imparts the wisdom of his storied career to the next generation.Trade Review"The eminent entomologist, naturalist and sociobiologist draws on the experiences of a long career to offer encouraging advice to those considering a life in science… Glows with one man’s love for science." -- Kirkus Reviews"Edward O. Wilson, the evolutionary biologist who has studied social behavior among insects and humans, offers advice to aspiring researchers…A naturalist at heart, he plays down technology, math, even intelligence, proposing that a good scientist should be ‘bright enough to see what can be done but not too bright as to become bored doing it.’…delivers deep insights into how observation and experiment drive theory." -- Jascha Hoffman - New York Times"I want to express my gratitude. Thank you for reminding me and thousands of others why we became ­scientists. Your book Letters to a Young Scientist is first and foremost a book about passion and the delight of discovery...." -- Bill Streever - New York Times Book Review"In this fund of practical and philosophical guidance distilled from seven decades of experience, Wilson provides exactly the right mentoring for scientists of all disciplines—and all ages… This is no pompous, deeply philosophical treatise on how great ideas develop. Wilson shares his simple love for ants and their natural history, revelling in them without hesitation. Everything else follows." -- Nature"Inspiring… Ought to be on the shelves of all high school and public libraries." -- Library Journal

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Book SynopsisPulitzer Prize–winning biologist Edward O. Wilson imparts the wisdom of his storied career to the next generation.Trade Review"The eminent entomologist, naturalist and sociobiologist draws on the experiences of a long career to offer encouraging advice to those considering a life in science… Glows with one man’s love for science." -- Kirkus Reviews"Edward O. Wilson, the evolutionary biologist who has studied social behavior among insects and humans, offers advice to aspiring researchers…A naturalist at heart, he plays down technology, math, even intelligence, proposing that a good scientist should be ‘bright enough to see what can be done but not too bright as to become bored doing it.’…delivers deep insights into how observation and experiment drive theory." -- Jascha Hoffman - New York Times"I want to express my gratitude. Thank you for reminding me and thousands of others why we became ­scientists. Your book Letters to a Young Scientist is first and foremost a book about passion and the delight of discovery." -- Bill Streever - New York Times Book Review"In this fund of practical and philosophical guidance distilled from seven decades of experience, Wilson provides exactly the right mentoring for scientists of all disciplines—and all ages… This is no pompous, deeply philosophical treatise on how great ideas develop. Wilson shares his simple love for ants and their natural history, revelling in them without hesitation. Everything else follows." -- Nature"Inspiring… Ought to be on the shelves of all high school and public libraries." -- Library Journal

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Book SynopsisWe all know Cuckoos as the harbingers of spring whose haunting calls proclaim the birds own name across fields and reedbeds. A bird much more often heard than actually seen, and often mistaken for a hawk or falcon when briefly glimpsed in flight. Cuckoos are also well known, perhaps even infamous, for their habit of laying their own eggs into the nests of much smaller species, such as reed warblers, who are then doomed to raise the enormous cuckoo chick rather than their own young, and whose eggs are ruthlessly thrown from the nest by the cuckoo hatchling.But how does this complex behaviour act out in nature, and how did it evolve? What are the cuckoo's special tricks and what counter-measures have the host birds developed to resist the depredations of cuckoos? In this book the authors delve into the stories behind what we see, and into the complex and ever evolving evolutionary arms race by which the nest parasite and its hosts constantly try to leapfrog each other into

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Book SynopsisThe arborescent gymnosperms are the most prevalent trees in one-third of the world''s forests, and have dominated the Earth''s forest ecosystems through much of evolutionary time. They encompass over 70 living genera and nearly 700 species of evergreen conifers and related trees, and include the largest and longest-lived organisms on this planet. This two-volume treatise provides detailed descriptions of each genus based on first-hand surveys of their structure, adaption, ecology, function and development. It also incorporates evidence from molecular studies, palaeobotany and environmental data to provide a holistic understanding of their overall evolution and diversity. Covering the world''s temperate and tropical forests, Volume 1 principally focuses on Northern Hemisphere genera while Volume 2 covers those with a predominantly Southern Hemisphere range. Together, the set provides a comprehensive, global reference for researchers in palaeobotany, plant science, geobiology, evolutionary biology, ecology and plant genetics, as well as arboriculturists and conservation managers.

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Book SynopsisA thoroughly updated and accessible textbook featuring topical issues such as sea level rise, eutrophication, facilitation, restoration and conservation. This third edition is richly illustrated in colour, packed with examples from every major continent and wetland type, and features end-of-chapter questions to review and extend students' learning.Trade Review'Keddy's new version of Wetland Ecology is even more readable, not stuffy; it successfully strives for comprehension, not memorization, imbued with questions and principled hypotheses to guide experiments and syntheses. He retrieves both older and newer writings as a scientist first, and also as a citizen-scientist with affection for personal curiosity and society.' R. Eugene Turner, Louisiana State University, USA'This new edition is essential reading for all those around the globe interested in wetlands. The book emphasizes general principles and causal factors responsible for shaping natural wetlands and how they apply to restoration and conservation. Dr Keddy recalls how the old foundational studies contributed to building current understandings of wetland ecology. Numerous illustrations and probing concluding questions at the end of each chapter make the book a valuable teaching resource.' Barry G. Warner, University of Waterloo, Canada'In this third edition of Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation, Dr Paul Keddy has once again shown his strong understanding of how wetlands function. Rather than minor changes and edits to the second edition, this is a reorganized and rewritten expansion, with new sub-sections that delve further into the subject matter. Reference to the classical wetland literature is retained, but wetland science is brought up to date with references through 2022. New examples are included to help explain principles, and a concerted effort was made to use international examples. The effect of humans on wetland functions is prominent in many sections. Most figures are now in colour, and many excellent colour photographs have been added to assist in understanding of the text. Inclusion of insightful questions after each chapter helps to make this book an excellent text for use in undergraduate and graduate courses.' Douglas Wilcox, SUNY Brockport, USA'This is the most comprehensive book in wetland ecology. It explores the diversity and complexity of wetlands, covering a wide range of topics from ecology and functioning to restoration and conservation. These topics are presented clearly, they are superbly illustrated and organized in a way that makes this textbook of equal value to both students and researchers. A must-have book for anyone interested in wetlands.' Vasilis Louca, University of Aberdeen, UKTable of ContentsPreface; 1. Wetlands: an introduction; 2. Flooding; 3. Fertility; 4. Natural disturbance; 5. Competition; 6. Herbivory; 7. Burial; 8. Other factors; 9. Diversity; 10. Zonation; 11. Services and functions; 12. Research: paths forward; 13. Restoration; 14. Conservation and management; References; Index.

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Book SynopsisThat humans originated from Africa is well-known. However, this is widely regarded as a chance outcome, dependant simply on where our common ancestor shared the land with where the great apes lived. This volume builds on from the ''Out of Africa'' theory, and takes the view that it is only in Africa that the evolutionary transitions from a forest-inhabiting frugivore to savanna-dwelling meat-eater could have occurred. This book argues that the ecological circumstances that shaped these transitions are exclusive to Africa. It describes distinctive features of the ecology of Africa, with emphasis on savanna grasslands, and relates them to the evolutionary transitions linking early ape-men to modern humans. It shows how physical features of the continent, especially those derived from plate tectonics, set the foundations. This volume adequately conveys that we are here because of the distinctive features of the ecology of Africa.Trade Review... the book is exceptionally well written, and very recommendable as a foundational introduction to modern Africa savanna ecology for a readership ranging from undergraduates to professional researchers in paleoanthropology.' Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo, Evolutionary Anthropology'In Only in Africa Owen-Smith presents us with copious evidence of the complexity of interactions within and between species of plants, herbivores, and carnivores, coherently linking the trophic levels. He also makes a compelling case that the early stages of human evolution could only have happened in Africa. For those willing to accept that their knowledge of relevant contemporary African ecosystems and their critical role in human evolution could do with some updating and refreshing, Norman Owen-Smith's new book provides just the help they need. Its importance for paleoanthropology cannot be exaggerated.' Bernard Wood, Journal of Human Evolution'a cross-disciplinary textbook that provides a natural historian's overview of the ecology of Africa, with a gradually sharpening focus on the primates that originated there and evolved into modern humans … Owen-Smith provides a refreshing look at a continent in its entirety and all the life it has generated, facilitating a perspective quite different from the usual focus on only one particular aspect of that life … Highly recommended.' L. Swedell, Choice Connect'Norman Owen-Smith's new book Only in Africa is a most welcome contribution … it provides a much-needed textbook for upper-level undergraduate to graduate courses on the ecology of human origins.' John Rowan, The Quarterly Review of BiologyTable of ContentsPreface; Foreword; List of abbreviations; Part I. The physical cradle: Land forms, geology, climate, hydrology and soils: 1. High Africa: Eroding surfaces; 2. Climate: Rainfall seasonality; 3. Water in rivers, lakes and wetlands; 4. Bedrock geology: Volcanic influences; 5. Soils: Foundations of fertility; Part II. The savanna garden: Grassy vegetation and plant dynamics: 6. Forms of savannah; 7. How savanna trees and grasses grow and compete; 8. Plant demography and dynamics: Fire traps; 9. Paleo-savannas: Expanding grasslands; Part III. The big mammal menagerie: Herbivores, carnivores and their ecosystem impacts: 10. Niche distinctions: resources versus risks; 11. Big fierce carnivores: Hunting versus scavenging; 12. Herbivore abundance: Bottom-up and top-down; 13. How large herbivores transform savanna ecosystems; 14. Paleo-faunas: Rise and fall of the biggest grazers; Part IV. Evolutionary transitions: From primate ancestors to modern humans: 15. Primate predecessors: From trees to ground; 16. Primate ecology: From forests into savannas; 17. How an ape became a hunter; 18. Cultural evolution: From tools to art and genes; 19. Reticulate evolution through turbulent times; 20. Prospects for a lonely planet; Index.

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