Customer Reviews:
Insightful overview of tropical ecology.......2007-03-09
I found Tropical Nature to be an interesting and easy read. Organized neatly into 17 chapters and an appendix, each covers a specific a specific species of ecological concept. I found chapter 6, "Listen to the flowers" the most interesting, detailing the different mechanisms plants employ in order to have evolutionary advantages as well as trick other species.
(I read this as a precursor to a may term course at my college where I shall be going to the rain forests of Ecuador)
great adventure!.......2007-01-18
I began reading this book for a class involving tropical studies and travel and I wasn't sure what to expect. This is a great book. Easy read. The book takes a broad yet, also in depth exploration of different *interesting* topics in tropical ecology. Although it is definitely not a scientific text, this book takes you for a wondrous adventure into the tropics.
Tropical Nature.......2006-11-13
This book was great. It is written a bit technically, so it would help to have a science backgroung to fully enjoy it. The literary style is easy to read and the book is difficult to put down. I'm sure that having read this book will enhance my trip to the rain forest. Thanks!!
Best Intro to the Natural History of Tropical Forests.......2006-10-15
Buy this Book! This book is a great read for anybody who is interested in life on our planet. It would make a dandy companion to E.O. Wilson's "The Diversity of Life."
ENCHANTING DEPICTION OF THE RAIN FOREST.......2006-04-10
Among books that aim to express to readers the wonders of the rain forest, this one stands out. In 17 chapters that touch upon different aspects of the rain forest, the authors transmit their own passion for the rain forest and the unique intricacies that make rain forests some of the most precious places on earth.
The book is not written as one coherent whole, but rather as 17 individual chapters or essays. Below is a brief sample of topics:
- the strategy of dung scarabs to capture important proteins
- the symbiotic relationship of sloths with the trees they prefer
- the mimicry some insects have developed to elude their main predators, birds
- the reason why some birds have developed migratory patterns to temperate climates
- the reason why some frogs developed a parental care strategy and even marsupial pouches
- the reason why some trees are hollow
- how parasited species can benefit even in the most unlikely scenarios
- why some plants developed hallucinogenic substances
These are just a few of the topics covered in the book. It is written in a pop science format, so that an interested reader will easily understand and appreciate these and many more concepts. The authors carefully explain the relationships, often comparing the rain forest experience with those of temperate forests. The authors also focus on the possible evolutionary principles involved in adaptations presented.
This is the very best introductory book on the subject. It is designed to excite the reader into learning more and even visiting the rain forest. In the mold of Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Dawkins, Miyata and Forsyth write a masterpiece that will make the reader feel smarter after reading it.
Average customer rating:
|
Introduction to Forest Ecosystem Science and Management
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Biology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ecology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Trees
| Plants
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Environmental Science
| Earth Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Forests & Forestry
| Natural Resources
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Ecology
| Environment
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Forests
| Conservation
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Environmental Science
| Earth Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Forestry
| Agricultural Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
| Deforestation
| Ecology
| Economics
| Fires
| Management
| Products
| Wood Science
Forestry & Conservation
| Agriculture
| Sciences
| New & Used Textbooks
| Stores
| Books
Ecology
| Biological Sciences
| Sciences
| New & Used Textbooks
| Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Outdoors & Nature
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Professional
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Science
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Science Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Harlow and Harrar's Textbook of Dendrology
-
Introduction to Wildlife and Fisheries
-
Forest Ecosystems
-
Wildlife Ecology and Management (5th Edition)
-
Ecosystem Management: Adaptive, Community-Based Conservation
ASIN: 0471331457 |
Book Description
Conveying the wide-ranging scope of forestry and the great challenges that lie ahead, this Third Edition brings together leading forestry experts and gives readers a broad overview of the field. Coverage ranges from the basic cell, individual trees, and the forest stand, to management of the forest stand and acquisition of goods and services from the forest.
Book Description
The longleaf pine ecosystem, once one of the most extensive ecosystems in North America, is now among the most threatened. Over the past few centuries, land clearing, logging, fire suppression, and the encroachment of more aggressive plants have led to an overwhelming decrease in the ecosystem’s size, to approximately 2.2% of its original coverage. Despite this devastation, the range of the longleaf still extends from Virginia to Texas. Through the combined efforts of organizations such as the USDA Forest Service, the Longleaf Alliance, and the Nature Conservancy, extensive programs to conserve, restore, and manage the ecosystem are currently underway.
The longleaf pine ecosystem is valued not only for its aesthetic appeal, but also for its outstanding biodiversity, habitat value, and for the quality of the longleaf pine lumber. It has a natural resistance to fire and insects, and supports more than thirty threatened or endangered plant and animal species, including the red-cockaded woodpecker and the gopher tortoise.
The Longleaf Pine Ecosystem unites a wealth of current information on the ecology, silviculture, and restoration of this ecosystem. The book also includes a discussion of the significant historical, social, and political aspects of ecosystem management, making it a valuable resource for students, land managers, ecologists, private landowners, government agencies, consultants, and the forest products industry.
About the Editors:
Dr. Shibu Jose is Associate Professor of Forest Ecology and Dr. Eric J. Jokela is Professor of Silviculture at the School of Forest Resources and Conservation at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Dr. Deborah L. Miller is Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida in Milton.
Product Description
In this collection of natural-history essays, biologist Joan Maloof embarks on a series of lively, fact-filled expeditions into forests of the eastern United States. Through Maloof's engaging, conversational style, each essay offers a lesson in stewardship as it explores the interwoven connections between a tree species and the animals and insects whose lives depend on it--and who, in turn, work to ensure the tree's survival.
Never really at home in a laboratory, Maloof took to the woods early in her career. Her enthusiasm for firsthand observation in the wild spills over into her writing, whether the subject is the composition of forest air, the eagle's preference for nesting in loblolly pines, the growth rings of the bald cypress, or the gray squirrel's fondness for weevil-infested acorns. With a storyteller's instinct for intriguing particulars, Maloof expands our notions about what a tree "is" through her many asides--about the six species of leafhoppers who eat only sycamore leaves or the midges who live inside holly berries and somehow prevent them from turning red.
As a scientist, Maloof accepts that trees have a spiritual dimension that cannot be quantified. As an unrepentant tree hugger, she finds support in the scientific case for biodiversity. As an activist, she can't help but wonder how much time is left for our forests.
Customer Reviews:
A life changing book!.......2006-08-17
This is one of those books you read and it can change your life. It's an intellectually beautiful read by a biologist who has spent her life studying the relationship of trees, forests, organisms, insects and animals and explains their connections simply. I think it's an important book such as Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring". It should be in everyone's library and read over and over.
Tiia-Mai Barrett, Seattle, WA
Spread the word.......2005-12-21
This is the type of book you savor, that you close your eyes at the end and feel you've received a special gift. I'm buying copies for my friends and family.
A series of lively, scientific essays on connections between tree species and the animals and insects which use it .......2005-11-08
Biologist Joan Maloof's ventures into the forests of the Eastern United states provide a series of lively, scientific essays on connections between tree species and the animals and insects which use it in Teaching The Trees: Lessons From The Forest. In leaving lab for direct environmental observation, Maloff's firsthand observations are lively and personal as well as scientific, exploring some of her favorite trees and their importance.
A plea to keep the trees.......2005-10-11
In this slender volume of short essays, gracefully accompanied by the illustrations of 19th century naturalist and artist John Abbot, Maloof makes her impassioned plea for the lives of trees and forests by introducing them to us one by one.
Local rambles in Maryland provide the settings for her meditations on the lives and strategies of common species like beech, oak, maple, pine, and sycamore and under story trees like dogwood and holly, as well as bald cypress, walnut, redcedar, sweetgum and more. She breathes in the special qualities of "old-growth" air and mourns the lack of "grandfather trees," but most fascinating are the tales of interwoven life in the trees.
Many of these have to do with insects. Black locusts produce extra nectar, which feeds the ants and ladybugs that protect the tree from other insects. Except aphids, which the ants protect in exchange for their "honeydew," a euphemism for aphid urine. Ladybugs eat aphids, but there are still plenty of them and that honeydew is also the substance found all over your car when you park it under a tree, that stuff you probably call sap.
Exploring the teeming life of a tree (without the sycamore alone nine other species would be lost) Maloof, a biologist, distills numerous studies and traces the relationships among the insects, lizards, fungi, mammals, birds and people who obtain benefit from the tree. With a winning combination of science and poetry, Maloof makes her case for compassion and wonder.
--Portsmouth Herald
An environmental awakening........2005-09-08
When I was young, my neighbor told me that when she was a child in early 20th century Philadelphia, she thought that a tree was a particular kind of plant and that was that. Imagine her amazement the first time she left the city and discovered that there were what seemed to be an infinite variety of trees!
Joan Maloof takes the reader to the next level. She explains that far from each tree being merely a unique organism, that each tree is an entire ecosystem; indeed, that each tree is an interdependent universe of organisms that depend on each other in the most unimaginably wonderful and intricate ways.
I have spent my entire life in a rural area surrounded by trees, yet reading this book awakened a new curiosity, a new appreciation, a need to explore and learn that I never felt before.
Anyone will be enriched by reading "Teaching the Trees", but for the young person steeped in consumer culture who thinks that trees are for shade or lumber and that "bugs" are pests, it could be a life-changing experience, leading to an appreciation of the wonders of the forest, and perhaps a lifetime of study and enjoyment of the miracles of nature.
Book Description
The availability or lack of nutrients shapes ecosystems in fundamental ways. From forest productivity to soil fertility, from the diversity of animals to the composition of microbial communities, nutrient cycling and limitation are the basic mechanisms underlying ecosystem ecology. In this book, Peter Vitousek builds on over twenty years of research in Hawai'i to evaluate the controls and consequences of variation in nutrient availability and limitation.
Integrating research from geochemistry, pedology, atmospheric chemistry, ecophysiology, and ecology, Vitousek addresses fundamental questions: How do the cycles of different elements interact? How do biological processes operating in minutes or hours interact with geochemical processes operating over millions of years? How does biological diversity interact with nutrient cycling and limitation in ecosystems? The Hawaiian Islands provide the author with an excellent model system for answering these questions as he integrates across levels of biological organization. He evaluates the connections between plant nutrient use efficiency, nutrient cycling and limitation within ecosystems, and nutrient input-output budgets of ecosystems.
This book makes use of the Hawaiian ecosystems to explore the mechanisms that shape productivity and diversity in ecosystems throughout the world. It will be essential reading for all ecologists and environmental scientists.
Book Description
Oak Forest Ecosystems focuses on the relationship between an oak forest's acorn yield and species of wildlife that depend on it. It begins by treating factors such as oak distribution, forest fires, tree diseases and pests, dynamics of acorn production, and acorn dispersal by birds and mammals. Special consideration is given to the phenomenon of masting -- whereby oaks in a given area will produce huge crops of acorns at irregular intervals -- a key component for wildlife researchers and managers in understanding patterns of scarcity and abundance in the creatures that feed on this crop. Relationships between oaks and animals such as mice, squirrels, turkeys, deer, and bear are discussed, as are the differences between eastern, southern Appalachian, southwestern, and California oak forests.
Contributors: Marc D. Abrams, Pennsylvania State University • Patrick H. Brose, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • John P. Buonaccorsi, University of Massachusetts • Daniel Dey, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Joseph S. Elkinton, University of Massachusetts • George A. Feldhamer, Southern Illinois University • Peter F. Folliott, University of Arizona • Lee E. Frelich, University of Minnesota • Cathryn H. Greenberg, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • William M. Healy, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Roy L. Kirkpatrick, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University • Johannes M. H. Knops, University of Nebraska • Walter D. Koenig, University of California • Nelson W. Lafon, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries • Andrew M. Liebhold, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • William J. McShea, National Zoological Park Conservation and Research Center • William H. McWilliams, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Gary W. Norman, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries • Steven W. Oak, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Renee A. O'Brien, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Richard S. Ostfeld, Institute of Ecosystem Studies • Bernard R. Parresol, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service • Peter J. Perkins, University of New Hampshire • Gordon C. Reese, Colorado State University • Peter B. Reich, University of Minnesota • Peter D. Smallwood, University of Richmond • Christopher C. Smith, Kansas State University • Richard B. Standiford, University of California--Berkeley • Martin A. Stapanian, Ohio Cooperative Wildlife Unit • Michael A. Steele, Wilkes University • David Steffen, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries • David H. Van Lear, Clemson University • Michael R. Vaughan, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University • Karen L. Waddell, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service
Customer Reviews:
Technically Excellent.......2005-09-06
The book provides great insights to the interactions within the Oak Forest Ecosystem. The book is designed more for the practicing ecologist, forester or biologist and may be a bit tough to digest if you haven't taken Population Statistics classes. All and all a good read and a bit of an eye-opener for some of us "specie-ists."
Average customer rating:
- The first systematic treatment
- The first extensive compilation focused specifically upon patterns of plant biodiversity in the species-rich savannas
|
Neotropical Savannas and Seasonally Dry Forests: Plant Diversity, Biogeography, and Conservation (Systematics Association Special Volume)
Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ecology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Evolution
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Forests & Forestry
| Natural Resources
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Conservation
| Environment
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Internal Medicine
| Medicine
| Subjects
| Books
| Cardiology
| Critical Care
| Endocrinology & Metabolism
| Gastroenterology
| General
| Hematology
| Hepatology
| Infectious Disease
| Nephrology
| Neurology
| Oncology
| Pulmonary
| Rheumatology
| Urology
Ecology
| Biological Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Evolution
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Forestry
| Agricultural Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
| Deforestation
| Ecology
| Economics
| Fires
| Management
| Products
| Wood Science
Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Science Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Ecology of Neotropical Savannas
ASIN: 0849329876 |
Book Description
This volume is the first extensive compilation of the patterns of plant biodiversity in the species-rich savannas and seasonally dry forests of the neotropics. Focusing on the molecular phylogenies and population genetics for uncovering biogeographic history, it addresses three questions: Where are the centers of species-richness and endemism that make up the floras of these ecosystems? How and why did this endemism and diversity arise? Are these ecosystems adequately protected, and if not how can this be best achieved? It also looks at evolutionary history, including links to the development of analogous vegetation in Africa. According to the Midwest Book Review (August 2006) this work is "...a seminal and necessary addition to professional and academic library Biological Sciences and Environmental Studies reference collections."
Customer Reviews:
The first systematic treatment.......2006-08-12
This book is the result of a plant diversity symposium that composed part of a conference held at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in September 2003. As with most scientific books of this type where the information is the result of research that was conducted very recently, there are numerous contributors, more than fifty. They come from most of the world: England, United States, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, Switzerland, France, and many others.
Most of the book covers Latin and South America with discussions on the types of plants found in these environments. Only one chapter is devoted to Africa, the other large area where savannas and seasonally dry forests are to be found. And it primarily discusses the differences.
This is the first extensive compilation of the patterns of plant diversity in these neotropical ecosystems. It is a monumental work.
The first extensive compilation focused specifically upon patterns of plant biodiversity in the species-rich savannas .......2006-08-09
Collaboratively compiled, organized and edited by the team of R. Toby Pennington, James A Ratter (both of whom are with the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh) and Gwilym P. Lewis (from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew), "Neotropical Savannas And Seasonally Dry Forests: Plant Diversity, Biogeography, And Conservations" is the latest addition to the prestigious 'Systematics Association Special Volumes' series (under the general editorial supervision of Alan Warren (Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, London, England) and the first extensive compilation focused specifically upon patterns of plant biodiversity in the species-rich savannas and seasonally dry forests of the neotropics. This scholarly and expert 484-page overview (contributed to by 59 contributors from around the world) succinctly summarizes what is currently known of the evolutionary history of these particular ecosystems, including links to the development of analogous vegetation in Africa. "Neotropical Savannas And Seasonally Dry Forests" focus on plant biodiversity and the molecular phylogenies and molecular population genetics for uncovering the biogeographic history of these ecosystems making it a seminal and necessary addition to professional and academic library Biological Sciences and Environmental Studies reference collections.
Book Description
A textbook for advanced students of forest science, ecology, and environmental studies as well as a reference for professionals in these fields, Forest Ecosystems offers a comprehensive survey of the structure and functioning of forest ecosystems worldwide: temperate, tropical, and boreal. Basic ecological concepts are stressed throughout, at scales ranging from the global to the microscopic.
The text begins with an introduction to the basic elements of the science of ecology and the role of forests in the global ecosystem. The opening chapters describe how climate influences large-scale distribution of vegetation types, and how global warming might influence that distribution. After a look at factors that influence landscape patterns, the focus shifts to topics that include temporal dynamics, biological diversity, and soils. Subsequent chapters deal with primary productivity, nutrient cycling, herbivory, ecosystem stability, and factors contributing to ecosystem collapse such as acid rain and mismanagement. A concluding chapter discusses principles of sustainable forest management.
Customer Reviews:
Great Reference.......2003-12-19
If you're looking for a detailed overview of how the forest ecosystem works, this is a great reference. Perry covers soil, nutrients, forest dynamics, etc. If you are new to the sciences, Perry does a good job of explaining key terms. This book is geared more towards science-minded people, but the material is broad enough for anyone interested in the forest.
Average customer rating:
|
A Tropical Rainforest: The Nature of Biodiversity in Borneo at Belalong, Brunei
David S. Edwards , and
Earl of Cranbrook
Manufacturer: Sun Tree Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Forests & Forestry
| Natural Resources
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Rain Forests
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Forestry
| Agricultural Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
| Deforestation
| Ecology
| Economics
| Fires
| Management
| Products
| Wood Science
Forests
| Conservation
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Tropical
| Ecosystems
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Science Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 9810055315 |
Books:
- Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith
- Vertebrate Life (7th Edition)
- Vertebrates: Comparative Anatomy, Function, Evolution
- What Mad Pursuit: A Personal View of Scientific Discovery (Sloan Foundation Science)
- YOU: The Owner's Manual: An Insider's Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger
- An Introduction to Systems Biology: Design Principles of Biological Circuits (Chapman & Hall/Crc Mathematical and Computational Biology Series)
- Analysis and Management of Animal Populations
- Analysis and Management of Animal Populations
- Animal Behavior: An Evolutionary Approach, Eighth Edition
- Arthur's Veterinary Reproduction and Obstetrics
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Shakespeare's Secret
- Me, Myself, and Bob: A True Story About God, Dreams, and Talking Vegetables
- Die Physikalisch Chemischen Grundlagen Der Biologie Mit Einer Einfuhrung In Die Grundbegriffe Der Ho
- Domain Decomposition Methods
- Graphic Design Solutions, Third Edition
- Introduction to Security, Seventh Edition
- Good Owners, Great Dogs
- Suzette and the Puppy: A Story About Mary Cassatt
- Country Series: English Cottages
- The Biology and Evolution of Australian Lizards
A Neotropical Companion
Costa Rica: A Traveler's Literary Companion (Traveler's Literary Companions)
Costa Rica (Traveller's Wildlife Guides)
Costa Rican Wildlife: An Introduction to Familiar Species (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press)
A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica (Comstock Book)
