Earth Day: Ecosystems

Oceanography is a relatively new science that began to emerge in the 19th century. Combining biology, chemistry, physics, and geology, the study of the Earth's oceans helps us to understand the interrelatedness of natural processes on land, in the sea, and in the air. Covering the numerous developments in marine science since the first edition was published, ""Oceans, Revised Edition"" discusses the thousands of new marine species inhabiting the Earth's oceans that have been discovered in the last decade, ranging from microbes, to deep-water corals, to the largest species of whales. It examines the public's increased awareness of climate change, and how it has become a key issue on the political agenda of many governments.Changes in knowledge, understanding, or practice are succinctly reflected in this revised edition, which features updated sidebars and a tide of brand-new illustrations and full-color photographs that illuminate oceanic issues for high school readers. More than two-thirds of the artwork has been revised or replaced, most notably in the chapters covering geography, geology, biology, and ecology.

For tens of thousands of years, northern Europe, Canada, and most of the northern United States lay buried beneath vast ice sheets, thousands of feet thick. As the world warmed and the ice began to melt along its southernmost edge, plants began to appear and a forest was born. This forest of the temperate regions became known as the temperate forest. Forests are biologically diverse, meaning they support a wide variety of species of plants, fungi, animals, and single-celled organisms. ""Temperate Forests, Revised Edition"" explores biodiversity and why preserving it is so important. This book surveys the distribution of certain trees, how soil forms and is classified scientifically, how water flows through it, and what forests soils are like. It also contrasts the efforts to conserve forests with the way forests were portrayed in folklore and literature, often as dark and dangerous.All of the facts and figures have been revised for this new edition, most of the text has been rewritten, and diagrams and full-color photographs and illustrations enhance the text. More than 30 sidebars provide brief biographical details about individuals who have made important contributions to our knowledge of the Earth and ecology, including Alfred Wegener, the German meteorologist who first proposed the idea of continental drift; Vasily Dokuchayev, the Russian scientist who was the first to classify soils; and the ecologists Frederic Clements, Arthur Tansley, Charles Elton, and Henry Gleason.

Tropical forests are the most diverse and complex of the world's ecosystems. They are also among the most vulnerable and threatened habitats on Earth. Their value to humanity is immense through their influence on the atmosphere and global climate. ""Tropical Forests"" explores the great biodiversity of forests, from microbes to mammals, as well as the adaptations of organisms to their environment and to the other species surrounding them. The interactions between organisms and their physical surroundings are examined, as are the processes linking the two into an integrated ecosystem.This accessible book portrays the importance of tropical forests with a balance of factual accuracy and a sense of wonder. The chapters are arranged in a logical structure, beginning with the physical setting, including the geography, geology, and climatic conditions of tropical forests. Diagrams, full-color photographs and illustrations, and informative sidebars highlight the function, value, and sheer beauty of this remarkable ecosystem.

The tundra, a land of ice and snow that is known through television documentaries and adventure novels, remains a mystery to the vast majority of people. The tundra regions of the world have the lowest density of human populations, with the possible exception of some deserts. It is the one biome that has resisted most attempts at agricultural exploitation and human settlement. It is therefore not surprising that many misconceptions about this ecosystem exist.""Tundra"" provides students with a detailed account of the physical aspects, such as climate, geology, and geography, and the biological aspects, including the adaptations of organisms to extreme conditions, of a tundra environment. The possible consequences of environmental change and increasing pollution in this remote and wild biome are addressed in order to appreciate the problems facing the tundra. Diagrams, full-color photographs and illustrations, and explanatory sidebars shed light on this vital ecosystem.

Wetlands are among the wildest places on Earth. Used throughout the years as a valuable means of transportation and communication and as a source of food, wetlands are found in a wide range of geological settings in almost all parts of the world, and they occupy about six percent of the world's surface. ""Wetlands, Revised Edition"" provides broad, up-to-date coverage of this unique ecosystem - including information on the global cycling of water, which will become an increasingly scarce resource in coming decades, and on the relationship between the water cycle, rock weathering, and wetland formation.This accessible book examines the diversity of wetlands in the past, present, and future, how they work, and how they can be conserved. This revised edition features information on the development of wetlands and the techniques used in their study, such as radiocarbon dating and pollen analysis. The section dealing with the future of wetlands in a world of rapid environmental change has been brought up to date, and accounts of how individual species cope with life in the wet have been expanded. All-new full-color photographs, illustrations, and sidebars help readers gain a valuable understanding of this important topic.