Book Description

Miller's LIVING IN THE ENVIRONMENT, 13th Edition is a science-based book designed for introductory courses in environmental science. Tyler Miller is the most successful author in environmental science instruction because of his attention to currency, trend-setting presentation, outstanding student and instructor supplements, and his ability to retain and refine the pedagological hallmarks on which instructors have come to depend. In this edition Miller has added an on-line Web- based resource, entitled the Resource Integration Guide, which is updated quarterly with CNN® Today video clips, animations, and articles from InfoTrac® College Edition.Instructors can seamlessly incorporate current news articles and research findings to support classroom instruction. And, for the first time ever, students will receive a complementary CD-ROM entitled Interactive Concepts in Environmental Science. This groundbreaking addition integrates nearly 100 engaging animations and interactions with chapter summaries, flashcards, and Web-based quizzes. Organized by chapter, students will find links to relevant resources, narrated animations, interactive figures and prompts to review material and test themselves. The content in the Thirteenth Edition of LIVING IN THE ENVIRONMENT is everything you have come to expect and more. There is more information on ecology and basic science than ever before. Instructors can continue to expect high quality end-of-chapter questions, an orientation toward solutions and prevention rather than clean-up,the integration of Web resources, and balanced presentation of controversial ideas that are supported through Pro/Con diagrams and discussions. ... Read more

Book Description

This classic book explores the interactions of humans within the natural environment and probes issues thoroughly, examining their scientific basis, history, and society's response. Strong science, sustainability, and stewardship of Earth remain the underlying themes.Accompanies each copy of the book with the new Global City CD, built around the concepts of a large city that shows many of the environmental problems presented in the book. Includes an extensively revised layout and design. Keeps readers abreast of the latest developments or most pressing issues in the field, such as Global Climate Change. Offers "Environment on the Web" exercises that help readers access additional information on the Internet; important Web references are keyed to each chapter.An interesting reference for anyone interested in learning more about today's crucial environmental issues. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is built on a steadfast tradition of accurate science, engaging presentation and media innovation. The readers' experience is enhanced with the new MediaTutor CD-ROM that is integrated into each chapter through the use of MediaTutor Tabs. The result is a program that helps you draw readers into biology through an engaging text and interactive media.This book focuses on the key concepts of cell biology, genetics, evolution, plant and animal anatomy and physiology, and ecology.For anyone interested in introductory biology. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Woe to the Non-Biology Major
This textbook is not what its authors, nor those who assisted the authors, purport; a book meant for undergraduates who are NOT Biology majors. Indeed, it is the exact opposite-a Biology major's dream.

That dream is the textbook Life on Earth by Audesirk, Audesirk, and Byers, along with their Panel of Biology educators "[...] who worked closely with the authors to ensure Life on Earth's continuing tradition of readability, accuracy, and relevance" (p vii). READABILITY? That is rich considering the book throws incomprehensible term after term at the reader, rather than breaking terms up into small, easy to read segments. Confounding the issue additionally is the tendency of the authors to stray off into concepts that, while related to the section, only serve to perplex the non-biology inclined. These tangents would be better suited later in the chapter as sections of their own, rather than built into already discombobulating subjects. Furthermore, the charts and diagrams contain information overload and are not terribly useful.

For instance, take the chapters dealing with cells, DNA, & RNA. They are choked full of information and diagrams for those who can decipher the regurgitated jargon, however, the rest must intrepidly explore this wilderness of technical verbiage constantly backtracking and retracing steps through a bewildering jungle of Biology Geek-Speak and in-depth tangents to glean any knowledge from this textbook. It does not help when the odd bit of historical data is thrown in haphazardly, generally in the most inconvenient of places; such as middle of a complicated idea, where one has to side track around an event in history in order to keep the flow of consistency of the frustrating concept. While biology majors may achieve overly excited levels of joy from such asides, those of us struggling with the convoluted nature of the subject, and the less that user friendly book, find it not only distracting, but poor editing.

The exact opposite of their statement in the preface:

As teachers, we recognize how easily a student can become
mired in a overwhelming number of new facts and terms while
losing sight of the underlying concepts of biology. [...] Our
goal is to deliver an accessible text that clears away some
of the trees so that students may more easily visualize the
forest. We have carefully revised Life on Earth to reduce
unnecessary detail and excess terminology while retaining
core concepts and a sense of biology's richness and breadth.
(p ix)

The book reads like a technical manual, and while it is rare for this reviewer to deliberately indulge in schadenfreund, an inner sense of justice would be sated were this reviewer to teach an introductory class on diesel engines to the main authors and their Panel of Biology Educators. Rather than the standard, user friendly beginner texts, great pleasure would be taken in giving Audesirk, Audesirk, and Byers, along with their cronies, the most convoluted and driest advanced technical guide with the expectation they keep up in the class.

Yet, tis not enough for the authors to swamp the reader with overloaded jargonised sentences, run amok on overly technical tangents, and include eye-numbing diagrams and pointless charts, but they preach as well! From the About the Authors section, Audesirk & Audesirk "[...] are members of several conservation organizations." (p vi) and it shows in the writing. Though they ask for "open mindedness" (pg 9) as scientists in the opening chapter, yet, they refuse to practice it-unless it is their own "approved" open-mindedness. If sceptical and unconvinced by the man-made Global-Warming/sky-is-falling doomsayers, be prepared for a special dose of theory as unassailable truth in this text.

This reviewer does not understand why a biology textbook should be allowed as a platform for an agenda of any sort, yet, here is one doing just that.

In the entire Unit on Ecology, the constant positive reinforcement of the Kyoto Protocol is so repetitive, it is like a brainwashing mantra. This, despite Dr. Frederick Seitz's reporting on the bogus science involved in the drafting of the Protocol. Throughout the book, whenever possible, the insidious phrasing regarding the evils of fossil fuels and why taking public transportation is important because automobile owners are polluting the Earth is inserted. Never mind air quality in the US is cleaner now than the early 60s. Driving (pardon the pun) home further why scientists should never dabble in politics, are the statements regarding why harvesting wood from the forests is so detrimental, despite the fact wildfires and forest fires are on the rise, due to the increase in trees, because of the efforts of people like the Audesirks to stem logging. Apparently this irony is lost on them.

To conclude, my instructor for Introduction to Life Sciences (Biology 160), felt the book was "fairly good as far as introductory biology texts go.", which is easy for a man w/a PHD in Biology to say. However, for those of us who will never major in biology, though might have had an interest in learning about it before reading this book, do not expect to get much from this textbook other than a headache and the agenda of a couple of eco-hippies. My final grade has yet to post, I think it will be an A, certainly no less than a B, but I do not know how I achieved that score; everything from the textbook went in one eye as a bunch of gibberish and out the other eye as garbled babble.

I would say, rather than letting this awful textbook deter you from understanding and enjoying biology, find a simpler text, say Biology for Dummies from the IDG folks. Better still, if this is the required textbook for your class, DEFINITLY get Biology for Dummies. You will need it if only for the levity.

Fellow non-biology majors, I have felt your woe.

An easy-to-read book that still avoids over-simplification
Although Life on Earth is meant to be a textbook, I find it to be an excellent reference book. The design does not force the reader to begin at the first chapter and read sequentially. Terms are explained in clear english, and the glossary is very thorough. Illustrations are well-drawn and fitting, and the layout is easy on the eyes. Also, the chapter summary after each section is invaulable to students. I cannot recommend this book more to anyone who is interested in Biology or needs a reference book about the workings of life on Earth.

easy to understand
This book was easy to follow. Unlike a a lot of other books, it does not throw a bunch of terms you dont understand at you. ... Read more

Book Description

The new edition of this market-leading Environmental Science text offers a wealth of new technology for you and your students. Each text will be packaged FREE with an Essential Study Partner CD-ROM for students PLUS a password code card to access our cool new Online Learning Center website. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Horrible.
Any text that advises poverty-stricken Africans to use solar-powered stoves as opposed to wood-burning fires to cook their food in attempt to lower energy consumption has gone too far off the deep end as to be a suitable college source.

Too many typos, too opinionated in the wrong places, not opinionated enough in the right places, just horrible. Wretched book. And to think, my family spent over $100 on the package. Ack!

[Ask your prof to use one of the labs to research better textbooks if this is all he/she can come up with.]

Well-researched and thoughtfully presented
The authors obviously put a lot of work into making science accessible and interesting! The information in the book is up-to-date, and the approach is balanced. Great text!

Tree-hugger only
The teacher who teaches this is an enviromentalist wacko and this book can be used solely for that purpose.

A clearly defined study of environmental science
This text is a clearly defined study of environmental science. It is full of content and each chapter offers extensional learning through the use open-ended presentations of current events applicable to the content. There are loads of interesting topics and there are also references to Online sources for additional information. This is an excellent book for the study of environmental science.

An excellent text of relevant content
This text does an excellent job of introducing the reader to relevant material with regard to the study of environmental science. The chapters feature current real-life events in an extension format that allows for open-ended discussion and direct application of the content. The text does a great job explaining the role of socioeconomic factors as contributors to global environmental degredation. It can make one consider and question the logic and ethics behind much of what is done by government, industry, and the individual. ... Read more

Book Description

The text serves as an introduction to ethical theory as it applies to environmental issues and as a casebook on contemporary problems of science, industry, and individual decision-making. It provides a readable, yet philosophically careful survey of the field of environmental ethics. It is comprehensive, covering topics from the relevance of Aristotle's ethics for environmental issues to Deep Ecology and Ecofeminism. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Well written outlines of major ideas
This review is based on the 2nd edition. This book presents a good introduction to the major ideas of ethical thinking about the environment. He presents ideas on how rights might be derived as a gradation from purely human interest, rights based on whether animals suffer, and nature with its own right. Throughout the book questions of individual versus community rights are discussed. Each chapter starts with a short essay that highlights some of the complexities; for example whether Mountain Goats should be introduced or eliminated in Olympic National Park. Each chapter is concluded with discussion questions that also help the reader grapple with the issues.

He presents many of the major ideas and criticisms of animal rights, energy use, the land ethic, deep ecology, and ecofeminism. Particularly in the areas of deep ecology he presents the diversity of views. Perhaps he is weak in presenting third world views and the impact that "Deep ecology" might have on poor and agrarian populations. He is lacking discussion of religious based environmental ethics ("Theocentric ethics"). Christian Ecology seeks to develop a stewardship view, and Native American, and Eastern religions center on respect for nature. I think this book works best when read with selections from the authors discussed; for example read some of Leopold's "Sand County Almanac", then read the chapter on "The Land Ethic."

Thinking Deeply about the Environment, and Why it Matters
I read the first edition of this book (1993) and have no doubt that the third edition will surpass its scope and clarity. In a few hundred pages, Joseph Des Jardins unspools the thread of western philosophical tradition and makes it relevant for today's urgent environmental issues. Each chapter begins with a timely case study--salmon and economic develoment, nuclear waste and the rights of future generations to a clean environment--then develops the philosophical arguments required to more deeply understand just what is at stake in these and similar issues. Des Jardins' style is easy-going and eminently accessible. He wastes no words, gets to heart of the matter, and leaves the reader wanting more. Footnotes and additional readings lead to original material if the reader wants to delve more thoroughly into the topics. But you can just stop with Des Jardins if you are not a scholar, and still gain a firm grasp on how the big thinkers of western philosophy brought us to a critical divide in our environmental future. Edition One included late-breaking news from the social environmental and eco-feminist fronts, and I am confident the 2000 edition will be just as current. ... Read more

Book Description

Every schoolchild learns about the mutually beneficial dance of honeybees and flowers: The bee collects nectar and pollen to make honey and, in the process, spreads the flowers’ genes far and wide. In The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan ingeniously demonstrates how people and domesticated plants have formed a
similarly reciprocal relationship. He masterfully links four fundamental human desires—sweetness, beauty, intoxication, and control—with the plants that satisfy them: the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato. In telling the stories of four familiar species, Pollan illustrates how the plants have evolved to satisfy humankind’s most basic yearnings. And just as we’ve benefited from these plants, we have also done well by them. So who is really domesticating whom? ... Read more

Reviews (95)

A good read, and very informative
I read this book after hearing a talk by Pollan on New Dimensions radio (in their "Bioneers" series), and I found it (like his talk) perfectly delightful. I don't agree that his use of science is misleading: he's done his homework and researched his subjects pretty thoroughly, and if he takes sides on an issue (e.g., anti-pesticide and anti-genetic-engineering), it's a reasoned conclusion rather than an unthinking bias. The book is anecdotal and impressionistic, not a closely-reasoned scientific argument, but I felt that its rather loose structure worked well: it's a fun read, he kept me interested all the way through, and I learned a surprising amount about history, botany, and horticulture. I've read several accounts of the Potato Famine, but Pollan's "take" on it was intriguing: he sees it as the world's most ghastly example of the dangers of monoculture, and I agree that it's a lesson we all need to take to heart. (But it's also a case of How A Fungus Changed The World: if the potato blight hadn't dispersed the Irish all over the world, many countries -- in Latin America, as well as the obvious contenders, Australia and the U.S. -- would be very different today.) The book is easy to read and amusing, but he also makes some important points, and I have no hesitation in recommending it.

Conversational prose, brimming with allusions
I just finished this lovely little book,and would highly reccommend it. If nothing else, this book prepares one for many interesting conversations. I am now knowledgable about the true Johnny Appleseed, the tulip craze of Holland, the highly specialized marijuana culture, and new developments in the genetic engineering of potatoes. (To name a few!)
The fact that Pollan is not a scientist, but an avid gardener and researcher, among other things, should be considered an asset to the reader. He avoids esoteric scientific terminology, but the text remains sophisticated because his allusions prove huge amounts of research. Each part of the book, each "desire", has its own special charm. I would be hard pressed to choose a favorite. This book truly opens one's eyes to "a plant's-eye view of the world". Though by no means the be-all-end-all on this topic, it is a beautiful natural history.

How passionate are you about plants?
Pollan's book was pleasurable and engaging to read. It is a book that got me to think and expanded my perspective. It places our relationship with plants in specific contexts, with a unique hybrid of sociological and genetic prose. Recommended highly for those passionate about gardening, nature, or food.

Nature and Culture from a Gardener's Perspective
While you probably wouldn't want to use "The Botany of Desire" for scientific research purposes, this excellent nonfiction book effectively combines elements of science with those of history, cultural theory and mythology (from the early Greek to the Frontier American varieties). The tone is casual, not scholarly. Pollan is also a gardener, and his passion for growing things and his curiosity about life from the plant's-eye view shines through his text.
"The Botany of Desire" is a nonfiction book with an innovative structure: instead of telling a straight chronological story of the domestication of plants, Pollan instead selects four plants and tells each of their stories in turn, describing how their progress through the world has been shaped by human desires -- and the changes in those desires through history.
This book is also a travelogue of sorts: Pollan journeys through the Midwest in search of Johnny Appleseed's true life story, to Holland for the Cannabis Cup and the historical sites of "tulipomania," and to corporate factory forms to learn about genetic modification of the potato.
Most importantly, Pollan shows us around his own garden and introduces us to the plants that live there. Each of the four historical narratives begins and ends with the plant's history in his own backyard. As a host and a travel guide, Pollan takes on a fascinating journey through time, nature and culture.

I highly recommend this book to plant lovers and gardeners of all varieties, and to those who are interested in the shaping of nature by cultural forces (and vice versa). If this isn't you, it would still probably make a great gift for someone you know.

fascinating page turner
Wildly Enthusiastic Recommend: Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan
This book is really different from your average reading fare. It's a delightful mix of facts both scientific and historical, fantastical meanderings, and just plain fun. The catching premise is that plants have co-opted man into promoting their prosperity. Pollan uses four plants to illustrate this premise: apples, tulips, marijuana, and potatoes. Each chapter is a wonderfully readable story about the plant and its history intertwined with its relationship to man. The apple chapter has amazing information about Johnny Appleseed, and because as a child I wanted to be Johnny Appleseed, I found this fascinating. It reinforced my belief that I had good instincts as a kid. Then the tulip chapter gives you the details of tulip-mania in the Netherlands in the 1600s (think Internet bubble), making it seem amazing that this sort of thing keeps happening. The marijuana chapter is the funniest and most sinister in that it makes you want to get some good stuff, now. The potato chapter is the scariest - genetically modified foods. ... Read more

Book Description

Wetlands are ecosystems that help the environment process toxins, thereby maintaining its relative health. Mitsch and Gosselink's Wetlands is the professional reference, a longstanding bestseller that continues to set the standard for books on any type of ecosystem. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Wetlands Textbook
I first picked this book up to consider a career as a wetland scientist (among other things) and instantly dove into the heaps of information provided. It is well written and easy to read with nicely labelled sections. I found that it had all sorts of information on the subject. It is highly useful.

To date, this is THE book to get in the field. If you get any book on the subject, this is it. I was only mildly surprised after reading through much of it to find that it's the only textbook in my graduate class on wetland ecology and management and there appears to be no competition as a textbook.

In short, it's very readable and immensely useful: A combination you can't go wrong with.

An Excellent Resource on Wetland Sciences!
This resource would be considered the "Bible" of wetland sciences. It is highly valuable for understanding the ecological systems involved in a wetland. A must for wetland regulators, scientists, and just interested people!

Extremely useful
Mitsch and Gosselink have written an excellent text/reference book on wetland ecology and management. The book is perfect as a text for a wetlands ecology course in upper level or graduate courses. I use it as a reference that I pull from the shelf again and again. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the first introductory volume to outline the fundamental ecological principles, which provide the foundation for understanding environmental issues. A strong framework of applied ecology is used to explore specifics such as habitat fragmentation, acid deposition, and the emergence of new human diseases. The volume addresses all aspects of biodiversity and physical setting, population and community ecology, ecology and society, environmental legislation and peering into the future.For those interested in pursuing knowledge in ecology and biodiversity. ... Read more

Book Description

A concise guide to the care and culture of reef invertebrates. This book is for curious minds interested in discovering some of the exciting techniques of coral propagation. It is tailored for hobbyists looking to safely control the growth of coral in aquaria, professional aquarists producing invertebrates for sale and trade, and thoughtful resellers interested in inspiring customers and staff to explore the many rewards of keeping coral reef invertebrates. A comprehensive guide of 450 pages, Volume 1 topics include commercial mariculture in greenhouses (including fabrication, design and operation), concept aquarium dynamics, a large coral family overview with consideration of captive viability and, of course, coral propagation, securing, and growout techniques for private aquarists and commercial interests. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Too good
Anthony Calfo is, in my opinion the guru of coral propagation and mariculture. His very informative and fun to read book is filled with all you need to know about starting to cut and grow thriving corals. I have set up my Mariculture business using only Anthony's advice found in this book and I am having great success. If you follow Anthony's advice, you will save thousands of dollars in setup and many hours of tinkering around trying to figure out how to do certain things. If you are doing mariculture as a business, this book is too good for your competition to have. I want to keep it a secret but there are hundreds of fantastic ideas and advice that you cannot help sharing with your friends. My fellow Coral Farmers think I am a vault of knowledge and an expert in the field - I just hope they never meet Anthony, I only know what his excellent book has taught me. I cannot wait for part 2 (soon to be released) ...and the best part is that Anthony is available via e-mail for advice or clarification of any issues you may not understand. Buy it now!

A true masterpiece in coral husbandry and propagation!
The "Book of Coral Propagation" is now my favorite book in my 40-some reef/marine aquarium book collection. If you are looking for a first-rate book on coral propagation and husbandry that is in-depth, up-to-date, and full of ground-breaking information, then look no further. Don't assume this book is just about propagation for the commercial sector or hardcore reef aquarists. It provides a holistic view on the husbandry of corals too, that even beginners can appreciate. In order to propagate corals, you need to understand how they thrive and grow, and this book will be your ultimate guide. So even if you don't plan on propagating corals, this book will still provide more information on husbandry than any other book out there. The coral family overviews themselves are worth buying this book. This book is thick, and it's not full of filler. Unlike most books in the hobby (and industry for that matter), this book actually contains valuable knowledge - and lots of it - derived from years of bona fide research, practice, and experience! There are many coral books out in the marketplace, and a few coral husbandry books, but all fall short of providing practical and useful information that aquarists can really use. Most of these so called coral books are reiterations of biology books or make good coffee table books (pretty pictures). This book is radically different! It is so refreshing to read a book that is actually useful. Looking at a picture book full of pretty corals is not going to help you grow and care for corals in your aquarium. Not only is this book useful, it is very easy to read. It's amazing how a book with so much knowledge and detail can be so painless to read and comprehensive at the same time. I would highly recommend all reef aquarists add this book to their current book collection. No matter how many books you have, you will find this book most useful and full of innovativation, insight, and revolutionary knowledge based on real-life experiences of the author. And if you don't have any coral books yet, then look no further, save your money, and buy this book first!

How to run a propagation company in one book
The knowledge that Anthony has packed into this one volume is amazing. He covers everthing you need to know to get started in the propagation industry. He inspired me to take a more active role and begin to take my hobby more seriously. Even if you do not want to start a business, this book is a wealth of information.

Excellent
This is THE book for coral culturing. Excellent content and very easy to read. Discusses setup, various coral species, and culturing.

Recommended to anyone who is interested in keeping corals!

A 'must have' for the serious reefer
If you are interested in reproducing your corals, THIS is the book you should buy! Intended for commercial coral propagation, this book is also +excellent+ for the private, home based reefer as well.
It discusses not only coral propagation, but also coral needs, do and don'ts, also other important aspects like water quality and ways to optimize it with simple but very effective tips...in a nutshell: no matter if you are a newbie or advanced reefer, commercial or private, this book should be in your reef aquarium reference library! ... Read more

Book Description

This book offers an in-depth treatment of insect biology and classification, covering all insect orders and providing keys to over four hundred families of insects. This second edition is enhanced by new chapters on population biology, insects and microbes, and methods for developing an insect collection. It is illustrated with numerous line drawings and photographs, including color plates. ... Read more

Book Description

Streams is a handbook that combines a discussion of the ecology of streams and rivers, in layperson language, with an illustrated field guide of the plants and animals found in running waters of North America. Various illustrations and maps accompany the text. The authors are extremely well known--Cushing is the lead content provider for an America On-Line service provided through Trout Unlimited entitled "Ask Dr. Cushing." He is frequently asked the sorts of questions that are answered in this field guide. J. David Allan is the author of a well known textbook in Aquatic Ecology. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A superbly presented field guide
Collaborative written by ecologists Colbert E. Cushing (Colorado State University) and J. David Allen (University of Michigan), Streams: Their Ecology And Life is a superbly presented field guide packed with beautiful color photography, sketches, charts, graphs, and an authoritative text introducing readers of all backgrounds to the diverse, rich and fascinating splendor of streams and the chains of natural life that form around them. From the different types of rivers to the variety of different creatures that inhabit them and the surrounding area - birds, fish, crustaceans, amphibians, insects and more - Streams: Their Ecology And Life is packed cover to cover with an incredible amount of solid information and highly recommended for personal, school, and community library environmental studies and reference collections. ... Read more

Book Description

A central goal of transportation is the delivery of safe and efficient services with minimal environmental impact. In practice, though, human mobility has flourished while nature has suffered. Awareness of the environmental impacts of roads is increasing, yet information remains scarce for those interested in studying, understanding, or minimizing the ecological effects of roads and vehicles.

Road Ecology addresses that shortcoming by elevating previously localized and fragmented knowledge into a broad and inclusive framework for understanding and developing solutions. The book brings together fourteen leading ecologists and transportation experts to articulate state-of-the-science road ecology principles, and presents specific examples that demonstrate the application of those principles. Diverse theories, concepts, and models in the new field of road ecology are integrated to establish a coherent framework for transportation policy, planning, and projects. Topics examined include:

• foundations of road ecology
• roads, vehicles, and transportation planning
• vegetation and roadsides
• wildlife populations and mitigation
• water, sediment, and chemical flows
• aquatic ecosystems
• wind, noise, and atmospheric effects
• road networks and landscape fragmentation

Book Description

A Primer of Ecological Statistics explains fundamental material in probability theory and experimental design for ecologists and environmental scientists. The book emphasizes a general introduction to probability theory and provides a detailed discussion of specific designs and analyses that are typically encountered in ecology and environmental science. Appropriate for use as either a stand-alone or supplementary text for upper-division undergraduate or graduate courses in ecological and environmental statistics, ecology, environmental science, environmental studies, or experimental design, the Primer also serves as a resource for environmental professionals who need to use and interpret statistics daily but have little or no formal training in the subject.

The book is divided into three parts. Part I discusses the fundamentals of probability and statistical thinking. It introduces the logic and language of probability (Chapter 1), explains common statistical distributions used in ecology (Chapter 2) and important measures of central tendency and spread (Chapter 3), explains P-values, hypothesis testing, and statistical errors (Chapter 4), and introduces frequentist, Bayesian, and Monte Carlo methods of analysis (Chapter 5).

Part II discusses how to successfully design and execute field experiments and sampling studies. Topics include design strategies (Chapter 6), a "bestiary" of experimental designs (Chapter 7), and transformations and data management (Chapter 8).

Part III discusses specific analyses, and covers the material that is the main core of most statistics texts. Topics include regression (Chapter 9), analysis of variance (Chapter 10), categorical data analysis (Chapter 11), and multivariate analysis (Chapter 12).

The book includes a comprehensive glossary, a mathematical appendix on matrix algebra, and extensively annotated tables and figures. Footnotes introduce advanced and ancillary material: some are purely historical, others cover mathematical/statistical proofs or details, and still others address current topics in the ecological literature. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Gripping
As everybody who knows me is well aware, I'm just a nut for anything having to do with wetlands! So when my Mom got me this book for my birthday, all it took was one look at the cover and I knew I was in for some real fun. But nothing could've prepared me for Ralph W. Tiner's brilliant eye for detail, his passion for the subject, his linguistic virtuosity. Oftentimes I didn't know whether I was reading poetry or prose, and in Ralph's capable hands, I didn't even care. For anybody interested in wetlands, this book is an absolute must.

Very Useful
This book is a good overview of Wetland Delineations. I bought it for the mapping information and found it useful when using GIS for Wetland Delineation Maps ... Read more

Book Description

Extensively illustrated, balanced, broad–based, and up–to–date, this book explores the nature and critical issues of all major types of earth resources--energy, metallic, nonmetallic, water, soil--and the impacts that resource usage has on the earth environment. It provides geologic background of resource formation and occurrence of most of the various types of resources; offers an international perspective; discusses resources not only from the scientific point of view, but also from the point of economic, political, historical considerations; and considers how the extraction and use of the resources creates impacts--local or global, immediate or delayed, visible or invisible, singular or cumulative.Minerals: The Foundations of Society. Plate Tectonics and The Origins of Mineral Resources.Earth's Resources Through History. Environmental Impacts of Resource Exploitation and Use. Energy from Fossil Fuels. Nuclear Power and Alternative Energy Sources. Abundant Metals. The Geochemically Scare Metals. Fertilizer and Chemical Minerals. Building Materials and Other Industrial Minerals. Water Resources. Soil as a Resource. Future Resources.For anyone interested in earth resources. ... Read more

Book Description

Over the last two decades, the study of speciation has expanded from a modest backwater of evolutionary biology into a large and vigorous discipline. Thus, the literature on speciation, as well as the number of researchers and students working in this area, has grown explosively. Despite these developments, there has been no book-length treatment of speciation in many years. As a result, both the seasoned scholar and the newcomer to evolutionary biology had no ready guide to the recent literature on speciation—a body of work that is enormous, scattered, and increasingly technical. Although several excellent symposium volumes have recently appeared, these collections do not provide a unified, critical, and up-to-date overview of the field. Speciation is designed to fill this gap.

Aimed at professional biologists, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates, Speciation covers both plants and animals (the first book on this subject to do so), and deals with all relevant areas of research, including biogeography, field work, systematics, theory, and genetic and molecular studies. It gives special emphasis to topics that are either controversial or the subject of active research, including sympatric speciation, reinforcement, the role of hybridization in speciation, the search for genes causing reproductive isolation, and mounting evidence for the role of natural and sexual selection in the origin of species. The authors do not hesitate to take stands on these and other controversial issues. This critical and scholarly book will be invaluable to researchers in evolutionary biology and is also ideal for a graduate-level course on speciation. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

The BEST freshwater fish photo book available.
I see a lot of reviews about this book. One of the most popular gripes is, "but there's no text". Yes, it's true: it's a photo atlas of freshwater aquarium fishes. The most comprehensive I've found anywhere. This book works great for coffee tables, aquarium planning, window shopping, daydreaming, identification of fishes, etc.

Most importantly, you know the names of the fishes you are looking at. Once you have the names, you can search for more information on the internet, in other (text) books, in the library, or anyplace else. And besides, can you imagine how big this book would be (and how expensive!) if each photo had a bunch of text with it?

Dr. Axelrod's Atlas of Freshwater Aquarium Fishes
I was disappointed in this book since I already had the Mini Atlas and expected the full sized atlas to have the same features (such as text, and helpful information) as the Mini Atlas, just more of them. Instead it is nothing but photos from cover to cover.
This book just sits on the bookshelf untouched since the Mini Atlas more than covers most of the fish available out there - for a much more reasonable cost.

There are also some inaccuracies in the fish species.

You could buy a few better books for the cost of just this one, or just spend one-fourth of the price and buy the Mini Atlas.

Excellent Pictorial Reference
I think the strength of this book is its encyclopaedic approach to fish species: a picture of each fish together with basic (but essential) information. It's probably more for the serious hobbyist/scientist who already has aquaria and is interested in fish indentification (rather than setting up aquaria & maintenance). Well worth the price - especially here in Amazon.com. For me (a hobbyist), it's excellent reference especially when I buy new fish because it tells me about the fish's basic facts such as aggressiveness, water conditions etc. With this mind, it's probably unfair when other readers say there are "no words in the book" etc. because that's probably the "database" intention anyway.

high priced but has its value
anyone looking for information such as location and habitat of a fish species will not want this book. it is just a book of pictures that will allow you to find and indentify a species you may have trouble locating elsewhere. this book is most handy for me after i have visited the pet shop and saw something that i have never seen before and don't trust the labeling in the store. my atlas is then my reference. for further information i will look it up on the web. to lookup information i need to know what i'm looking for and this is where this book becomes very important. no other single book that i know of covers as many species. the latest edition may have more photos than earlier editions but it may have the same number of species as earlier editions. however newer editions will have the latest scientific names (you can still use older names most of the times when searching as it takes some time for everyone to get used to the change). there are no common names used in this book (sometimes in the index next to the scietific) and there is no introduction to water chemistry, tank setup and the like that you may see in other books. it's greatest use is as a pictorial refernce with basic information (pH, dh, size, recommended tank size, agressivesness and sociabilty) on all the fish included. ...however i recommend the earlier editions at a much reduced price giving the same information (i believe the 6th edition and up are all pretty much the same- i could be wrong). i have the 7th edition ...and i'm more than happy. you may want to purchase the mini-atlas that has a lttle of everything before looking into the larger volume to satisfy your needs. i used this book as a quick refernce more than any other i have.

Not an Atlas - No Information - lots of pretty pictures.
Don't make the same mistake I did. Look at all of the pages and ask yourself "A thosand pages of this?" Yep, that's it.

Example:

The book has thirty two pages of Discus, none of the new red or orange breeds and not a single paragraph of information on any of them ... Read more

Book Description

Emphasizes the ecological principles that govern marine life throughout all environments within the world's oceans. Its unique ecological approach adds real-world relevance by exploring how organisms interact within their individual ecosystems.The book is organized by habitat and each habitat receives detailed, in-depth coverage, giving readers the flexibility to focus on their particular areas of interest. The Fifth Edition is fully updated with the latest research data and topics, including expanded coverage of the human impact on oceans, oceanic dead zones, and coral reefs. For marine biologists and marine ecologists. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A great text
Most marine biology texts on the market are designed to support lower division courses for non-majors. Nybakken's text, however, is designed with the upper division biology major as its primary audience. This book is, in my opinion, the best book on the market to support an undergraduate course in marine biology for majors.

Nybakken takes a community ecology approach to his discussions of the marine environment. There are chapters that address communities of the plankton, nekton, deep sea, nearshore subtidal regions, intertidal habitats, estuaries and marshes, the tropics and the poles, and so forth.

The photographs and illustrations are good, the text is well written, and examples are widely known. It may be true that Nybakken tends to pull more heavily on examples from the West Coast of the USA, but there are also ample numbers of examples from other areas of the world that support the text.

Each chapter is supported by a list of references from the professional (primary) scientific literature -- something a serious biology student would appreciate and use.

This is an easy book to teach from and to learn from. The information is excellent, the examples are clear, and the supporting graphics are good.

It is also notable that Nybakken not only discusses the biology of marine organisms, but he addresses the stewardship we have to conserve the planet's vital assemblage of marine resouces and biodiversity. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This is a dichotomous key to the American aquatic insects
While designed for the generalist working in the area of macrobenthic taxonomy, "An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America" stands as one of the classics in its field.Nine orders of aquatic insects are classified, generally to the level of genus.Some information is provided about collection, preservation, phylogeny, ecology, respiration, and developmental biology in the introductory chapters.Each key to the individual Orders contains additional information specific to that Order.All of the keys are extensively referenced to illustrations.Each section is supported by an extensive bibliography. The section on the Diptera is subdivided to cover the major families individually.The spiral binding allows the book to lie flat while the usermanipulates specimens under the microscope - an under-appreciated bonus. Some of the keys are a little buggy, but this is a 'must have' for aquatic entomologists of all levels of expertise. ... Read more

Book Description

This book offers a general, interdisciplinary discussion of global environmental change oriented toward the non-specialist in science.The unifying theme of the book is consideration of aspects of both natural and human-induced global environmental change. The two part organization according to this distinction allows for easy reading on specific topics.This book is useful for anyone interested in learning more about Earth's systems. ... Read more