Book Description

This book describes the sampling and statistical methods used most often by behavioral ecologists and field biologists. Written by a biologist and two statisticians, it provides a rigorous discussion together with worked examples of statistical concepts and methods that are generally not covered in introductory courses, and which are consequently poorly understood and applied by field biologists. The first section reviews important issues such as defining the statistical population and the sampling plan when using nonrandom methods for sample selection, bias, interpretation of statistical tests, confidence intervals, and multiple comparisons. After a detailed discussion of sampling methods and multiple regression, subsequent chapters discuss specialized problems such as pseudoreplication, and their solutions. This volume will quickly become the favorite statistical handbook for all field biologists. ... Read more

Book Description

This is by far the best and most comprehensive manual andillustrated guide to native and naturalized vascular plants-ferns, conifers, andflowering plants-growing in aquatic and wetland habitats in northeastern NorthAmerica, from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and south to Virginia and Missouri.Published in two volumes, this long-awaited work completely revises and greatlyexpands Norman Fassett's 1940 classic A Manual of Aquatic Plants, yet retainsthe features that made Fassett's book so useful.

Features include:*coverage of 1139 plant species, 1186 taxa, 295 genera, 109 families*more than 600 pages of illustrations, and illustrations for more than 90% ofthe taxa*keys for each species include references to corresponding illustrations*habitat information, geographical ranges, and synonomy*a chapter on nuisance aquatic weeds*glossaries of botanical and habitat terms*a full index for each volume

Wetland ecologists, botanists, resource managers, public naturalists, andenvironmentalists concerned with the preservation of wetland areas, which areincreasingly threatened, will welcome this clear, workable, and comprehensiveguide.

This comprehensive and up-to-date reference work is anidentification manual covering more than 1100 species of vascular plants thatare native or naturalized in aquatic and wetland habitats in the northeasternregion of North America, from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and south toVirgina and Missouri. This is a major revision, long-awaited, of NormanFassett's classic (and much smaller) A Manual of Aquatic Plants. It willinterest biologists, resource managers, and environmentalists concerned with thepreservation of wetland areas, which are increasingly threatened. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Thorough policy history
This book is written with the help of three people who were active participants in the fight for the BWCA.It is well written and thoroughly documented.It is biased in that the authors wanted increased protection of the BWCA and provides inside information from the pro-protection side of the fight.Even so, they were able to remove themselves enough from the story to write an accurate account.

The fight is a very interesting story and parallels many other environmental fights throughout the country.

Anyone looking for a monograph concerning Minnesota history, legislative history, environmental history, or just a good read this is a highly recommended read. ... Read more

Book Description

Phosphorus is one of the major nutrients limiting the productivity of terrestrial, wetland and aquatic ecosystems.Over the last decade several research projects were conducted on Florida's ecosystems from state and federal agencies and private industry to address water quality issues, and to develop management practices to control nutrient loads. Phosphorus Biogeochemistry in Sub-Tropical Ecosystems is the first thorough study of the role of phosphorus in ecological health and water quality ever published. Because of its vast and extensively studied ecosystems, Florida has often served as a national laboratory on current and future trends in ecosystem management.The reader will find studies at all levels of biological organization, from the cellular to entire ecological communities. The book is a definitive study of the role and behavior of phosphorus deposition in the upland/wetland/aquatic environment.The papers presented in this book are organized in specific groups: ecological analysis and global issues, biogeochemical transformations, biogeochemical responses, transport processes, phosphorus management, and synthesis. Although Florida's ecosystems are used as a case study, the results presented have global applications. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An Educational Asset To The Field Of Aquatic Toxicology.
This textbook is literally a constructive piece of scientific genius. Rand is perhaps one of the most knowledgable and most well respected authorities on Aquatic Toxicology and its many subdisciplines.

After persuing through the first few chapters of this wonderfully written scientific text, one becomes very interested and more hungry for knowledge dealing with this subject. Unlike many other novels of this nature, this one is very unique in that it gives the read a clear and very indepth picture of Aquatic Toxicology and its impacts on the environment as a whole.

This text deals with aquatic toxicology from an environmental pollution aspect dealing with manmade and natural chemical toxicants. It also deals with the ecotoxicity affects of man-made pesticides when aquatic organisms are involved in the bioecologicall food-chain.

In short one can soon surmise that this text is an ideal educational asset for all who are desiring a more comprehensive background and informative session in the field of aquatic toxicology and its subdivision. It is superbly written and it details every single aspect of toxicological studies dealing with aquatic organisms in their environmental setting. ... Read more

Book Description

When Europeans first reached the land that would become the United States they were staggered by the breadth and density of the forest they found. The existence of that forest, and the effort either to use or subdue it, have been constant themes in American history, literature, economics, and geography up to the meaning of the forest in American history and culture, he describes and analyzes the clearing and use of the forest from pre-European times to the present, and he traces the subsequent regrowth of the forest since the middle of the twentieth century. Dr Williams begins by exploring the role of the forest in American culture: the symbols, themes, and concepts - for example, pioneer woodsman, lumberjack, wilderness - generated by contact with the vast land of trees. He considers the Indian use of the forest, describing the ways in which native tribes altered it, primarily through fire, to promote a subsistence economy. Early European settlers, he shows, extracted many products from the forest, and also began the extensive clearance of trees that would continue for almost three hundred years. Succeeding chapters, organized by topic and region, cover agricultural and industrial effects upon and uses of the forest. Dr Williams explores the rise (and often fall) of industries based upon forest products: naval stores, timber for building, charcoal and the iron industry, the railroads. Attention is devoted to the forests of the Middle West, the South, and the Pacific Northwest. By the late nineteenth century Americans began to realize that the forest was not boundless and moved to preserve those portions, still extensive, that remained. In the wake of the movement for preservation, Dr Williams describes how the forest began to regrow, especially after 1950, in areas where it had originally been vigorous and healthy, a development that continues today. ... Read more

Book Description

This research level text focuses on the influence of climate variability on the marine ecosystems of the North Atlantic. The ecological impact of climate variability on population dynamics is addressed at the full range of trophic levels, from phytoplankton through zooplankton and fish to marine birds. Climate effects on biodiversity and community structure are also examined. 40 scientists from around the world synthesise what is currently known about how climate affects the ecological systems of the North Atlantic and then place these insights within a broader ecological perspective. Many of the general features of the North Atlantic region are also seen in other marine ecosystems as well as terrestrial and freshwater systems. The final section of the book makes these generalities more explicit, so as to stimulate communication and promote co-operation amongst researchers who may previously have worked in semi-isolation.The book comprises 5 main sections: background (general introduction, atmospheric and ocean climate of the North Atlantic, and modelling methodology), plankton populations (phytoplankton and zooplankton), fish and seabird populations, community ecology (phytoplankton, benthos and fish), and the final section consisting of six commentaries from scientists working in areas outside the North Atlantic marine sector. In order to enhance integration, a series of introductions link chapters and sections. Throughout the book, numerous examples highlight different aspects of ecology-climate interactions.They document recent progress and illustrate the challenges of trying to understand ecological processes and patterns in the light of climate variations. ... Read more

Book Description

The marine zooplankton is one of the most fascinating and diverse assemblages of animals known to biologists. This student manual provides a photographic guide to representative forms of the major groups from medusae and comb jellies to larval fish and squid. In it, only photographs of live and active organisms appear, giving a unique visual perspective. In this new edition, the authors have revised and updated the taxonomy and morphology so that combined with information on behavior and development, this book creates a vivid and essential reference. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Best Zooplankton and Larvae Photo Album Around
You cannot live without this photo album if you observe inshore zooplankton. The black and white photographs are stunning, especially the Crustacea. It is a steal for the price. Every plankton lab. should have a copy. I particularly liked the ovigerous Evadne.

An good book for an overview
I've always wanted to know what I was seeing when I went to the beach - especially when I began to bring a microscope with me. This book is a good start for people who are curious about the environment around them and want to put names to what they see. ... Read more

Book Description

A clear, comprehensive treatment of the subject, Environmental Statistics with S-PLUS is an ideal resource for environmental scientists, engineers, regulators, and students, even those with only a limited knowledge of statistics. It provides insight into what to think about before you collect environmental data, how to collect it, and how to make sense of it after you have it. This book addresses the vast array of methods used today by scientists, researchers, and regulators.Through its convenient showcase of information and numerous data sets posted on the Web, Environmental Statistics with S-PLUS shows you how to implement these methods using the statistical software package S-PLUS and the add-in modules EnvironmentalStats for S-PLUS, S+SpatialStats, and S-PLUS for ArcView. This survey of statistical methods, definitions, and concepts helps you collect and effectively analyze data for environmental pollution problems. ... Read more

Book Description

Regions with Mediterranean-type climates include parts of California, South America, Australia, and of course, Europe. The effect of global climate change on these heavily populated areas will have major social and political ramifications. This volume addresses issues in these areas, from processes at the leaf level to the individual, ecosystem, and landscape levels. This book will serve to raise awareness on the significance of these types of ecosystems, and on their sensitivity to the threat that global change represents. ... Read more

Book Description

The Biology of Civilisation looks at the complex interrelationships between human culture and the natural environment, covering the entire period from the beginning of agriculture to the present. Through this biohistorical survey, Boyden concludes that a major transformation of the world's current dominant culture to an ecologically sustainable and equitable society is necessary for the long-term survival of civilization, and suggests measures that can be taken right now to facilitate this transformation. ... Read more

Book Description

Ecological economics addresses one of the fundamental flaws in conventional economics--its failure to consider biophysical and social reality in its analyses and equations. Ecological Economics: Principles and Applications is an introductory-level textbook that offers a pedagogically complete examination of this dynamic new field.

As a workbook accompanying the text, this volume breaks new ground in applying the principles of ecological economics in a problem- or service-based learning setting. Both the textbook and this workbook are situated within a new interdisciplinary framework that embraces the linkages among economic growth, environmental degradation, and social inequity in an effort to guide policy in a way that respects fundamental human values. The workbook takes the approach a step further in placing ecological economic analysis within a systems perspective, in order to help students identify leverage points by which they can help to affect change. The workbook helps students to develop a practical, operational understanding of the principles and concepts explored in the text through real-world activities, and describes numerous case studies in which students have successfully completed projects.

Ecological Economics: A Workbook for Problem-Based Learning represents an important new resource for undergraduate and graduate environmental studies courses focusing on economics, environmental policy, and environmental problem-solving.

Book Description

In this book there are entire chapters devoted to the most widely used bird counting techniques, and attempts to amalgamate other counting methodologies into major groups were made. Examples of the use of methods are provided wherever possible and the relative value of various approaches for answering specific questions is also addressed.

Key Features
* A newly revised edition of the immensely successful Bird Census Techniques
* An entirely new chapter covering the census methods recommended for tropical habitats
* Provides a concise guide to various census techniques and their opportunities and pitfalls ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Nice intro into ecological censusing for beginners/amateurs
As someone who has worked with the public to do bird conservation, I have found this book to be helpful in helping to explain the techniques & issues that scientists face when doing ecological censusing.

Other than the fact that most of the species that are mentioned are Old World species (a moot point since the topics & techniques are universal), this is a good book. One thing I would like to see, is a North American version that uses examples based on New World species, & how these censuses & projects relate to our conservation laws in the U.S. The authors make mention of several British or European laws dealing with habitat conservation and restoration. It would be interesting to see U.S. examples based on our laws.

Overall, a good read for anyone getting into citizen-based bird science & conservation, or introductory-level college ecology students.

the best of the birdy books
this is really the best. no doubt. ... Read more

Book Description

In recent years, plant lovers and environmentalists have cultivated a popular interest in prairie restoration. Many of the most common prairie plants are now easily visible along roadsides and park trails (not to mention in gardens) throughout the Midwest.

Prairie in Your Pocket offers an easy-to-use and inexpensive guide for identifying more than one hundred of the most common plants of the tallgrass prairie. Ideal for travelers, the guide is laminated for durability and folds down to the size of a business envelope. Slip one into your glove compartment for road trips or into your backpack or pocket for cycling and hiking.

By focusing on one ecosystem, Prairie in Your Pocket is perfect for amateurs as an introduction to prairie plant identification. It is the only guide of its kind for identifying tallgrass species. The guide provides color illustrations along with common and scientific names, plant heights, and blooming periods for 114 species. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great guide
I bought this guide at the Living History Farms gift shop in Des Moines and was pleasantly surprised to learn it was published in my hometown. This is a portable, durable, beautifully illustrated guide to identifying some of the most common plants of the tallgrass prairie. My family has taken this guide along on outings, and we have found it a very helpful way to connect with our natural surroundings. My pre-teen daughter especially has enjoyed closely examining the plants we encounter to see if they match up with the examples in the guide. Also recommend *Woodland in Your Pocket* by the same illustrator. ... Read more

Book Description

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