Artikelname: A Wood in Ascam,a Study in Wetland Conservation
Artikelbeschreibung: This book sets out to commemorate the publication one hundred years ago of a series of articles on Askham Bog. They appeared in a magazine called The Natural History Journal which was 'conducted by the Societies in Friends' [Quaker] Schools' throughout Britain. Subsequently they were collected and printed together, thereby forming one of the first accounts ever produced of a single habitat from the point of view of its geology, geomorphology, climate, conchology, lepidoptera, birds, flowers and ferns, and beetles. Each article was written by an acknowledged expert in his own field, as an encouragement for pupils at the York Quaker School to study the natural history of such a famous and much-visited site within easy reach of York.

Artikelname: Ancient Woodland
Artikelbeschreibung: Long out of print and eagerly awaited, this new edition of Rackham's classic work on the history, vegetation and uses of ancient woodland in England includes nearly 140pp of new material in the form of new chapters, and concluding comments in the light of later research to other chapters, the body of which has been left unchanged. New photographs have been incorporated. A landmark publication now, as it was when first published in 1980.

Artikelname: Biodiversity: An Introduction
Artikelbeschreibung: This concise introductory text provides a complete overview of biodiversity - what it is, how it arose, its distribution, why it is important, human impact upon it, and what should be done to maintain it. The field of biodiversity is rapidly developing as new research challenges and furthers our understanding of this stimulating subject. This new edition has been substantially revised to take account of these recent developments. Much of the text has been rewritten, updated and extended to provide an up-to-date examination of key issues, and includes the newest models, experiments and research. Throughout the text reference is made to the relevant primary literature and each chapter ends with suggestions for further reading, including the most important new articles and books. All the figures included in the book are downloadable from the Blackwell Publishing website. Biodiversity: An Introduction has been designed primarily for undergraduates studying biodiversity on a range of courses in botany, zoology and ecology. It is also essential reading for anyone requiring an overview of the vast literature on this topic.

Artikelname: British Plant Communities. Volume 4: Aquatic Communities, Swamps and Tall-herb Fens
Artikelbeschreibung: Containing 52 community descriptions, there are also introductions to the broad vegetative types, and indices of synonyms for these communities, and the species found there.

Artikelname: British Plant Communities:Vol 1 Woodlands and Scrub
Artikelbeschreibung: A systematic account of the vegetation types found in England, Scotland, and Wales. It covers all natural, semi-natural, and major artificial habitat. This first volume deals with woodlands and scrub.

Artikelname: British Plant Communities:Vol 2. Mires and Heaths
Artikelbeschreibung: This is the second volume in the BRITISH PLANT COMMUNITIES series, giving a systematic and comprehensive account of the vegetation types of Great Britain. The series covers all natural, semi-natural and major artificial habitats and is based on fifteen years of research by plant ecologists.

Artikelname: British Plant Communities:Vol 3. Grasslands and Montane Communities
Artikelbeschreibung: This is the third volume in the BRITISH PLANT COMMUNITIES series, giving a systematic and comprehensive account of the vegetation types of Great Britain. The series covers all natural, semi-natural and major artificial habitats and is based on fifteen years of research by plant ecologists.

Artikelname: British Plant Communities:Vol 5. Maritime Communities and Vegetation of Open Habitats
Artikelbeschreibung: This is the Fifth volume in the BRITISH PLANT COMMUNITIES series, giving a systematic and comprehensive account of the vegetation types of Great Britain. The series covers all natural, semi-natural and major artificial habitats and is based on fifteen years of research by plant ecologists.

Artikelname: Catastrophes and Lesser Calamities: The Causes of Mass Extinctions
Artikelbeschreibung: This is a book about the dramatic periods in the Earth's history called mass extinctions - short periods (by geological standards) when life nearly died out on Earth. The most famous is the mass extinction that happened about 65 million years ago, and that caused the death of the dinosaurs. But that was not the worst mass extinction: that honour goes to the extinction at the end of the Permian Period, about 250 million years ago, when over 90 per cent of life is thought to have become extinct. What caused these catastrophes? Was it the effects of a massive meteorite impact? There is evidence for such an impact about 65 million years ago. Or was it a period of massive volcanic activity? There is evidence in the rocks of huge lava flows at periods that match several of the mass extinctions. Was it something to do with climate change and sea level? Or was it a combination of some or all of these? The question has been haunting geologists for a number of years, and it forms one of the most exciting areas of research in geology today. In this book, Tony Hallam, a distinguished geologist and writer, looks at all the different theories and also what the study of mass extinctions might tell us about the future. If climate change is a key factor, we may well, as some scientists have suggested, be in a period of mass extinction of our own making.

Artikelname: Conservation Biology
Artikelbeschreibung: Conservation biology is fast emerging as a major new discipline, which incorporates biological principles in the design of effective strategies for the sustainable management of populations, species and entire ecosystems. This beautifully illustrated textbook introduces students to conservation biology, the science of preserving biodiversity. It begins by taking the reader on a tour of the many and varied ecosystems of our planet, providing a setting in which to explore the factors that have led to the alarming loss of biodiversity that we now see. In particular the fundamental problems of habitat loss and fragmentation, habitat disturbance and the non-sustainable exploitation of species in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems are explored. The methods that have been developed to address these problems, from the most traditional forms of conservation, to new approaches at genetic to landscape scales are then discussed, showing how the science can be put into practice.

Artikelname: Conservation of Lower Plants in Woodland
Artikelbeschreibung: Written to stimulate discussion on woodland management in relation to the positive conservation of lower plant communities. Woodlands of course, particularly in the west, support a more varied range of species of lower than vascular plants, and the fungi play an important part in decomposition and nutrient transport.

Artikelname: Coppiced Woodlands: their Management for Wildlife
Artikelbeschreibung: Second edition of a booklet first published in 1990 and giving a brief overview of the history of coppicing, and how wildlife responds to the coppicing cycle, and suggests how this can best be managed in the interests of wildlife diversity

Artikelname: Coral Reefs of the Indian Ocean;Their Ecology and Conservation
Artikelbeschreibung: Accessible and complex, coral reefs are ideal natural laboratories for studying a wide range of ecological and biological questions. This collection focuses on the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, which contain some of the most spectacular reefs found anywhere and which are relatively little studied. It will appeal to a broad range of researchers in ecology and will be an essential resource for anyone studying reefs.

Contents Section I: Coral Reefs and Conservation in the Western Indian Ocean: an Overview 1 Coral Reefs of the Western Indian Ocean: An Overview C.R.C.Sheppard: 2 Coral Reef Use and Conservation T.R. McClanahan: Section II: Country Profiles 3 South African Coral Communities M.H. Schleyer: 4 Coral Reefs of Mozambique M.J. Rodrigues, H. Motta, M.W. Whittington & M. Schleyer: 5 Southern Tanzania W.R.T. Darwall & M. Guard: 6 Northern Tanzania, Zanzibar and Pemba J.C. Horrill, A.T. Kamukuru, Y.D. Mgaya & M. Risk: 7 Kenya D.O. Obura, N.A. Muthiga & M. Watson: 8 The Red Sea D. Medio, C.R.C. Sheppard & J. Gasgoine: 9 Reefs and Coral Communities of the Arabian Gulf and Arabian Sea C.R.C Sheppard, S.C. Wilson, R.V. Salm & D. Dixon: 10 India and Sri Lanka G. Bakus, R. Arthur, S.U.K. Ekaraine & S.S. Jinendradasa: 11 The Maldives: A Nation of Atolls M.J. Risk & R. Sluka: 12 The Mascarene Islands O. Naim, P. Cuet & V. Mangar: 13 The Seychelles S. Jennings, S. Marshall, P. Cuet & O. Naim: 14 The Coral Reefs of Madagascar C. Gabrie, P. Vasseur, H. Randriamiarana, J. Maharavo & E. Mara: 15 The Chagos Archipelagos C.R.C. Sheppard: Section III: Coral Reefs and Management 16 Management: Status and Case Studies N. Muthiga, S. Riedmiller, R. van der Elst, J. Mann-Lang, C. Horrill & T. R. McClanahan: Concluding Remarks Subject Index

Artikelname: Ecology of Shallow Lakes
Artikelbeschreibung: This book presents a theoretical framework for understanding the dynamics of shallow lake communities as it has evolved over the past years from a combination of empirical studies, experimental work and model analysis. Although, as in most theoretical work, mathematical formulations play a role, the models that are used remain simple and most analyses are graphical rather than algebraic. The book will therefore appeal to workers who do not usually dig deep into theoretical ecology such as lake managers, field biologists and experimentalists. Students of theoretical ecology will also gain from the many real-world applications of topics such as predation and competition theory, bifurcation analysis and catastrophe theory.

Artikelname: Field Guide to Woodland
Artikelbeschreibung: Brings together material which has become available since the publication of the National Vegetation Classification (Rodwell) in 1991. Includes a key to woodland and scrub, community description and sub-community keys, floristic tables and a Latin-English list of tree and shrub species.

Artikelname: Habitat Creation and Repair
Artikelbeschreibung: With increasing public awareness of environmental issues, landscape managers and developers are being required to creatic substantial areas of naturalistic planting, particularly in urban areas, and to restore habitats degraded by building, development, or overuse. This book provides the definitive guide to habitat creation and repair, ranging from ethics, theory, and principles to the practical detail of designing habitats for wildlife. The authors, who have been working and teaching in the field for many years, draw on a wealth of practical experience - as well as an in-depth knowledge of the existing widely scattered literature - to provide an authoritative and accessible account of this rapidly developing subject. From coastal and freshwater ecosystems to mountains, forest, and grasslands, the book spans all of the major types of habitat to be found in the UK. Oliver Gilbert and Penny Anderson give advice on deciding when habitat creation is the correct path to follow, and then cover all steps from site survey through to the final design and actual realization of the scheme. For each habitat, the authors describe the options, problems, and solutions most likely to be encountered, and give examples of good and bad habitat creation in practice drawn from the UK and other countries. Habitat Creation and Repair is the first comprehensive guide to habitat creation to be published for several years. It will be a key text for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate courses in ecology, landscape architecture, resource management, and environmental science.With habitat conservation, creation, and repair increasingly a priority amongst planners, developers, and policy-makers, this book will also be welcomed by professional ecologists, environmental consultants, resource managers, and landscape architecs.

Artikelname: Illustrated Guide to British Upland Vegetation
Artikelbeschreibung: Provides concise descriptions of all currently recognised British upland vegetation types and brings together all the upland communities described in the National Vegetation Classification by Rodwell.

Artikelname: Life's Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe
Artikelbeschreibung: The assassin's bullet misses, the Archduke's carriage moves forward, and a catastrophic war is avoided. So too with the history of life. Re-run the tape of life, as Stephen J. Gould claimed, and the outcome must be entirely different: an alien world, without humans and maybe not even intelligence. The history of life is littered with accidents: any twist or turn may lead to a completely different world. Now this view is being challenged. Simon Conway Morris explores the evidence demonstrating life's almost eerie ability to navigate to a single solution, repeatedly. Eyes, brains, tools, even culture: all are very much on the cards. So if these are all evolutionary inevitabilities, where are our counterparts across the galaxy? The tape of life can only run on a suitable planet, and it seems that such Earth-like planets may be much rarer than hoped. Inevitable humans, yes, but in a lonely Universe.

Artikelname: Light and Photosynthesis in Aquatic Ecosystems
Artikelbeschreibung: Penetration of light into aquatic ecosystems is greatly affected by the absorption and scattering processes that take place within the water. Thus within any water body, the intensity and color of the light field changes greatly with depth and this has a marked influence on both the total productivity of, and the kinds of plant that predominate in, the ecosystem. This study presents an integrated and coherent treatment of the key role of light in aquatic ecosystems. It ranges from the physics of light transmission within water, through the biochemistry and physiology of aquatic photosynthesis, to the ecological relationships that depend on the underwater light climate.

Artikelname: Managing Habitats for Conservation
Artikelbeschreibung: As it becomes ever more expensive to purchase land for conservation purposes, it is becoming increasingly important both to manage existing sites properly, and to create new habitats. This comprehensive volume provides a pragmatic, habitat by habitat guide to conservation management, in which the prescriptions and methods are based upon sound science coupled with practical experience. For each habitat, the book guides the reader through the options and solutions, shows the problems to look out for, and gives good and bad examples of habitat management in the past. This will be a must for all practising ecologists, land managers, wardens, landscape architects and conservationists, and will provide a valuable reference for students of ecology, conservation and environmental science.

Artikelname: Portrait of a Woodland
Artikelbeschreibung: Embark on a fascinating journey deep into the heart of an ancient woodland with this remarkable new book from Charlotte de la Bedoyere. A comprehensive survey of eleven different woods, this book is a vivid account of the flora and fauna that comprise the various habitats of our large and small woods. More than a survey though, this book looks beyond the individual stories of the trees, plants, animals and insects and constitutes a readable account of the inter-dependence of species so vital for the preservation of biodiversity. In her lively and candid style, this timely publication taps immediately into one of the major challenges faced by the environment today. Stunning photography and absorbing text combine with authoritative surveys to make this book both informative and enchanting. Invaluable reference and a visual treat.

Artikelname: Practical Statistics for Field Biology
Artikelbeschreibung: This text aims to provide biologists with sufficient grounding in statistical principles and methods to enable them to understand research reports in journals, decide on the most appropriate statistical tests for their own problems and finally to analyze and present their findings. This new edition also covers some more complicated statistics not included in the first edition. A major new chapter on "Multivariate Analysis" introduces the nature of multivariate problems and describes techniques of principal components analysis, cluster analysis and discriminant analysis which are all applied to biological examples.

Artikelname: The Biology of Rocky Shores
Artikelbeschreibung: This is an introduction to the study of marine rocky shores in the temperate zone. It is designed to encourage students and others to couple enormous intellectual rewards with the pleasure of working in some of the last easily accessible but relatively unspoilt places, and can be used as a basis for field courses, project work, or for lectures. Centred in North-West Europe, but using examples from all over the world, the book begins by considering the physical factors that characterize the habitat - primarily tides and waves - and goes on to assess how they influence the organisms that live within it. It describes how the behaviour and physiology of individuals belonging to the major groups - algae, grazers, suspension feeders, and predators - are affected by their habitat, how their communities are structured, and discusses theories of community organization. For field courses, it suggests experiments and observations that can be carried out on the shore or in nearby laboratories. Finally, problems of pollution and conservation are considered in the context of their effects upon biodiversity.

Artikelname: The Biology of Soft Shores and Estuaries
Artikelbeschreibung: There is no up-to-date book on estuarine biology, and nothing at all that deals with marine soft shores as well as estuarine ones. This latest addition to the Biology of Habitats series corrects this omission and will complement The biology of rocky shores, by the same author. This book focuses on marine and estuarine soft sediments as complex and essential habitats for an astonishing variety of animals and plants whose lifestyles are intimately bound up with sediment structure. It discusses sediments as habitats first, then takes in turn the ecosystems found on sandy shores, mudflats and seagrass beds, salt marshes and mangrove swamps, and life below the tidemarks. Adaptations of the organisms are fully described, and each chapter ends with a section on techniques. Later chapters discuss estuarine and lagoonal habitats, both of which contain primarily soft sediments, but add further complicating characteristics to those found in the sea. A discussion of estuarine food webs emphasizes the ways in which organisms interact. The book ends with a discussion of the ways in which marine and estuarine soft sediments have been abused by man, and some of the opportunities that have been taken to counteract these abuses.

Artikelname: The Biology of Soil:A community and ecosystem approach
Artikelbeschreibung: This book is unique in providing a comprehensive, up-to-date synthesis of what is known about soil biodiversity and the factors that regulate its distribution, as well as the functional significance of below-ground biodiversity for ecosystem form and function. It describes the vast diversity of biota that live in the soil environment - the most complex habitat on earth - and discusses the factors that act as determinants of this diversity across different spacial and temporal scales. The Biology of Soil also considers how biotic interactions in soil influence the important soil processes of decomposition and nutrient cycling. It demonstrates how interactions and feedbacks between diverse plant and soil communities act as important drivers of ecosystem form and function. The importance of these relationships for understanding how ecosystems respond to global change phenomena, including climate change, is discussed in depth. Much is still to be learned about the soil biota and their roles in ecosystems, and the author highlights some of the many challenges that face ecologists in the exploration of soil. Richard Bardgett has wide experience in soil and terrestrial ecology, and his background of research in many ecosystems is reflected in this book which is the most comprehensive, up-to-date volume currently available in soil ecology. It provides an introduction to the biology of soil, and it also discussed the most recent developments in this progressive field of ecology. The importance of soil biotic interactions or community and ecosystem ecology is illustrated through the use of numerous examples and case studies. The Biology of Soil provides an excellent, easy to read introduction to anyone working in the field of soil ecology and related disciplines, and will be ideal for students taking undergraduate and postgraduate courses in soil ecology, plant-soil relationships, ecosystem ecology, and land management.

Also available in card covers at £27.00

Artikelname: The Biology of Streams and Rivers
Artikelbeschreibung: This is an introduction to the study of stream and river biology worldwide. Streams and rivers not only provide a socially and economically vital resource for humans but are also important and unique in their own right. The book is designed to provide a grounding in research in the area as well as a basis for field courses, project work, or for lectures. It's aim is to encourage students, researchers new to the field, and interested naturalists to couple the intellectual rewards of studying this exciting subject with work in the field in what are pleasant and fascinating habitats.

Running water habitats are unique, rich and complex. Although they comprise less than one per cent of the world's water, they provide the vital link between the vast stores of water in the sea and it's recycling via precipitation. Beginning with the physical features that define running water ('lotic') habitats, the book goes on to consider the organisms that inhabit them, their adaptions to their environment, and their ecology. It also explores some of the community and ecosystem patterns and processes and concludes with a discussion of the many applied issues surrounding water use - pollution, species diversity, and conservation. Particular consideration is given to the links between stream and river channels and their surrounding landscapes, to short-term and seasonal changes, and to historical and biogeographical factors. A further reading section leads the reader to in-depth coverage of the research literature, and suggestions are made for practical and field work.

Artikelname: The Crucible of Creation: The Burgess Shale and the Rise of Animals
Artikelbeschreibung: Located in the west of Canada, the Burgess Shale contains a unique collection of fossil remains, and has become an icon for those studying the history of life. This book takes the reader on a journey back in time through the Burgess Shale and its astonishing collection of pre-Cambrian creatures.

Artikelname: The Earth:an intimate history
Artikelbeschreibung: The paperback of the Sunday Times bestseller that reveals how the earth became the shape it is today. This book will change the way you see the world -- permanently. The face of the earth, criss-crossed by chains of mountains like the scars of old wounds, has changed constantly over billions of years. Its shape records a remote past of earthquakes, volcanos and continental drift, and the ongoing subtle shifts that bring our planet alive. Richard Fortey introduces us to the earth's distinct character, revealing the life that it leads when humans aren't watching. He follows the continual movement of seabeds, valleys, mountain ranges and ice caps and shows how everything -- our culture, natural history, even the formation of our cities -- has its roots in geology. In Richard Fortey's hands, geology becomes vital and exhilarating and unmistakably informs our lives in the most intimate way.

Artikelname: The Ecology of Freshwater Phytoplankton
Artikelbeschreibung: This book deals with the lifestyles of phytoplankton, the microscopic plant life living in the open waters of lakes, ponds and rivers and makes frequent references to the phytoplankton of the sea. It reviews adaptations required of organisms to live their lives independently of solid surfaces and the different ways that these have been achieved. Chapters dealing with particular topics are arranged in approximately the order in which they become a problem to the organism: How can it stay up in the water? Can it gain sufficient light and nutrients? How fast can it grow under different conditions? And what are the results of sinking out, feeding by animals, attacks by parasitic fungi and bacteria? The final chapter assembles this information to show ways in which plankton changes with season and through much longer periods of time, contrasting the behaviours in different types of lakes. This book is important for two reasons: it is the first major book on the subject for some years and projects many recent research findings; and the approach departs from previous volumes in concentrating on needs and adaptive responses to them.

Artikelname: The Great Ice Age: Climate Change and Life
Artikelbeschreibung: The Great Ice Age is also our age. Not only is it a period when the Earth experienced rapid and regular climatic changes, it is also the time when a life form evolved that is capable of studying and manipulating environmental systems. Part 1 of The Great Ice Age documents and explains the natural climatic changes that have occurred during the past 2.6 million years. Exploring a wide range of records of climate change, the authors demonstrate the interconnectivity of the components of the Earth's climate system and show how the evidence for past climatic change is obtained from oceanic and terrestrial realms. Such changes occurred over a range of time scales from millions of years, through tens of thousands of years, to mere centuries and decades. A number of explanations for past climatic shifts are explored, revealing that, as yet, no all embracing model has emerged that can adequately explain all the evidence reviewed in the book. In Part 2, some of the biological effects of the climatic upheavals described in Part 1 are examined, focusing on palaeoecological changes involving plants and animals, the evolution of human anatomy, and the way in which conscious social behaviour developed as a response to rapidly changing selection pressures. Global climate change increasingly drove human beings towards mastery of their surroundings: the resultant anthropogenically induced environmental change extends back a million years or more, but has increased dramatically during the last ten thousand years since the last retreat of huge ice sheets. The record of past environmental changes discussed in The Great Ice Age is the foundation on which to base our understanding of the global experiment we are conducting as the 'conscious forcing function' in the evolution of the Earth system.

Artikelname: The Handbook of Native Trees and Shrubs
Artikelbeschreibung: When the 1987 hurricane decimated the woods around her house, Charlotte de la Bedoyere replanted the area with native trees and was astonished at the transformation that took place. Inspired by this miracle, the author argues powerfully for the planting of truly native species in order to achieve the biodiversity that only they can support. This practical handbook catalogues all the native trees and shrubs that once covered most of Britain, and gives detailed advice on how to propagate, plant and protect them. Whether you are a gardener with a small area to spare, or a community planning a full-scale woodland, this book will be an invaluable resource, with its comprehensive advice and list of supportive organisations and suppliers.

Artikelname: The Japanese Knotweed Manual
Artikelbeschreibung: Practical help with preventing or containing an outbreak of this dreaded invader.

Artikelname: The Last Giant of Beringia: The Mystery of the Bering Land Bridge
Artikelbeschreibung: The intriguing theory of a land bridge linking Siberia and Alaska during the coldest pulsations of the Ice Ages had been much debated since Jose De Acosta, a Spanish missionary working in Mexico and Peru, first proposed the idea of a connection between the continents in 1589. But proof of the land bridge - now named Beringia after eighteenth-century Danish explorer Vitus Bering - eluded scientists until an inquiring geologist named Dave Hopkins emerged from rural New England and set himself to the task of solving the mystery. This compelling narrative follows the life story of the eclectic Hopkins - the shy California geologist with glasses, long hair and a patchy beard who would draw on natural history, oral history and other specialties to piece together the story of the lost world of Beringia. Solving this mystery creates an international stir that solidified his place in history. The Last Giant of Beringia is a fascinating science detective story that at last confirmed the existence of the land bridge that served as the intercontinental migration route for such massive Ice Age beasts as woolly mammoths, steppe bison, giant stag-moose, dire wolves, short-faced bears and saber-toothed cats - and for the first humans to enter the New World from Asia. After proving unambiguously that the land bridge existed, Hopkins went on to show that the Beringian landscape cannot have been the "polar desert" that many had claimed, but provided forage enough to sustain a diverse menagerie of Ice Age behemoths. Thrilling and easily accessible, The Last Giant of Beringia is popular science writing at its best.

Artikelname: When Life Nearly Died: The Greatest Mass Extinction of All Time
Artikelbeschreibung: There have been five big mass extinctions in the history of the Earth. One 65 million years ago wiped out the dinosaurs, but the greatest of all happened around 251 million years ago, at the end of the Permian period. In this cataclysm at least 90 per cent of life was killed, both on land and in the sea, almost bringing evolution to a halt. What caused destruction on such an unimaginable scale? Was the impact of a huge meteorite, or prolonged volcanic eruption in Siberia? The evidence is assembled and Michael Benton gives his verdict. "When Life Nearly Died" does more than document this catastrophic event - it is also a history of developing ideas, explaining how we know what we know about geology and palaeontology, and laying bare the arguments and egos of scientists. Benton shows that this is not an arcane story of interest only to the scientific community - the implications of this mass extinction millions of years ago for the present-day biodiversity crisis are very relevant, so that the past can truly be a guide to the present and future life on Earth.

Artikelname: Wildlife Conservation in Managed Woodlands and Forests
Artikelbeschreibung: The first part of the book deals with the evolution and management of forests, with guidelines for combining the two objectives of production and conservation, the second part deals by species with the wildlife inhabiting or in some way dependent upon woodland in Britain, considering their habitats and measures for their conservation.