Ecology of North America
Ecology of North America

Author: Brian R. Chapman

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2015-04-09

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 1118971574

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North America contains an incredibly diverse array of naturalenvironments, each supporting unique systems of plant and animallife. These systems, the largest of which are biomes, formintricate webs of life that have taken millennia to evolve. Thisrichly illustrated book introduces readers to this extraordinaryarray of natural communities and their subtle biological andgeological interactions. Completely revised and updated throughout, the second edition ofthis successful text takes a qualitative, intuitive approach to thesubject, beginning with an overview of essential ecological termsand concepts, such as competitive exclusion, taxa, niches, andsuccession. It then goes on to describe the major biomes andcommunities that characterize the rich biota of the continent,starting with the Tundra and continuing with Boreal Forest,Deciduous Forest, Grasslands, Deserts, Montane Forests, andTemperature Rain Forest, among others. Coastal environments,including the Laguna Madre, seagrasses, Chesapeake Bay, and barrierislands appear in a new chapter. Additionally, the book covers manyunique features such as pitcher plant bogs, muskeg, the polar icecap, the cloud forests of Mexico, and the LaBrea tar pits.“Infoboxes” have been added; these include biographiesof historical figures who provided significant contributions to thedevelopment of ecology, unique circumstances such as frogs andinsects that survive freezing, and conservation issues such asthose concerning puffins and island foxes. Throughout the text,ecological concepts are worked into the text; these includebiogeography, competitive exclusion, succession, soil formation,and the mechanics of natural selection. Ecology of North America 2e is an ideal first text forstudents interested in natural resources, environmental science,and biology, and it is a useful and attractive addition to thelibrary of anyone interested in understanding and protecting thenatural environment.

Terra Nova
Terra Nova

Author: Eric W. Sanderson

Publisher: ABRAMS

Published: 2013-06-04

Total Pages: 557

ISBN-13: 1613125747

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A look at what the American lifestyle has done to the environment—and how to move toward a better future. In the last century, three powerful forces—oil, cars, and suburbs—buoyed the American dream. Yet now, the quality of life in the United States is declining due to these same three forces. Our dependence on oil is a root cause of wars, recessions, and natural disasters. Cars consume an outsize share of our incomes and force us to squander time in traffic. Meanwhile, expensive, spread-out suburbs devour farmland—and in a vicious cycle, further entrench our reliance on cars and oil. In Terra Nova, conservation ecologist Eric W. Sanderson—the national bestselling author of Mannahatta—offers concrete steps toward a solution. He delves into natural history, architecture, chemistry, and politics, to show how the American relationship to nature has shaped our past, and how it can affect our future. Illustrated throughout with maps, charts, and infographics, Terra Nova demonstrates that it is indeed possible to achieve a better world. “Sanderson commendably outlines ‘a new way of life . . . designed to sustain American prosperity, health, and freedom for generations to come.’” —Publishers Weekly

Raptors of New Mexico
Raptors of New Mexico

Author: Jean-Luc E. Cartron

Publisher: UNM Press

Published: 2010-08-16

Total Pages: 1275

ISBN-13: 0826341470

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No book has ever before specifically focused on the birds of prey of New Mexico. Both Florence Bailey (1928) and J. Stokley Ligon (1961) published volumes on the birds of New Mexico, but their coverage of raptors was somewhat limited. In the ensuing years a great deal of new information has been collected on these mighty hunters' distribution, ecology, and conservation, including in New Mexico. The book begins with a history of the word "raptor." The order of Raptatores, or Raptores, was first used to classify birds of prey in the early nineteenth century, derived from the Latin word raptor, one who seizes by force. The text then includes the writings of thirty-seven contributing authors who relate their observations on these regal species. For example, Joe Truett recounts the following in the chapter on the Swainson's Hawk: "From spring to fall each year at the Jornada Caves in the Jornada del Muerto, Swainson's hawks assemble daily to catch bats. The bats exit the caves--actually lava tubes--near sundown. The hawks swoop in, snatch bats from the air, and eat them on the wing." Originally from France, Jean-Luc Cartron has lived and worked on several continents, finding his passion in the wide-open spaces of New Mexico. He became fascinated by the birds of prey and has studied their ecology and conservation for nearly twenty years. Raptors of New Mexico will provide readers with a comprehensive treatment of all hawks, eagles, kites, vultures, falcons, and owls breeding or wintering in New Mexico, or simply migrating through the state. This landmark study is also beautifully illustrated with more than six hundred photographs, including the work of more than one hundred photographers, and more than twenty species distribution maps.

Rangeland Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
Rangeland Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

Author: Lance B. McNew

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2023-09-01

Total Pages: 1017

ISBN-13: 303134037X

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This open access book reviews the importance of ecological functioning within rangelands considering the complex inter-relationships of production agriculture, ecosystem services, biodiversity, and wildlife habitat. More than half of all lands worldwide, and up to 70% of the western USA, are classified as rangelands—uncultivated lands that often support grazing by domestic livestock. The rangelands of North America provide a vast array of goods and services, including significant economic benefit to local communities, while providing critical habitat for hundreds of species of fish and wildlife. This book provides compendium of recent data and synthesis from more than 100 experts in wildlife and rangeland ecology in Western North America. It provides a current and in-depth synthesis of knowledge related to wildlife ecology in rangeland ecosystems, and the tools used to manage them, to serve current and future wildlife biologists and rangeland managers in the working landscapes of the West. The book also identifies information gaps and serves as a jumping-off point for future research of wildlife in rangeland ecosystems. While the content focuses on wildlife ecology and management in rangelands of Western North America, the material has important implications for rangeland ecosystems worldwide.

A Classification of North American Biotic Communities
A Classification of North American Biotic Communities

Author: David Earl Brown

Publisher:

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 156

ISBN-13:

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Building upon existing classification systems of natural environments, this visually-oriented guide--from the Arctic Circle to Central America--advocates a universal, biogeographic standard for inventorying regional habitats as now used by the Environmental Protection Agency and some state agencies. The separate digitized map, dramatically unfolding to 42x42", is color-coded to depict gradients in moisture and temperature: factors which delimit vegetation and adaptations by flora and fauna. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Biotic Communities
Biotic Communities

Author: David Earl Brown

Publisher:

Published: 1994

Total Pages: 362

ISBN-13:

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Biotic Communities catalogs and defines by biome, or biotic community, the region centered on Arizona, New Mexico, Sonora, Chihuahua, and Baja California Norte, plus portions of California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Texas, Coahuila, Sinaloa, and Baja California Sur. This ambitious guide is an essential companion for anyone working in natural resources management and ecological research, as well as nonspecialists looking for solid information about a particular southwestern locale. Biotic Communities is arranged by climatic formation with a short chapter for each biome describing climate, physiognomy, distribution, dominant and common plant species, and characteristic vertebrates. Subsequent chapters contain careful descriptions of zonal subdivisions.

Deciduous Forests of Eastern North America
Deciduous Forests of Eastern North America

Author: E Lucy Braun

Publisher:

Published: 2023-08

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781648373107

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E. Lucy Braun, PhD, describes in detail the forest ecosystems of eastern North America. This classic reference is well-illustrated with maps and tables. A must for those seeking a deeper understanding of the botanical evolution of this region.

Ecology
Ecology

Author: Charles J. Krebs

Publisher: Benjamin-Cummings Publishing Company

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 695

ISBN-13: 9780321068798

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This best-selling majors ecology book continues to present ecology as a series of problems for readers to critically analyze. No other text presents analytical, quantitative, and statistical ecological information in an equally accessible style. Reflecting the way ecologists actually practice, the book emphasizes the role of experiments in testing ecological ideas and discusses many contemporary and controversial problems related to distribution and abundance. Throughout the book, Krebs thoroughly explains the application of mathematical concepts in ecology while reinforcing these concepts with research references, examples, and interesting end-of-chapter review questions. Thoroughly updated with new examples and references, the book now features a new full-color design and is accompanied by an art CD-ROM for instructors. The field package also includes The Ecology Action Guide, a guide that encourages readers to be environmentally responsible citizens, and a subscription to The Ecology Place (www.ecologyplace.com), a web site and CD-ROM that enables users to become virtual field ecologists by performing experiments such as estimating the number of mice on an imaginary island or restoring prairie land in Iowa. For college instructors and students.

Measuring and Monitoring Plant Populations
Measuring and Monitoring Plant Populations

Author: Caryl Elzinga

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2015-01-02

Total Pages: 492

ISBN-13: 9781505683066

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This technical reference applies to monitoring situations involving a single plant species, such as an indicator species, key species, or weed. It was originally developed for monitoring special status plants, which have some recognized status at the Federal, State, or agency level because of their rarity or vulnerability. Most examples and discussions in this technical reference focus on these special status species, but the methods described are also applicable to any single-species monitoring and even some community monitoring situations.We thus hope wildlife biologists, range conservationists, botanists, and ecologists will all find this technical reference helpful.