Understanding biomes-the communities of nature that share a similar climate and plant and animal life-is key to a student's success in biology, geography, and environmental studies. This book provides a thorough and accessible description of the climate, plant and animal life, origins and human impacts, and history of the scientific exploration of every major biome in the world. Chapters on the human-dominated biomes-urban areas and agricultural regions-illustrate how these frequently ignored communities are also an important part of the global environment. More than 90 maps and photographs…mehr
Understanding biomes-the communities of nature that share a similar climate and plant and animal life-is key to a student's success in biology, geography, and environmental studies. This book provides a thorough and accessible description of the climate, plant and animal life, origins and human impacts, and history of the scientific exploration of every major biome in the world. Chapters on the human-dominated biomes-urban areas and agricultural regions-illustrate how these frequently ignored communities are also an important part of the global environment. More than 90 maps and photographs help the reader visualize the extent and characteristics of each biome. This book divides the world's biomes into four principal types: Terrestrial, Freshwater, Marine, and Human-dominated. Comprehensive discussions enable readers to obtain a thorough understanding of each biome, and the convenient one-volume format allows easy comparison between aspects of each region. For example, a student can compare the typical characteristics of flora and fauna of the Continental Shelf and Deep Sea biomes, or the climates of the Tropical Rainforest and the Tundra. Current references to the latest scientific research provide a convenient starting point for those interested in more intensive investigations on such issues as the human impact on the distribution of natural biomes and the loss of biodiversity in the world.
Susan L. Woodward is received her PhD in geography from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1976. She taught undergraduate courses in biogeography and physical geography for twenty-two years at Radford University in Virginia before retiring in 2006. Author of Biomes of Earth, published by Greenwood Press in 2003, she continues to learn and write about our natural environment. Her travels have allowed her to see firsthand some of the world's major biomes in North America, South America, Russia, China, and southern Africa.
Inhaltsangabe
Preface Acknowledgments Introduction Terrestrial Biomes Tropical Rainforests Tropical Dry Forests Tropical Savannas Deserts Temperate Grasslands Mediterranean Woodland and Scrub Temperate Broadleaf Deciduous Forests Boreal Forests Tundra Freshwater Biomes Rivers and Streams Lakes and Ponds Marine Biomes Coastal Biome Continental Shelf Biome The Deep Sea Human-Dominated Biomes Agroecosystems Urban Ecosystems Glossary Bibliography Index
