How the Earthquake Bird Got Its Name and Other Tales of an Unbalanced Nature

Book Description

Although people have been altering earth’s landscapes to some extent for tens of thousands of years, humankind today is causing massive changes to the planet. Such widespread environmental change is accompanied by accelerating rates of species extinction. In this book, noted ecologist H. H. Shugart presents important ecological concepts through entertaining animal parables. He tells the stories of particular birds and mammals—the packrat, ivory-billed woodpecker, penguin, dingo, European rabbit, and others—and what their fates reveal about the interactions between environmental change and the extinctions or explosions of species populations.

Change is the root of many planetary problems, but it is also an intrinsic feature of our living planet. Shugart explores past environmental change, discusses the non-existence of a “balance of Nature,” and documents how human alterations have affected plants, soils, and animals. He looks with hope toward a future in which thoughtful people learn—and use—ecological science to protect the landscapes upon which terrestrial creatures depend.

Customer Reviews:

Terrific read; entertaining and educational.......2006-01-19

This book satisfies on several levels. It's wonderfully entertaining and at the same time manages to clearly explain important scientific concepts. I finished the book with a much better understanding of ecological issues - and a deeper appreciation for this marvelously complex world in which we live.

Unusual stories of animals and birds in the wild .......2005-06-07

Unusual stories of animals and birds in the wild form the foundation of professor H.H. Shugart's survey of ecology in How The Earthquake Bird Got Its Name And Other Tales Of An Unbalanced Nature. Ecology's most important principles are illustrated within these stories of selected birds and mammals and their fates and interactions with the environment in a discourse which seamlessly smoothes together such disparate topics as GIS prediction of environmental climate changes and species effects to complex disturbances in bird habitats.

Customer Reviews:

Insightful overview of tropical ecology.......2007-03-09

I found Tropical Nature to be an interesting and easy read. Organized neatly into 17 chapters and an appendix, each covers a specific a specific species of ecological concept. I found chapter 6, "Listen to the flowers" the most interesting, detailing the different mechanisms plants employ in order to have evolutionary advantages as well as trick other species.

(I read this as a precursor to a may term course at my college where I shall be going to the rain forests of Ecuador)

great adventure!.......2007-01-18

I began reading this book for a class involving tropical studies and travel and I wasn't sure what to expect. This is a great book. Easy read. The book takes a broad yet, also in depth exploration of different *interesting* topics in tropical ecology. Although it is definitely not a scientific text, this book takes you for a wondrous adventure into the tropics.

Tropical Nature.......2006-11-13

This book was great. It is written a bit technically, so it would help to have a science backgroung to fully enjoy it. The literary style is easy to read and the book is difficult to put down. I'm sure that having read this book will enhance my trip to the rain forest. Thanks!!

Best Intro to the Natural History of Tropical Forests.......2006-10-15

Buy this Book! This book is a great read for anybody who is interested in life on our planet. It would make a dandy companion to E.O. Wilson's "The Diversity of Life."

ENCHANTING DEPICTION OF THE RAIN FOREST.......2006-04-10

Among books that aim to express to readers the wonders of the rain forest, this one stands out. In 17 chapters that touch upon different aspects of the rain forest, the authors transmit their own passion for the rain forest and the unique intricacies that make rain forests some of the most precious places on earth.

The book is not written as one coherent whole, but rather as 17 individual chapters or essays. Below is a brief sample of topics:

- the strategy of dung scarabs to capture important proteins
- the symbiotic relationship of sloths with the trees they prefer
- the mimicry some insects have developed to elude their main predators, birds
- the reason why some birds have developed migratory patterns to temperate climates
- the reason why some frogs developed a parental care strategy and even marsupial pouches
- the reason why some trees are hollow
- how parasited species can benefit even in the most unlikely scenarios
- why some plants developed hallucinogenic substances

These are just a few of the topics covered in the book. It is written in a pop science format, so that an interested reader will easily understand and appreciate these and many more concepts. The authors carefully explain the relationships, often comparing the rain forest experience with those of temperate forests. The authors also focus on the possible evolutionary principles involved in adaptations presented.

This is the very best introductory book on the subject. It is designed to excite the reader into learning more and even visiting the rain forest. In the mold of Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Dawkins, Miyata and Forsyth write a masterpiece that will make the reader feel smarter after reading it.

A Tropical Rainforest: The Nature of Biodiversity in Borneo at Belalong, Brunei

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A Tropical Rainforest: The Nature of Biodiversity in Borneo at Belalong, Brunei
David S. Edwards , and Earl of Cranbrook
Manufacturer: Sun Tree Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 9810055315

Woody Plants in Agro-Ecosystems of Semi-Arid Regions: With an Emphasis on the Sahelian Countries (Advanced Series in Agricultural Sciences)

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Woody Plants in Agro-Ecosystems of Semi-Arid Regions: With an Emphasis on the Sahelian Countries (Advanced Series in Agricultural Sciences)
Henk Breman , and Jan-Joost Kessler
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

This is a fundamental analysis of the influence of woody plants on agricultural production, in relation to characteristics of these plants, with examples mostly from the Sahelian countries. The conclusions enable practitioners in the field of rural development in semi-arid tropical countries to identify proper conditions for using plants to improve and sustain agricultural production for specific agropastoral objectives.

Monteverde: Ecology and Conservation of a Tropical Cloud Forest

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Very good reference book

Monteverde: Ecology and Conservation of a Tropical Cloud Forest

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0195133102

Book Description

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve has captured the worldwide attention of biologists, conservationists, and ecologists and has been the setting for extensive investigation over the past 30 years. Roughly 40,000 ecotourists visit the Cloud Forest each year, and it is often considered the archetypal high-altitude rain forest. This volume brings together some of the most prominent researchers of the region to provide a broad introduction to the biology of the Monteverde, and cloud forests in general. Collecting and synthesizing vital information about the ecosystem and its biota, the book also examines the positive and negative effects of human activity on both the forest and the surrounding communities. Ecologists, tropical biologists, and natural historians will find this volume an indispensable resource, as will all those who are fascinated by the magnificent wonders of the tropical forests.

Customer Reviews:

Very good reference book.......2007-09-23

I have found this to be a fantastically helpful reference book for everything Monteverde-related. This book isn't meant to be a best-seller, it (seems to be) designed for the subset of people who are interested in Monteverde, Costa Rica. If you have spent some time in Monteverde, or plan to, it has pretty much everything you could ever want to know about natural history and climate. It is also put together in an easy and intuitive manner, which counts for a lot when you are trying to find one specific thing in a book that is about everything. It is aimed more towards science, but it also has quite a bit about the history of the town. This is the first place I would look for helpful tidbits of information about Monteverde like yearly rainfall/mist, neat graphs that break down the number of species of plants of various life forms ("X% of plants in MV are climbers, Y% are epiphytes, Z% canopy trees"), and the such. I would strongly suggest it to anyone interested in Monteverde natural history. This is not a field guide, it won't help you identify anything to species, but it will be a very good supplement to pretty much any field guide, so you can see what ever you are interested in the large framework of its ecosystem.

It is also just plain fun read.

Field Crop Ecosystems (Ecosystems of the World)

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Field Crop Ecosystems (Ecosystems of the World)

Manufacturer: Elsevier Science
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0444886753

Book Description

This book examines how agriculturalists and ecologists look at field-crop ecosystems and attempt better management of these systems with the aid of computer modelling. Most of the book describes an array of the world's most important systems in detail but using language suited to readers who are not familiar with agricultural technology. Each chapter presents a "slice in time" of environmental, human and technical attributes of a particular cropping system along with the social and cultural background which contributed to that particular system.
The topics of the chapters dealing with individual field-crop ecosystems were chosen to represent most of the important agricultural systems and a wide variety of climate zones.

Tropical Rain Forests (True Books: Ecosystems)

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Tropical Rain Forests (True Books: Ecosystems)
Darlene R. Stille
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0613375688

The High Frontier: Exploring the Tropical Rainforest Canopy

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solid science, unforgettable images

The High Frontier: Exploring the Tropical Rainforest Canopy
Mark Moffett , and Edward O. Wilson
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0674390393

Customer Reviews:

solid science, unforgettable images.......2001-04-19

This is a great popular science book, written by an adventurer/explorer who also has a Harvard PhD in biology. He travels all over the world for National Geographic, taking nature photos as well as reporting on cutting-edge discoveries in the rainforests. As such, he succeeds at mixing art and science in this book, which is somewhat technical, but explained in clear language that laymen can understand. THis book changed the way I saw rainforests: fully 9/10s of their biota are in the canopy, in the leaves high above, which you would never from the ground. And Moffet went up there with camera to photograph it with some of the world's best scientists. The result is masterful.

Book Description

The ten-year research program and the Kapalga fire experiment at CSIRO in Australia has provided a wealth of knowledge about savanna ecosystems and the critical but poorly understood role of fire. The frequent low intensity fires examined in this volume characterize fire in the tropics and are a dominant force in shaping the structure and function of tropical ecosystems. Contributors discuss fire in relation to rainfall, groundwater, and the mammals and plants in the ecology and management of ecosystems. Among the management issues addressed are: habitat management, endangered species, protection of people and property, erosion and nutrient depletion, integration of knowledge from indigenous people and western science, and atmospheric pollution from fire smoke. This book will be valuable to tropical and savanna ecologists, fire ecologists and fire managers throughout the world, whether they are interested in plants, animals, soils or in the landscape as a whole.

Soils of Tropical Forest Ecosystems: Characteristics, Ecology and Management

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Soils of Tropical Forest Ecosystems: Characteristics, Ecology and Management

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3540636072

Book Description

An understanding of the characteristics and the ecology of soils, particularly those of forest ecosystems in the humid tropics, is central to the development of sustainable forest management systems. The present book examines the contribution that forest soil science and forest ecology can make to sustainable land use in the humid tropics. Four main issues are addressed: characteristics and classification of forest soils, chemical and hydrological changes after forest utilization, soil fertility management in forest plantations and agroforestry systems as well as ecosystem studies from the dipterocarp forest region of Southeast Asia. Additionally, case studies include work from Guyana, Costa Rica, the Philippines, Malaysia, Australia and Nigeria.

Tropical Ecosystems And Ecological Concepts

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Tropical Ecosystems And Ecological Concepts
Patrick L. Osborne
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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An Introduction to Tropical Rain Forests

ASIN: 0521645239

Book Description

Over one third of the earth's terrestrial surface is situated in the tropics, with environments ranging from hot deserts to tropical rain forests. This introductory textbook, aimed at students studying tropical ecology, provides a comprehensive guide to the major tropical biomes and is unique in its balanced coverage of both aquatic and terrestrial systems. The volume considers the human ecological dimension, covering issues such as population growth, urbanization, agriculture and fisheries, natural resource use, and pollution. It is international in scope and addresses global issues such as conservation of biodiversity, climate change, and the concept of ecological sustainability. The text is supported throughout by boxes containing supplementary material on a range of topics and organisms, mathematical concepts and calculations, and is enlivened with clear line diagrams, maps, and photographs. A cross-referenced glossary, extensive bibliography, and comprehensive index are included as further aids to study.

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