Terrestrial Ecosystems (2nd Edition) FROM THE PUBLISHER
Covering the complexities and interconnected nature of the world, as well as the impact of mankind on the environment, this interdisciplinary book presents a holistic view of ecosystem function and is designed to help students understand and predict the environmental future of the Earth. The authors provide a complete view of the environment--from the Taiga Forests of interior Alaska to the desert plains of the Serengeti. While retaining the previous edition's basic four-part structure, the authors have reviewed every topic (and consulted the recent literature in each case) in order to present the most complete and accurate picture of the state of ecosystem studies today.
SYNOPSIS
This text, intended for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students in various disciplines, presents basic concepts of ecosystem studies; addresses the key processes that control ecosystem function; offers an integrated view of how the processes that control ecosystem function interact to produce patterns of change and distribution visible in three very different landscapes; and describes the growing dominance of human activity in controlling ecosystem distribution and function. Requires only introductory-level knowledge of the workings of soils, plants, and animal populations and uses minimal scientific jargon.
Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
FROM THE CRITICS
Booknews
Text for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students in a wide range of disciplines integrates information from environmental science, forestry, botany, and biology in a survey of all major processes affecting both natural and heavily managed terrestrial ecosystems. Assumes only an introductory-level knowledge of the workings of soils, plants, and animal populations. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
...this book is a stimulating counterpart to the literature in this field. The great didactic value derives from the excellent introductions and summaries, the exemplifying and straightforward treatment of the matter and a consequent pathway through the whole book. It is highly recommended to be used in student seminaries of all kinds of ecological context, and it is a delightful reading for everybody being interested in ecological problems, history and policy. A good piece in my bookshelf! (Ludger Kappen in Basic and Applied Ecology, 2002)
— Ludger Kappen
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