Discover the secrets and beauty of the world’s rarest trees in this fantastic book filled with more than 300 color photographs.Forests cover nearly a third of the world's surface, and the trees that make them up include a staggering diversity of more than 60,000 species. Individual trees play specific ecological roles in their unique environments—and they have adapted to thrive on steep mountains, in cloud forests, on dry savannahs, in parched deserts, and in tropi...

A blend of history, science, philosophy, and environmentalism, The Tree is an engaging and elegant look at the life of the tree and what modern research tells us about their future.There are redwoods in California that were ancient by the time Columbus first landed, and pines still alive that germinated around the time humans invented writing. There are Douglas firs as tall as skyscrapers, and a banyan tree in Calcutta as big as a football field.Fr...

The Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs describes and illustrates over 2,000 varieties. With Over 30,000 color photographs, this encyclopedia is for every naturalist from the novice to the experienced observer.FEATURES:- Information about over 2,000 trees and shrubs. - Over 30,000 color photographs. - Intuitive navigation: navigate from Table of Contents or search for words or phrases. - List of all plants by their common name - List of all plant families by their common name - List of taxono...

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of North American Reptiles and Amphibians describes and illustrates over 1,000 species of turtles, tortoise, lizards, snakes, alligators, salamanders, frogs, and toads. With Over 30,000 color photographs, this encyclopedia is for every naturalist from the novice to the experienced observer.FEATURES:- Information about each North American Reptile and Amphibian. - Over 30,000 color photographs. - Intuitive navigation: navigate from Table of Contents or search for...

Human activity has irreversibly changed the natural environment. But the news isn't all bad.It's accepted wisdom today that human beings have permanently damaged the natural world, causing extinction, deforestation, pollution, and of course climate change. But in Inheritors of the Earth, biologist Chris Thomas shows that this obscures a more hopeful truth -- we're also helping nature grow and change. Human cities and mass agriculture have created new place...

The ecologist and author of Do We Need Pandas? "presents a stimulating challenge to our perceptions of nature" and non-native species (George Monbiot).You may be surprised to learn that camels evolved and lived for tens of millions of years in North America—and also that the leek, national symbol of Wales, was a Roman import to Britain, as were chickens, rabbits and pheasants. These classic examples highlight the issues of "native" and "invasive" species. ...

Migratory songbirds are disappearing at a frightening rate. By some estimates, we may have already lost almost half the songbirds that filled the skies only 40 years ago. Following the birds on their 10,000-kilometre migratory journey, Bridget Stutchbury looks at the most threatening factors in their extinction, from pesticides, still a major concern decades after Rachel Carson first raised the alarm, to the destruction of vital habitat; from the bright lights and structures in our cities—...

This book gives advice on keeping and breeding 36 species of tetra. It is based on the author's over 50 years experience in keeping fish and the things he has learned in over 20 years of running an aquarium shop.The Tetras in the book are the:Adonis Tetra,African Long-Finned Tetra,Black Phantom Tetra,Black Neon Tetra,Black Widow Tetra,Blind Cave Tetra,Buck Tooth Tetra,Buenos Aires Tetra,Cardinal Tetra,Colombian Te...

Passionate, forthright and enthusiastic, Carlos Magdalena is a world-renowned horticulturist - known both for his charisma and his conservation work.The Plant Messiah follows Carlos' dreams and disappointments; from his days as a school boy in the death throes of General Franco's Fascist dictatorship, to his advent as The Plant Messiah at the forefront of conservation, backed by the reputation and resources of The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and enthused by the potential th...

How much do we really know about the species that make up the natural world?All over the world, biodiversity is gravely threatened – by overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution and climate change. Yet life on Earth has previously experienced five episodes of mass extinction, and nature has repeatedly proved itself to be a resilient, regenerative force.In this fascinating book, ecologist Dr. Ken Thompson surveys the Earth's biodiversity, its origins and s...

Since the dawn of human civilization, forests have provided us with food, resources, and energy. The history of human development is also one of forest loss and transformation, and yet even in our increasingly urbanized societies we remain surprisingly dependent on forests for a wide range of goods and services. Moreover, forests still retain a remarkable hold on our environmental values. In an era of continuing tropical deforestation and temperate forest resurgence, and in the midst of un...

The acclaimed wildlife photographer presents "a powerful visual record of threatened animals and ecosystems facing the harshest of challenges" ( The Guardian, UK).In Endangered, the result of an extraordinary multiyear project to document the lives of threatened species, acclaimed photographer Tim Flach explores one of the most pressing issues of our time. Traveling around the world—to settings ranging from forest to savannah to the polar seas to t...