This book takes a fresh look at the most disliked tree in Britain and Ireland, explaining the reasons it was introduced and why it became ubiquitous in the archipelagos of northwest Europe.Sitka spruce has contributed to the Pacific Coast landscapes of North America for over ten millennia. For the Tlingit First Nation it is the most important tree in terms of spiritual relationships, art, and products in daily use such as canoes, containers, fish-traps and sweet cakes. Since the la...

“Gets deep into the weeds, so to speak, of the microscopic architecture of plants and the biochemical processes at play.” —Washington PostMost gardeners realize that plants need to be fed, but many of us know little about the nature of the science involved. In Teaming with Nutrients, Jeff Lowenfels explains the basics of plant nutrition from an organic gardener’s perspective. In his trademark down-to-earth, style, Lowenfels explains the role of bo...

Name the five Great Trees of Ireland? What trees are most often found beside holy wells or cemeteries? Which tree gave the Red Branch Knights of Ulster their name? Ireland was once so heavily wooded it was said a squirrel could travel from Cork to Killarney without touching the ground. So it is no surprise that, in ancient Ireland, mythology and folklore were a part of the people's general knowledge about trees. Many of the myths and legends and much of the folklore associated with native ...

Now available in English for the first time, this popular 1943 treatise on biology and biologically correct working of soil from the pen of the famous soil scientist Prof. Dr. Franz Sekera, carefully edited and expanded by his wife, scientist Margareth Sekera, over the years, has long been beloved by farmers and soils scientists in its original German. Starting with the basic concepts of “tilth” and “soil structure” and moving along to the symptoms of unhealthy soil and the behavior of pla...

This fully revised and expanded edition of Fundamentals of Soil Ecology continues its holistic approach to soil biology and ecosystem function. Students and ecosystem researchers will gain a greater understanding of the central roles that soils play in ecosystem development and function. The authors emphasize the increasing importance of soils as the organizing center for all terrestrial ecosystems and provide an overview of theory and practice of soil ecology, both from an ecosystem and e...

Just a week after the Kristallnacht terror in 1938, young Luzie Hatch, a German Jew, fled Berlin to resettle in New York. Her rescuer was an American-born cousin and industrialist, Arnold Hatch. Arnold spoke no German, so Luzie quickly became translator, intermediary, and advocate for family left behind. Soon an unending stream of desperate requests from German relatives made their way to Arnold’s desk.   Luzie Hatch had faithfully preserved her letters both to and from far-flung...

This field guide will enable the identification of a range of invasive plants and animals now found in Britain.The impact of invasive organisms is second only to habitat loss as a threat to biodiversity and yet, despite increasing ecological awareness, people remain largely unaware of these plants and animals and their potentially devastating impact. Although most biological introductions fail, many prove successful and these can prove disastrous for native fauna a...

Earth Journal was written by the author in the summer of 1972 at age 21. Only a few ending pages, a few updates and corrections; the biography of Sir Thomas More; including the images, were added in May 2010. This non-fiction account is both a commentary on planet earth; a brief history of its age; its place in the solar system as being unique by possessing life; and a brief account of the first "Earth Day," as it happened from my 1970 perspective as a college freshman. The book is also a ...

An uplifting account of the ambitious environmental experiment, Biosphere 2, and the extraordinary life of its creator, John Allen.The 2009 Winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Biography/Memoir, Me and the Biospheres is the definitive autobiography of John P. Allen, inventor of the largest laboratory for global ecology ever built and one of the most luminous minds of our time.Contained within a magnificently designed air-tight glass and steel frame struct...

"Will likely become a classic among books about Kentucky's natural history and environment, because it covers so much new information." — Lexington Herald-LeaderWhen the first settlers arrived in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, they found an astonishing landscape of open woodland grazed by vast herds of bison. Farmers quickly replaced the bison with cattle, sheep, and horses, but left many of the trees to shade their pastures. Today, central Kentucky and ...

Face to the current global energy crisis, there is an urgent necessity of searching for alternatives to fossil fuels, and this book shows how timber is a promising resource for sustainable energy production. Northeast Mexico represents an important forest resource to satisfy the needs of the population in these areas. In order to harness these forest resources, technology for exploring these valuable resources must be developed. These technologies (with special reference to biology and woo...