The Earth’s capacity to sustain life increasingly depends on the actions of humans and our commitment to preserving the planet’s incredible biodiversity. Because its ecosystems are vulnerable to pollution, overuse, and numerous other damaging activities, plants and animals that rely on these regions to subsist are significantly threatened. This insightful volume examines various conservation measures, such as habitat management, that help control the extinction rates of numerous species. T...

Whether ruining a commute or devastating entire countries, inclement weather has the power to capture attention and headlines. This book examines the science that gives us a greater understanding of the patterns that produce hurricanes, tornadoes, cyclones, and a host of related conditions. It also discusses another persistent issue of inclement weather, which is how to better predict climatic extremes.

The planet’s natural dips and elevations, slopes and structures, stud the world’s landscapes and enrich its panoramas. However, the Earth’s landforms should not be viewed as anomalies in its topography; rather, they are often invaluable components of ecosystems and hold significant clues to the natural forces that fashion our environment. This comprehensive volume examines the various landforms—from mountains to caves to glaciers—that can be found across the globe. The processes that shape...

Its constant evolution over the millennia since its inception has made the Earth a dynamic entity, subject to numerous climactic and environmental forces that are forever changing this planet. In its most recent stage, the planet has seen an incredible diversification in plant and animal life, with the most prominent development of the Cenozoic era being the emergence of mammals. This book examines our most immediate ancestors and the geologic, geographic, and environmental factors that he...

More than 15,000 species of reptiles and amphibians roam planet Earth today. Believed to be descendents of the dinosaurs, reptiles are scaly and cold-blooded. Amphibians lead something of a double-life, since they are capable of living in terrestrial and aquatic habitats. This colorful volume details the physical characteristics, as well as the breeding and feeding behaviors, of both reptiles and amphibians, with an up-close look at many of these remarkable creatures.

Lakes and wetlands are significant ecosystems that nourish, sustain, and house many of the planet’s plant and animal species. Though both of these regions are defined by water—both fresh and saline—each lake and particular type of wetland also has characteristics all its own. This detailed volume considers the formation, composition, and maintenance of these intricate ecological units and the various life forms they support. Dramatic full-color photographs and in-depth profiles of Earth’s ...

The devastation wrought by earthquakes and volcanoes often obscures the fact that these destructive forces are also some of the most creative on the planet birthing mountains and other land forms. With detailed diagrams outlining the structure of continental and oceanic crust and the distribution of major plate motion, this book introduces readers to the range of activity that can shape or decimate an entire region. Descriptions of famous earthquakes and volcanoes help contextualize the st...

John Rafferty of Encyclopædia Britannica discusses the challenges of protecting the world's smallest porpoise, the vaquita, from extinction. This is the first part of the Postcards from the 6th Mass Extinction audio series.

Characterized by a surge in biodiversity and evolutionary development, the Paleozoic Era ushered in the beginnings of life as we know it. Within these pages, readers will discover the fossil and geologic evidence from this time that reveals a dynamic planet, where new species of plants and animals were constantly emerging and continents were breaking apart and reforming. While many of the species from this era are now extinct and the continents are relatively stable, remnants of this era s...

Often concealing millennia worth of Earth’s history, rocks seem to project an impression of durability and permanence that belies their transformation over time. Seen in all shapes and sizes and found in many of the planet’s ecosystems, rocks have been subject to various natural forces that have affected such attributes as their elasticity, strength, and ductility (that is, their ability to be fashioned into a new form). The general properties as well as the three major categories of rock—...

Anyone who has marveled at the glimmer of a perfectly cut diamond, tended a garden, or consumed a nutritious meal has appreciated some of the many roles that minerals play in our lives. Present in many natural substances, minerals are highly structured entities, each with a unique chemical composition and set of properties. Accompanied by detailed tables, diagrams, and sidebars, this informative volume examines the various types of minerals and their structures and classifications, as well...

Dinosaurs have captured the imaginations of children and adults alike since the first fossil discoveries mapped them onto our general body of knowledge. This book journeys to an era long before humans, where dinosaurs were once masters of land, sky, and sea. In addition to accounts of significant dinosaur species and their extinction, readers will learn about the major life forms, both plant and animal, alongside whom dinosaurs dwelled, as well as the geographical and environmental factors...