Thoroughly revised, this book, offers the most authoritative and up-to-date zoology dictionary available today. Allaby covers all aspects of the study of animals in more than 5,250 clearly written entries many new to this edition, including alarm pheromone, Ficks laws, shock disease, and synanthrope. Illustrated with many line drawings, the book defines terms from animal behavior, evolution, earth history, zoogeography, genetics, and physiology, provides full taxonomic coverage of arthropods and other invertebrates, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals, and introduces new material on behavioral ecology and conservation biology. In many entries, he recommends web links, which are kept up to date through the Dictionary of Zoologys companion website. Finally, the book includes detailed appendices covering the universal genetic code, endangered animals, the geologic time scale, and SI units. An invaluable dictionary for students of zoology and the related fields of biological and biomedical sciences, Dictionary of Zoology is also ideal for amateur naturalists and anyone with an interest in animals....

This leading dictionary--now in its third edition--offers wide-ranging and authoritative coverage of the earth sciences and related topics. In more than 6,250 clear and accessible entries, it covers geology, oceanography, paleontology, mineralogy, volcanology, and planetary science as well as climatology, geochemistry, and petrology. The third edition is fully updated and includes additional coverage of process geomorphology and physical geography, plus more than 50 new line drawings to accompany descriptions of forms and processes. The new edition also features web links accessed via a companion website, featuring additional information that is regularly updated to ensure that it stays fresh. Finally, the book has a revised bibliography and a number of appendices that include a revised geological time scale, stratigraphic units, lunar and Martian time scales, wind-strength scales, and SI units. It is an essential reference for students of geography, geology, and earth sciences and in related disciplines....

Life in the desert holds a range of biological adaptations. From camels to desert scorpions to snakes, the biodiversity of these areas is fascinating. "Deserts" presents the intricacies of this seemingly barren and harsh ecosystem, explaining how and why deserts form, where they are found on Earth, and their basic characteristics. Chapter-by-chapter coverage describes the fauna of the desert, the history of these habitats, the relationship of humanity to the deserts, the climate of desert areas, subtropical and polar deserts, and more. "Deserts" concludes with chapters on desert industries and threats to this ecosystem, including climate change, the spreading of deserts, overgrazing, and water depletion. New developments for managing the deserts are also discussed....

For tens of thousands of years, northern Europe, Canada, and most of the northern United States lay buried beneath vast ice sheets, thousands of feet thick. As the world warmed and the ice began to melt along its southernmost edge, plants began to appear and a forest was born. This forest of the temperate regions became known as the temperate forest. Forests are biologically diverse, meaning they support a wide variety of species of plants, fungi, animals, and single-celled organisms. "Temperate Forests, Revised Edition" explores biodiversity and why preserving it is so important. This book surveys the distribution of certain trees, how soil forms and is classified scientifically, how water flows through it, and what forests soils are like. It also contrasts the efforts to conserve forests with the way forests were portrayed in folklore and literature, often as dark and dangerous.All of the facts and figures have been revised for this new edition, most of the text has been rewritten, and diagrams and full-color photographs and illustrations enhance the text. More than 30 sidebars provide brief biographical details about individuals who have made important contributions to our knowledge of the Earth and ecology, including Alfred Wegener, the German meteorologist who first proposed the idea of continental drift; Vasily Dokuchayev, the Russian scientist who was the first to classify soils; and the ecologists Frederic Clements, Arthur Tansley, Charles Elton, and Henry Gleason....

Amidst all of the news stories of threats and damage to the natural environment, there are scientists working to understand more about the world and to protect it from avoidable harm. Botanists, zoologists, ecologists, geologists, volcanologists, seismologists, geomorphologists, meteorologists, climatologists, oceanographers, and many more are all environmental scientists in their own different ways, and their work has contributed greatly to the study of Earth science. Exploring such topics as the size of the Earth and how its lands and seas are distributed, "Earth Science" discusses the history of this planet, from the study of fossils to the development of the theory of plate tectonics. This exciting new book examines the Earth's history and how it came to be divided into the episodes making up the geologic time scale and includes the present version of that time scale. Full-color photographs, sidebars, and further reading complete this accessible resource....

There are many different types of tropical forests - lowland wet forests, seasonal forests, cloud forests, bamboo forests, mangrove forests, and monsoon forests. The biodiversity in these areas is incredibly diverse. "Tropical Forests" examines the wealth of resources found in this biome, introducing the ecosystems of the forests and explaining the importance of forest layers, food chains, and much more. An essential introduction to tropical forests, this book discusses everything about this ecosystem - from geology to animal life to conservation. This volume concludes by examining threats to these environments, including clearing the areas for farmland, logging, slash-and-burn farming, soil erosion, and soil exhaustion. Ways to manage these threats and promote conservation of tropical rainforests are also clearly presented....

Oceans cover almost 71 percent of the Earth's surface. Travelers on land can find their way by recognizing landmarks and navigating with the help of maps, but there are no landmarks at sea and mariners must find other signposts to guide them. Many centuries ago, navigators learned to steer by the sun and stars and by compasses that align themselves with the Earth's magnetic field. Equipped with simple instruments, surveyors defined the boundaries of the ocean while scientists mapped the ocean currents. Oceans explores some of the mapmakers, scientists, and adventurers who dedicated their lives to improving our understanding of the oceans. This new resource begins with the long process of mapping the oceans and the many problems that had to be solved before this could be achieved satisfactorily. This full-color book details some of the greatest surveyors and mapmakers, including Captain James Cook and Robert FitzRoy, as well as some of the explorations that made a huge impact on ocean research. Ocean basins are also examined in this comprehensive resource. The chapters include: Mapping the Oceans, The Origin of the Oceans, Studying the Ocean Floor, Measuring the Depth and Flow, Journeys to the Bottom of the Sea, Life in the Abyss, Monsters, and Modern Explorers....

In the years since the first edition of the award-winning "Encyclopedia of Weather and Climate" was published, research in the atmospheric sciences has been intense and much has happened - making this revised edition an essential one. This new two-volume set has also been restructured - featuring a mix of new, expanded, updated, and rewritten entries along with new photographs and updated, redesigned line illustrations - to take into account recent discoveries about the atmosphere and the way it works. The main body of the encyclopedia consists of authoritative entries describing processes such as cloud formation, atmospheric phenomena such as rainbows, and some of the techniques and instruments used to study the atmosphere, as well as the units of measurement that scientists use. The extensive coverage also includes the classification systems that are used for climate types, winds, and clouds. Ten appendixes contain invaluable supplementary material - such as biographical notes on scientists and lists of the most severe tropical cyclones and tropical storms, weather disasters, and milestones in atmospheric research. These accessible appendixes also include chronologies, the geologic time scale, SI units and conversions, and more. New and updated entries include: Antarctic oscillation; Climatological station; Frost heave; Geostationary Earth Radiation Budget (GERB); Microwave sounding unit (MSU); Pollution Standards Index (PSI); Scatterometer; Tendency; Urban canyon; Water balance; and more....

In the best-selling tradition of Smithsonian Animal, this extraordinary survey of our planet provides unrivaled insight into the forces and processes that formed our environment and which continue to influence its evolution. With thousands of breathtaking photographs and unique visual catalogues of the features and phenomena that take place on Earth -- such as rocks, minerals, and mountains to tropical rain forests and the different types of clouds -- Earth contains the most up-to-date ideas on how our world works, a compelling review on the health of the planet, and unbelievable images of the world's most stunning features....

This new seven-volume "Discovering the Earth" set examines the efforts made by scientists in the fields of environment, environmental protection, and environmental science. Covering a broad range of topics - including the Earth sciences, atmosphere, oceans, ecology, animals, plants, and exploration - the books in this comprehensive set provide a panorama of brief accounts of particular discoveries and the people who made them. These stories explain the problems that were solved, the ways they were approached, and, in some cases, the dead ends that scientists sometimes reached. Ideal for high school and college students and particularly valuable to students of environmental studies, ecology, biology, geography, geology, and the humanities, the books in the "Discovering the Earth" set shed light on the way the scientific aspect of Western culture has developed. Written in clear language and requiring no mathematical knowledge, these helpful books feature sidebars where necessary to explain a particular concept as well as full-color photographs, tables, charts, and further resources....

National Geographic Visual Encyclopedia of Earth is the definitive guide to our incredible, ever-changing world. This is the single-volume reference every forward-looking library should include, sure to foster the next generation’s sense of connectedness with our world and to inspire the ecologists and scientists of tomorrow.

Written by renowned international authority Michael Allaby, this lively encyclopedia gives kids a rock-solid foundation, reveals the latest research on fragile ecosystems and climate shift, and engages young readers with riveting information, eye-catching illustrations, and, of course, peerless National Geographic photography.

How do twisters form? What makes lightening strike? Why are tropical rain forests the lungs of our planet? Curious kids want to know everything about their planet. They’ll find the answers to their questions here, as they investigate our world from its core to its cosmic connections.

National Geographic Visual Encyclopedia of Earth offers a wealth of comprehensive, easy-to-follow insight into our planet in lively, fun-to-read text....

National Geographic Visual Encyclopedia of Earth is the definitive guide to our incredible, ever-changing world. This is the single-volume reference every forward-looking library should include, sure to foster the next generation’s sense of connectedness with our world and to inspire the ecologists and scientists of tomorrow.

Written by renowned international authority Michael Allaby, this lively encyclopedia gives kids a rock-solid foundation, reveals the latest research on fragile ecosystems and climate shift, and engages young readers with riveting information, eye-catching illustrations, and, of course, peerless National Geographic photography.

How do twisters form? What makes lightening strike? Why are tropical rain forests the lungs of our planet? Curious kids want to know everything about their planet. They’ll find the answers to their questions here, as they investigate our world from its core to its cosmic connections.

National Geographic Visual Encyclopedia of Earth offers a wealth of comprehensive, easy-to-follow insight into our planet in lively, fun-to-read text....