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Hotspots Revisited: Earth's Biologically Richest and Most Endangered Terrestrial Ecoregions (Care & Welfare (Amsterdam University Press))
For decades, Conservation International has devoted itself not only to saving endangered regions on the planet but also to chronicling, in lavish volumes, the biodiversity of these areas. These volumes, according to Choice, are"a superbly produced . . . source of hard-to-find information on biodiversity, biogreography, and conservation." Hotspots Revisited continues this rich tradition, drawing on the organization's continuing work to identify, research, and document biologically diverse yet dangerously threatened regions. The first Hotspots volume identified twenty-five endangered regions; Hotspots Revisited reveals an astonishing nine additional areas, from Melanesia to northern Mexico, that now meet the same criteria. Hotspots Revisited presents the most up-to-date analyses of the ecology of these endangered areas—including new information on freshwater fish and other animal populations. But the heart of the volume is in the hundreds of vibrant color photographs of the animals and plants under threat. Magnificent in conception and flawless in execution, Hotspots Revisited is equally at home on a scientist's shelf or an ecotourist's coffee table. (20051103).
Price: $43.14
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River Ecology and Management: Lessons from the Pacific Coastal Ecoregion
Touching all parts of the natural environment and nearly all aspects of human culture, streams and rivers act as centers of organization within landscapes They provide natural resources such as fish and clean water, transportation, energy, diffusion of wastes, and recreation. Today, with unprecedented demands on streams and rivers by an exponentially increasing human population, a basic ecological understanding of the structure and dynamics of running waters is essential for formulating sound management and policy decisions. The vast Pacific coastal ecoregion of the United States contains an extraordinary array of physical settings and examples of the range of dynamics associated with rivers and their management. The interface between the science and policy of natural resource management is illustrated by examples from this ecoregion, including the protection of riparian forest, the marbled murrelet, salmon, and amphibians. River Ecology and Management: Lessons from the Pacific Coastal Ecoregion includes sections on the Physical Environment, the Biotic Environment, Ecosystem Processes, Management, and Recommendations for the Future. Specific topics include channel dynamics, hydrology, water quality, microbial processes, primary production, fish and wildlife, riparian forest dynamics, organic matter and trophic dynamics, biogeochemical cycling, maintaining biodiversity, monitoring and assessment, economic perspectives, legal considerations, and the role of non-governmental organizations in river management. "The wealth of science and literature in the book renders it a useful summary and reference for aquatic and watershed researchers, and most of the concepts and applications extend beyond the ecoregion¿.The lessons to be learned from the history, conceptual paradigms, research findings, and management approaches presented in this book are many and varied." --Ecology.
Price: $51.06
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Hotspots: Earth's Biologically Richest and Most Endangered Terrestrial Ecoregions
Polynesia, the mountains of south-central China, the coastal forest of Tanzania, New Zealand—all are breathtakingly beautiful sites with a crucial fact in common. They are four of the Earth's twenty-five "hotspots," geographical areas which, according to scientists and naturalists, are home to the world's greatest plant and animal diversity. The numbers are staggering: fully sixty percent of all terrestrial animal and plant species are found in these hotspots, which are themselves only 1.4 percent of the Earth's surface; they contain 54 percent of amphibian species and nearly half of all the plant species on Earth. They are the richest and most threatened reservoirs of plant and animal life on Earth. Hotspots is the definitive compilation and status report on these twenty-five areas. Russell Mittermeier, Cristine Mittermeier and Norman Myers, who pioneered the "hotspots" concept, take you through each of these regions, describing the various ecosystems and the threats to their existence. They have gathered the work of more than one hundred international experts on plant and animal life together with hundreds of spectacular color photographs, essentially creating a tour of the magnificent array of life found in each region. How we address and reverse the tide of destruction in coming decades will determine the planet's course for centuries to come, and Hotspots actually offers hope that this destruction can be slowed. By showcasing the specific areas that contain the greatest diversity, it demonstrates that we can conserve a major share of this terrestrial biodiversity by focusing efforts on relatively small geographical areas. Hotspots is not only an important work for conservationists; it is also an extraordinary view of life on Earth. " Hotspots represents a breakthrough in the way we regard life on Earth and should be required reading for government decision-makers, corporate leaders, and college students alike."—From the Foreword by Harrison Ford .
Price: $129.80
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Freshwater Ecoregions of North America: A Conservation Assessment (World Wildlife Fund Ecoregion Assessments)
North America's freshwater habitats and the extraordinary biodiversity they contain are facing unprecedented threats from a range of sources, including flow alteration, habitat fragmentation, introduced species, and overall land use changes. With nearly every freshwater system suffering from some degree of degradation and conservation resources limited, there is an urgent and practical need to set priorities. As an initial step in identifying those areas where protective and restorative measures should be implemented first, World Wildlife Fund-US assembled a team of leading scientists to conduct a conservation assessment of freshwater ecoregions. Freshwater Ecoregions of North America presents that assessment and outlines measures that must be taken to conserve, and in many cases restore, native biodiversity. The book: - identifies freshwater ecoregions that support globally outstanding biological diversity
- assesses the types and immediacy of threats to North American ecoregions
- identifies gaps in information that hamper an accurate evaluation of biodiversity
- provides a broad-scale framework for conservation activities
In addition, it offers appendixes that provide detailed descriptions of methodologies, raw scores and statistical analysis of results, and an integrated biological distinctiveness and conservation status index. Also included are 21 full-color maps. Freshwater Ecoregions of North America is an authoritative reference on a subject of vital importance, and will be an essential tool for scientists, conservation professionals, students, and anyone interested in the conservation of North America's freshwater systems..
Price: $60.00
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Terrestrial Ecoregions of North America: A Conservation Assessment (World Wildlife Fund Ecoregion Assessments)
Lauded in the New York Times science section as "a sweeping analysis of the ecosystems of the United States and Canada" this volume represents an unparalleled source of information and data for scientists and conservationists working in North America. Using a rigorous ecoregion-based approach, rather than the more common state-by-state analysis, a team of scientists from World Wildlife Fund has produced a stunning and comprehensive assessment of the current status of biodiversity in North America north of Mexico. Terrestrial Ecoregions of North America begins with six chapters that present the rationale for the ecoregion approach, describe the biological distinctiveness of North American ecoregions, assess the level of threats facing each, present a conservation agenda for the next decade, and set forth recommendations for preserving and restoring biodiversity. In addition, nineteen essays by leading scientists address specific topics such as the effect of cattle on riparian areas, and the problem of invasive exotic plant species. Following the main text are substantial appendixes that describe each ecoregion in detail, including information on: - unique features of the ecoregion that set it apart from the others
- its biological distinctiveness, threats to habitats and wildlife, and important sites for conservation
- activities that enhance biodiversity conservation in the ecoregion
- conservation partners working in the ecoregion, including addresses and other contact information
- the relationship of the ecoregion to other classification schemes
- literature cited for that ecoregion
One of the most useful and unique features of the book is the series of thirty full-color maps that present essential information about the ecoregions and the biodiversity they contain in a compelling and easily understood graphical format. The ecoregion-based approach has been adopted by many conservation groups as the most effective way to ward off massive losses of biodiversity, and this volume provides a road map to that important new strategy. With a significant number of previously unpublished data sets and new analytic approaches, Terrestrial Ecoregions of North America is both a guidebook for describing the biological wealth of the continent and a handbook for restoring and conserving it. It will be an essential reference for anyone concerned with biodiversity conservation in North America..
Price: $64.97
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Freshwater Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar: A Conservation Assessment (World Wildlife Fund Ecoregion Assessments)
As part of a global effort to identify those areas where conservation measures are needed most urgently, World Wildlife Fund has assembled teams of scientists to conduct ecological assessments of all seven continents. Freshwater Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar is the latest contribution, presenting in a single volume the first in-depth analysis of the state of freshwater biodiversity across Africa, Madagascar, and the islands of the region. Looking at biodiversity and threats in terms of biological units rather than political units, the book offers a comprehensive examination of the entire range of aquatic systems. In addition to its six main chapters, the book includes nineteen essays by regional experts that provide more depth on key issues, as well as six detailed appendixes that present summary data used in the analyses, specific analytical methodologies, and a thorough text description for each of Africa's ninety-three freshwater ecoregions. Freshwater Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar provides a blueprint for conservation action and represents an unparalleled guide for investments and activities of conservation agencies and donor organizations. .
Price: $112.09
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Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: A Conservation Assessment (World Wildlife Fund Ecoregion Assessments)
"This book, along with its companions in this series, takes an ecoregional approach, dividing large regions into small, distinct units, each with its characteristic species, ecosystems, natural history, and threats. As such, it has no peers. It is the sourcebook for anyone who must look for where and how to act to save the variety of life on Earth." - from the foreword by Stuart L. Pim. A number of conservation groups, including World Wildlife Fund, have in recent years adopted an approach to conservation that uses ecoregions to identify biological and conservation priority areas. Ecoregions define distinct ecosystems that share broadly similar environmental conditions and natural communities; as such, they make more sense for priority-setting efforts than do political units such as countries or provinces. Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific offers a comprehensive examination of the state of the Indo-Pacific's biodiversity and habitats, moving beyond endangered or charismatic species to quantify for the first time the number of mammal and bird species, including endemics, in each ecoregion. The book begins with a discussion of the background and basis for ecoregion delineation and definition of the objectives and approach used. Following that, chapters describe the biological distinctiveness and conservation status of ecoregions, quantifying the amount of habitat remaining, how it is distributed, and how much is protected. The analysis concludes with a set of ecoregions that deserve immediate attention and also highlights ecoregions that are still in relatively pristine condition. Substantial appendixes offer detailed descriptions of each ecoregion, including information on: - unique features of the ecoregion that set it apart from others
- its biological distinctiveness, threats to habitats and wildlife, and important sites for conservation
- an agenda and recommendations for where conservation efforts should be concentrated
. Short essays by regional experts - including Derek Holmes, Tony Whitten, Indraneil Das, Walter Erdelen, John Seidensticker, Joyotee Smith, Kathy MacKinnon, and others - address special topics relating to finer-scale conservation issues or ecological processes that are typically overlooked in a regional-scale analysis..
Price: $120.06
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The Ecoregions of Saskatchewan
This book describes why an ecosystem approach is essential to sustainable resource use and how the ecological systems of Saskatchewan have been classified into a useful framework for planning and management. It describes the physical and biological characteristics, as well as the human activities, for each of the major ecosystems of the province..
Price: $18.00
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Terrestrial Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar: A Conservation Assessment (World Wildlife Fund Ecoregion Assessments)
As part of a global effort to identify those areas where conservation measures are needed most urgently, World Wildlife Fund has assembled teams of scientists to conduct ecological assessments of all five continents. Terrestrial Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar is the latest contribution, presenting in a single volume the first comprehensive assessment of biodiversity patterns, threats to biodiversity, and resulting conservation priorities across the African continent and its islands. Looking at biodiversity and threats in terms of biological units rather than political units, the book offers a comprehensive examination of African biodiversity across all biomes and multiple taxonomic groups. In addition to the seven main chapters, the book includes twenty essays by regional experts that provide more depth on key issues, as well as nine detailed appendixes that present summary data used in the analyses, specific analytical methodologies, and a thorough text description for each of Africa's 119 terrestrial ecoregions. Terrestrial Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar provides a blueprint for conservation action and represents an unparalleled guide for investments and activities of conservation agencies and donor organizations. .
Price: $112.09
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