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From its inception, the U.S. Department of the Interior has been charged with a conflicting mission. One set of statutes demands that the department must develop America's lands, that it get our trees, water, oil, and minerals out into the marketplace. Yet an opposing set of laws orders us to conserve these same resources, to preserve them for the long term and to consider the noncommodity values of our public landscape. That dichotomy, between rapid exploitation and long-term protection, demands what I see as the most significant policy departure of my tenure in office: the use of science-interdisciplinary science-as the primary basis for land management decisions. For more than a century, ...
Surfing - In Search of the Perfect Wave provides an insight into the fascinating sport. Divided into three parts, the book accompanies the reader along the way to become a genuine surfer. A short summary of the history of riding waves is followed by a beginner's guide, which looks at equipment, preparation and techniques for taking the first steps. The second part of the book is aimed at the more advanced surfer looking for advice on how to improve his surfing. The book is rounded off with important information concerning the weather and a travel section. Here the reader finds helpful information about spots in Europe, the USA and Hawaii, Australia and the rest of the world.
A biodiversity hotspot, Florida is home to many ecosystems and species that evolved in the presence of frequent fire. In this book, Reed Noss discusses the essential role of fire in generating biodiversity and offers best practices for using fire to keep the region's ecosystems healthy and resilient. Reviewing several lines of evidence, Noss shows that fire has been important to the southeastern Coastal Plain for tens of millions of years. He explains how the region's natural fire regimes are connected to its climate, high rate of lightning strikes, physical chemistry, and vegetation. But urbanization and active fire suppression have reduced the frequency and extent of fires. Noss suggests t...
This guide features stunning color photographs of 300 common wildflowers from Ocala National Forest, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, the Disney Wilderness Preserve, Archbold Biological Station, and Paynes Prairie State Park among others. Detailed descriptions and full-color photos aid the reader in identifying plants in the field.
Refecting what a new generation of conservation biologists is doing and thinking, this vital and far ranging second edition explores where conservation biology is heading. It challenges many conventions of conservation biology by exposing certain weaknesses of widely accepted principles. Combining contributions from both the school and the new breed of conservation biologists, this insightful text focuses primarily on topics the are integral to the daily activities of conservation biologists. Several chapters address ecosystem restoration and biotic invasions as well as the the mechanics of population viability analyses, which are now a routine facet of conservation efforts. A case history approach is implemented throughout the book, with the use of practical real-world examples. Furthermore, an in-depth look at quantitative analyses is presented, allowing for models and mathematical analyses to pinpoint limitations in existing data and guide research toward those aspects of biology that are most likely to be critical to the dynamics of a species or an ecosystem.
Jonathan Silvertown here explores the astonishing diversity of plant life in regions as spectacular as the verdant climes of Japan, the lush grounds of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, the shallow wetlands and teeming freshwaters of Florida, the tropical rainforests of southeast Mexico, and the Canary Islands archipelago, whose evolutionary n...
Forgotten Grasslands of the South is a literary and scientific case study of some of the biologically richest and most endangered ecosystems in North America. Eminent ecologist Reed Noss tells the story of how southern grasslands arose and persisted over time and addresses questions that are fundamental for conserving these vital yet poorly understood ecosystems. The author examines: the natural history of southern grasslands their origin and history (geologic, vegetation, and human) biological hotspots and endangered ecosystems physical determinants of grassland distribution, including ecology, soils, landform, and hydrology fire, herbivores, and ecological interactions. The final chapter p...
Providing a quantitative assessment of threatened plant populations, that holds for varying management scenarios, has become an essential part of conservation planning. Here, renowned plant ecologists provide information on: major threats to plants, when and where to conduct a plant viability assessment (PVA), what type of PVA to conduct, what alternative options to PVA are available, what information is required for which kind of viability assessment, what attributes of the population in question should be considered, and what the limits of the PVA would be. As such, this volume can be used as a training tool for the environmental manager or a teaching aid for reviewing the current state of knowledge on plant population viability.
Why do we keep talking about so many environmental problems and rarely solve any? If these are scientific issues, then why can't scientists solve them or at least agree on what to do? In his new book, The Moon in the Nautilus Shell, ecologist Daniel Botkin explains why. For one thing, although we live in a world of constantly changing environments and talk a lot about climate change, most of our environmental laws, policies, and scientific premises are based on the idea that the environment is constant, never changing, except when people affect it. For another, we have lost contact with nature in personal ways. Disconnected from our surroundings, we lack the deep understanding and feelings about the environment to make meaningful judgments. The environment has become just another one of those special interests that interferes with our lives. Poised to be a core text of the twenty-first century environmental movement, The Moon in the Nautilus Shell challenges us to think critically about our role in nature.