Biomes of Earth - by Susan L Woodward (Hardcover)

About the Book

Understanding biomes--the communities of nature that share a similar climate and plant and animal life--is key to a student's success in biology, geography, and environmental studies. This book provides a thorough and accessible description of the climate, plant and animal life, origins and human impacts, and history of the scientific exploration of every major biome in the world. Chapters on the human-dominated biomes--urban areas and agricultural regions--illustrate how these frequently ignored communities are also an important part of the global environment. More than 90 maps and photographs help the reader visualize the extent and characteristics of each biome.

This book divides the world's biomes into four principal types: Terrestrial, Freshwater, Marine, and Human-dominated. Comprehensive discussions enable readers to obtain a thorough understanding of each biome, and the convenient one-volume format allows easy comparison between aspects of each region. For example, a student can compare the typical characteristics of flora and fauna of the Continental Shelf and Deep Sea biomes, or the climates of the Tropical Rainforest and the Tundra. Current references to the latest scientific research provide a convenient starting point for those interested in more intensive investigations on such issues as the human impact on the distribution of natural biomes and the loss of biodiversity in the world.

Book Synopsis

Understanding biomes--the communities of nature that share a similar climate and plant and animal life--is key to a student's success in biology, geography, and environmental studies. This book provides a thorough and accessible description of the climate, plant and animal life, origins and human impacts, and history of the scientific exploration of every major biome in the world. Chapters on the human-dominated biomes--urban areas and agricultural regions--illustrate how these frequently ignored communities are also an important part of the global environment. More than 90 maps and photographs help the reader visualize the extent and characteristics of each biome.

This book divides the world's biomes into four principal types: Terrestrial, Freshwater, Marine, and Human-dominated. Comprehensive discussions enable readers to obtain a thorough understanding of each biome, and the convenient one-volume format allows easy comparison between aspects of each region. For example, a student can compare the typical characteristics of flora and fauna of the Continental Shelf and Deep Sea biomes, or the climates of the Tropical Rainforest and the Tundra. Current references to the latest scientific research provide a convenient starting point for those interested in more intensive investigations on such issues as the human impact on the distribution of natural biomes and the loss of biodiversity in the world.

Review Quotes

"[A]imed at advanced high school and undergraduate students. Recommended. General readers, undergraduates, and two-year technical program students." --Choice

"[A] convenient starting point for undergraduate students in biology, geography and conservation as well as for laymen who wish to learn about and become familiar with the earth's biomes." --Folia Geobotanica

"Most people today recognize the concept and names of the major terrestrial biomesdesert, tropical rainforest, and tundra. Woodward's book helps to fill in the details of the plants, animals, soils, climate, and other factors that create the realities behind those names. . . . Woodward's book is obviously aimed primarily at a high school population, and it will be a valuable addition to high school and even middle-school libraries. Because of its readability, it will be useful to public and academic libraries, as well." --E-Streams

About the Author

Susan L. Woodward is professor of geography at Radford University, where she teaches courses in biogeography, physical geography, and human ecology. Dr. Woodward received her PhD in Geography from the University of California, Los Angeles, and has studied biomes in North America, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Great Britain, Russia, and China.