This is a textbook for Natural Resource Management, Resource Conservation and Ecosystem Management, as well as other related or more specialized courses.

Most textbooks on natural resource and ecosystem management are dominated by a steady-state view that interprets change as gradual and incremental and disregards interactions across scales. Management implementation of steady-state theory and policies tends to invest in controlling a few selected ecosystem processes, at the expense of long-term social-ecological resilience - i.e., the capacity of the system to cope with surprise and abrupt changes. Loss of resilience makes systems more vulnerable to both expected and unforeseen changes.

Achieving desirable outcomes for humanity, such as those of the UN Millennium Development Goals on poverty, food security, and environmental sustainability, will require new integrated and adaptive approaches to social and economic development, where the complex interconnectedness between humans and nature, at all scales, is considered and the existence of uncertainty and surprise accepted as the rule. The purpose of this textbook is to provide a new framework for resource management - a framework based on the necessity of managing resources in a world dominated by uncertainty and change. The book links recent advances in the theory of resilience, sustainability, and vulnerability with practical issues of resource management.

Pub. Date: May 2009 Publisher: Springer-Verlag New York, LLC Format: Hardcover, 401pp
Item: 038773032

Trees are a dominant feature of life on earth, and yet are under severe threat. The aim of this timely volume is to gather together aspects of trees, forests, their development, environments and ecology that are usually considered separately. Chapters deal with various world habitats, ranging from northern coniferous forests to tropical rainforests. Topics include tree morphology, diseases and pests, forest ecology, management, surgery, propagation and conservation. Concise text is illustrated throughout by color photos, diagrams and summary tables.

Trees and Forests-A Color Guide is designed to appeal to professionals and students in plant science, plant biology, ecology and conservation, to those working in forestry and arboriculture and to interested non-specialist readers.

Key Features

*Includes ecology and conservation, tree anatomy and evolution, pathology, silviculture, propagation and surgery.
*Chapters cover trees from all different habitats around the world.
*Highest quality of colour photos.

Pub. Date: April 2010 Publisher: Elsevier Science Format: Textbook Hardcover, 288pp
Item: 012382173

Ever wonder how many kinds of turtles there are? Or if they have teeth? Why so many turtles have yellow stripes on their neck? If it is wise to feed turtles in your neighborhood pond or lake? Whit Gibbons and Judy Greene, two internationally known turtle biologists, provide complete answers to the most frequently asked questions about the more than 300 turtle, tortoise, and terrapin species of the world.

From the palm-sized bog turtles of the United States to the great oceanic leatherbacks, turtles across the globe are admired for their persistence, patience, and resilience. They are favorites of scientific study and beloved pets throughout the world. With a friendly mix of scientific analysis and basic encyclopedic coverage, Gibbons and Greene discuss a broad range of turtle topics, including behavior, ecology, reproduction and development, turtle-human relationships, and the appearance of turtles in popular literature.

With attractive photographs and an intuitive question-and-answer format, Gibbons and Greene answer more than 100 common questions about these remarkable creatures. Readers who want answers to specific questions or just want to expand their knowledge about these unique and interesting animals will find the information they seek in this essential reference.

Pub. Date: December 10, 2009 Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press Format: Paperback, 184pp
Item: 080189350