The Young Oxford Book of Ecology
Michael Scott
Hardcover
(Oxford University Press, Dec. 28, 1995)
How does the sun's energy end up as milk on your breakfast table? How does a migrating bird know which way is south? Why are a jackrabbit's ears like the radiator on a car? The Young Oxford Book of Ecology answers these and many more intriguing questions as it takes us on a journey through the earth's habitats and ecosystems. It explains how plants and animals are designed to survive, how they rely on the natural resources around them, and shows how they all, ultimately, depend on one another. The book is divided into three broad sections. In Life-styles, we look at animals and plants--grazers and hunters, predators, migrating animals, parasites, and creatures who live in very cold or very hot climates. In Life on Earth, various regions of the world are explored--mountains and valleys, prairies and grasslands, the hot desert, and life in and under the sea. And in Threats to Life, we focus on "the ark under threat." All over the world there is habitat loss, extinction, and pollution. But the author shows how we can learn from these tragedies and change our ways to leave the planet fit for the future. An index and glossary make The Young Oxford Book of Ecology an excellent reference tool, and the color photographs and drawings throughout are superb, but it is Michael Scott's passion and enthusiasm for his subject that make this a truly remarkable book. Join him as he celebrates the amazing variety of plants and animals that are our fellow passengers on Spaceship Earth.