Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles 2006

Biology Top

(SCOPE series, 63)

This text has been written for students and professionals who want to learn more about biological rhythms and the science of chronobiology. It is not a comprehensive treatise, but a primer that serves to introduce individuals to a this topic that encompasses all living organisms. It is intended to cover a basic cross-section of the field of chronobiology clearly enough so that it could be understood by a novice, or an undergraduate student, but that it would also be sufficiently technical and detailed for the scientist.

Humans are terrestrial animals, and our capacity to see and understand the importance and vulnerability of life in the sea has trailed our growing ability to harm it. While conservation biologists are working to address environmental problems humans have created on land, loss of marine biodiversity, including extinctions and habitat degradation, has received much less attention. At the same time, marine sciences such as oceanography and fisheries biology have largely ignored issues of conservation. Marine Conservation Biology brings together for the first time in a single volume leading experts from around the world to apply the lessons and thinking of conservation biology to marine issues. Contributors including James M. Acheson, Louis W. Botsford, James T. Carlton, Kristina Gjerde, Selina S. Heppell, Ransom A. Myers, Julia K. Parrish, Stephen R. Palumbi, and Daniel Pauly offer penetrating insights on the nature of marine biodiversity, what threatens it, and what humans can and must do to recover the biological integrity of the world's estuaries, coastal seas, and oceans. Sections examine: distinctive.phpects of marine populations and ecosystems; threats to marine biological diversity, singly and in combination; place-based management of marine ecosystems; the often-neglected human dimensions of marine conservation. Marine Conservation Biology breaks new ground by creating the conceptual framework for the new field of marine conservation biology -- the science of protecting, recovering, and sustainably using the living sea. It synthesizes the latest knowledge and ideas from leading thinkers in disciplines ranging from larval biology to sociology, making it a must-read for research and teaching faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate and advanced undergraduate students.

In many areas of modern life rapid developments in science are overwhelming established norms. Brain biology, through DNA testing and advanced brain imaging techniques, has given medical scientists new insights into the functioning of the human mind. This erosion of long-standing beliefs has many implications for understanding and treating what society considers to be aberrant or immoral behavior. What medical science is indicating is that the focus of our emphasis on mental processes--particularly free will and intentionality--is shifting to recognition of the important role the physical brain plays on human thought and behavior. In Hardwired Behavior the author argues that social morality begins in the brain, for without the brain there would be no concept of morality. Individual responsibility, therefore, must be reconsidered in the light of biological brain processes. The question of whether new scientific findings destroy the relevance of free will, placing it in the context of biological forces that may operate outside the conscious control of the actor, is one of intense debate. Hardwired Behavior takes this question and moves it into the open by clearly detailing neuroscience discoveries and explaining how the ancient precepts of "morality" that have guided mankind throughout its history must now be seen through the new lens of brain biology.

It is difficult to talk about the workings of the brain without alluding to neurotransmitters. Yet few people know anything about how they were discovered, the scientists involved, or the fierce dispute about whether they actually existed.

"The War of the Soups and the Sparks" is the epic saga of a dispute between the pharmacologists, who had uncovered the first evidence of chemical transmission, and the neurophysiologists, experts on the nervous system who dismissed the evidence and remained committed to electrical explanations. The protagonists were Otto Loewi and Henry Dale, who received Nobel Prizes for their work, and Walter Cannon, who would have shared the prize with them if he had not been persuaded to adopt a controversial theory (how that happened is an important part of this history). Set against the backdrop of two world wars, this book conveys the sense of how science and scientists move forward.

How Fat Works is a concise andup-to-date primer on the workings of fat. It is essential reading for professionals enteringcareers in medicine and public health administration or anyone wanting a better understanding ofone of our most urgent health crises.

Edible Forest Gardens is a groundbreaking two-volume work that spells out and explores the key concepts of forest ecology and applies them to the needs of natural gardeners in temperate climates. Volume I lays out the vision of the forest garden and explains the basic ecological principles that make it work. In Volume II, Dave Jacke and Eric Toensmeier move on to practical considerations: concrete ways to design, establish, and maintain your own forest garden. Along the way they present case studies and examples, as well as tables, illustrations, and a uniquely valuable "plant matrix" that lists hundreds of the best edible and useful species. Taken together, the two volumes of Edible Forest Gardens offer an advanced course in ecological gardening-one that will forever change the way you look at plants and your environment.

The importance of restoration continues to grow, and this book integrates the restoration of forest functions into landscape conservation plans. The globalnbsp;organizationnbsp;WWF hasnbsp;made forest landscape restoration a key topic and priority for its environmental work.nbsp;nbsp;Due to the WWF's extensive global reach,nbsp;and together with is many partners and counterparts, it has acquired a significant level of experience on the topic of forest restoration at large scales. This book represents the collective body of knowledge andnbsp;experience of WWF and its many partners--which is collected here for the first time and which will be invaluable to all of those working in the field.nbsp;nbsp;This guide will serve as a first stop for practitioners and researchers in any organization or region and as a key reference on the subject.nbsp; Along with concise, practical information for a variety of specific systems and issues, itnbsp;gives many suggestions for further research. From the Foreword by Chief Anyaoku, President, WWF International: "Is it a sign of the times that the Nobel committee chose to award the Nobel Peace prize to Wangari Maathai for having planted 30 million trees?nbsp; We believe so. . . .The 21st Century will be a time of forest restoration."

A graphics-driven state-of-the-planet survey of natural systems, human impact on those systems, and how to manage for a sustainable future.

At the heart of evolution lies a bewildering paradox. Natural selection favors above all the individual that leaves the most offspring—a superorganism of sorts that Jonathan Silvertown here calls the "Darwinian demon." But if such a demon existed, this highly successful organism would populate the entire world with its own kind, beating out other species and eventually extinguishing biodiversity as we know it. Why then, if evolution favors this demon, is the world filled with so many different life forms? What keeps this Darwinian demon in check? If humankind is now the greatest threat to biodiversity on the planet, have we become the Darwinian demon? Demons in Eden considers these questions using the latest scientific discoveries from the plant world. Readers join Silvertown as he 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 novelties—and exotic plant life—have earned it the sobriquet "the Galapagos of botany." Along the way, Silvertown looks closely at the evolution of plant diversity in these locales and explains why such variety persists in light of ecological patterns and evolutionary processes. In novel and useful ways, he also investigates the current state of plant diversity on the planet to show the ever-challenging threats posed by invasive species and humans. Bringing the secret life of plants into more colorful and vivid focus than ever before, Demons in Eden is an empathic and impassioned exploration of modern plant ecology that unlocks evolutionary mysteries of the natural world.

Praise for the First Edition-Association of American Publishers Professional and Scholarly Division Award Winner (Life Sciences)"One of the ten best horticultural books of the century."-The Washington Post"Diseases of Trees and Shrubs is by far the best book currently available for the horticulturist, arborist, or forester who wishes to identify disorders of forest and shade trees and woody ornamentals."-The Public Garden"It may be used by anyone with knowledge of general biology as well as by someone with specialized plant knowledge for diagnosing plant disease problems. Highly recommended."-Library Journal"This book is a remarkable contribution to the literature on tree pathology, providing a valuable source of reference on tree disease for all with an interest in the subject. It must surely be almost obligatory reading for the specialist tree pathologist, and will prove of great value to all tree care professionals. . . . It will fascinate any tree lovers who wish to find out more about the diseases and disorders that may afflict trees."-Arboricultural Journal"It is well written and it is illustrated with photographs of such high quality that in this respect it could be described as a 'coffee table' book of forest pathology."-ForestryFirst published in 1987, Diseases of Trees and Shrubs has become a standard reference for plant health specialists, plant diagnosticians, horticulturists, arborists, foresters, and their students. Now thoroughly revised, fully updated, and illustrated with more than 2,200 digitally optimized color images in 261 full-color plates and more than 350 black-and-white photographs and drawings, the second 2 is an unrivalled survey of the diseases of forest and shade trees and woody ornamental plants in the United States and Canada. The book is both an authoritative reference book and a powerful diagnostic tool. Organized according to type of disease-inducing agent, the second 2 is also designed to be helpful in classroom and field instruction. Symptoms, signs, and cycles of hundreds of diseases are described and microscopic features of many pathogens are depicted in photos and line drawings. A searchable CD-ROM included with the book contains bibliographic entries for more than 4500 works that readers can consult for additional information or images. This remarkable scholarly work-praised as one of the best horticultural books of the twentieth century-lays claim to the same accolade for the twenty-first century.

Where and what is the Arctic? What animals live there, and where are their habitats? How do they cope with the cold in their austere environment? How can Arctic mammals survive birth when it is 40 degrees below freezing? How can seals dive to a depth of 1000 meters and stay submerged for more than an hour, and how does complete darkness in winter affect the inhabitants of the high Arctic? Arctic Animals answers these questions and also gives an introduction to the Arctic. It is based on the author's 40 years of experience in the Arctic, its environment, and animal life. As this book contains almost 200 illustrations and deals with the entire Arctic animal kingdom, Arctic Animals will be suitable as a textbook for courses in Arctic biology, and also serves specialists in the field.

Patagonia. The name connotes the exotic and a distance that seems nearly mythical. Tucked toward the toe of South America, this largely unsettled landscape is among the most varied and breathtaking in the world-aching in its beauty as it sweeps from the Andes through broad, arid steppes to pristine beaches and down to a famously violent sea. It is also home to a vast array of rare wildlife as diverse and fascinating as the region itself. Act III in Patagonia is the first book to take an in-depth look at wildlife and human interaction in this spectacular area of the world. Written by William Conway, former president of the Wildlife Conservation Society, the book is unique in its concentration on the long Patagonian shoreline--populated by colorful cormorants, penguins, elephant seals, dolphins, sea lions, and numerous species of whale--and an increasing number of human beings. Threatened by overfishing, invasive species, artificially abundant predators, and overgrazing, the Southern Cone of Patagonia is now the scene of a little-known conservation drama distinguished by the efforts of a dedicated group of local and foreign scientists determined to save one of the Earth's least-inhabited places. From tracking elephant seals in the Atlantic to following flamingos in the Andes, Act III in Patagonia takes readers to the sites where real-life field science is taking place. It further illuminates the ecology of the region through a history that reaches from the time of the Tehuelche Indians known by Magellan, Drake, and Darwin to the present.

The natural world is filled with diverse—not to mention quirky and odd—animal behaviors. Consider the male praying mantis that continues to mate after being beheaded; the spiders, insects, and birds that offer gifts of food in return for sex; the male hip-pocket frog that carries his own tadpoles; the baby spiders that dine on their mother; the beetle that craves excrement; or the starfish that sheds an arm or two to escape a predator's g.php. Headless Males Make Great Lovers and Other Unusual Natural Histories celebrates the extraordinary world of animals with essays on curious creatures and their amazing behaviors. In five thematic chapters, Marty Crump—a tropical field biologist well known for her work with the reproductive behavior of amphibians—examines the bizarre conduct of animals as they mate, parent, feed, defend themselves, and communicate. Crump's enthusiasm for the unusual behaviors she describes-from sex change and free love in sponges to aphrodisiac concoctions in bats-is visible on every page, thanks to her skilled storytelling, which makes even sea slugs, dung beetles, ticks, and tapeworms fascinating and appealing. Steeped in biology, Headless Males Make Great Lovers points out that diverse and unrelated animals often share seemingly bizarre behaviors—evidence, Crump argues, that these natural histories, though outwardly weird, are successful ways of living. Illustrated throughout, and filled with vignettes of personal and scientific interest, Headless Males Make Great Lovers will enchant the general reader with its tales of blood-squirting horned lizards and intestine-ejecting sea cucumbers—all in the service of a greater appreciation of the diversity of the natural histories of animals.nbsp;

Part handbook, part field guide, part photo album, SecretWeapons, the follow-up to the award-winning For Love ofInsects, chronicles the diverse and often astonishing defensive strategiesthat have allowed insects, spiders, scorpions, and other many-legged creatures not just tosurvive, but to thrive.

Large Carnivores and the Conservation of Biodiversity brings together more than thirty leading scientists and conservation practitioners to consider a key question in environmental conservation: Is the conservation of large carnivores in ecosystems that evolved with their presence equivalent to the conservation of biological diversity within those systems? Building their discussions from empirical, long-term data sets, contributors including James A. Estes, David S. Maehr, Tim McClanahan, Andr?s J. Novaro, John Terborgh, and Rosie Woodroffe explore a variety of issues surrounding the link between predation and biodiversity: What is the evidence for or against the link? Is it stronger in marine systems? What are the implications for conservation strategies? Large Carnivores and the Conservation of Biodiversity is the first detailed, broad-scale examination of the empirical evidence regarding the role of large carnivores in biodiversity conservation in both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. It contributes to a much more precise and global understanding of when, where, and whether protecting and restoring top predators will directly contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. Everyone concerned with ecology, biodiversity, or large carnivores will find this volume a unique and thought-provoking analysis and synthesis.

Though Mexico is only one-fifth the size of the continental United States, it is home to nearly two-thirds as many freshwater fishes as those that swim the waters of the United States and Canada combined. Mexico's diverse freshwater fauna can be attributed to the country's highly varied physical geography, a wide latitudinal range, the largest river system in middle America, and, ironically, its oceans--many marine groups left the brine for the inland springs and never returned to the sea. No one knew these Mexican freshwaters or the fish that inhabit them better than the late world-renowned ichthyologist Robert Rush Miller. A pioneer of the field, Miller undertook his first field excursion more than fifty years ago and, in the decades following, amassed the information necessary to write the first encyclopedia of Mexican inland ichthyology. Providing keys to more than 500 native species--accompanied by detailed distribution maps and illustrations--Freshwater Fishes of Meacute;xico offers a historical overview of the country's ichthyology, as well as syntheses of the unique biogeography of Mexican fishes and their current conservation status. Organized by family, the species accounts are supplemented with color galleries containing photographs of live fishes in their native environments and natural habitats. Exploring ecological, biological, and taxonomic issues, the book also considers the evolutionary history of the ichthyofauna itself and the human history of the scientists who researched it during the last several centuries. The life's work of Robert Rush Miller, the long-awaited Freshwater Fishes of Meacute;xico will be welcomed not only by students of Mexican fishes, but by all ichthyologists working in Central and North America. This book will also find an audience among home aquarium hobbyists, fishery managers, conservation biologists, and environmental planners and managers.

This large-format volume of color photographs takes readers on amagnificent visual journey into the remote world of small tropical organisms critical tobiodiversity. A unique introduction to the marvelous variety of the overlooked life under ourfeet, Naskrecki's book returns us to a child's sense of wonder with a fully informed, deeplyfelt understanding of the importance of the world's smaller, teeming life.

Covering every bird species in North America, and featuring more than one thousand illustrations and 800 maps, this essential, comprehensive, and easy-to-use bird reference is designed for use by both novices and experts who want a complete guide to the birds of North America, their identification, their ranges, their behaviors. Special features include clear, accessible text; taxonomic descriptions of thousands of species; a quick-find index for the most common bird groups; hundreds of range and migration maps; lavish production values; key field markings for easy identification; state-of-the-art bird illustration and photography. A lively and informative 3,000-word introductory chapter, The Art and Science of Birding, by National Geographic's resident birding expert Mel Baughman, offers birders from novice to accomplished the basic topography, morphology, and taxonomy of birds and includes colorful anatomical illustrations depicting birds at rest and in flight. Tips for making accurate field identification, and detailed information bird species and family distinctions are also detailed in this chapter. Birds are featured by family and follow the American Ornithological Association guidelines; this organization. helps acclimate birders to related birds within a family and aids quick identification in the field. The guide also features an alphabetical bird species index. An easy-to-access layout depicts thousands of members of the 81 bird families profiled. For each family, there is an opening image and 800-word essay revealing the basic look and behavior, followed by additional illustrations showing plumage variations by age and sex, and range maps showing migration routes. The entry for the hawk family, for example, features illustrations and photographs detailing the species sharp wide wingspan, sharp talons and curved beaks for catching prey, and soaring flight. Four to six paintings of the family's different genders and age-groups, in different actions--flying, swimming, or nesting--are included Each features a complete tagline for identification. Large, easy-to-read type gives basic identification marks, calls, and facts on flight or feeding behavior, and a range map shows the species distribution. Unique features include illustrated field notes. 800 new illustrations will be commissioned in a special "field note" style, to give readers a good look at a diving pelican, for instance, or a hawk catching prey on the wing. Adding to the reference value of this book are 2-page essays (for each of the 81 sections) focusing in on a behavior unique to that family, or on evolution of the family, or other historic or scientific points. Migration maps of family groupings are featured at set intervals. Cross-referencing with each entry links related families or related behaviors, etc. This guide includes 150 photographs to introduce each family and to illustrate the special essay. In addition there are more than 2,0000 (ck ) images and 800 range ma