Between their verdant canopies and shaded floors, forests contain a multi-tiered ecosystem that supports an abundance of flora and fauna. Together with the grasses and vegetation in the grasslands to which they are frequently adjacent, forests make up 70 percent of the Earth's land area and sustain the majority of its species. With careful detail and beautiful photographs, this volume journeys to the woodland and grassland areas of the planet and...

Lakes and wetlands are significant ecosystems that nourish, sustain, and house many of the planet's plant and animal species. Though both of these regions are defined by water-both fresh and saline-each lake and particular type of wetland also has characteristics all its own. This detailed volume considers the formation, composition, and maintenance of these intricate ecological units and the various life forms they support. Dramatic full-color photographs...

Winding their way through the planet's landscapes and supplying some of its most prosperous cities with fresh water, food, and transportation conduits, rivers and streams have critical ecological and economic significance. As they carve out waterfalls, valleys, canyons, deltas, and a host of other landforms, they also support a diversity of organisms and connect disparate regions. Accompanied by extraordinary color photographs, this volume examines...

Constituting more than 70 percent of Earth's surface, the world's oceans are so vast as to remain something of an enigma to this day. Navigating these imposing seas and unlocking their secrets is the calling of oceanographers. Their research helps determine what climatic, geologic, and chemical impact oceans have on a variety of organisms. In spite of their magnitude and might, the world's oceans are not immune to the effects of adverse human activity,...

Its constant evolution over the millennia since its inception has made the Earth a dynamic entity, subject to numerous climactic and environmental forces that are forever changing this planet. In its most recent stage, the planet has seen an incredible diversification in plant and animal life, with the most prominent development of the Cenozoic era being the emergence of mammals. This book examines our most immediate ancestors and the geologic, geographic,...

Dinosaurs have captured the imaginations of children and adults alike since the first fossil discoveries mapped them onto our general body of knowledge. This book journeys to an era long before humans, where dinosaurs were once masters of land, sky, and sea. In addition to accounts of significant dinosaur species and their extinction, readers will learn about the major life forms, both plant and animal, alongside whom dinosaurs dwelled, as well as...

Though it encompasses the majority of the Earth's history, much about Precambrian time still remains unknown to us. With its climate extremes and unstable surfaces, Precambrian Earth hardly resembled the planet we see today. Yet for all its differences, it made the existence of future generations possible. This volume helps unlock the mysteries of prehistory by considering available geologic evidence while providing a deep dive into the finesses of...

Described as craggy, rocky, or glacial, among a host of other descriptors, the Earth's geosphere-that is, its solid foundation-is subject to incredible variation. It is these permutations that inform the study of the geological sciences. This field involves not only the study of rocks, minerals, and landforms, but also that of glaciers, fossils, volcanoes, and other aspects of the Earth's surface. This sweeping volume examines the various branches...

Primeval jungles, mountain ranges, and the cover of deep forests are not the only domains of meat-eating creatures. Carnivores also can be found stalking prey from the air, in ocean depths, and marshy swamps. Raptors, sharks, and crocodiles are among the most predominant non-mammalian meat-eaters that rely on hunting or scavenging for survival. This volume examines the various species in this select grouping, investigating the physical characteristics...

While they come in all shapes, textures, and sizes, animals that subsist on the Earth's natural vegetation share many common elements as well. Occupying a unique place in the food chain, grazers all over the Earth provide vital nourishment for carnivores and are often valuable to humans for meat, skins, and various domestic uses. This volume provides a colorful view of these varied and complex creatures as well as the features and behaviors that both...