Get ready for the shocking truth about botanical sex. Who knew that bee orchids trick insects into having sex with them, avocado flowers are female one day and male the next, and some flowers are the insect equivalent of nightclubs where males and females meet and mate? Bestselling popular science author Mike Allaby reveals over 200 of nature's most unseemly creations in this sensational expose. The sexual antics of plants are far more varied than those of people and plants have preferences and techniques for which we have no equivalent. Being rooted to the spot, many rely on pollinators for assistance and forget birds and bees, we're talking kangaroos, giraffes, and vampire bats. Botanical illustrations throw light on the gallery of pimps, hookers and gigolos who may be lurking in your back garden and spice up this compendium of scurrilous botany which - be warned - may shock the worldliest of gardeners.

Contents:
Part I: Introduction; 1: What is environmental science?; 2: Environmental interactions, cycles and systems; 3: Ecology and environmentalism; 4: History of environmental science; 5: Changing attitudes to the natural world; Part II: Earth Sciences; 6: Formation and structure of the earth; 7: The formation of rocks, minerals, and geologic structures; 8: Weathering; 9: The evolution of landforms; 10: Coasts, estuaries, sea levels; 11: Energy from the sun; 12: Albedo and heat capacity; 13: The greenhouse effect; 14: The evolution, composition, and structure of the atmosphere; 15: General circulation of the atmosphere; 16: Oceans, gyres, currents; 17: Weather and climate; 18: Glacials, interglacials, and interstadials; 19: Dating methods; 20: Climate change; 21: Climatic regions and floristic regions; Part III: Physical Resources; 22: Fresh water and the hydrological cycle; 23: Eutrophication and the life cycles of lakes; 24: Salt water, brackish water, and desalination; 25: Irrigation, waterlogging, and salinization; 26: Soil formation, ageing, and taxonomy; 27: Transport by water and wind; 28: Soil, climate, and land use; 29: Soil erosion and its control; 30: Mining and processing of fuels; 31: Mining and processing of minerals; Part IV: Biosphere; 32: Biosphere, biomes, biogeography; 33: Nutrient cycles; 34: Respiration and photosynthesis; 35: Trophic relationships; 36: Energy, numbers, biomass; 37: Ecosystems; 38: Succession and climax; 39: Arrested successions; 40: Colonization; 41: Stability, instability, and reproductive strategies; 42: Simplicity and diversity; 43: Homeostasis, feedback, regulation; 44: Limits of tolerance; Part V: Biological Resources: 45: Evolution; 46: Evolutionary strategies and game theory; 47: Adaption; 48: Dispersal mechanisms; 49: Wildlife species and habitats; 50: Biodiversity; 51: Fisheries; 52: Forests; 53: Farming for food and fibre; 54: Human populations and demographic change; 55: Genetic engineering; Part VI: Environmental Management; 56: Wildlife conservation; 57: Zoos, nature reserves, wilderness; 58: Pest control; 59: Restoration ecology; 60: World conservation strategies; 61: Pollution control; 62: Transnational pollution

The new edition of this popular student text offers an engaging introduction to environmental study. It covers the entire breadth of the environmental sciences, providing concise, non-technical explanations of physical processes and systems and the effects of human activities. In this second edition the scientific background to major environmental issues is clearly explained. These include:
* global warming
* genetically modified foods
* desertification
* acid rain
* deforestation
* human population growth
* depleting resources
* nuclear power generation
* descriptions of the 10 major biomes.
Special student text features include illustrations and explanatory diagrams, boxed case studies, concepts and definitions.

Originally published in 1988, Conservation at Home looks at practical methods of conservation that can be carried out within the home. Still as relevant today, as it was at the time of publication, this book gives practical and authoritative advice on a wide range of activities and products that can materially affect our environment. From the fabric and fuel, we use to keep warm, to the utensils and chemicals we clean with and the food we eat this book provides detailed information on how our domestic lives are affecting not only the natural world, but also ourselves as humans. Complete with detailed illustrations, this concise and useful book provides an ecologically conscious guide to living at home. This volume will be of interest to those researching and working in the field of ecology and conservation as well as for more general readerships.

Originally published in 1988, Conservation at Home looks at practical methods of conservation that can be carried out within the home. Still as relevant today, as it was at the time of publication, this book gives practical and authoritative advice on a wide range of activities and products that can materially affect our environment. From the fabric and fuel, we use to keep warm, to the utensils and chemicals we clean with and the food we eat this book provides detailed information on how our domestic lives are affecting not only the natural world, but also ourselves as humans. Complete with detailed illustrations, this concise and useful book provides an ecologically conscious guide to living at home. This volume will be of interest to those researching and working in the field of ecology and conservation as well as for more general readerships.

Completely revised and updated with over 250 new entries, the third edition of this dictionary offers broad coverage of all aspects related to the field of plant sciences including biochemistry, plant physiology, cytology, ecology, genetics, evolution, biogeography, earth history, and earth sciences. New entries such as evo-devo, sister relationship, polytomy, and parallel sequencing make this the most up-to-date and comprehensive dictionary available. Useful appendices (The Universal Genetic Code, The Geologic Time-Scale, SI Units, Plant Classification, Fungi Classification) and a dedicated companion website featuring web links to relevant online resources support and enhance the A to Z entries. Clear, accessible, and concise, this is the ideal dictionary for students of botany, plant sciences and plant biology, environmental science and horticulture, as well as for amateur botanists and naturalists, and for the general reader with an interest in botany.

With over 6,000 entries, A Dictionary of Zoology is a detailed and authoritative guide to all areas of the field. It offers full taxonomic coverage of arthropods, other invertebrates, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. It also includes terms from the areas of ecology, animal behaviour, evolution, earth history, zoogeography, genetics, and physiology. All entries have been fully revised and updated, making this the most up-to-date reference guide of its kind. There are around 400 entries new to this edition covering areas that include taxonomic groups, prefixes, and widely used descriptive terms. These include articles on micronucleus, stoma, platy-, proto-, and terrestrial. The dictionary is enriched through its useful web links, accessible via the companion website, as well as diagrams and detailed appendices. This fifth edition also includes a new Common Names appendix and three new illustrations.

This new fourth edition has been completely revised and updated, covering all aspects in the field of plant sciences including biochemistry, plant physiology, cytology, ecology, genetics, evolution, biogeography, earth history, and earth sciences. Over 500 new entries, including Rosales, physical dormancy, menthol, and codeine, enhance the dictionary's coverage of botanical terms, key drugs and medicines derived from plants, and plant orders, families, and genera. It also explains many ecological terms, and expands beyond plants to describe fungi and bacteria and how they affect plants. Numerous appendices include Plant Classification and SI Units, with new timelines showing important moments in plant evolution. For ease of use, vernacular plant names have been transferred to an appendix, fully cross-referenced to the A to Z entries. The dictionary's dedicated companion website points to recommended web links and additional resources. The most up-to-date dictionary available on its subject, this is an essential resource for students of plant sciences and amateur botanists, as well as an entertaining and valuable guide for the plant enthusiast.

This new edition includes 10,000 entries which cover all areas of geoscience, including planetary science, oceanography, palaeontology, mineralogy and volcanology. In this edition, 675 new entries have been added, and include expanded coverage of planetary geology and earth-observing-satellites. Other new entries terms such as Ianammox, Boomerangian, earth rheological layering, and metamorphic rock classification. The entries are also complemented by more than 130 diagrams and numerous web links that are listed on a regularly updated dedicated companion website. Appendices supplement the A-Z and have been extended to include three new tables on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale, Avalanche Classes, and the Volcanic Explosivity Index. The list of satellite missions has also been revised and updated to include recent developments. A Dictionary of Geology and Earth Sciences is an authoritative, and jargon-free resource for students of geology, geography, geosciences, physical science, and those in related disciplines.

The updated fourth edition of the Dictionary of Ecology is the most comprehensive and authoritative dictionary of ecology available. Written in a clear, accessible style, it contains more than 6,000 entries on all aspects of ecology and related environmental scientific disciplines such as biogeography, genetics, soil science, geomorphology, atmospheric science, and oceanography. The information covered in the dictionary is wide-ranging and includes plant and animal physiology, animal behavior, pollution, conservation, habitat management, population, evolution, environmental pollution, climatology and meteorology. It also features many line drawings and useful appendices including estimations of population parameters, the geologic time-scale, SI units, and--new to this edition--a web-linked appendix of relevant organizations including both governmental agencies and conservation societies.
Fully revised, updated, and expanded, with over 100 new entries, this fourth edition also contains new web links for dozens of entries--which are accessed and kept up to date via the Dictionary of Ecology companion website. The dictionary will be invaluable to students and professionals interested in ecology, biology, conservation, and the environmental sciences as well as general readers with an interest in the natural world.

Thoroughly revised and updated to include the latest research in the field, A Dictionary of Environment and Conservation provides over 9,000 A to Z entries on scientific and social aspects of the environment-its key thinkers, treaties, movements, organizations, concepts, and theories. Covering subjects such as sustainable development, biodiversity, and environmental ethics, it is at the cutting edge of environmental and conservation studies. This is the ideal reference for students studying these subjects and anyone with an interest in environment and conservation.