A Citizen’s Guide to Ecology

Lawrence B. Slobodkin9780195095968, 9780195162868, 9780195162875, 0195095960, 0195162862, 0195162870, 9781423745983

The earth is continuously changing and evolving yet it is unclear how environmental changes will affect us in years to come. What changes are inevitable? What changes, if any, are beneficial? And what can we do as citizens of this planet to protect it and our future generations?Larry Slobodkin, one of the leading pioneers of modern ecology, offers compelling answers to these questions in A Citizen’s Guide to Ecology. He provides many insights into ecology and the processes that keep the world functioning. This important guide introduces observations that underlie arguments about all aspects of the natural environment – including both global and local issues. To clarify difficult concepts, Slobodkin uses lake, ocean, and terrestrial ecosystems to explain ecological energy flows and relationships on a global scale.The book presents a clear and current understanding of the ecological world, and how individual citizens can participate in practical decisions on ecological issues. It tackles such issues as global warming, ecology and health, organic farming, species extinction and adaptation, and endangered species.An excellent introduction and overview, A Citizen’s Guide to Ecology helps us to understand what steps we as humans can take to keep our planet habitable for generations to come.This beautifully written book brings together careful observation, personal reflection, and theoretical understanding to explain the major environmental problems that confront us. Dr. Slobodkin’s superb and sweeping work invites us to contemplate a great many facts and a few large values to motivate a clear and compelling response to losses of biodiversity, the problem of invasivespecies, global warming, and other environmental concerns. – Mark Sagoff, School of Public Affairs, University of Maryland”

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Table of contents :
Verizon Wireless is the proud sponsor of this ebook…….Page 0
Contents……Page 8
Acknowledgments……Page 10
Defining Ecology……Page 14
Changes……Page 16
Why Another Ecology Book?……Page 23
Who Are Ecologists?……Page 33
Water and Energy: Life’s Necessities……Page 44
The Origin of Life and of Atmospheric Oxygen……Page 54
Lakes……Page 63
Lakes Through the Seasons……Page 71
Oceans……Page 84
Dry Land……Page 92
How Independent Are Ecological Systems?……Page 106
Populations……Page 112
Individuals and Populations……Page 126
Species Diversity……Page 138
Species Extinction……Page 150
Are All Invasive Species Villains?……Page 155
Global Warming and Endangered Species……Page 166
What Can Be Done About Global Warming?……Page 167
Protecting Endangered Species……Page 177
Experts, Pseudoexperts, and How to Tell Them Apart……Page 188
The Importance of Being Natural and Vegetarian……Page 200
Medicine and Ecology as “Health” Sciences……Page 206
Conclusions……Page 216
Appendix……Page 224
References……Page 226
A……Page 242
C……Page 243
D……Page 244
E……Page 245
G……Page 247
H……Page 248
L……Page 249
N……Page 250
P……Page 251
R……Page 252
S……Page 253
T……Page 254
W……Page 255
Z……Page 256
Verizon Wireless is the proud sponsor of this ebook…….Page 258