This book presents research in Geoscience Education focusing on indoor and outdoor environments in which teaching geoscience gains particular relevance, significance and contextualization. The research areas that are presented throughout the thirteen chapters cover a wide variety of subjects ranging from educational resources and fieldwork to science models. Chapters discuss specific geoscience topics such as earthquakes, rocks, fossils and minerals. Other chapters present a more interdisc...

The structural properties of glass (non-crystalline structure with short-range order, continuous molecular network with no intergranular boundaries, isotropy, easy transition into a plastic state within a wide temperature range) allow a freedom of design that few materials offer. The addition of different materials to glass during the manufacturing process also confers different physical properties to the final product. There has been a proliferation of several types of glass over the last...

A plethora of different theories, models, and concepts make up the field of community ecology. Amid this vast body of work, is it possible to build one general theory of ecological communities? What other scientific areas might serve as a guiding framework? As it turns out, the core focus of community ecology—understanding patterns of diversity and composition of biological variants across space and time—is shared by evolutionary biology and its very coherent conceptual framework, populati...

Based on principles of the conservation and optimization of biodiversity and of equity and sustainability, this book focuses on the ecology of the coffee agroecosystem as a model for a sustainable agricultural ecosystem. It draws on the authors' own research conducted over the last twenty years as well as incorporating the vast literature that has been generated on coffee agroecosystems from around the world.The book uses an integrated approach that weaves together various lines of...

Science for Children introduces readers to the pedagogy of primary and early childhood science education. The book pays special attention to the three strands of science, in accordance with the Australian Curriculum. It also uses the practice principles and learning outcomes of the national Early Years Learning Framework to present content for babies through to the transition into the Foundation year at school. Science for Children explores various approaches to teaching and learning in sc...

This book provides a first synthetic view of an emerging area of ecology and biogeography, linking individual- and population-level processes to geographic distributions and biodiversity patterns. Problems in evolutionary ecology, macroecology, and biogeography are illuminated by this integrative view. The book focuses on correlative approaches known as ecological niche modeling, species distribution modeling, or habitat suitability modeling, which use associations between known occurrence...

"Practical, accessible, careful and interesting, this...revised volume brings the subject up-to-date and explains, in bite sized chunks, the ′how′s′ and ′why′s′ of modern day geographical study...[It] brings together physical and human approaches again in a new synthesis." —Danny Dorling, Professor of Geography, University of OxfordKey Methods in Geography is the perfect introductory companion, providing an overview of qualitative and quan...

-- Robert W. Harms, Yale University

Defining a research question, describing why it needs to be answered and explaining how methods are selected and applied are challenging tasks for anyone embarking on academic research within the field of landscape architecture. Whether you are an early career researcher or a senior academic, it is essential to draw meaningful conclusions and robust answers to research questions.Research in Landscape Architecture provides guidance on the rationales needed for selecting met...

What can ecological science contribute to the sustainable management and conservation of the natural systems that underpin human well-being? Bridging the natural, physical and social sciences, this book shows how ecosystem ecology can inform the ecosystem services approach to environmental management. The authors recognise that ecosystems are rich in linkages between biophysical and social elements that generate powerful intrinsic dynamics. Unlike traditional reductionist approaches, the h...

"I can think of no better guides than Professors Ken Gregory and John Lewin to lead the reader through the conceptual basis of this exciting science."- Victor R. Baker, University of Arizona"A very readable and informative introduction to the discipline for senior undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers."- Angela Gurnell, Queen Mary University of London"Time will tell, but this book may well mark a turn...

Model development is of vital importance for understanding and management of ecological processes. Identifying the complex relationships between ecological patterns and processes is a crucial task. Ecological modelling—both qualitatively and quantitatively—plays a vital role in analysing ecological phenomena and for ecological theory. This textbook provides a unique overview of modelling approaches. Representing the state-of-the-art in modern ecology, it shows how to construct and work wit...