Discover the secrets and beauty of the world’s rarest trees in this fantastic book filled with more than 300 color photographs.Forests cover nearly a third of the world's surface, and the trees that make them up include a staggering diversity of more than 60,000 species. Individual trees play specific ecological roles in their unique environments—and they have adapted to thrive on steep mountains, in cloud forests, on dry savannahs, in parched deserts, and in tropi...

This book provides a general overview of the natural landscapes and vegetation types of the U.S., the key plant species that help define them, the pressures faced by natural ecosystems and the imperative for conservation and restoration. It addresses the policies that have been introduced to manage healthy ecosystems and the practical progress that is being made in restoration. A particular focus is on the production of diverse native plant materials currently required by the National Seed...

Only a green world, rich in plants, can sustain us and the millions of other species with which we share this planet. But, in an era of global change, nature is on the retreat. Like the communities they form, many plant species are becoming rarer, threatened even to the point of extinction. The worldwide community of almost three thousand botanic gardens are holders of the most diverse living collections of plants and have the unique potential to conserve plant diversity. Conservation biol...

The State of the World's Forest Genetic Resources addresses the conservation, management and sustainable use of forest tree and other woody plant genetic resources of actual and potential value for human well-being in the broad range of management systems. This report complements two other FAO flagship publications in the field of forestry, the annual State of the World's Forests and the periodic Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA). State of the World's Forests reports on the status o...

Ecological restoration is a rapidly growing discipline that encompasses a wide range of activities and brings together practitioners and theoreticians from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives, ranging from volunteer backyard restorationists to highly trained academic scientists and professional consultants. This book offers a comprehensive and coherent account of the field for everyone who initiates, finances, designs, administers, issues government permits for, manages, and implemen...

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management. It uses natural predators, pest-resistant plants, and other methods to preserve a healthy environment in an effort to decrease reliance on harmful pesticides. Featuring forty chapters written by leading experts, this textbook covers a broad and comprehensive range of topics in integrated pest management, focused primarily on theory and concepts. It is complemented by two award winnin...

The growth of cities poses ever-increasing challenges for the natural environment on which they impact and depend, not only within their boundaries but also in surrounding peri-urban areas. Landscape ecology – the study of interactions across space and time between the structure and function of physical, biological and cultural components of landscapes – has a pivotal role to play in identifying sustainable solutions.This book brings together examples of research at the cutting edg...

Ecological restoration is a rapidly evolving discipline that is engaged with developing both methodologies and strategies for repairing damaged and polluted ecosystems and environments. During the last decade the rapid pace of climate change coupled with continuing habitat destruction and the spread of non-native species to new habitats has forced restoration ecologists to re-evaluate their goals and the methods they use. This comprehensive handbook brings together an internationally respe...

It is only recently that the immense economic value of pollination to agriculture has been appreciated. At the same time, the alarming collapse in populations of bees and other pollinators has highlighted the urgency of addressing this issue. This book focuses on the specific measures and practices that the emerging science of pollination ecology is identifying to conserve and promote animal pollinators in agroecosystems.It reviews the expanding knowledge base on pollination servic...

Conservation biology is fast emerging as a major new discipline, which incorporates biological principles in the design of effective strategies for the sustainable management of populations, species and entire ecosystems. This beautifully illustrated textbook introduces students to conservation biology, the science of preserving biodiversity. It begins by taking the reader on a tour of the many and varied ecosystems of our planet, providing a setting in which to explore the factors that ha...

The science of wetlands and our understanding of these complex ecosystems have improved considerably. The emergence of multidisciplinary strategies is providing new opportunities and innovative approaches to address issues such as climate change and coastal protection. This book, with contributions from 19 specialists from academia, government, and industry, provides a trans-disciplinary approach to the understanding wetlands science, drawing together a wide range of expertise. Topics cove...

In the face of ever-declining biodiversity, zoos have a major role to play in species conservation. Written by professionals involved in in situ conservation and restoration projects internationally, this is a critical assessment of the contribution of zoos to species conservation through evidence amassed from a wide range of sources. The first part outlines the biodiversity context within which zoos should operate, introducing the origins and global spread of zoos and exploring animal col...