E-book

Earth Matters [electronic resource].

Summary:

With a biome-by-biome structure that mirrors Mother Nature's own design, Our Earth Matters is a celebration of our fragile Earth, a warning to protect it, and an inspiring source book full of ideas for making a positive change. The book begins with a brief history of our planet's birth and development, revealing how an astonishingly unlikely series of accidents made Earth the only planet in the universe known to be suitable for life. As life flourished and spread, it changed the planet and created the "biosphere." Scientists divide the biosphere into global ecosystems, or "biomes," such as Des.

Record details

ISBN: 9780756689216 (electronic bk.)
ISBN: 075668921X (electronic bk.)
Physical Description: 1 online resource (258 p.)
Publisher: London : DK Pub., 2011.

Content descriptions

Formatted Contents Note:

04 Contents; 06 FOREWORD; 08 ONE PERSON ... ; 10 INTRODUCTION; 12 What is the universe?; 14 Just right for life; 16 Life begins; 18 The story of life; 20 A changing world; 22 Our crowded world; 24 Our atmosphere and the greenhouse effect; 26 The carbon cycle; 28 Global warming; 30 The search for energy; 32 Water of life; 34 High-waste society; 36 Sustainable life; 38 Ecosystems and biomes; 40 POLAR REGIONS; 42 Where on Earth ...?; 44 The high Arctic; 46 Melting Arctic; 48 The polar bear; 50 Tundra ecosystem; 52 Warming tundra; 54 The caribou; 56 Antarctic ecosystem; 58 Threatened Antarctica.

60 Emperor penguins62 Making a difference; 64 TEMPERATE FORESTS; 66 Where on Earth ...?; 68 Boreal ecosystem; 70 Dying forest; 72 Temperate rain forest ecosystem; 74 Forest and sea; 76 Deciduous ecosystem; 78 Fallen forests; 80 Coming together; 82 Logging; 84 Mediterranean scrub ecosystem; 86 The giant panda; 88 Making a difference; 90 DESERTS; 92 Where on Earth ...?; 94 Desert basics; 96 Hot desert ecosystem; 98 Desert destruction; 100 The saguaro cactus; 102 Cold desert ecosystem; 104 The Bactrian camel; 106 Las Vegas desert city; 108 Dried up and deserted; 110 Sand in the city.

112 Making a difference114 GRASSLANDS; 116 Where on Earth ...?; 118 Prairie ecosystem; 120 Prairies under pressure; 122 Super grass; 124 Savanna ecosystem; 126 Struggling savannas; 128 The wildebeest; 130 Farmland ecosystem; 132 Aggressive agriculture; 134 Controversial crops; 136 Making a difference; 138 TROPICAL FORESTS; 140 Where on Earth ...?; 142 Lowland rain forest ecosystem; 144 Vanishing rain forest; 146 The orangutan; 148 Cloud forest ecosystem; 150 Trouble in the clouds; 152 The golden toad; 154 Tropical dry forest; 156 Disappearing dry forests; 158 The aye-aye.

160 Making a difference162 MOUNTAINS; 164 Where on Earth ...?; 166 Mountain ecosystem; 168 The shrinking mountain; 170 The snow leopard; 172 Highland ecosystem; 174 Highlands in danger; 176 Fragile roof of Africa; 178 Mountain valleys; 180 Mountain valleys under threat; 182 Making a difference; 184 FRESHWATER; 186 Where on Earth ...?; 188 Rivers and streams ecosystem; 190 Threatened rivers; 192 The European beaver; 194 Lakes and ponds ecosystem; 196 Losing lakes; 198 The dragonfly; 200 Swamps and bogs ecosystem; 202 From wet to dry; 204 The Everglades; 206 Making a difference; 208 OCEANS.

210 Where on Earth ...?212 Ocean ecosystem; 214 Using the ocean; 216 Coastal ecosystem; 218 Crumbling coast; 220 Turtle vs tourist; 222 Seabed ecosystem; 224 Seabed destruction; 226 Coral reef ecosystem; 228 Dying coral; 230 The open ocean ecosystem; 232 Threatened ocean; 234 Shark finning; 236 Who caught all the fish?; 238 Making a difference; 240 HELPING THE EARTH; 242 Living with change; 244 Renewable energy; 246 Using energy well; 248 Making a difference; 250 INDEX; 256 Acknowledgments.

Source of Description Note:

Description based on print version record.