Introduction to the Plant Life of Southern California: Coast to Foothills (California Natural History Guides)

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Field guides often provide little ecological information, or context, for understanding the plants they identify. This book, with its engaging text and attractive illustrations, for the first time provides an ecological framework for the plants and their environments in the coast and foothill regions of Southern California, an area that boasts an extremely rich flora. It will introduce a wide audience--from general readers and students to natural history and outdoor enthusiasts--to Southern California's plant communities, their ecological dynamics, and the key plants that grow in them.
Coastal beach and dune habitats, coastal and interior sage scrub, chaparral, woodlands, grasslands, riparian woodlands, and wetlands all contribute unique plant assemblages to Southern California. In addition to discussing each of these areas in depth, this book also emphasizes ecological factors such as drought, seasonal temperatures, and fire that determine which plants can thrive in each community. It covers such important topics as non-native invasive plants and other issues involved with preserving biodiversity in the ecologically rich yet heavily populated and increasingly threatened area. * 327 color photographs provide overviews of each plant community and highlight key plant species

* Describes more than 300 plant species
* Covers the counties of Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, western Riverside, San Bernardino, and the Channel Islands
* Includes a list of public areas and parks for viewing Southern California's plant communities

Customer Reviews ::

This book is great - Larry Dougan - Ventura, Ca
This book is just what I was looking for. Great photos and descriptions of the plant life of California.

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Biogeography: Introduction to Space, Time, and Life

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The goal of biogeography is to build an understanding of biogeography as a unified science studying how environment, space and time interact to control the large-scale distribution of organisms. This title includes the key concepts related to the study of vegetation and animal distributions and the human impact on these distributions.

Customer Reviews ::

Biogeography - geology student - geology capital, usa
The book is alright. A bit repetative but if you are just starting out with geography I would recommend going to a library instead of spending money on the purchase. It would be useful as an index if you are going to pursue geography

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Introduction to Paleobiology and the Fossil Record

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This book presents a comprehensive overview of the science of the history of life. Paleobiologists bring many analytical tools to bear in interpreting the fossil record and the book introduces the latest techniques, from multivariate investigations of biogeography and biostratigraphy to engineering analysis of dinosaur skulls, and from homeobox genes to cladistics.

All the well-known fossil groups are included, including microfossils and invertebrates, but an important feature is the thorough coverage of plants, vertebrates and trace fossils together with discussion of the origins of both life and the metazoans. All key related subjects are introduced, such as systematics, ecology, evolution and development, stratigraphy and their roles in understanding where life came from and how it evolved and diversified.

Unique features of the book are the numerous case studies from current research that lead students to the primary literature, analytical and mathematical explanations and tools, together with associated problem sets and practical schedules for instructors and students.

“..any serious student of geology who does not pick this book off the shelf will be putting themselves at a huge disadvantage. The material may be complex, but the text is extremely accessible and well organized, and the book ought to be essential reading for palaeontologists at undergraduate, postgraduate and more advanced levels—both in Britain as well as in North America.” Falcon-Lang, H., Proc. Geol. Assoc. 2010

“…this is an excellent introduction to palaeontology in general. It is well structured, accessibly written and pleasantly informative …..I would recommend this as a standard reference text to all my students without hesitation.” David Norman Geol Mag 2010

Companion website
This book includes a companion website at:

 www.blackwellpublishing.com/paleobiology

The website includes: 

·         An ongoing database of additional Practical’s prepared by the authors

·         Figures from the text for downloading

·         Useful links for each chapter

·         Updates from the authors

Customer Reviews ::

Not the greatest - M Manning -
I personally feel Benton's book leaves an abundant more it be answered. The book does have such good points like as to the photo's and diagrams presented in the text, but the book is written with a higher learning in mind that might leave the common reader wondering what they just read. I have read far better books than this one , and I recommend it only for students of paleology or seasoned veterans in the field.

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Introduction to Marine Biogeochemistry, Second Edition

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An Introduction to Marine Biogeochemistry focuses on the ocean's role in the biogeochemical cycling of selected elements and the impact of humans on the cycling of these elements. Among the topics covered are the chemical composition of seawater from the perspectives of elemental speciation and the impacts of solutes on water's physical behavior; biogeochemical phenomena which control accumulation and preservation of marine sediments; marine chemistry of radioactive and stable isotopes; and seawater pollution. The book contains many examples as well as steady-state models to aid readers in understanding this growing and complex science..

*The focus of Introduction to Marine Biogeochemistry is the concept of the ocean as a system, linking land and atmospheric processes.
*The text integrates the most current research, allowing students to learn concepts in context
*Includes detailed coverage of computational aspects
*Offers an online companion site, including a full study guide, available for students

Customer Reviews ::

great textbook - Pear Oceana - Cambridge, MA USA
Another great introductory textbook for Biogeochemical Oceanography. You will get the essential basics of this subject from this book.

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An Introduction to Seismology, Earthquakes and Earth Structure

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Designed for advanced undergraduate and first year graduate seismology courses. Softcover.

Customer Reviews ::

More like an ADVANCED intro! - Marissa Cameron - El Paso, TX
The book may say Introduction, but don't expect a "Seismology for Dummies" type set up. This book is actually quite advanced and detailed, jumping right into intricate math formulas. This is a great book for those already familiar with the basic concepts of seimsology, however those with limited math skills or no prior knowledge of seimsology will be turned away by the technicality of some aspects in the book.

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Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

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This text is designed to provide students in a first or second GIS course with a solid foundation in both GIS concepts and the use of GIS and stresses both concepts and practices.

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Introduction to Physical Polymer Science

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An Updated Edition of the Classic Text

Polymers constitute the basis for the plastics, rubber, adhesives, fiber, and coating industries. The Fourth Edition of Introduction to Physical Polymer Science acknowledges the industrial success of polymers and the advancements made in the field while continuing to deliver the comprehensive introduction to polymer science that made its predecessors classic texts.

The Fourth Edition continues its coverage of amorphous and crystalline materials, glass transitions, rubber elasticity, and mechanical behavior, and offers updated discussions of polymer blends, composites, and interfaces, as well as such basics as molecular weight determination. Thus, interrelationships among molecular structure, morphology, and mechanical behavior of polymers continue to provide much of the value of the book.

Newly introduced topics include:
* Nanocomposites, including carbon nanotubes and exfoliated montmorillonite clays
* The structure, motions, and functions of DNA and proteins, as well as the interfaces of polymeric biomaterials with living organisms
* The glass transition behavior of nano-thin plastic films

In addition, new sections have been included on fire retardancy, friction and wear, optical tweezers, and more.

Introduction to Physical Polymer Science, Fourth Edition provides both an essential introduction to the field as well as an entry point to the latest research and developments in polymer science and engineering, making it an indispensable text for chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science and engineering, and polymer science and engineering students and professionals.

Customer Reviews ::

Polymers are good - Jeffrey R. Leblanc -
This book introduced me to physical polymer science. I have a strong interest in this field. The book is very informative but not easy to read. However, it is very helpful that key points in the chapters are depicted quite nicely by diagrams and graphs.

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Introduction to the Study of Dinosaurs

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This highly accessible introduction to dinosaurs places scientific method at the crux of the studies, teaching students about scientific research and principles as they learn about dinosaurs. Now in its second edition, the text includes updates on recent finds, increased coverage of evolution and physiology, and an expanded and improved illustration program.Beginning with foundational chapters on the scientific method and the context of dinosaurs, the text then proceeds with detailed discussions of dinosaur anatomy, taphonomy, evolution, physiology and ichnology. The text also examines five select clades of dinosaurs, and finishes by covering birds as modern dinosaurs and dinosaur extinctions. Intended for both majors and non majors, this textbook balances scientific rigor with real world examples that show how dinosaurs lived and died as well as what happened to them after they died.Features of this new edition include:Everyday scenarios at chapter openings set the stage for chapter content, Dedicated web page, blackwellpublishing.com/dinosaurs, with interactive material and all art in downloadable form (art also available to instructors on CD-ROM), End of chapter discussion questions, Easy reference glossary, New references included at the end of each chapter, High-quality, full color figures and photographs throughout

Customer Reviews ::

great dinosaur book for technical readers - -
As a student of vertebrate paleontology, I find this book easy to read and extremely detailed. I loved this book and it featured two or three times the information as other dinosaur textbooks such as Dinosaurs: The Textbook, which I also own. I suggest those who want to learn technical knowledge on this subject to buy this book. Because this book is quite expensive I suggest buying it used. My used book was just like new. I have bought many of my dinosaurian books used and all have came in great condition.

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