Plants: A Very Short Introduction

Plants: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Timothy Walker
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199584060
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 145

Get Book

Book Description
Plants are a fundamental part of the biosphere and their evolution has directly affected animal life, and the Earth's climate. This Very Short Introduction provides a concise account of the nature of plants, their variety, their evolution, and their importance and uses, stressing the importance of conservation for the future.

Plants: A Very Short Introduction

Plants: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Timothy Walker
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199584060
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 145

Get Book

Book Description
Plants are a fundamental part of the biosphere and their evolution has directly affected animal life, and the Earth's climate. This Very Short Introduction provides a concise account of the nature of plants, their variety, their evolution, and their importance and uses, stressing the importance of conservation for the future.

Forests

Forests PDF Author: Jaboury Ghazoul
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0198706170
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 169

Get Book

Book Description
Forests have been entwined with human development and cultural history for centuries. In this 'Very Short Introduction' Jaboury Ghazoul explores their origins, dynamics, and the range of goods and services they provide to human society, as well as looking at issues of deforestation, reforestation, and the effects of climate change.

Developmental Biology: A Very Short Introduction

Developmental Biology: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Lewis Wolpert
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199601194
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 153

Get Book

Book Description
"A concise account of what we know about development discusses the first vital steps of growth and explores one of the liveliest areas of scientific research."--P. [2] of cover.

Colonial America

Colonial America PDF Author: Alan Taylor
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199766231
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 168

Get Book

Book Description
In this Very Short Introduction, Alan Taylor presents the current scholarly understanding of colonial America to a broader audience. He focuses on the transatlantic and a transcontinental perspective, examining the interplay of Europe, Africa, and the Americas through the flows of goods, people, plants, animals, capital, and ideas.

Fungi: A Very Short Introduction

Fungi: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Nicholas P. Money
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0191002593
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 144

Get Book

Book Description
The variety of the mycological world is far greater than most people imagine. Tens of thousands of fungal species have been described and many more are known only from the abundance of their genes in soil and water. Fungi are hugely important as agents of wood decay in forests, and, as parasites, they have caused the deaths of millions of people by ravaging crops and reshaping natural ecosystems. Fungi perform a variety of essential functions in ecosystems, and are important to both agriculture and biotechnology. Their importance is now becoming better appreciated among scientists, though there is much still to be understood concerning their taxonomy and evolution. This Very Short Introduction highlights the variety and extraordinary natures of fungi, revealing the remarkable facts of fungal biology and the global significance of these enchanting organisms. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Nuclear Power: A Very Short Introduction

Nuclear Power: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: John Maxwell Irvine
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199584974
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 161

Get Book

Book Description
Following the increasing cost of fossil fuels and concerns about the security of their future supply. However, the term 'nuclear power' causes anxiety in many people and there is confusion concerning the nature and extent of the associated risks.

Invasive Species: a Very Short Introduction

Invasive Species: a Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Julie Lockwood
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198818289
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 145

Get Book

Book Description
Today there is no place on Earth that does not harbour invasive exotic species. Invasive plants and animals can be found on every continent, including Antarctica, and within all waterbodies, including all oceans. In our increasingly connected world, with speedy commercial and recreational travel and the global movement of biological matter for food, invasive species are showing up at such a fast rate that there is no way to accurately count how many currently exist or how many are likely to emerge in the coming decades. Monitoring these species and controlling their spread is essential, as we increasingly understand the negative impacts they pose: their threat to our health; the toll they take on our commercial production; and the threat they pose to native ecosystems. This Very Short Introduction provides a clear definition of an invasive species, and considers the myriad ways they are moved around the globe, and the ecological, social, and economic impacts they often impose. Exploring the way Earth's biodiversity is being affected by global change, Julie Lockwood also discusses policy and management approaches to combating the ill-effects of invasive species, and how invasive species fit within the broader context of environmental change. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Ecology: a Very Short Introduction

Ecology: a Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Jaboury Ghazoul
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0198831013
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 185

Get Book

Book Description
Understanding how our living environment works is essentially a study of ecological systems. Ecology is the science of how organisms interact with each other and with their environment, and how such interactions create self-organising communities and ecosystems. This science touches us all. The food we eat, the water we drink, the natural resources we use, our physical and mental health, and much of our cultural heritage are to a large degree products of ecological interactions of organisms and their environment. This Very Short Introduction celebrates the centrality of ecology in our lives. Jaboury Ghazoul explores how ecology has evolved rapidly from natural history to become a predictive science that explains how the natural world works, and which guides environmental policy and management decisions. Drawing on a range of examples, he shows how ecological science can be applied to management and conservation, including the extent to which theory has shaped practice. Ecological science has also shaped social and cultural perspectives on the environment, a process that influences politics of the environment. Ghazoul concludes by considering the future of ecology, particularly in the light of current and future environmental challenges. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Plants: A Very Short Introduction

Plants: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Timothy Walker
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 019163400X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 152

Get Book

Book Description
Plants form a fundamental element of the biosphere, and the evolution of plants has directly affected the evolution of animal life and the evolution of the Earth's climate. Plants have also become essential to humans not only in the form of cereal crops, fruit, and vegetables, but in their many other uses in wood and paper, and in providing medicines. Their aesthetic importance too in our parks and gardens as well as in wildflower meadows and great forests should not be underestimated. In this Very Short Introduction Timothy Walker, Director of the Botanical Gardens in Oxford, provides a concise account of the nature of plants, their variety, their evolution, and their importance and uses, stressing the need and efforts for their conservation for future generations. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Viruses

Viruses PDF Author: Dorothy H. Crawford
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198811713
Category : Medical virology
Languages : en
Pages : 177

Get Book

Book Description
Viruses are big news. From pandemics such as HIV, swine flu, and SARS, we are constantly being bombarded with information about new lethal infections. In this Very Short Introduction, Dorothy Crawford demonstrates from their discovery and the unravelling of their intricate structures, how clever these entities really are.