Vegetation, the plant content of an area, is a fundamental component of the natural environment on the land surface of the earth. It converts energy into food and is therefore at the base of the food chain, making vegetation a key link in natural ecosystems integrating climate, soil, and living organisms. By identifying and analyzing distinct frontiers both in vegetation formation and in world flora, this book confirms that a set of formation types and distinctive floristic realms exist. This makes possible for the first time rigorous definitions for formation types and for specific floristic realms. More important than the clarification of boundaries is the examination of causative factors which is facilitated by the demonstration of distinct categories. Thus, probable causes for the origin of distinct vegetation formation types and floristic realms are offered in this book. Such a fresh examination of the regionalization of vegetation of the world scale helps to put world vegetation mapping on a more satisfactory scientific basis, a goal of major significance to geographers. Environmentalists and ecologists will be especially interested in the research finding that the same vegetation structure recurs again and again among unrelated assemblages of plants in remote parts of the wold. verifying the fact that vegetation formations are distinct kinds of ecological systems.

This work offers a review of contemporary techniques in vegetation mapping and analysis with a snapshot of their applications. It deals with ground, air and space-based techniques applied at a range of spatial scales.

The book is concerned principally with geobotanical mapping. Geobotany is a broad science that deals with the study of species and of vegetation communities in relation to the environment; it includes other, perhaps more familiar sciences, such as plant geography, plant ecology, and chorology, and phytosociology (plant sociology). Geobotanical cartography is a field of thematic cartography that deals with the interpretation and representation, in the form of maps, of those spatial and temporal phenomena that pertain to flora, vegetation, vegetated landscapes, vegetation zones, and phytogeographical units. The production of a geobotanical map represents the last stage in a cognitive process that begins with observations in the field and continues with the collection of sample data, interpretation of the phenomena observed, and their appropriate cartographic representation; geobotanical cartography is closely tied to the concepts and scope of geobotany in general

A textbook (1st ed., 1978) presenting a wide range of information for students of ecology, geography, and biogeography.

Though seasonally dry tropical forests are equally as important to global biodiversity as tropical rainforests, and are one of the most representative and highly endangered ecosystems in Latin America, knowledge about them remains limited because of the relative paucity of attention paid to them by scientists and researchers and a lack of published information on the subject. Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests seeks to address this shortcoming by bringing together a range of experts in diverse fields including biology, ecology, biogeography, and biogeochemistry, to review, synthesize, and explain the current state of our collective knowledge on the ecology and conservation of seasonally dry tropical forests. The book offers a synthetic and cross-disciplinary review of recent work with an expansive scope, including sections on distribution, diversity, ecosystem function, and human impacts. Throughout, contributors emphasize conservation issues, particularly emerging threats and promising solutions, with key chapters on climate change, fragmentation, restoration, ecosystem services, and sustainable use. Seasonally dry tropical forests are extremely rich in biodiversity, and are seriously threatened. They represent scientific terrain that is poorly explored, and there is an urgent need for increased understanding of the system's basic ecology. Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests represents an important step in bringing together the most current scientific information about this vital ecosystem and disseminating it to the scientific and conservation communities.

This lavishly illustrated, fact-filled atlas—a follow-up to Maps of the World—allows children to discover the fascinating and mysterious world below sea level with links to explore even further on computers and tablets. Covering every ocean and major sea in the world, Maps of the World's Oceans is a vibrant and comprehensive atlas that children of all ages will love to explore. The dozens of colorful, detailed maps are filled with hundreds of illustrated icons highlighting creatures that inhabit the waters of the world from deep-ocean sharks to sea birds that rely on the water to survive. Also featured are vital vegetation, submerged shipwrecks, and icons representing the myths and legends of the various peoples who supposedly lived by the seas. Along the surface, readers will explore ports, lighthouses, famous explorers and voyages, old navigation secrets, and more. Flip the next page from any map and the corresponding icon key explains why these fish, animals, various organisms and more are so vital to the oceans and the seas—and therefore the world. Young readers will learn about waves and tides, currents and oceanic ridges, and more giving them a complete look at the world's waters. Each map includes a link allowing kids to download a version of them on computers and tablets to explore even further. Captivating and comprehensive, Maps of the World's Oceans will entice even the most reluctant young explorer.

Here is a wonderful overview of the landscape and vegetation of the five regions of the world that have a Mediterranean climate. In addition to the Mediterranean Basin itself, this climate of mild, rainy winters and dry, warm summers is found in California and parts of Chile, South Africa, and Australia. 30 maps. 18 tables. 46 line illustrations. 75 color and 90 b&w photos.