You may have to register before you can download all our books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
The cryosphere stands for environments where water appears in a frozen form. It includes permafrost, glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice and is currently more affected by Global Change than most other regions of the Earth. In the cryosphere, limited water availability and subzero temperatures cause extreme conditions for all kind of life which microorganisms can cope with extremely well. The cryosphere’s microbiota displays an unexpectedly large genetic potential, and taxonomic as well as functional diversity which, however, we still only begin to map. Also, microbial communities influence reaction patterns of the cryosphere towards Global Change. Altered patterns of seasonal temperature flu...
From the mysterious depths of Lake Vostok, Antarctica, to tropical floodplain lakes, inland seas, hydro-reservoirs and the variety of waterbodies in our local environment, lakes encompass a huge diversity of shapes, sizes, depths, colours, and even salinities. Often very large and very deep, they sustain important and unique ecosystems which can be hotspots of biodiversity, and are used by humans as sources of drinking water and food, in particular, fish. What is the origin of differences among lakes, and how does that affect the life within them? What are the seasons of a lake, and how do human actions alter lake ecosystems locally, and at a global scale? In this Very Short Introductions, W...
Shipping in Inuit Nunangat is a timely multidisciplinary volume offering novel insights into key maritime governance issues in Canadian Arctic waters that are Inuit homeland (Inuit Nunangat) in the contemporary context of climate change, growing accessibility of Arctic waters to shipping, the need to protect a highly sensitive environment, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The volume includes policy, legal and institutional findings and recommendations intended to inform scholars and policymakers on managing the interface between shipping, the marine environment, and Indigenous rights in Arctic waters.
Encyclopedia of the World’s Biomes is a unique, five volume reference that provides a global synthesis of biomes, including the latest science. All of the book's chapters follow a common thematic order that spans biodiversity importance, principal anthropogenic stressors and trends, changing climatic conditions, and conservation strategies for maintaining biomes in an increasingly human-dominated world. This work is a one-stop shop that gives users access to up-to-date, informative articles that go deeper in content than any currently available publication. Offers students and researchers a one-stop shop for information currently only available in scattered or non-technical sources Authored and edited by top scientists in the field Concisely written to guide the reader though the topic Includes meaningful illustrations and suggests further reading for those needing more specific information
An affordable, lightweight sports car suitable for racing, the MG TC launched the sports car scene in postwar America. A wave of drivers first competed on the track in these and the later TD, TF and MGA models during the 1950s, many of them eventually moving up to Porsches, Alfa Romeos, Jaguars and Ferraris. Eighty such drivers, from the famous (e.g., Phil Hill, John Fitch, David E. Davis, Jr.) to lesser known men and women with equally vivid stories, are profiled in this book, which presents many of their recollections from firsthand interviews alongside a wealth of period photographs.
Diatoms are the most species rich group of algae, and they contribute about 20% of annual global carbon fixation. They play major roles in ocean food webs and global biogeochemical cycles. They are also a target of the biotechnology industry because of their nano-patterned silica cell wall and high lipid content. Diatoms have received increasing attention as more genomes became available and because of the development of genome editing tools such as the CRISPR/Cas9 technology, which has made diatoms as genetically tractable as well-established biological model species. This book provides an overview on diatom molecular biology. It brings together international leading experts in the field to discuss the latest data and developments from genes to ecosystems. As the understanding of diatoms is currently experiencing a step change, it is critical to allow for synergistic approaches on diverse aspects of diatom biology and evolution. The books offers fundamental insights into the molecular life of diatoms; at the same time new scientific concepts are developed based on the application of the latest molecular tools and genomic information to explore the fascinating lifestyle of diatoms.
Sheds new light on the microbial ecology and physiology of the Earth’s polar regions. • Examines the microbial investigations during the International Polar Year of 2008 focusing on the Arctic and Antarctic, along with earlier investigations on critical environmental issues such as climate change, ozone depletion, and elemental cycling. • Offers a survey of what is known and unknown about the microbial inhabitants of polar environments, addresses the adaptations and physiology of cold-adapted microorganisms, and explores the ecological role that polar microbial communities play in biogeochemical cycling. • Presents the challenges that polar and subpolar microorganisms face and describes the lowest temperatures in which microbial life can exist—and the prospects for life on other planets. Recommended for a general microbiology audience as well as for scientists and students in all areas of biology and geomicrobiology.
Estuarine Ecology A detailed and accessible exploration of the fundamentals and the latest advances in estuarine ecology In the newly revised third edition of Estuarine Ecology, a team of distinguished ecologists presents the current knowledge in estuarine ecology with particular emphasis on recent trends and advances. The book is accessible to undergraduate students while also providing a welcome summary of up-to-date content for a more advanced readership. This latest edition is optimized for classroom use, with a more intuitive mode of presentation that takes into account feedback from the previous edition’s readers. Review questions and exercises have been added to assist in the learni...
The cyanobacteria inhabit every illuminated environment on Earth, from polar lakes to desert crusts and through their phototrophic metabolism play essential roles in global geochemical cycles. With the discovery of marine Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus almost 30 years ago, cyanobacteria have now earned their place as dominant primary producers contributing over 25 percent of global photosynthesis. Their global abundance is now explained from the coexistence of ecotypes that occupy different niches along spatial and temporal gradients. New ecotypes of Synechococcus have been identified as abundant components of microbial communities in freshwater environments and marginal seas. Extensive c...