The Urals
Robin Johnson (author)
Publisher: Crabtree Publishing Company ISBN: 9781427197481
The Ural Mountains form a natural boundary called the "Stone Belt" between Europe and Asia. Rich in mineral deposits, the Urals have long been a major source of industry for Russia. This fascinating book describes the geological makeup and history of the Ural mountain range, as well as the cultures and ways of life of the people in Russia and Kazakhstan who live in its shadow. Special sections also describe the plants and animals that thrive in this mountain habitat, as well as the unique problems facing this region.
The Atacama Desert
Lynn Peppas (author)
This fascinating book describes the geological makeup and history of the Atacama Desert in Chile. One of the driest areas of the world - some parts never receive any rain - the desert's climate can be cold, sometimes producing snow and fog. Readers will be fascinated to learn that the Atacama's soil is so similar to soil samples from Mars that NASA goes to this desert to test its exploration instruments. NASA has also set up its Earth-Mars Cave Detection Program in the Atacama, too. Special sections also describe the desert's natural resources and unique problems facing this region, as well as the people, plants, and animals that inhabit this desert habitat.
The Great Victoria Desert
This amazing book describes the geological makeup and history of the Great Victoria Desert in Australia. Used in modern times for mining and testing of atomic bombs, this vast, sandy area has been home to a number of indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Although there is little rain, the blooms with a variety of plants. Readers will learn about the Mamungari Conservation Park located in the Great Victoria Desert, which is known for a eucalyptus tree called Ooldea mallee with large, spectacular red, pink, or yellow flowers. Special sections also describe the desert's natural resources, as well as the unique problems facing this region such as the introduction of non-native species of animals.
Molly Aloian (author)
Running almost the full length of South America on its western coast, the Andes is the longest continental mountain range in the world. This remote and harsh environment saw the rise and fall of one of the great ancient civilizations of the world, the Incas. This fascinating book describes the geological makeup and history of the Andes mountain range, and how it is intertwined with the cultures and ways of life of the people in South America who live in its shadow. Special sections also describe the plants and animals that thrive in this mountain habitat, as well as the unique problems facing this region.
The Appalachians
The Great Appalachian Valley, a major land form of the Appalachian mountains, played an important role in the early history of the United States. Routes through the valley, first made by Native Americans, made the mountains passable, later allowing European immigrants to expand colonization of the region. This fascinating book describes the geological makeup and history of the mountain ranges that form the Appalachians, and the people in the United States and Canada who live in their shadows. Special sections also describe the plants and animals that thrive in these mountain habitats, as well as the unique problems facing this region.
The Himalayas
Home of two of the world's highest peaks - Mount Everest and K2 - the Himalayas are both revered and feared by mountaineers around the world. This fascinating book describes the geological makeup and history of the Himalaya mountain range, and how it is intertwined with the cultures and ways of life of the people in South Asia who live in its shadow. Special sections also describe the plants and animals that thrive in this mountain habitat, as well as the unique problems facing this region.
Re-Greening the Environment: Careers in Cleanup, Remediation, and Restoration
Suzy Gazlay (author)
Re-Greening the Environment covers the wide range of careers in environmental clean-up, remediation, and renewal. The response to two massive oil spills in recent years the Exxon Valdez oil spill off the coast of Alaska in 1989 and the current Deepwater Horizon/BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico are explored. The types of jobs and careers that are associated with preventing and correcting disasters such as these include environmental scientist, hydrogeologist, enforcing clean-up regulations, and monitoring and testing waterways, soil, and groundwater for harmful pollutants. Also, the reuse and rehabbing of older commercial or industrial buildings presents opportunities in planning, designing, rebuilding, reclaiming, and restoring the natural habitats associated with these sites.
Touring, Trekking, and Traveling Green: Careers in Ecotourism
Diane Dakers (author)
Touring, Trekking, and Traveling Green explores the many careers open to people in the fast-growing field of ecotourism. From being an ecotour leader or naturalist to managing a wildlife eco-lodge, working as a travel agent certified in ecotourism, or teaching on-the-ground tour guides and college students interested in making a living helping others enjoy nature, the opportunities for people seeking work in ecotourism are manyand growing fast. Other jobs associated with ecotourism include working in public relations or marketing ecotourism destinations, writing guidebooks, and helping visitors understand and appreciate nature as an interpreter for agencies such as the U.S. National Park Service and Parks Canada. Also of note: the challenges and responsibilities that jobs in ecotourism present to people who wish to make use of the environment for fun and profit without harming the ecological health of our planet.
Rachel Eagen (author)
The way we live affects our environment. Environmental Chemistry takes a look at how chemistry-related inventions have both helped and harmed our environment. Readers will learn the science and chemistry of acid rain, ozone depletion, and water pollution. Easy experiments allow budding scientists to test theories and understand the chemistry of environments and environmental pollution.
Building Green Places: Careers in Planning, Designing, and Building
Ruth Owen (author)
Building Green Places takes a green look at careers in planning, designing, and building energy-efficient facilities in which to live, work, and play. It also includes the development of communities built in a way that will complement and enhance Earths ecosystems.
The Gobi Desert
This intriguing book describes the geological makeup and history of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia and China. Temperatures can get very cold and frost and snow are not unusual. Readers will learn about the variety of habitats in this vast desert system that support many different kinds of plants and animals such as camels, snow leopards, and bears. The Gobi Desert is also where the first dinosaur egg fossils were found. Special sections describe the desert's natural resources, such as copper and gold, and the unique problems facing this region such as the desert's alarming rate of desertification.
The Kalahari Desert
This colorful book describes the geological makeup and history of the Kalahari Desert in Africa. Covering most of Botswana, as well as portions of Namibia and South Africa, the Kalahari is not a true desert because it receives more than ten inches (250 mm) of rain each year. But the rain drains and evaporates quickly leaving no water on the surface of the red sand. Readers will learn about the variety of habitats in this vast desert system that support many different kinds of plants and animals such as springboks, giraffes, elephants, and zebras. Special sections also describe the Kalahari's natural resources, indigenous people, and the unique problems facing this region.
The Nile: River in the Sand
The Nile is the worlds longest river and the birthplace of one of the greatest civilizations of the ancient world. This book takes readers along the River in the Sand. Ancient Egyptians depended on the Niles annual floods to deposit fertile soil for farming. Today, more than 70 million people still grow crops in the rivers basin and fish in its waters.
The Rhine: Europe's River Highway
Gary Miller (author)
This engaging book highlights the Rhine River, a major transportation route in Western Europe. Fairytale castles and picturesque vineyards provide scenic stretches between Basel, Strasbourg, Cologne, and Rotterdam. Cooperation by Switzerland, France, Germany, and the Netherlands has helped restore the rivers health.
The St. Lawrence: River Route to the Great Lakes
This informative book follows the St. Lawrence River, once a main route of the fur and timber trades. This important commercial waterway forms part of the boundary between Canada and the United States and connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. Today, a system of canals, dams, and locks lets seagoing ships travel all the way to Lake Superior.
The Tigris and Euphrates: Rivers of the Fertile Crescent
Gary G. Miller (author)
The Tigris and Euphrates rivers surround a region once known as Mesopotamia, the "cradle" of ancient civilizations that included Sumer, Babylonia, and Assyria. This fascinating book follows both rivers from where they begin in Turkey, travel down through northern Syria and Iraq, and join to form the Shatt al Arab before emptying into the Persian Gulf.
The Yangtze: China's Majestic River
The mighty Yangtze River, the third-longest river in the world, is the birthplace of Chinese civilization. This intriguing book takes readers along this ancient transportation route, strategic natural boundary, and lifeblood of an agricultural society. The near completion of the Three Gorges Dam has displaced more than a million people and changed the river's ecosystem dramatically.
The Amazon: River in a Rain Forest
Second in length only to the Nile, the Amazon River carries a greater volume of water than any other river in the world. This attractive book features the fascinating facts about this far-reaching river and the animals, plant life, and indigenous cultures that live in the surrounding rain forest.
The Ganges: India's Sacred River
This amazing book reveals the facts about the Ganges, a river sacred to Hindus. Flowing through one of the most densely populated areas in the world, its banks are also the site of shrines, temples, and holy cities, including Varanasi, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
The Mississippi: America's Mighty River
This wonderful book takes readers along the mighty Mississippi. Often celebrated in music and literature, its exploration by explorers spurred the growth of a new nation. Today, the Mississippi not only provides transportation for agricultural and industrial goods but also supplies water for millions of people.
Plants: Flowering Plants, Ferns, Mosses, and Other Plants
Leslie Johnstone Shar Levine (author)
The plant kingdom contains more than 250,000 species. This colorful book describes the main groups of plants, including mosses, ferns, conifers, and flowering plants. Special sections highlight the role of plants in the environmentas producers in the food chain and producers of the worlds oxygenand their role in climate and the water cycle.
Animals: Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish, and Other Animals
How in the world do you classify the more than one million species in the animal kingdom? This fact-packed book divides animals into the major phyla, classes, and critical features. Fascinating case histories examine the discovery of new mammal species, the need to conserve endangered species, and using natural predators to control populations and preserve species and their environments.
Archaea: Salt-lovers, Methane-makers, Thermophiles, and Other Archaeans
David M. Barker (author)
Some Archaea thrive in extreme places such as in thermal pools, hot vents at the bottom of the sea, extremely salty water, and even in underground oil reserves. This book examines the diverse Archaea kingdom and the division of these organisms by their unusual biology into three main groups. It also explains why little in general is known about them, and why further classification of Archaea is so difficult.
Bacteria: Staph, Strep, Clostridium, and Other Bacteria
Judy Wearing (author)
This book examines bacteria that are found in virtually every environmentincluding those that are characterized by extreme heat, cold, and depthand, of course, bacteria that are found inside our bodies. Case studies examine the development of new vaccines against bacterial diseases and the use of bacteria to help fight pollution.
Fungi: Mushrooms, Toadstools, Molds, Yeasts, and Other Fungi
This interesting book features an examination of the four major groups of fungi: yeasts, toadstools, chytrids, and bread molds. Special sections explore varieties that feed on dead and decaying matter, parasites, and species that form relationships with other species. Case histories involving fungi include penicillin and the fight against disease, and genetically modified (GM) products in food technology.