The reviews here were written between January and December 2001 and relate to books published mainly in that year. They are presented here in abbreviated form for archival purposes.
Return to main review index.
Abel,
McConnell and Koepfler. Issues in Oceanography.
Allaby. Basics of Environmental Science
Atkins and Bowler. Food in Society
Barnes et al. Invertebrates
Brown. State of the World 2001
Burroughs. Climate Change: a multidisciplinary approach
Christie. The Ozone Layer.
Clark. Marine Pollution 5e.
Cronk and Fuller. Plant Invaders.
Cuningham. Applied Ethnobotany.
Drury. Stepping Stones.
Ennos and Sheffield. Plant Life.
European Environmental Agency. Environmental Signals 2001
Garner. Environmental Politics. 2e.
Gatrell. Geographies of Health.
Gibson, Hextall and Rogers. Photographic Guide to the
Sea and Shore Life of Britain and NW Europe
Glantz. Currents of change. 2e.
Goudie. The Nature of the Environment. 4e.
Grant, Matthews and Newell. The Effectiveness of European
Union Environmental Policy.
Helm. Environmental Policy: Objectives, Instruments and
Implementation.
Hindmarsh and Pienkowski. Land Management.
Hull. Science and Selection.
Jackson, Begg and Parkinson. Flexibility in Climate
Policy
Jennings, Kaiser and Reynolds. Marine Fisheries Ecology.
Kalff. Limnology.
Krohne. General Ecology. 2e
Levin. The origin, expansion and demise of plant species.
Little. The Biology of Soft Shores and Estuaries.
Livi-Bacci. A Concise History of World Population.
Mackenzie, Ball and Virdee. Ecology Notes 2e.
Marten. Human Ecology.
Menkhorst and Knight. A Field Guide to the Mammals of
Australia.
Miller. Sustaining the Earth. 5e.
Molnar and Molnar. Environmental Change and Human Survival.
Newman. Applied Ecology and Environmental Management.
2e
Olsen, Sunesen and Pedersen. Small Woodland Creatures.
Osborne. Tropical Ecosystems and Ecological Concepts.
Paddle. The Last Tasmanian Tiger.
Panter-Brick, Layton and Rowley-Conwy. Hunter-Gatherers:
An interdsciplinary perspective.
Patterson. Understanding Global Environmental Politics.
Press, Huntly and Levin. Ecology: Achievements and Challenges.
Primack. A Primer of Conservation Biology. 2e.
Pugh. Sustainable Cities in Developing Countries.
Revenga et al., Matthews et al: Pilot Analysis of Global
Ecosystems.
Seitz. Global Issues. 2e.
Slovic. Perception of Risk.
Stearns and Hoekstra. Evolution: an introduction
Stiling. Ecology 4e.
Tryzna. World Directory of Environmental Organisations.
6e.
Tudge. The Variety of Life.
Vogler. The Global Commons. 2e.
World Resources Institute. World Resources CD
World Resources Institute. World Resources 2000-2001
Zohary and Hopf. Domestication of Plants in the Old
World.
Daniel C Abel, Robert L McConnell and Eric Koepfler.
Issues in Oceanography.
This slim book is actually the hard-copy part of a two-part venture. The remainder is on the 'net! Each chapter is very brief. You get a series of questions which focus the reader on the main points under discussion. The remainder of the chapter acts as an overview. There are a few references which usually include web sites. On the front -inside is an access code to gain access to the site which is valid for 6 months.
Registration is fairly slow with a first-time, two-part system. You use the i/d given on the book cover to be able to set your own passwords. You have to answer a number of questions including name, institution etc. Some may find this invasive, it is certainly more information than you would expect in a bookshop. Some fields are compulsory and even the optional ones may be required to advance in the system. After reading a very long agreement form you eventually get to access the site.
Once you have finally gained access it should be possible to view the full content. Sadly, despite trying all chapters more than once I was unable to gain access. I don't want a glitch to interfere with reviewing so keep watching this page and I'll see if I can get in!
Michael Allaby. Basics of Environmental Science.
2e. Routledge. ISBN: 0 415 21175 1
One of the key problems with subjects like environmental science, ecology and geology is that starting the subject can seen very daunting. Geology has a bewildering series of names and time concepts; ecology is deceptively simple with the complexities very soon making sense of basic ideas complex; environmental science being an amalgamation of many disciplines (with its own individual perspective thrown in) makes any headway difficult until enough of the language of each science is understood. It makes sense therefore to produce a text which tries to provide all the basic information in one place and at a level (not always the same level!) sufficient to understanding key processes.
Allaby has chosen to tackle this task by dividing the subject matter into the 6 'chapters' as seen above. These chapters contain collections of brief topics each detailing one aspect of environmental study. Of the 64 sections, 14 are found in chapter 4 dealing with the biosphere. Topics range from biomes to energy and from tolerance to stability. To bring together these sections there is a clear structure to each chapter. An opening overview outlines the topics that will be covered. At the end there is a summary and a few questions to help reinforce the material, lists for references and further reading and endnotes. In addition there is a useful list which shows which topics in other chapters are closely related.
Any attempt to cover this ground is going to be fraught with difficulties of both coverage and depth of treatment. Furthermore, no two people are going to chose the exactly the same list and so arguments on inclusion/exclusion of topics will be bound to occur. These caveats apart, this text does cover a good range of key topics. The text is accessible and the sections brief enough to provide an overview on the one hand without suffocating detail on the other. Set against this must be the overall lack of illustration upon which the modern beginner is wont to rely.
Peter Atkins and Ian Bowler. Food in Society: Economy, Culture, Geography. Arnold. ISBN: 0 340 72004 2
Considering the importance of agroecosystems to human existence and the amount of study given to their ecology there is surprisingly little accessible material to the acquisition of food in all its contexts. We read about the impact of farming on the countryside in terms of declining species but less about the design of systems that can bring such events about. This is like complaining about rail timetables without considering the rail system! Thankfully in the past there have been some notable exceptions: Don Arthur's Survival (English Universities Press 1969) and Robert Barrass' Biology, Food and People (Hodder and Staughton 1974) but as can be readily appreciated these texts, for all their qualities, are out of date. It's always possible to use Government publications but these tend to be both restricted in focus and technical in outlook. Now, we can look at Atkins and Bowler's book which is one of the closest I've seen in recent years to encompass the variety of approaches of the earlier texts.
The book is divided into 6 parts. The first serves as an hors d'oeuvre (sic!) with the opening chapter describing the main compass of the work with outlines of the growth both of the food systems and their study. Part two examines the political economy of food. The chapter on food régimes is an intriguing division of food production in the last 150 years which seems to owe more to continental geography than more usual British perspective. Such a highly technical piece is succeeded by 4 chapters which outline the way in which is produced, transported, processed and consumed in a series of global networks. A range of excellent, clear diagrams supplement the arguments. Part three looks at the more 'traditional' food issues in terms of global politics. There is a chapter dealing with production and population (and the frequent imbalances between these two). Subsequent chapters examine the issues of food scarcity (malnutrition), surplus and security with a concluding chapter on food geopolitics (with the point, well made, that food aid is not just given to the hungry!). Part four takes another turn and looks at political ecology. This series of chapters takes into account both the quantity and quality of food, food production methods and ethics. I'm not too sure if current debates on GM food would like to be linked in a chapter title with the Green Revolution - a troubled concept which couldn't live up to the hype placed on it! The ethics chapter gives a range of topics to study which would be sure to enliven any ecology debate. The fifth part deals with consumption in terms of food patterns, tastes and taboos. Although of less direct relevance it could provide a great range of ideas for work.
This is a very good book. Its wide range of very brief chapters keeps the reader constantly challenged. The diagrams provide a useful overview of key processes which could be used in a variety of situations (although the lack of diagrams and pictures makes the overall effect less accessible for the less motivated reader). Whatever the context of food production there is something here to stimulate. For those wishing to gain further information there is a website linked to the text (click here) organised by chapters. Given the wealth of information this is definitely one for the library shelf.
RSK Barnes, P Calow, PJW Olive, DW Golding and
JI Spicer. The Invertebrates: a synthesis 3e. Blackwell Science. ISBN:
0 632 04761 5
This three-part text is designed to present an overview of this large and diverse group of animals. The authors' introduction serves as a cogent reminder of the need for a text such as this. The sheer numbers of species involved and their, generally, under-researched nature means that there is a need for a text which can bring together all the phyla. At a time of increasing specialisation there is likewise a need to show workers the range of organisms. From the view of ecological education there could be a third argument: that invertebrates make excellent subjects for study without the constraints seen in using other phyla.
The book is divided into 3 unequal sections. The first part serves as an introduction. Chapter 1 is a brief overview of organismic organisation whilst the second chapter deals with invertebrate evolution and phylogeny. Evolution underpins what we see today (and what are described in subsequent parts) and so this aspect is vital to our understanding. Part two deals with every phylum in terms of classification, key characteristics and special features. There are numerous clear diagrams to aid understanding. If part two dealt with the features held in common by certain phyla then part three deals with those features help in common by most invertebrates i.e. functional biology. Again, we see the basic explanation backed up with diagrams and a reading list for further study.
Essentially, this is a simple text. It aims to bring together all invertebrates and describe them in terms of their differences (phyla) and common elements (functions). Although the text needs to be precise, it is clear and the diagrams are very good. This is an excellent reference text which should find its way into field centres and school/college libraries.
Lester Brown et al. State of the World 2001. Earthscan.
ISBN: 1 85383 769 5
Ever since 1983 the Worldwatch team have produced this annual summary of global environmental trends with a focus on sustainable use. Each one takes either a theme or a series of key aspects (rather than follow the same cases each year as with other yearbooks). This makes the series a major source of changes in environmental concern as much as a record of annual events.
Even though no two year's texts take the same themes there are a number of recurring ideas (albeit in different disguises) that we can see this year. Inequality (especially financial inequality) is a key issue and attracts two different perspectives. The first looks at two 'worlds' - one rich, one poor. Although we've all read the 'North-South' debate there are other sides to this. In the first chapter we are introduced to the E9 - a group of industrial economies (USA, Indonesia, China etc). whose developments and changes are affecting both other, poorer nations, and other members within the nation. It is argued that these dichotomies are creating a less equal society and that this has both social and environmental impacts. Typical of this report, we are also given the potential to improve the situation. Any financial report must also address the problems of debt and so we are given a broad introduction to the problem and the ways in which the major international banks can see that they are both producers and, potentially, solvers of the current 'crisis'. Pollution is another major topic and this yearbook has three diverse cases: groundwater pollution, amphibian decline and fossil fuels. The groundwater chapter takes us through the fascinating cases found in the US whereby pollution decades ago is just being found in groundwater supplies. Frogs are dying and we don't really know why. Current culprits are habitat loss and global warming. This issue really started to get some international press last year and so it is good to see a useful summary so soon. Even if you think you understand the issue the Worldwatch team can produce a new slant. The energy chapter deals with the consumption of fossil fuels and their environmental impact. To this is added a discussion of the latest ideas on carbon savings (as part of the Kyoto agreements). It could be argued that the following chapter (on transport) takes up the theme of energy reduction and efficient usage. Of the remaining chapters, two are worth special mention - environmental crime and governance for sustainability. Its not often that we get a chance to read about the sharp end of international treaties from Ramsar to London to CITES but here we have examples of a very wide range of crimes and what is being done to reduce them. The whole situation is large scale given the size of the planet and the lack of a global government. The final chapter considers the ways in which we might (but often, don't) respond to environmental issues. Linking concepts of innovation diffusion with civil, corporate and central governance we are shown a variety of cases where action has been successful.
This is a key text with a history of quality scientific research which shows all sides in the debate. Previous issues have been consider by this reviewer as some of the best examples of clear, concise writing which should be shown to all senior school and university students as examples of good practice. Pleasingly, this new book follows the trend: Brown et al have produced a text that needs to be on every school/college library (and staff) bookshelf.
William James Burroughs. Climate Change: A
Multidisciplinary Approach. Cambridge University Press.ISBN: 0 521 56771
8
There's more to climate change than the greenhouse effect. The climate has been in a state of flux since the first atmosphere was formed. This book describes some of those patterns and processes. The opening chapter highlights one of the key issues about climate change: its complexity. However much we might want a simple answer there isn't one. This leaves the textbook writer with a dilemma: to simplify so that the audience can appreciate it (and risk losing important detail) or to keep to the major themes and risk losing the audience. There is really no easy answer with this one: we just have to take each book as it arrives and see what it contributes to the educational scene.
The opening is promising - several graphs illustrate change within the scale promoted by global warming. This promotes the idea of change but also shows that changes can fit in with more than one picture. Chapter 2 is a brief but sound introduction to atmospheric physics - radiation, orbits, solar variability etc. whilst chapter 3 continues this background briefing with a look at global atmospheric and oceanic patterns. Chapter 4 looks at the evidence we get for climate change. It is only recently that our instruments have been sensitive enough for us to measure small changes but there are other records in documents, tree rings, sediment cores etc. that can be used. To find out more about these we have to skip to chapter 6 which deals, in detail, with the range of measures we have (as well as their strengths and weaknesses). Similarly, chapters 5 and 8 are linked through the causes (8) and consequences (5) of climatic change. It is particularly pleasing to see human agency well down the list of causes if only because it helps to reduce the popular view that human agency is everything. It is also pleasing to see consequences include a far wider range than normal which highlights the impact of climate upon us. In between these two sets is chapter 7 looking at the statistics of climate change. This is not the mathematical treatise it might seem but a fascinating look at some of the parameters of our measures along with 'smoothing' and 'noise' as factors which can hide underlying change. Chapter 9 looks at some of the models we use to show climate change. The final chapter focusses on prediction.
The author is true to his idea of not over simplifying the picture and yet the resulting text, with careful reading, brings out some of the variables we need to use to understand climate change. Ideas are put forward clearly and there is none of the footnotes and article references that could so easily dominate such a text. Each chapter has a summary, questions and short reading list (fuller bibliographies are found at the back). Diagrams are sharp and clear making with no undue data. Overall, a very useful addition to the literature - a worthy addition to the library shelves.
Maureen Christie. The Ozone Layer: a philosophy of science perspective. Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 0 521 65908 6
The ozone 'problem' has been one of the more dramatic pieces of environmental science of recent years. To the public it was suddenly 'discovered' amidst data from Antarctica but to scientists it was just one more part of the puzzle which had been under investigation for years. The role of ozone is now well known. Less well known is why certain areas appear to have a thinning of ozone concentration at certain times of the year. Even less well understood is its connection with other global meteorological phenomena (it's often confused with global warming for example).
Rather than attempt another text on the science of ozone, Christie has taken a different perspective. She has attempted to look at the ozone issue from the point of the historian and philosopher. Thus we see not the final theory but the development of that theory from the 19th century. The book is divided into two parts. The first part deals with the development of ozone science. It opens with a brief overview that takes the reader from the earliest understanding through to the 1960s. Subsequent chapters follow a specific aspect - CFCs and supersonic transport or certain key actors. The role of Antarctic data is given a detailed examination with a final chapter in this part bringing the story up to 1994. Up to this point we have a straightforward history with key ideas and actors described. Part 2 takes this information and then examines the philosophical aspects that it brings to light: prediction, experimentation, evidence and multidisciplinary study. A final chapter looks at the concept of consensus in terms of this debate. It is not just that there were (and still are) dissenting positions, nor that these positions have varying degrees of validity but that these positions attract publicity which may sway the wider community.
This is very much a specialist text. The first part outlines the history and provides a useful overview. The second, philosophical, part opens up a good deal of theoretical analysis on how science is done and what we gain from it. There is far too little work like this being done. If we are to take not just the science seriously but the method (and the framework behind it) seriously then we need texts like this. It would be ideal in undergraduate courses where methodology is a crucial part of the teaching.
RB Clark. Marine Pollution 5e. Oxford University
Press. ISBN: 0 19 879292 1
Any text that makes it through to the 5th edition and still has something new to say must be considered a classic. This is a text I've reviewed in the past. Previous editions have been excellent (and much borrowed which is why the comparison here is with the third and not the fourth edition!). Compared with earlier editions this is larger and with a few minor changes in chapters (although the content appears to be there, just re-arranged).
The opening chapter poses the question of the nature of pollution. What is pollution, how does it get to the sea etc. This is approached in a clear and logical manner with pollution sources and inputs described. The chapter finishes on an interesting aspect - that of pollution abatement and priorities. Pollution is a by-product: the aim of pollution control is to mitigate that by-product - the level at which it does so is a purely human response. Chapter two is a brief but excellent overview of the measurement of change. Pollution does not have a single effect: the response of the target depends on the individual, the organs 'attacked', the species, the population, the community and the ecosystem. Given these variables it is surprising that there is any agreement as to the overall damage of pollution. Subsequent chapters examine a range of pollution types. Chapter three looks at organic pollution (mainly sewage and agricultural runoff). Here the emphasis is on the ways in which the pollution 'travels' when it reaches the seas and the impact that can have. This is followed by a large chapter dealing with oil pollution. From a consideration of the nature of oil the chapter moves to consider what happens to oil, how it can be removed/reduced and the impacts of both pollution and the pollution control. One has only to remember the impact of beach cleaning on littoral organisms post-Torrey Canyon to realise that current readers need to be aware of all aspects of pollution control. Metals and halogenated hydrocarbons (pesticides, PCBs etc.) form the focus of the next two chapters. Both are considered conservative is that they are not readily subject to bacterial decay. they can, however, build up in organisms until their concentration becomes deleterious to that organism. Radioactivity can be an emotive topic and radioactive pollution even more so. The overview provided in chapter 7 gives us a balanced account of this material noting its local effects (especially with Sellafield). Chapter 8 might be thought of as a collection of leftovers but these pollutants can create considerable local effects. Dredging is a notorious problem in some areas and mine tailings can pollute coastal areas for kilometres. Heat also receives a brief mention where coastal power stations can alter the local marine flora. The final chapter provides an overview of five key marine areas - North Sea, Baltic, Mediterranean, Caribbean and Caspian - and the way in which pollution has affected them.
This book is an excellent introduction to the topic. The layout has been changed to make it even clearer. The language is accessible to the beginner and the sidebars help by providing a summary. Two elements are noted which should be of concern to us all. In the preface Clark notes that pollution data are becoming 'classified' as commercial interest and so the updates he wants aren't available (although this doesn't stop him revising all data where appropriate). This means that our students risk using less relevant data. Also in the preface he notes that newer students have a less solid background in marine biology. Whilst this is a worry it is to the author's credit that he changes the text to make it easier to understand.
The quality of previous editions has been maintained and even improved upon. This really is now a 'must-have' book for both institutional and personal library.
Quentin CB Cronk and Janice L Fuller. Plant Invaders:
the threat to natural ecosystems.Earthscan. ISBN: 1 85383 781 4
One of the by-products of human exploration is that any trail is followed, sooner or later, by a range on non-native species some of which can have a serious impact on the endemic flora and fauna. It doesn't matter too much whether these introductions were planned as in gardens and zoos or 'hitched a ride' as part of general human movement. The result can be catastrophic as anyone who looks around the Australian bush (to name just one set of ecosystems) can readily see.
This slim text is part of the 'People and Plants Initiative' of the WWF and UNESCO (see also a review for Cunningham's book in this series). It's outline is both straightforward and effective. An introductory chapter outlines the concept of invasion and the reasons such plants can cause problems for ecosystems. The second chapter shows how plant invasions can occur using a range of examples from around the world. Once you have an invasive plant then it is important to remove it. Chapter three highlights some of the most effective ways that can be used but also notes that it is not as easy as it seems. Some species can get a hold before we realise what is happening. Some methods are also expensive in labour, time and finance. Chapter 4 shows what can happen by selecting a range of case studies covering some of the world's most difficult species. A final chapter expands on these studies by listing a very wide range of key invasive plants.
The featured aim of the text is to inform people working in the field about the types of invasive plants they can meet and what they can do about them. What we also get is a great reference guide that presents key information simply and with numerous examples. Any centre using invasive plants as a study would benefit from this text.
Anthony B Cunningham. Applied Ethnobotany:
People, Wild Plant Use and Conservation. Earthscan. ISBN: 1 85383 697
4
One of the more difficult questions in conservation is the fate of wild species when these are part of the usage pattern of traditional or indigenous groups. On the one hand there is the right of the users to continue their activities (even if this might lead to the extinction of the species): on the other hand there is a case to be argued for global ownership. This issue needs to be resolved but it is unlikely to be an easy matter. Whilst the debate is continuing there is still the need for analysis of plant resources and the development of sustainable use. One idea is the
Despite the anthropocentric nature of conservation the direct involvement of people in landscape-scale ecology is less well documented than other areas of study. To this end, the idea of ethnobotany (a study of the plant-people interface) is introduced. It refers here to the use of wild plant resources by traditional and indigenous groups. The preface and introduction outline the basic ideas behind the text and also discuss the concept of 'wild' (as opposed to 'cultivated'). Chapter one starts the process by outlining the development of conservation perspectives in Africa (the main case setting for the text). It demonstrates how views change with time and the impact of these views on the conservation effort. Chapter two focusses on gathering data. The idea is that rather than go in and collect data, the process is much more a case of working with the local people to collect information and also to learn more about the area. This emphasis on local knowledge is crucial: it acknowledges properly the information held by the local people and also establishes a way whereby others can benefit as well. There is enormous detail here. It ranges from the involvement of local people to various fieldwork techniques and sampling ideas (not all plant material comes in a readily identified form!). Chapter three acknowledges the importance of the local market. There are several geographical techniques that are described that can be used to gather the data needed to assess impacts on plant species. If chapters two and three are a survey on the importance of specific plants then chapter 4 is a study of the impact on the plants. It starts with a list of equipment needed and continues with an account of the data that can be gathered using it. The list is surprisingly unsophisticated but then one must consider the circumstances of the fieldwork and the money/time available. With our increasing 'need' for electronic equipment it is a salutary lesson to see what can be gained by using more humble gear. Given that information is at best sparse, this systematic gathering is already a vast improvement. Chapters 5 and 6 turn to examine the impact of exploitation at the population and landscape level respectively. The argument is that we need to look beyond individual harvests to see the broader picture. Chapter 7 turns to people management. It notes, rightly, that conservation is often people management rather than species management. If this is a nature reserve then the matter is simple. If this involves a wider usage of common resources then we also need to be aware of the area's social geography, land tenure system etc. Studies have shown that conservation is most effective when the users of an area see that they have ownership of the plan. The final chapter briefly
Despite the fact that few readers will ever be called upon to carry out fieldwork in developing nations this book is of far wider importance. The numerous diagrams, tables of data, information flow charts, fieldwork sketches etc. give a great vibrancy to the work. It would be possible to use the information in discussions, analysis of videos, poster presentations and so on. It is unusual that such a seemingly restricted text provides information which makes the topic accessible to a larger audience. It deserves a wide readership.
Stephen Drury. Stepping Stones: the making of our
home world.Oxford University Press. ISBN: 0 19850807 7
We are used to books seeking to highlight the popular areas of ecology, biology and natural history. These can reach best-seller lists and be translated into television. There is far less written about the vast majority of Earth's history - the development of the lithosphere. This book is one of the most recent attempts to bring together current knowledge about the Earth's geological (and therefore atmospheric and hydrologic) development. For earth scientists such a book represents a way of introducing subjects prior to study in greater depth. For ecology students the need is no less great: one could almost argue that its need is greater given that the physical environment is a major ecological constraint but that it rarely features to any great extent in ecological courses.
The book is divided into seven sections. The first acts as an introduction with chapters looking at solar energy fluxes, circulation patterns and some basic chemistry and genetics (although this area is examined more briefly than others. A concluding chapter in this section looks at fluctuations through time and points the way to the next section. Section two deals with time and geological development. It starts with an explanation of the geological time scale and continues with plate tectonics and climate changes brought about by geological developments. Section three looks at the changes wrought on us from external sources - comets, asteroids etc. A final chapter examines the changes in atmospheric composition through time. As we move to the next part we go from external rocks to the development of life. This is a discussion of species through geological time. It shows the major changes that have occurred through both evolution and changes in DNA. Section five, called climate, mantle and life starts with volcanoes and their outgassing and continues by looking at the climatic changes brought about by changes in continental location. The final chapter on ice ages and warming phases seeks to show that both are geologically common. It is also a reminder, in the rush towards theories of global warming, that originally there were two ideas: global warming and the ice age effect. Section six is a good review of the main speciation and extinction events. The advantage of this treatment received here is that in taking a geological perspective it is possible to demonstrate changes far more easily. The final section brings people into the equation showing both our development on the planet through human evolution and the way in which this development has led to our increasing use of planetary resources.
There is a need for a text which outlines the basic geological ideas without too much recourse to the problems of geological terminology. It's important that students get a clear understanding of planetary development especially when we seem to be keen to alter it. The book is well illustrated and the language is largely non technical. It would appeal to a wide range of readers and should be a standard reference text for those seeking to show global ecology is more than organisms.
Ronald Ennos and Elizabeth Sheffield. Plant Life. Blackwell Science. ISBN: 0 865 42737 2
The increased interest in biodiversity and species extinction had led to a number of texts dealing with evolution. At the same time there is a constant interest for books which deal with the perennial problem of classification and identification. There are far fewer which try to marry the two approaches and produce a classification study linked to evolution and put this in a context of plant diversity. The result of this approach is a novel textbook which is both engaging and accessible.
The book is divided into three parts. The first part deals with the topic of the evolutionary history of plants. It is approached from the genetic level with a great overview of the genetic process. This moves on to consider methods of adaptation and speciation with a brief examination of the extinction process. An entire chapter is devoted to the process and pitfalls of classification. There are good illustrations of this quite complex topic and current gaps and doubts in the process are acknowledged. This gives the reader both an overview and a guide to current research. At the end of each chapter there are references and a list of discussion points. Part two moves on to look at groups of plants based on their habitat rather than the more traditional classificatory sense. Although some of the classification ideas are lost this is more than made up for in the value it gives the reader who is able to examine by ecology rather than family. The contents of each chapter vary slightly but evolution, adaptation and ecology are recurring themes. There are copious illustrations, case studies and discussion questions. Part three takes yet another approach by looking at plants not in terms of habitats but in terms of the total physical environment. Clearly this could include a vast range but the authors have focussed on wet tropics, seasonal climates and extreme environments (desert/snowfield). The focus here is more on adaptation and evolution than ecology. The appendix provides a conventional classification of plants and the glossary gives a very wide range of terms so that the least specialist reader should be able to make headway through the text.
The new approach, the quality of the writing and the way in which the subject matter is organised make this an excellent text (if a little specialised for school use). There are numerous drawings and illustrations. The subject matter (which in some areas like genetics can become complex for the lay person) is dealt with even-handedly which means a range of people can benefit from this book independent of the specialist background. In presents the familiar and sometimes dry in a new way which adds to the enjoyment and also demands that we question our perspectives of study.
European Environment Agency. Environmental Signals 2001.EEA.
There are two crucial elements facing environmental and ecological educators today: making sure that our students can access sufficient theory to make global change understandable and putting this in a context that they can relate to. The former is a challenge given the complexity of the system but the latter is often as difficult because we can't get simple yet meaningful statistics to use.
It would appear that we are not alone in this. The EEA has put out this volume, the second in the series, which seeks to provide significant data for decision-makers and others. In an attempt to make the data both useful and understandable they have used a series of indicators. This goes back to the Dobris Report which called for a series of baseline measures to be taken - progress could then be measured from these baselines. The focus of these measures is sustainability: taken as one of the development goals following the Amsterdam Treaty linking environmental and sectoral issues. Chapter 1 provides more detail to this outline and also shows which aspects of Community life are of importance in this review. It also shows how the EU idea of impact assessment fits into the standard EIA framework. Chapter 2 is a brief look at how economic policies can affect environmental outcomes. The remainder of the text is divided into two areas. Chapters 3 to 7 focus on economic activity and the way that affects the environment whilst chapters 8 to 15 takes the opposite perspective and show how a specific element of the environment is affected by a range of economic practices.
With such a large range of aspects under investigation in such a slim volume it is not surprising that the space given to each part is very limited. However, this is used to advantage. Each chapter has numerous graphs with small commentaries - there's virtually none of the data tables you would expect from such a study. Each graph is designed to give a clear indication of progress. To make things even easier there's a set of 'smileys' giving the ultimate quick shot of what is happening. Although this might offend purists the book is designed to give very quick, easy-to-understand results for the non-specialist and it does this with ease. Given the way in which environmental matters are now integrated with the national curriculum this book has a great deal to offer. For its data value and relatively low price it should be on every school bookshelf (and probably every politician's too!).
Robert Garner. Environmental Politics: Britain, Europe and the global environment. 2e. Macmillan. ISBN: 0 333 76310 6
One of the great advantages of a case-study approach to education is that it is possible to create some extremely stimulating material that gets people thinking. This was no doubt one of the main reasons for its adoption into so many areas of contemporary syllabus design. Of course, there is another way of looking at this. Although case studies are appealing there is the tendency that it creates a superficial understanding at the expense of knowledge. One such area is environmental politics. This can provide great 'copy' and students respond to acts by Greenpeace etc. with considerable concern and support. As admirable as this is there is another viewpoint. Newer movements towards 'civics' in school education and the demand for a broader approach in conventional science (although it was always there in environmental studies/science) has meant that there is a need for a text devoted to sorting out the complexities of key areas such as environmental politics.
Here, Garner takes the area of the European Union and the way in which it interacts with Britain. Even though the first edition was a mere 5 years ago, substantial changes have meant that a re-write and update could be justified. Given that the first edition was in the aftermath of the Rio conference and that since then we have had, amongst other aspects, the Kyoto Conference it's easy to see where revisions could be justified. The opening chapter describes the nature of environmental politics and some of the problems in analysing it. Chapter two examines the nature of the environmental crisis and current environmental concern. Chapter three takes an unusual departure from conventional studies. It argues that there is more than one perspective on environmental concern. Garner goes back to a notion noted by O'Riordan (Environmentalism. Pion Press. 1981.) and others in that environmental responses can be seen as being on a continuum whose extremes are ecocentric (i.e. Deep Green) and technocentric (Light Green!). The value of this approach is that it focusses our attention on the point that there is more than one acceptable environmentalist perspective when studying issues. Of course the downside is that rather than have one fixed position from which to begin analysis there are two (or several depending on what you are looking for!). However difficult this makes the work it is useful to be able to see alternatives (especially in politics). Chapter 4
Overall, a useful text to help teachers gain a greater understanding of environmental politics (particularly from the analytical/theoretical viewpoint) and one which should be widely read in undergraduate courses for the way in which it outlines our current position.
Anthony C. Gatrell. Geographies of Health. Blackwell Publishers. ISBN: 0 631 21985 4.
Considering the amount of time and concern we give to health issues it is surprising that are not more texts on health geography (or ecology) on the market. This is one of the very few accessible texts on the topic.
It is divided into three parts. In the first part we are introduced to the basic concepts and techniques of health geographies. Chapter one gives a very brief overview of the topic and why medical matters should be of concern to geographers. Essentially, health (or illness) occurs somewhere and that is, by definition, a geographical issue. He could also have said that since disease is usually linked to a specific organism there is also an ecology of health. This part is given less treatment in the text but it is at least made implicit. Chapter two starts to explain the ideas of plurality in geography. The explosion in geographical thought in the 1970s and 80s meant that it was possible to see more than one perspective on issues: here we see 5 - positivist, social interactionist, structuralist, structurationist and post modernist. Whilst this might seem daunting at first the explanations and examples are very easy to follow and the perspectives they allow demonstrate their utility. Chapter three starts to give some outline to the range of methods used in this study. Part two looks at people and health in terms of patterns created. One obvious idea, and the subject of the first two chapters in this section, is inequality. Gatrell demonstrates how and why spatial patterns are formed and highlights the some implications of this. The final chapter describes the way in which migration can create health issues. The final part looks at how the natural environment or, more strictly, its anthropocentric modifications, have created health issues that need to be studied. Cases are taken from air and water pollution and a final chapter which tries to link cases from global change mechanisms.
Overall, this is a fascinating text. It describes, in very accessible terms, the basic patterns and processes of health and illness. By the time one has finished the book there are almost as many new questions as answers. Since there is so much literature available (albeit in hard-to-access journals) it is surprising that such a subject hasn't been tackled more widely before. Of greatest benefit to educators are the website links (brief, but all the key sites are there) and the range of ideas the author presents. This latter idea is crucial. I have often reviewed texts that might otherwise escape attention because of their implied subject matter or even title. So often there is much to be gained from studying these books. This is a prime example. Virtually every page has a desk or field study idea. Since health has an ecology and certainly an environmental aspect it would make an ideal study for students. Although all but the higher grades of senior school students might find the topic too difficult it should be widely available for all teachers who could find a great range of ideas in the text.
Lars Henrik-Olsen, Jakob Sunesen and Bente Vita
Pedersen: Small Woodland Creatures.
Ray Gibson, Benedict Hextall and Alex Rogers: Photographic Guide to the
Sea and Shore Life of Britain and North-West Europe. Oxford University
Press. ISBN: Olsen: 019 850797 6; Gibson:0
Identification is the most crucial skill in beginners ecology. If you don't know what you're looking at you can't appreciate its role in the scheme of things. That's why identification books are so important and why this review puts two from the same publisher together. One is photographic, one uses drawings. Is one style better than the other?
Woodland Creatures starts at the covers where outlines of the various animal groups are placed. Animals are shown natural size and so this makes the smaller ones tricky to see. A page reference takes you to the correct part of the text. Each group of organisms has a brief overview about it (mainly in terms of description). Each species is then described in terms of size, colouring/markings, locations and times to see them. The illustrations are superb with even the smallest detail recognisable. Towards the back of the text there are three small sections. The first deals with a range of environmental factors - habitats, aphid enemies, Dutch Elm disease etc. The second is a botanical reference which notes the main galls and leaf miners. The third section is a brief note on the world of small invertebrates - camouflage, mimicry etc. The end cover has outlines of the main woodland tree leaves.
Sea and Shore Life also uses the front cover. Major groups of species are clearly set out (not to scale) in a series of boxes. Each box has a page number and a colour code. This colour is reproduced on the side of the book so one can find a section quickly (similar to a telephone directory). An introduction outlines the major features of tidal and shore areas. Each major group of organisms has an introduction describing its main features. Each species within that follows a common format with written description of features and habitat and ecology, a map of distribution, a photograph and usually a few words on the organism's distinctive features and, sometimes, a line drawing to highlight a particular feature. The photographs are superb and the whole layout is clear and uncluttered.
The question of one being better than the other is very hard to answer. Both texts are beautifully illustrated. Both are pocket-sized and, to a certain extent, protected from the elements. The woodland creatures are given highly detailed drawings from which an accurate identification could be obtained easily. The marine organisms are seen in their habitats which is useful because this is likely to be the less common field area (especially for the larger fish). The layout of the marine text is easier to use because it is less cluttered and colour coded. The abundance maps are useful but since only the more common species are described and these have a wide distribution, most maps look identical. Of course, the real question comes down to one's ecological requirements and fieldwork areas. Given the quality of the work and the very reasonable cost both are excellent guides for beginner and more experienced person alike. They both deserve the widest usage.
Michael H. Glantz. Currents of Change: Impacts
of El Niño and La Niña on Climate and Society. 2e. Cambridge
University Press. ISBN: 0 521 78672 X
Considering the current interest in El Niño and La Niña its surprising to realise that the first comments about a Pacific phenomenon that affected fisheries and weather patterns were made over 125 years ago! This early interest was admittedly localised being primarily concerned with Peruvian fisheries (that link being kept today with a comment by the current Peruvian President at the back of this book) but the desire to see further was started. Today, we see this as more than a small problem with an increasing amount of time and energy being devoted to following not just the South American connection but possible links as far away as India, US and even Europe.
That global interest (and more) is reflected in this book. The introduction outlines the development of interest in the phenomena from the early concerns of the Peruvian people to current concerns about global weather patterns. The remainder of the text is divided into three sections. The first section is concerned with the development of interest in El Niño. The first, brief, chapter outlines a definition of the phenomenon and give some idea of the interest it has generated. The second describes El Niño from two perspectives that of the event per se and from interest in the Southern Oscillation because it is only later in the research that these two items are linked. The next section examines El Niño and La Niña in more detail. Two chapters describe their individual biographies. Subsequent chapters cover more recent studies: the 1982-3 event (which was unlike previous ones), forecasting - in particular, the forecasting of the 1997-98 El Niño, teleconnections, ecological impacts and identification methodologies. The last two are useful introductions but it is the third one, teleconnections, that seems the most interesting. Basically, it argues that disparate events can be linked. The aim is to find the linkages. This means that for a possibly global event like El Niño the teleconnections are potentially truly global. The great part about this author's perspective is that we see both sides of this controversial idea. The final section asks the question of why bother? Given that it affects directly the tropical Pacific belt (i.e. South America and Oceania) what is the point of our concern. Glantz takes the opportunity of breaking away from strict science to show how El Niño interest arises elsewhere. The health aspects could be seen as crucial and the chapters outlining what people (as opposed to El Niño scientists) needs to know is a lesson in how to reduce science to what is really important. Perhaps the best part is reserved for the treatment on media coverage which highlights, if it were needed, the ways in which what we say doesn't end up as what is written.
When the first edition was published I reviewed it and commented that it was one of the best basic introductions one could get. There is always the danger that the new edition could, in trying to get fresh copy, remove valuable older material. This does not seem to be the case. Data are current but the readability which made the first edition so good is still there. There are additions of which the 'flip charts' (small diagrams on the lower right-hand side which could be flipped through to give the impression of a movie) are one of the most innovative and give the reader the sense of change without the need for costly monitoring. (The colour-by-numbers El Niño charts might appear a gimmick but it would be accessible to everybody and would be a slow enough exercise to get students considering what it is they are actually colouring in. This really is an excellent text. It highlights key scientific areas and produces an accessible text. Anyone studying these phenomena should have a copy on their shelves.
Andrew Goudie. The Nature of the Environment 4e.
Blackwell Publishers. ISBN: 0 63120069 X
Over the past 10 years, this author has produced a range of texts aimed at describing/explaining the human-environment system from each perspective. These are not single texts but a series of editions which implies both quality and quantity of information.
This fourth edition looks at the planet from the point of view of physical geography. These 17 chapters are divided into 5 parts. Firstly, we take a global perspective with overviews of geology, climate and biology. All the major aspects are covered: geology with rock composition, plate tectonics and time; climate with atmosphere, patterns, hydrologic processes and climate change; biology with plant types, realms and soil. Part two divides the world into four main zones - polar, mid latitudes, desert and tropics. Although this is far fewer than the standard biome divisions it is used to highlight key similarities and differences rather than give a detailed account of each separate area. A brief part three focusses just on mountains and coasts. Leaving aside the topic matter these chapters help to illustrate two key features of the text: scale and complexity. Scale appears from local to regional and global. As Goudie rightly states in the introduction, scale (and the different processes operating at different scales) is a crucial part of our understanding. Complexity is demonstrated here by having two ecosystems/areas that cut across the geographies of those mentioned in part two. Part three surveys surface processes in more detail than in part 1. The opening chapter dealing with plants and animals, looks specifically at those features dealing with spread (dispersal), pattern (succession and zonation) and change (domestication, pollution, conservation etc.). Tectonic features is mainly a review of volcanoes, earthquakes and faults/folds. Slopes, soil, the hydrologic cycle and rivers cover their respective ground with the focus on interactions and the way the part fits into the whole. This leaves the last chapter in this part to deal with cities. Although this might seem unusual in a text on physical geography it can be justified easily in this text because of the constant references to human involvement and because cities create their own physical conditions that can affect the environment (especially at the local scale). Part 5 comprises a single, brief chapter on human interactions with the environment.
Each chapter is copiously illustrated with very clear diagrams and photographs, graphs etc. as needed. A big plus point, especially for the beginner is that the usual string of references that dot a text are absent here with the only note to other texts being the 'further reading' section at the end of the chapter. Each chapter also has a number of 'boxes' which are used to give specific information on more advanced ideas of special topics. Whilst they are useful there are quite a few which can, when added to the diagrams already in a chapter, give quite a jumbled effect. However, this criticism is minor compared to the the value of the cases they describe. Also at the end of the chapter is a key terms section and a few review points.
Overall, this is an excellent text. Later editions have kept to the spirit of earlier ones but have included some useful extras and new data/case studies where this could be shown to improve the communication of information. It covers a huge range of topics whilst at the same time keeping the volume of writing to a manageable amount. Having used earlier editions in teaching one can say that this new volume maintains the standard set by the older ones. There are very few texts current today that can offer anything like the material you see here. It really should be a 'must-buy' for every school and institution library.
Wyn Grant, Duncan Matthews and Peter Newell. The
Effectiveness of European Union Environmental Policy. Macmillan. ISBN:
0 333 73066 6
The entry of the EU onto the European environmental scene has created a number of changes whose overall impacts contain both positive and negative. For the first time there is a (more or less) unified structure in place which can deal with environmental problems. Certainly the quality of data are improved both in terms of the variety of material and the consistency with which it is collected. This is countered by the apparent slowness with which a large bureaucracy can respond to urgent matters. Irrespective of one's personal opinion, the EU is a body with and through which current European environmental debate is mediated. It is important that we understand what it is and how it works.
It takes only a cursory glance at EU history to realise that the environment was not at the top of the list. It is a recent addition - a point that the first chapter makes repeatedly. Despite the public rhetoric from EU ministers the private reality is that environmental policy is a relatively new and specialised area which can be given less importance than already established areas. A brief second chapter examines the nature of business influence on policy. This part has been less successful at least in terms of environmental outcomes due, in mainly, to the strength and political influence of business. Chapter 3 is a more straightforward introduction to the various policy levels that make sure the legislation is being put into effect. Chapter 4 considers the role of the EU as an actor in the global environmental scene. Although it does have some political influence the internal inconsistencies between ideals and practice mean that the overall strength is less than it might otherwise have been. This is particularly true if one considers the climate change policy of chapter 5. Despite the combined political will of the three main 'green nations' - Germany, Denmark and Holland - this area was considerably weakened by the competing interests that this chapter outlines. Two final chapters consider water policy and air pollution. Here the outcomes have been much more favourable. The new water policy replaces a more cumbersome original whilst the air pollution legislation is a case of some gains and some losses.
Overall, this is a very useful reference book to the topic. It seeks to introduce the reader to the complexities of EU legislative methodology by providing a solid background of the key actors and a series of contrasting case studies to back this up. Although the overall picture is one of little progress there has still been some effective gains.
Dieter Helm (ed). Environmental Policy: Objectives, Instruments and Implementation. Oxford University Press.
Ever since the call has gone out for governments to 'do something' about the impact of human activity on the environment the quest has been to find the 'something' that will achieve the initial objectives. Initial environmental concerns in the UK in the 19th Century were met with some highly effective legislation in the 1874 Alkali Act and the1875 Public Health Act. The same notions of public control could be seen at work in that rare burst of governmental insight which characterises the Reports and Commissions in the 1939-46 period and which culminated in the 1947 Town and Country Planning Act and the 1949 National Parks Act. Whether these ideas worked because of the nature of the population at that time or because they were actually the correct way to solve the problem is open to question. What is less open to question is that with the rise of environmental concern since 1960 has left our legislators with a far greater range of problems than were faced by their predecessors. Acts are not the only solution and some would argue are no solution at all. Now that the whole debate about environment has widened and become more sophisticated in its analysis there is a need to explore in greater depth, the range of ideas that can be used to achieve environmental objectives.
In an age of consumer ideals, economic measures have much to commend them. They have a certain ideal that might appeal. It would appear that they can be applied specifically to a target group (most famously seen in the 'polluter pays principle') and that, unlike legislation, they can easily generate revenue (or make certain behaviours uneconomic). Like any seemingly simple idea on the environment there are considerable problems to be overcome. Helm's text is one of the latest to tackle this aspect of environmental control. He divides work into three parts. The first part (chapters 1 to 5) deals with the principles behind economic measures (or instruments as they are more often called). An opening chapter provides an overview for the book as a whole and to the first chapters in particular. The summary of the key issues is useful to those who have a limited background in the debate. Next we have an appraisal of sustainable development. Like so many buzz-phrases this suggests a lot whilst effectively hiding the numerous inconsistencies in the concept. Two explored here in detail are 'weak' and 'strong' sustainability. The former is concerned with the sum of resources, the latter with specific resource stocks. The debate on whether either is achievable (or desirable) makes this a useful guide to the topic. David Pearce, whose work on environmental economics is well known takes the topic of cost-benefit analysis for chapter 3. He outlines the history and development of CBA and compares approaches in the US and UK. In chapter 4 he turns to environmental standards - regulation through the setting of technological benchmarks. Not surprisingly, these have economic costs and benefits and Pearce outlines these using the BATNEEC (best available technology not entailing excessive cost) as an example. The final chapter turns to the very practical idea of making the legislation work. The opening sentence says it all: 'environmental regulations are only useful if firms comply with them'.
Part two (chapters 6 and 7) deal with policy using two cases: Kyoto and biodiversity. The work on Kyoto was prescient in that it argues the case with and without USA agreement. Rather than argue about the fine print it takes the Protocol and examines its economic implications with the basic thesis that it will only be ratified if enough nations (particularly the Annex 1 nations) see economic benefits from it. The biodiversity chapter looks at the economics of this topic rather than its ecology. As such it produces some very interesting insights in terms of nature/finance swaps. It uses the idea of carbon trading as an example. The final chapters make up part three which focusses on a range of sectors. The first case is energy where the debate on fuel taxation and similar measures is usefully summarised. A similar outlook is taken by the next chapter dealing with water whilst chapter 10 looks at the 'agri-environmental' sector (roughly, the countryside). Transport returns in chapter 11 with an overview of economic regulation in the UK. The final chapter describes the UK landfill tax system which was introduced in 1996. Seen as a milestone because it both charged for tipping and allowed credit for alternative disposal it is used as a way of analysing to what extent it actually targets both the people and processes involved. As with other instruments it is imperfect but its working could help us understand better what is needed.
Overall, this is a very accessible text considering the complexity of its subject. Very little economic theory is needed and most of the discussions are easy to follow and also provide a good overview of the topic. This is one of the best current texts on the subject. Given the increase in interest in this area at school level in a range of subjects this book would act as a very useful reference source.
Colin Hindmarsh and Mike Pienkowski (eds). Land
Management: The Hidden Costs.
It has been said that the only way the UK planning system worked was because no organisation worked to its absolute limit of efficiency and letter of the law! Whereas this might seem to be an ironic comment on the notion of British ad-hocracy there is a measure of truth in it. This book shows what can happen when everyone tightens up their game.
This small text is one of the BES specials that highlights cases of applied ecological interest. The basic idea behind this book is that by ignoring certain aspects of land use, currently applied solutions can do more harm than good. We wish to conserve selected areas of farmland but this can conflict with UK and EU regulations on production: chapter one outlines these ideas. Chapter two looks at the debit side for land use. In a relatively compact space there is discussion of modern farm policy, pollution, erosion etc. and the less commonly considered notion that land has been divided into two: overused and neglected. This last idea needs to be more widely accepted - it is simple, but powerful and can lead, as it does here, to a range of implications being discussed. Chapter three looks at the ways in which we currently conserve farmland (and how we often don't or don't do well enough). Chapter four examines some of the ways in which 'traditional' systems preserve biodiversity. That this is so shouldn't really be a shock. Since the standard tenet in conservation is that to conserve the item you must conserve the forces that made it then it follows that farmland biodiversity can only be maintained by maintaining that farming practice. Chapter five suggests ways forward using good farming practice and promoting conservation through cost-effective sustainable practices. It even recommends that we re-introduce regional forms of plants and animals.
This is a complex issue but the authors provide us with a very clear way through. Arguments are well laid out, diagrams are clear and the brief nature of the text encourages students to dip in and read! There are a number of useful lists including abbreviations, further reading (kept short but containing key material) and a great (but again select) set of websites. The whole product has been put together excellently. A must-buy for the library.
David Hull. Science and Selection: Essays on Biological
Evolution and the Philosophy of Science. Cambridge University Press. ISBN:
0 521 64405 4.
One of the key parts of learning any science (and ecology is no exception) is (or at least should be!) a grounding in its history and philosophy. The former puts ideas and the interchange of ideas in perspective: the latter provides a theoretical framework from which to proceed and with which to test our results. In the increasing rush to at least control the volume of papers and books that come our way after our initial training it is important that we do not lose sight of this framework.
This latest text (a collection of essays most previously published elsewhere) from Hull is an exploration of the nature of selection as it applies to both biological evolution and the study of science. At first glance there are few common features. Evolution and selection involve discrete generations whilst conceptual evolution can change rapidly over one generation of scientists and involve material from a range of subjects and areas. However, by replacing current evolutionary ideas by using replicators, interactors and lineages, Hull argues that there are more similarities than one might think. The book itself is divided into three parts. The first part (3 chapters) examines biological evolution. This part is opened with a consideration of the nature of evolution and the scale at which it operates. This is followed by a discussion of the role of vehicles and replicators in evolution - i.e. what mechanism brings changes from one generation to the next? The third chapters examines the same elements but with regard to immunology and operant learning. Part two is a study of conceptual evolution. The fundamental argument is that ideas undergo a form of selection and evolution. The extent to which this has ties with biological evolution is the subject of the three chapters that make up this part. Chapter four takes the three ideas of replicators, interactors and lineages and shows how they might apply to science. The brief chapter five notes that science is one of the most successful social institutions - the notion being that it is science that keeps it that way. The 'invisible hand' of chapter 6 is the peer system in science and how that might keep the social system of science going. Part 3 looks at testing science. Chapter 7 argues for the use of actual (as opposed to conceptual) examples putting science clearly into its positivistic framework. The next two chapters suggest that science ought to be subject to the same criteria of analysis as the objects it studies. Chapter 10 returns to the ideas of seven by considering the advantages of real examples. The final chapter seeks to put a case for the scientific study of science.
This is no easy text. It poses some fundamental questions that, as scientists, we should on occasion consider. Given the philosophical complexity of the subject matter the text is extremely accessible - the concepts presented require very little in the way of specialist jargon that often mars other texts. This text would be ideal in an undergraduate course even outside the confines of philosophy of science. It contains ideas that deserve a wider readership. Graduates would also benefit from reading it if only to reawaken ideas on the rigour of their subject!
Tim Jackson, Katie Begg, Stuart Parkinson (eds).
Flexibility in Climate Policy: Making the Kyoto Mechanisms Work. Earthscan.
ISBN: 1 85383 706 7
The whole idea of Kyoto seems simple - let us all produce fewer greenhouse gases. That's where the trouble starts! In international politics there's no such thing as a simple idea. Who's 'us'? What/which gas(es)? What about 'them'? Of course, once all the political mileage is over it remains for a range of people to sort out the practical details. The work of the scientists is well known (and well reported). Political ideas seem to get a mention although not as much as you might expect. This text is one of an even rarer breed - something that looks at the minutiae of language and objectives.
Joint Implementation (JI) is the name given to a range of activities between two or more parties. Because of this, the implications often spread beyond the strictly definable aspects of the project. For example, there are inter-/intra- generational issues, North/South dialogues and we still have to see if the project will actually reduce greenhouse gases. This book is a study of these, an other, aspects of JI. If the reader is daunted by the range of ideas put forward in the preface then the first, introductory, chapter is a help. It puts JI into context and describes, in simple terms, how and why it can come unstuck. We start our exploration proper with chapter 2 which looks at the language used. It soon becomes clear that there is more than one form of JI and that each one has its own language (definitions etc.) and protocols. This outline leads us to chapters 3 and 4 which describe the idea of a baseline. One of the crucial areas for Kyoto was the idea that people should reduce greenhouse gases with respect to a given level (the baseline level). However, not only is it difficult to set a baseline (there are going to be many) it is also difficult to find out at what level it should be set. To make sure that these arguments have a practical relevance, chapter 5 describes a series of JI case studies. Again, the complexity of the task is highlighted with differences between plant efficiencies, practice etc. From this stage onwards, chapters tend to use this data as a reference point for further discussion. Chapter 6 looks at the non-climate benefits and disbenefits of JI i.e. social and environmental impacts. If a reduction is to be made it must be verified and work to a given standard which is where chapter 7 comes in. Projects are analysed against a number of criteria to see how accurate and robust they are in meeting their original objectives. Chapters 8 and 9 carry on this work by outlining ways of looking at uncertainty and how organisations can be set up to respond to JI. The concluding chapter is actually more upbeat than might be thought in that it looks forward to some of the ways in which JI could be made to work, verifiably, in the future.
This book is intended for a specialist audience. Although the concepts presented are crucial to making the whole thing work you do need a working knowledge of Kyoto to make sense of what is being said. At one level this is absolutely correct - it is the minutiae that are going to make the project work. On the other hand it would be helpful if a 'Kyoto 101' guide were produced which would bring the ideas presented here to a wider audience.
Simon Jennings, Michel J Kaiser and John D Reynolds.
Marine Fisheries Ecology. Blackwell Science. ISBN: 0 632 05098 5
Last year, the BES published a brief guide to fishing for younger audiences (for review, click here). When you want to take the whole topic to a greater depth then this text is one that could be used. With the use of marine resources coming increasingly under attack (e.g. whaling) it is important that we have an ecological perspective. Perhaps as important is the idea that we recognise the human dimension in all this. Fishing is a key industry in many parts of the world and the disputes that centre on ecology from our perspective might be crucial to another culture's livelihood. One has only to see the debates surrounding Canadian and indigenous use of marine resources to see how this can provide some extremely tough questions.
The opening chapter sets firmly the tone of the text. It is decidedly multi-disciplinary and argues for both theoretical and applied ecological perspectives in understanding modern fisheries usage. The three subsequent chapters provide an overview of marine ecology. Chapter two considers the food sources in terms of primary production. Here we go beyond the usual planktonic aspects to consider other areas e.g. reefs and seagrass. Chapter 3 describes fish ecology in terms of life history and distribution. These two elements are crucial to marine production because they deal with fish stocks and where to fish. This is linked to chapter 4 which deals with population structure in general and recruitment in particular. Given the early mortality of fish stocks, the ability to survive until maturity is vital. Thousands may be hatched but only 1 survive (hence the demand for a minimum fish size for catches). From this point, the text deals with a very broad range of ecological and non-ecological aspects. Chapter 5 is a good, brief overview of fishing technology whilst the subsequent chapter deals with the implications of that technology. We get an introduction to human motivations for fishing and the way in which different cultures view the resource. The next five chapters form a distinct entity as they all deal with the crucial issue of assessment of fish stocks. The basic argument is that for sustainability, the amount fished must be no more than the population's ability to recruit sufficient stock to replace it (and ideally, more). These chapters show the gap between this simple idea and the actual reality of assessing a stock whose habitat is difficult to monitor and which has, for a long time, been considered an unlimited free good. There are sufficient statistics presented for the reader to start examining their own data. This is a decided advantage because ideas can be tested and yet the mathematics is, for the most part, not too complex. The final chapter in this part examines the economics of fisheries. The next four chapters look at the ecological effect of that bioeconomic decision. Virtually any fishing will impact upon the population structure which will in turn have effects on the marine community. One unintended consequence of fishing is that not everything caught is wanted. Some of this unwanted material (referred to as bycatch and discard) consists of endangered and rare species. The arguments over tuna fishing and dolphin bycatch is only one example of this. Fishing also impacts upon the physical environment in terms of seabed disturbance, loss of reef etc. It will also impact upon community population dynamics which could disrupt the entire system. Perhaps aquaculture is one way forward. Like many other schemes it has its benefits and disbenefits. It can provide a considerable resource for some species (although maybe not to the same extent as freshwater species) and is seen an increasingly important. Set against this are the environmental problems that poor planning can produce. A final chapter deals with a range of management options for conserving and utilising the resource.
As a single text on one key subject this book has much to recommend it. The wide range of issues considered means that most of the common questions could be answered. Unlike theoretical and even applied ecological texts on fishing this one ventures into sociology, economics and management making it far more useful to a wider range of readers. The book is well illustrated: it is especially useful to have illustrations of key fish species for those readers needing basic knowledge. Each chapter has a list of key references and a summary to help extend reading and clarify ideas respectively. For those wishing to study fisheries ecology to a greater depth this is an excellent text.
Jacob Kalff. Limnology. Pearson Education. ISBN:
0 13 033775 7
Limnology is the study of lakes, rivers and wetlands. As such, their relatively well-defined boundaries and their use for human activity has meant that there has always been an interest in their ecology. This comprehensive text is one attempt to mention the range of ideas we have about these crucial water bodies.
The author's introduction is a guide to the book's organisation and some of the main ideas and definitions that will be needed. As such it's wide-ranging scope sets the stage for the following text. A welcome overview of the subject gives some idea of the way it has been structured. It also has a useful discussion of the problem of scale as it applies to limnology. Chapter 3 provides a brief overview of the physics and chemistry of water whilst the following chapter carries out a similar overview for water resources and pollution. The reminder of the text divides, roughly, into four parts. The first could be considered the theory of limnology with discussions on hydrology, climate, origins, morphology, sediments and catchments. Despite the relative brevity of these chapters a considerable amount of material is described. Examples are taken from around the world to reinforce the global nature of these ecosystems. The next 11 chapters could be grouped loosely under the heading of physico-chemical aspects. Light and temperature variations are described as is the movement of water both horizontally and vertically through the system. This gives way to selected aspects of water chemistry. Salinity is described and its human dimension noted. All the major geochemical cycles are described with the interesting addition of oxidation-reduction reactions which, being considered central to the nutrient cycling process, is given its own chapter. The next 6 chapters in this text make up the third part, devoted to the biological side - from the smallest to the largest. A final part, consisting just three chapters, looks at human impact (usually negatively) in terms of pollution and water supply.
In all, this text covers a vast range of material in a relatively short space but with a focus on chemistry and mathematics which precludes a school audience except for the most senior classes. Each chapter has a series of highlights which helps distil the key aspects under discussion. One interesting innovation is the way in which the text tries to covers two courses at once. Much of the more advanced material is designated as such with the option to skip these pieces in shorter courses. This gives both the reader and teacher the option of expanding/reducing coverage dependent upon needs. Overall this is a good text that covers a huge range of material. Its focus on more advanced work would make this an idea higher education text whilst the sheer range of material would give any teacher a substantial checklist to go through. Although the material is good, accessing it is more difficult. There is no obvious route through the chapters: by putting like material together this could be obviated. Luckily, this doesn't detract from all the information we are given but it does make it more difficult to follow. Overall, a good text with a most comprehensive range.
David T. Krohne. General Ecology 2e. Brooks/Cole.
One of the first aspects to strike the reader about this text is that it goes away from recent ecology texts by starting with a focus on evolution. A deeper understanding of genetic mechanisms has meant that evolution is getting a far more prominent position than used to be the case. There are advantages in this beyond the desire to follow current trends in ecological research. By starting with a broad approach, students can better understand ecological patterns and processes and then go into the more usual individual/species/community/ecosystem route. To take an even fresher approach the author links adaptation and evolution into the first part of the text where chapters discuss ecological science, conceptual frameworks and abiotic limits and factors. The former allows the new student to understand where the subject fits in; the latter (along with evolution) gives a sound grounding in the ideas of distribution. From here, the book turns to more traditional lines dividing the remainder into 3 parts corresponding with population ecology, community ecology and ecosystems. Population ecology tends to focus more on the individual and species. This section of the text starts with demography and population growth before moving to regulation, variation, strategies and behaviour. The aim is to give the reader an overview without too much of the mathematics that might be essential but can also confuse. The third part takes this species data and moves into interactions between species - community ecology. The usual topics from competition to succession are given a sound treatment. Finally, ecosystems takes the macro-scale with energy flow, nutrient cycling and patterns of organisms.
How does this text stand up to the very stiff competition from a variety of similar ecology texts? Although it covers basic ground it does so in a way which many may find useful. It is well produced as one expects from a North American publication. There are copious illustrations, graphs and diagrams although these tend to use shades of green rather than full colour (which means it detracts less from the message of the text. Each chapter has an 'environmental application' - a practical use for the issue under discussion. For example, the life histories chapter has a description of its use in conservation. In addition, each chapter has a summary, self assessment section (so you can judge how well you've understood the text), a series of problems and study questions to broaden the scope of the work and a projects list for more detailed work. This whole package makes the text far more of an educational resource than just a textbook. Brooks/Cole (the new imprint for the old Wadsworth environmental science texts) also has a most impressive website where you can get a range of resources (but the most useful of these are available for US subscription only which seems a disincentive for purchasers elsewhere). It has a North American bias as one might expect but this is rarely intrusive and such examples can be exchanged easily for others closer to the reader's home. Overall, a good text with much to recommend it.
Donald A. Levin. The Origin, Expansion and Demise
of Plant Species. Oxford University Press. ISBN: 0 19 512729 3
For the ecology student there are two apparently diverse approaches to the notion of species. The first is seen in the majority of basic ecological studies where the species is a fixed unit in time and space. The second approach comes from the palaeontologist for whom a species is a fleeting record in the stratigraphy.
This text is part of the ecology and evolution series from Oxford and as such seeks to work in advanced areas of the subject. Levin has assembled a considerable body of research to attempt to demonstrate the dynamics of species. Part of the difficulty, as the first chapter makes clear, is that if the biology of species is dynamic then it follows that the notion of the species is also going to change. If the system is dynamic then what really is the species and how can it be defined? Perhaps we should also ask why we get discrete units at all and not just a continuum of organismal types. The second chapter considers the ecology of the species. The aim is to show how ecology is involved in the speciation process. The two extremes - that ecology is the primary force of change or that it is only one mechanism are discussed fully. The third chapter carries on much the same debate at the genetic level. The whole role of genes in speciation is under debate: this is made no easier when the author argues that more than one aspect may be operating together. Chapter four brings in the spatial element and the ways in which that can affect speciation. This continues with the next chapter which considers how a new species spreads and how it might change after that. The idea that extinction is part of a fragmentation of an old species is pervasive. The arguments over the fate of this species and its genetic material continue into chapter six which looks at the causes for and factors behind the breakdown of the species (a breakdown which could ultimately lead to its extinction). By chapter seven we are looking at the demise of the species (having followed this book, logically, from species inception). Chapter 8 looks at those 'almost' species - the range of close variants from which one will eventually be recognised as a species. Given the work on speciation and decline this area is vital and might even justify more space than it is allocated in the text. The final chapter describes the basic changes but makes the sober comment that we may now be reversing the normal pattern of speciation by creating more declines that originations.
The whole nature of this text marks it for the more advanced student. It deals with a very complex and controversial subject area and yet it does so in a way that is both balanced and lucid. Even those whose area is not directly speciation would gain a lot from reading this book not just for the insights it gives but for the quality of its prose. As with so many of these advanced texts there are many ideas that could be used to advantage by teachers.
Colin Little. The Biology of Soft Shores and Estuaries.
Oxford University Press ISBN: 0 19 850426 8
One of the problems in teaching ecology and environmental science is the need for quality study areas which can demonstrate genuine ecological concepts but which are sufficiently marked for the beginner to appreciate without recourse to refined observational skills (which few would appear to have!). If the study area can provide, in addition, another facet to study e.g. human interactions and the implications of change, then so much the better. It's true that these areas can be found anywhere but some areas provide a more profound experience. An obvious candidate is the sea shore. Ecological concepts can be grasped easily (even if algal zonation is becoming controversial) and there are numerous suitable places within the reach of many students. Even if visits are not possible then the rise of coastal development with its concomitant impacts is certainly a common event in the media. It makes sense to get a good introductory text which will provide basic information and upon which further work can be based.
Biology of soft shores and estuaries can be used to supply a good deal of the information needed to enhance study of these areas. Together with a companion text on rocky shores (also by this author) one is given an outline of key global coastal areas. The introductory chapter starts by considering the differences between rocky and soft shores and continues with a brief but useful account of key tidal movements. Chapter two is the first of several taking a habitat approach to ecological questions. The advantage is that all the information needed is in one place (useful if that's where you happen to be on field work!). The physical nature of the medium is discussed and the impact on the biology of the area put in this context. A short but useful end note is given outlining the main techniques used in gathering data. This is an unusual innovation but one which should be welcomed. Few students have enough field experience to know a great range of practical exercises and some idea of what is appropriate can start discussions as to the relative merits of techniques etc. Chapter three continues this format for sandy shores. Physical conditions give way to the range of organisms but with attention to adaptations. With chapter four, Little turns to mudflats and seagrass with considerations on activity, obtaining oxygen and reproductive strategies and some more detailed discussion on the problems of accounting for faunal distribution. Salt marshes and mangroves are next with a similar range of topics and the reinforcement of examples from around the globe. A brief overview of sublittoral communities moves on to a major study: the estuary. This takes in 4 chapters each dealing with a specific area from habitat variations to distribution of organisms to ecosystem study. A final chapter deals, too briefly considering its importance, with human use and abuse. This brevity is to be regretted because apart from limiting the range of studies fuller treatment would allow the book to have greater impact.
That final caveat apart, this is a useful text. It provides a wide range of examples and deals with them from the logical perspective of habitat. Examples are chosen with an eye to illustrating key concepts rather than providing a list of species present. The language is accessible and would be well within the grasp of a senior student. Although production is crisp, the provision of more illustrations and maps etc. would help to further enliven the text. Overall, a useful addition to basic ecological texts.
Massimo Livi-Bacci. A Concise History of World Population.
3e. Blackwell Publishers. ISBN: 0 631 22335 5
The growth and distribution of the human population is of prime concern to ecologists. Leaving aside Ehrlich's famous equation there is the new interest in declining populations. In fact this last point is beginning to dominate certain aspects of environmental thinking. If an excessive population can cause damage through resource depletion then a declining one is unlikely to have the finance to put into sound management like sustainable development. Having demanded zero population growth since the 1970s we aren't so happy now we see the implications of its arrival! What we need is a demography text which examines the basic population growth equation but which also examines the implications of changing growth.
The basic idea of this text is to examine the reasons why the population is the size it is. This is an interesting perspective because, when you actually think about it, there is no fundamental reason why the current level is the 'perfect' one and not one higher/lower. The opening chapter examines growth rates and strategies for both humans and (other) animals. It also examines survival and survival rates and the space needed for the population to grow. Constraints to growth (originally environmental) are also considered. Chapter two starts with the demographic transition theory and moves on to consider population losses (Black Death etc.), successes (French Canadians) and variations (Japan and Ireland). Chapter 3 turns to the problem of population growth and resources. Does it lead inexorably to impoverishment (Malthus) or is it a stimulus to development (Boserupian development)? Both have their histories, examples and reverses. The author brings in other cases and theories to produce a lively debate on this crucial issue. Chapter 4 and 5 are more conventional studies in the population changes of developed and developing nations. Each is backed up with numerous statistics giving the reader a clear overview of the main concepts. The final chapter explores potential futures for population from growth points to limits such as resources and AIDS.
To appreciate fully this arguments presented here it is best to have some basic grounding in demography. This is not a standard text on population changes. It is more a discussion on the way in which changes are occurring and what they might imply. Controversies are accepted and debated. There are sufficient data to allow the reader to understand the arguments put forward whilst for those wishing further detail there are copious notes at the end of the text and a select bibliography. In summary, this is one of the best recent texts on population changes: it deserves the widest readership.
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Aulay Mackenzie, Andy Ball and Sonia Virdee. Instant Notes: Ecology 2e. Bios
In easier times it was sufficient to read just one text to get a good overview of basic ecology. This must still be possible but the text is going to be very large and soon it will not make much sense to attempt it at all. However, to progress past the learner stage it is vital that all ecologists have an understanding of all the major elements of the subject. Whilst this might sound like good education in any other subject with ecology it is more than that: ecology takes from so many areas of science that a basic grounding is essential to avoid mistakes later on.
What is needed is a guide. Not a simplified version but a framework that clears away all the side issues (however interesting and useful!) and presents the beginner with the key facts. Whereas there are numerous introductory texts in ecology and not a few digests and dictionaries this text is one of the few that provides the beginner with an overview that is both concise and accurate. It divides the subject into 24 parts and over 60 discrete areas. Each chapter starts with a series of key notes and links to related areas of the subject. For example, in 'Adaptation' key notes relate to fitness, natural selection, adaptation and genotype/phenotype. Links are suggested (in this case, rules in ecology, speciation and genetic variation). Each aspect of the keynotes is then expanded upon with any diagrams, graphs, data and pictures which might make the topic more easily understood. This approach might seem somewhat sparse compared to other texts but here it is extremely effective - with only 2/3 pages for each 'chapter' there's hardly room for elaboration (that might, anyway, get in the way of the explanation). Likewise, quotes and references are kept to a minimum. Those wishing to follow up any specific area can gather references from the back of the text where each section (but not topic) has a list of key papers/texts. Although the topics are detailed the language is accessible - any fair senior school student would have little difficulty in understanding the vast majority of the text without help.
The second edition has added a section - Biomes - and changed the emphasis on certain chapters with slight expansions and reductions. References remain virtually unchanged, pointing the reader to key texts in the field. Considering the challenges that any book like this has to face in terms of condensing ideas and reducing them to their barest outline, the authors are to be congratulated on producing such a useful text. Any specialist in one field might argue for/against inclusions/exclusions but this is not the text for them. This is for the beginner who wants to get to see the picture before worrying about the details. Given the way in which this reviewer's first edition has been borrowed it is clear that it meets its target audience's need. This, matched with the price make it an essential for the library (and student) shelf.
Gerald G Marten. Human Ecology: Basic Concepts for Sustainable Development.
In the beginning there was Ehrlich's Population, Resources, Environment and Arthur's Survival. Later Ehrlich and Holdren's Human Ecology came onto the scene. Each of these was an attempt to put human interaction in an ecological framework. Coupled with the magnificent work in the Scientific American in the early 1970s we had a very strong basis for this fledgling topic. Later work focussed on ecology and the human element was dropped. Given this relative dearth since then it's nice to see another attempt to put people in the picture. The trouble with many books is that the human aspect is only seen as negative - what is needed is a more balanced approach.
How does Marten see human ecology? As both subtitle and cover indicate this text is aimed at sustainable development through the analysis of social and eco- systems. The opening chapter starts by defining key terms and moves into an outline of the key components of ecological and social systems. Examples of interactions are shown. The social system is given 5 aspects - population, values, organisation, technology and knowledge which makes it very much like the Ehrlich population equation with social and knowledge roles added on. Chapters two and three concentrate on the development of the human population both in terms of numbers and also as a systems model. Thus birth control is seen as a feedback mechanism as well as a social control. Ecosystems are acknowledged as complex systems but social ones are not generally so regarded. In chapter 4 there is explicit recognition of the complexity of human systems. It's then possible to consider control and feedback mechanisms just as with other ecosystems. Chapter 5 and 6 return to ecosystems - organisation and succession - giving the basic outline of each in fairly uncontroversial terms. However, chapter 7 starts a turn to more unusual ideas, the coevolution of human and eco -systems. The idea that both 'evolved' together is not new but the illustrations in this chapter help to highlight key areas. Chapter 8 moves back into familiar territory with an examination of the 'service' side of ecosystems. Chapter 9 is a diversion into the ways in which we perceive nature and what this means in terms of human-ecosystem interaction. This leaves the last three chapters to be a self-contained examination of sustainable use and where it hasn't, could and has helped.
This is an interesting slant on conventional human ecology texts. It mentions the basic ideas in terms of human population dynamics and, in terms of sustainable resource use, outlines a range of examples. However, its novelty comes from the tying-in of social organisation with ecosystem dynamics. This places social idea(l)s and political constraints in the picture. Given the way in which environmental concern has been moving towards the political arena in the past decade (e.g. EU policy, Kyoto) there is merit in this approach. Of course, political/environment dynamics have been analysed before but usually in more detailed theoretical terms: this text makes the material quite accessible to the lay reader. This, I think is where its value lies: it allows the reader to think about what is happening and why - it takes a dynamic approach to the subject of human ecology. Here is not just how it could work but how we might be able to make it better. A great primer for anyone interested in the sustainability debate.
Peter Menkhorst and Frank Knight. A Field Guide
to the Mammals of Australia. Oxford University Press.
Field guides are a universal and necessary phenomenon. For the ecological educator it is useful to see how different nations and publishers tackle this basic task. Now that there is some sort or order to guide books there is less variation than in the past. Still, the main idea is to distinguish between species: today the choice is between photograph and drawing.
This book uses (excellent) illustrations with some additional line drawings to identify specific parts of animals. The keys are clear with the most detail being given to the smaller animals where identification might be difficult. Animals are gathered by genus with the proviso that similar-looking animals are close as are those with overlapping distributions. Each species has a full description of anatomy, distribution, behaviour and similar species (where confusion may arise). Although this book should be a standard in Australian settings there is something to be said for copies where this unique fauna is being studied outside Australasia (especially where many of the mammals are marine (whales, dolphins etc.) which have a more universal appeal.
G.
Tyler Miller Jr. Sustaining the Earth. 5e. Brooks/Cole.
This is the latest version of one of a series in this field by this author. As such the three texts cover a vast range on environmental education topics. This, linked with the Brooks/Cole (formerly Wadsworth) website gives considerable scope in the teaching of environmental and ecological topics.
Aimed at the first year College student this text would be quite usable by the senior school student and the material in it, with little modification, would be easily understood by any secondary student. The text is peppered with a range of text boxes which aim to stimulate student activity. Within any given chapter there are boxes entitled spotlight (to highlight a particular aspect), connections (showing how ecological principles can be applied elsewhere), case studies (obvious!), solutions (putting forward ways of solving problems), pro/con (brief, balanced ideas to stimulate personal thinking and decision-making) and individuals matter (personal responsibility). If you add to this the review questions, critical thinking questions, internet resources and Infotrac guide (extra resources limited to US customers) then you can see that the whole package covers a substantial amount of ground educationally.
The chapters start with an overview of sustainability and the problems we face today. Although the text is aimed at creating critical-thinking, environmentally-aware students the whole emphasis of this book is on the side of environmental protection. Chapter 2 moves on to look at one of the ecosystem fundamentals - energy - and how this moves around the environment. This is followed by two chapters outlining our numbers and distribution and the impact we have by way of, for example, energy usage. Chapters 5 to 7 have much of the usual material in terms of basic ecosystem ecology but they treat it is a novel way - via biodiversity. This makes the topics more problem-focussed and provides a practical perspective for the knowledge. Every author has their own way of dealing with the topics but this one is far less common and provides a refreshing alternative because of it. The remaining chapters each focus on a specific element of human interaction with the environment. All bar the final chapter are key pollution problems: toxicity and health, climate change, water resources and waste. The final chapter looks at ways in which we can put forward solutions via the current (US) economic and political systems.
There is much to recommend this text. It covers a wide range of current environmental science topics although it tends towards detail on specific items over a more general science-based course. As one would expect, the level of illustrations and care with text and language are excellent. It is obvious that the text is focussed on North America although it takes examples from around the world. This should not detract overly from using the text in a European situation because it would be simple to substitute other cases. It is to regretted that the extra resources are limited but again, this can be overcome easily by using local resources. Overall, a clear useful text which, allied with the author's other writings, provides a formidable battery of resources.
Stephen Molnar and Iva M. Molnar.Environmental Change and Human Survival: Some dimensions of human ecology. Prentice Hall. ISBN: 0 13 176041 6
Human ecology is one of those unusual areas of study where you are never quite sure what should be included or even if it is a special topic at all! It had considerable popularity with the works of writers such as Ehrlich and Holdren in the early 1970s but since that time has not been an area that has produced a great volume of books. This new text reconsiders the central elements of a human ecology as diet, disease, demography and development. Apart from the alliterative value there is merit in such a division in that these are central to population growth and, therefore, to human impact. In addition, the authors assert that these four are linked and that the nature and strength of these linkages are related to societal impact and the way in which humans have adapted to the environment. Modern human societies are so complex that they have created their own niche - the urban-industrial niche.
The opening chapter outlines these main points and also sets the global scene by considering major climatic and ecological areas and the restrictions they impose upon human development. Chapter two describes, briefly, the main ecological principles - energy flow, population growth patterns and major biomes. Chapter three is a broad outline to historical global population growth. This is followed by a look at population revolutions. The Industrial and Agrarian revolutions allowed a greater degree of food production and this, combined with improvements in nutrition and sanitation meant that the population rose. That this was located primarily in urban centres means that the effect of human populations was both increasing and increasingly localised. The negative sides of this were already being appreciated through the works of people like Malthus. Chapter five is a general review of demographic principles with the determinants of variations in fertility and mortality and the changes this by produce on the population pyramid. Chapter six changes theme with an exploration of diet and its impact on human development. Chapter seven again changes tack with a look at mortality and its variants. The notion of the epidemiological transition model is noted but its implications are not followed through. The final chapter shows how all these changes impact upon the Earth.
This is an interesting text. On the one hand the use of four main determinants of human ecology is succinct enough to generate interest. If we subscribe to the general notion of the P=IV of the Ehrlich equation then anything that affects these variables is part of our study. At this level the text is a useful guide. On the other hand, there are areas which are less well explored. Data are generally older than one would expect and although this does not detract from the argument per se it does mean that some more recent ideas are not included. In health there is data on some key infections but not others. The epidemiological transition model would have been a useful tool from which to explore this area but leaving the reader with a number of disease charts is less forceful. There are numerous instances of a similar nature and whereas it does not reduce the basic argument it does make the line that much harder to follow. Overall, an interesting perspective but one that would need to be more fully developed for a future edition.
Edward Newman. Applied Ecology and Environmental Management. 2e. Blackwell Science. ISBN: 0 632 04265 6
Perhaps the change of cover photo is a metaphor for change in this text. Gone is the deer in a woodland glade that graced the first edition. Judging by the second edition cover so has the entire woodland - replaced with a bleak scene of apparent deforestation. The first edition was a useful text , worthy but somewhat lacking in graphics that add extra interest to the beginner in the subject. The obvious questions when confronting the two texts: what has changed and is this for the better?
The answer to the first question is obvious: chapters have increased from 8 to 11, pages by nearly 60 and the content appears considerably changed. The opening introduction remains much the same: of overview of the purpose of the text and an idea of the contents. Chapter two retains title and some subject matter but the focus is far clearer and reflects the considerable volume of material published especially in the area of carbon storage. The science we are given here is linked directly to the problem rather than as a general overview as in the first edition. The aim seems to be to give the reader the information needed to assess the problem. This is not to say that the rigour is reduced rather it is re-focussed. The argument is that there are many aspects of applied ecology and that any text can only cover so many. Thus it is important to focus on key cases whilst acknowledging that the actual canvas is far broader than presented. The effectiveness of this approach can be seen by just taking the carbon storage element of the chapter. Additional data and a focus on what research seems to be crucial adds up to a sound overview that is both accessible to the lay reader without unduly losing key scientific aspects. Water is a new chapter. It starts with an investigation of evapotranspiration, continues with an exploration of the water regimes in West Africa and Amazonia and concludes with a study of desalination and agriculture. The selection of cases does not appear to be random. Early work in the chapter lays the foundation for a basic overview of water demand. Later cases examine crucial models of water balance and high profile research areas in arid land farming. The reader thus gets both basic introduction and an insight into some leading questions being investigated currently. Soil is another new entry starting with soil erosion in ancient Greece. It continues through soil chemistry to nitrogen fixation and farming. Chapter four reveals only a slight change in title. The focus on primary productivity and food webs gives way to the applied aspects of fishing stock and fisheries management with cases from currently debated species such as Cod. Chapter 6 is another new one examining grazing lands. Here the opening work is on the effect of grazing on photosynthesis and sward. In keeping with previous chapters it concludes with applied aspects - in this case, range management. Forest management is another area generating considerable debate. Rather than look at general science, Newman starts with an examination of management strategies and then looks at the ecological questions being posed (age of stands, patch dynamics etc.). The pest control chapter is a very useful overview to the key areas: pest control, invasions and pest management. The pollution chapter starts with an investigation of the idea of toxicity and the variety of ecological and physiological responses to it. It continues with a study of the impact of pollutants on food chains. Chapter 10 deals with the conservation of wild species. Topics covered include keystone species, population viability and island biogeography. A final chapter on restoration ecology completes the work.
To the second question posed above one can answer, almost certainly, yes. The text has far more graphical material and there appears to be a greater range of data. The greatest change is in the writing style which has a far fresher edge to it. It's just a lot more appealing to the lay reader and beginner. It acknowledges the changes and the limitations of one text covering everything but then what it does cover is both crucial in terms of current debate and well thought out. Anyone taking current ecological debates seriously should read this edition.
Patrick L. Osborne. Tropical Ecosystems and Ecological Concepts. Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 0 521 64523 9
Books on specific tropical areas are common. One only has to think of rain forests to see the wealth of material published. Less common are those texts covering larger terrestrial areas e.g. Africa, Asia - partly because of the considerable diversity apparent. On this scale, this book is almost unique because it deals with an entire climatic region for both aquatic and terrestrial components. Further, it incorporates study of specific ecological concepts into the range of ecosystems studied.
The fist chapter provides an introduction in terms of geographical, climatic and biogeographical perspectives. Subsequent chapters take one ecosystem at a time and review the key features. Deserts starts with a study of major arid zones with an emphasis on the limiting factors that control distribution. Grasslands focusses on the carbon cycle and primary productivity. Human and animal impacts (firing and grazing respectively) make considerable inroads into primary productivity and their contribution is discussed. Fire is also important in Savannas. Using the Serengeti as an example, this chapter explores the various controls on mortality and population density. Chapters five to seven change focus and examine a range of aquatic features - lakes, rivers and wetlands. As with the previous chapters, the key elements of the ecosystems are outlined. Major examples are discussed and then the chapters follow a specific line of ecological enquiry (in this case thermals response/food chains, flood-pulses/continuums and zonation/succession respectively). Once you reach tropical rain forests in chapter eight it would be hard to consider topics other than biodiversity, co-evolution and patch dynamics. The final truly terrestrial ecosystem covered is mountains with its slant on altitude and ecophysiology. A turn towards the sea means chapters on each of mangroves, reefs and islands (concepts including decomposition, management and speciation respectively). The two final chapters take a completely different line covering urban areas and global ecology. The former shows how cities can affect the local, regional and global environments especially due to human impact through food production, resource use and pollution. The latter chapter covers the topics of biodiversity, climate change and sustainable development in terms of their impacts on the ecosystems previously described. This brief chapter does not really go into great depth but it does highlight a few key areas.
The value of a text like this is its truly global coverage in dealing with discrete ecosystems and a very wide range of ecological concepts. Some of the concepts are ecosystem-specific e.g. thermal stratification of lakes whilst others e.g. population density are most generally applicable. Chapters are very well illustrated which makes the book pleasant to both read and skim through to specific items. Each chapter has a summary highlighting major points discussed. Another plus point is the fact that chapters appear even in both content and coverage. With such a broad coverage it's all too easy to get some chapters overflowing with information and others quite sparse but here the writing and coverage is even. This helps the student who might be wondering if one area rather than another be more worthy of study. As the author makes plain, all aspects are important. Overall, this is a very fine text. Its use of applied ecology and the breadth of its ecosystem coverage lift it above many other texts. Given its coverage and accessible treatment of the subject it deserves a wide readership.
Robert Paddle. The Last Tasmanian Tiger. Cambridge
University Press. ISBN: 0 521 78219 8
One of the great difficulties in communicating science (and even a new one like conservation science is not immune) is the idea that it has a basis in ‘objectivity’; that it is not prone to the vagaries of subjective interpretation. After a while we realize the futility of this position but there are very few texts which try to show how ‘science’ has been modified to fit prevailing views for so long. That the subject of this text is a creature of near-iconic standing makes it all the more fascinating. Here we are treated to a detailed review of thylacine/human interactions as they run the gamut from hunt to zoo. The author starts with a review of knowledge around the time of early European occupation. Clearly with only limited numbers at the time our understanding was partial. This did not stop the construction of a thylacine ‘biology’ (not always borne out by observation it appears). By the third chapter we are introduced to the bounty system whereby thylacine had been considered a pest species despite their lack of numbers and, again, the hard evidence one would expect. By chapter 7 the reader is fully confronted by the situation in later Victorian Tasmania. There are the farmers claiming sheep depredation and poverty caused by thylacine. There are the politicians unsure as to the precise cause of rural losses but having little money to invest and even less interest in keeping alive a species of questionable value (even as pelt). Then there is the thylacine itself, still with precious little information about its activities. At this stage one might expect a great climax and a saving on this endangered animal. Sadly, as Paddle reports, the end comes not with a bang but a whimper of the final animal dying one night, neglected in a run-down zoo!
What a splendid story, but what can we make of it? Data are too limited to check fully the author’s claims: we are no better than the early explorers in this case! We are presented with a panoramic sweep through changes in social and political climates – a readable account of the way in which people interact with other species. Ultimately, this text shows how careful we need to be to present forcefully, but correctly, balanced scientific accounts of species. It is at this level, that this book works best. Anybody interested in the history of conservation would find much of interest in it.
Catherine Panter-Brick, Robert H. Layton and Peter Rowley-Conwy (eds). Hunter-Gatherers: As Interdisciplinary Perspective. Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 0 521 77672 4
One of the main advantages of the early London 'A' level syllabus in Environmental Studies was its breadth. Ecology was the core but the subject ranged through 8 or more discrete disciplines. One aspect which was always controversial was the inclusion of human ecology especially the development of the human species and its societies. This led rapidly to the debate on the impact of particular societal groups. One of the key resources was the Scientific American collection Energy and Power (1971) which introduced us to energy flows in a range of societal types. The debate was very much on the degree of impact that each societal type had. The early views of hunter-gatherer societies having a limited impact was strong. It had a certain logic about it and tied in with the romantic 19th Century idea of the 'noble savage'. Even today, it is widely assumed that these groups (now largely subsumed under the heading of 'indigenous societies') have a very limited impact. Debate in Australia is now questioning that notion with several scientists arguing that Aboriginal groups have had a more profound effect than previously thought. It is with this background in mind that this text was chosen for review.
The first thing to note is that this is not solely about societal impact. It is part of the Biosocial Society Symposium series which aims to bring together analyses of ecology, biology and sociology. The debate starts with the opening chapter which considers the definitions for 'hunter-gatherer'. The notion that such groups exert no deliberate alteration of the gene-pool is interesting as one could argue that (for animals at least) only certain types of individuals would be prone to capture/slaughter. The second chapter is of more immediate concern to us as it considers behavioural ecology. This is an interesting perspective as it deals with foraging strategy which would impact on local species and hunter-gatherer perspectives to conservation. Chapter three opens with a quote from a much-cited text in this book -'Man the Hunter'. The idea was developed there that hunter-gatherers were 'affluent' in that they had their resource needs met. This position is subjected to scrutiny in terms of population density and resource acquisition. Several common assumptions are questioned. One is left with the idea that there is no one route for examining these groups and that we need to be aware of the complexity of human societies. The next chapter studies the use of tools and technology in food gathering. Although hunter-gatherer groups are still widespread, their antiquity is still open to discussion. Chapter seven looks at this area and the way in which food preferences have differed. There are some excellent illustrations of tools to aid the text. Subsequent chapters offer interesting insights in terms of social elements. Chapters on demography and nutritional ecology are useful in comparisons with other modern cultures.
This is an interesting text that it brings together a number of discrete elements. The editors were aiming to produce an interdisciplinary work and in this they have succeeded. As an ecology text it does add to the range of material offered but the specialised nature of this text is that it would better suit staff usage than student.
Matthew Patterson. Understanding Global Environmental Politics.
There is a great deal written about environmental issues and a fair amount about the organisations that make them. Much of the latter material tends to be from a given perspective (explicit or implicit). Rarer is the text that actually tries to put a theoretical framework around the study and then use that to produce an analysis of current events.
This text grows out of such an attempt. Patterson opens by stating his perspective (left-wing) and the lack of widespread serious analysis of global environmental politics. His aim is to address, for him, the three key issues: the occurrence of problems, their differential impacts and the responses put forward. This analysis is carried out on a sub-group of political positions, notably eco-socialism to deep ecology. There is no special reason for this group to be chosen but it does have the advantage of having been subjected to a considerable amount of critical discourse in the past. Following on past the introduction and a brief critique of the origins of international environmental action one reaches a discussion of the types of power structure seen in modern politics. The aim here is to show that some action is 'anti-ecological' and that it is linked to specific types of power structure. Chapter 4 takes this theme into a practical realm with a detailed analysis of sea defences in Eastbourne. Despite the localised nature of this case it does allow for a more detailed analysis. Chapter 5 moves to more problematic ground by looking at cars. So deep has car use gone that it is almost impossible to find solutions that people will accept and yet, it too, is a product of political systems. Fast food becomes the focus of chapter 6 whilst the concluding chapter provides both an overview of the cases and a statement of the author's basic thesis.
This is not a text for the beginner. It is highly specialised and needs prior knowledge of both theory and practice in environmental politics. It's value lies not in what it says but the extent to which it forces us to reflect far more deeply on the elements of environmental politics we might take for granted. You don't have to agree with the position taken here but you should at least find one of comparable weight.
MC Press, NJ Huntly and S Levin (eds). Ecology: Achievement and Challenge. Blackwell Science. ISBN: 0 632 05878 1
This book arose out of the first joint meeting between the BES and the Ecological Society of America. The meeting was convened to provide a state of the art overview of the development of certain key ecological topics. The 18 chapters are divided into 5 parts. The first 4 chapters go under the heading of evolution and population biology. The first chapter sets the scene for the text as a whole. It analyses the amount of work carried out in experimental genetics work in ecology (here, the evolution of ageing and the thermal evolution of body size). Although the topic is highly specialised it does allow the authors to ask a far more widespread and fundamental question - to what extent do ecologists take part in one emerging line of inquiry - experimental work with a genetic perspective. This is pertinent given the way in which general ecology texts are becoming re-aligned to take genetics and evolution as a key theme. Despite their disparate themes the next two chapters follow a remarkably similar line and although the final chapter focusses on the advantages of tagging individuals it still has an experimental theme. Part two deals with functional and community ecology. The five chapters here cover a far wider ground than those in part 1. The overwhelming impression is the passionate argument for diversity in ecological thought. There are calls for the study of diversity and the resulting patterns/processes (chapters 5 and 9), for the value of the large-scale (chapters 7, 8 and 9), the small scale (chapter 8) and the uses of physiological ecology in understanding process. Part three covers the ecology of changing environments. There's no prize for guessing that the focus is climate change and the way it can affect forest dynamics (chapter 10), plant growth (chapter 11), carbon flows (chapter 12) and changes over geological time scales (chapter 13). Here the emphasis is on concern for the future and the way in which ecology can meet some of the questions being posed. There is a sense from these contributors that the fundamental questions are now agreed upon but that the research programme and data flow from that have a long way to go. The fourth part deals with ecosystems, management and human impacts. The selection here is broad ranging from the loss of temporary features to assessment of conservation areas. Part five is a solitary chapter seeking to produce a synthesis from 17 highly diverse chapters.
Clearly this is a text for the specialist. However, it needs to be far more widely read. All ecology students in university should be acquainted with this text as a way of gaining an insight into changes in ecological research. It also helps the non-researcher in finding out about new interpretations. There is also a case for the ecology educator reading through this text. Many of the chapters are extremely well written - concise and clear - making them fine examples of good practice.
Richard B Primack. A Primer of Conservation Biology. 2e. Sinauer
Although both conservation and biology are older subjects, the combination of the two has only just started to gain currency over the last 15/20 years. As such, it's still trying to find an area of study to define and from the numerous books in this area there is a diversity of subject matter. There's no doubt that this is a key area. It is also one that can be used to harness the interest of students. Ecological concepts stay the same irrespective of the example and by using a force like conservation one can generate a considerable focus. This is not to say that the topic is easy. In common with other aspects of environmental science there is a tendency to look at more philosophical angles as part of a normative science.
The opening chapter of this book takes this last point as its main theme. There is a brief but useful introduction to the philosophical background of conservation biology, a good overview of biodiversity and an opportunity to examine the various elements of economics. This is a valuable start because a much as we might not like it to be true, most conservation decisions come down to economics. The second chapter moves on to look exclusively at the threats to biodiversity. All the usual cases are presented along with a global range of cases, a useful summary and a guide to further reading. The two central chapters examine conservation at the species and community level respectively. The former starts with an examination of small populations and continues with studies of natural history, the establishment of new populations, ex-situ conservation and law. The latter deals mainly with protecting areas but in some detail as there are examples of both design and management. Restoration ecology, once the province of specialists in mining remediation is here given a detailed treatment for a number of areas - wetlands, urban areas, prairies and forests. A final chapter looks at sustainable development from government action to indigenous societies and international action.
There is much to recommend this text. It is well written and the vast majority of work is accessible to senior students. Cases are drawn from around the world which emphasises the international aspect of the topic. Illustration and production are good as one might expect and the whole text is both comprehensive enough and brief enough on individual aspects to both cover the topic and keep the interest of the reader. This is a good introduction to the topic. The idea of it being a primer is emphasised and it should be taken in this vein. For example, there is little of controversy in the choice of material (threats to biodiversity are mentioned but not the opportunities species loss might bring).
Cedric Pugh (ed). Sustainable Cities in Developing Countries.
It has been estimated that by 2025 there will be over 5 billion people living in urban areas. Of these, the majority will be in the developing nations where problems seem to be greatest. Population pressure, lack of resources and difficulties of infrastructure maintenance (let alone upgrading) will ensure that the future in these areas is bleakest. The disbenefits of over-large cities are hardly new (consider the problems of late Imperial Rome) but it is the speed and scale of the problems that are the key issues. Given this depressing scenario it is too easy to dismiss the problem - firstly as being none of our concern and secondly of being too large to solve. With increasing acceptance of environmental interdependence the first is becoming less tenable and the second, less acceptable. Focussing on the negative reduces the options for improvement and also means that the reader is given only one side of the picture.
Pugh and his co-writers have taken a different perspective - to approach the subject from a positive and practical viewpoint to see what can be done and how. Pugh opens with two chapters. The first is an introduction which outlines the case to be pursued in subsequent chapters. The second chapter is an excellent summary of the theory of sustainable urban development. As such it provides a framework for the other contributions. Chapter 3 switches to look at the impact of law on environmental issues. An obvious but rarely stated point is that the law is only useful when it is obeyed. The case of Bangalore is explored with its successes and failures analysed. That the picture shows these opposites working at the same time only serves to emphasise the importance of this aspect. It might be thought that human and environmental health are part of the same issue but as the study in chapter 4 points out they can be in conflict. The former requires cheap, plentiful water whilst the latter needs water management to prevent waste of resources. Both these can affect the poor they were supposed to help. A possible solutions comes when both aspects are taken together. The theme of inequality is continued in chapter 5 which contrasts incomes and access to health care. The underlying theme is that inequalities (of income) rarely benefit all in society. This would make sustainability as much about finance as ecology. There is a link here with chapter 6 which outlines how it would be possible to set up health governance. One way might be to start with squatter settlements which form a very sizeable minority of any urban area (chapter 7). There is a genuine need for assistance which is explored here. Agenda 21, the framework for action set out at the Rio Conference in 1992, makes little impression in the developed world but is far more common in other areas. Here it is used to support some local initiatives in urban planning. Shanghai has been a major city for many years and has attracted a range of problems which are discussed in chapter 9. In the final chapter, Pugh sums up the major elements discussed in the text.
This is a text of considerable scholarship. It balances theory and practice so that each can gain from an understanding of the other. Theory gives us a framework upon which our ideas can be tested and the case studies provide the evidence for strengths and weaknesses of the current system. Although this text might be too difficult for senior students there is a wealth of information for teachers and undergraduates. It deserves the widest readership.
Carmen Revenga et al; Emily Matthews et al. Pilot Analysis of Global Ecosystems (PAGE)- Freshwater and Forests. World Resources Institute.
Each text follows a common pattern. Opening pages outline the PAGE system but adds, usefully, both the partners in research (which gives students a good idea of networks used) and the need for data. This last point is crucial: much of our work, especially at the global level, is carried on without the full amount of data being available. It is a great feature of these texts that the data limitations are brought to the fore: every section has its limitations and data needs made explicit. Each text then outlines the aspects seen as most important to its own part. Freshwater systems is concerned about human modification of the system with its impact on both the quantity and quality of water. From this point the analysis turns to food supplies in the form of inland fisheries and biodiversity. Each chapter is illustrated by a diverse variety of data sources and information which highlights the problems in data needs. Chapters have a range of tables and boxes to summarise data or to describe case studies in further detail. Undoubtedly one of the best elements is the collection of maps at the back which provide a useful and colourful overview of the topic. Forests follows a similar pattern. Here the emphasis is on forestry production, biodiversity, watersheds and carbon. The advantage is that this coverage deals with major aspects of current concern. Of less use is that areas analysed are not completely common between ecosystems. Perhaps this might be addressed later as the analyses expand but the beginner might find this a difficult point to comprehend given that the aim is to look at all goods and services.
Overall, these two texts (and one would assume the others given the standard of production of the WRI) are an excellent introduction to this topic which is assuming an increasing importance as we put more pressure on the environment. For those wanting to study the PAGE process in greater detail the only remaining question is whether to take the paper or web-based versions. For those wishing to find the links to these texts on-line, click here.
John L. Seitz. Global Issues: an introduction. 2e. Blackwell Publishers. ISBN: 0 631 22642 7
We now accept that there are some issues so widespread that they can be given the title of 'global' issues. The majority of these centre around the distribution of human beings and their requirements for resources. Many books describe a range of issues but there are far fewer which try, explicitly, to give a range of views on each issue.
The key aspect of this text is not the issues but the treatment of the issues. We are told that this book evolved from a series of lectures and it reads like it. Happily, these are good lectures with the aim of fostering a questioning attitude amongst the listeners. The language used is very accessible to the extent that it actually encourages the younger (or less experienced) reader to engage with the material. A typical chapter is the opener on wealth and poverty. The usual figures are given with all the major sources cited. However, rather than give a single perspective, Seitz describes the various types of approaches to wealth and poverty (capitalist, communist etc.) and give a brief but balanced account of their successes and failures. The conclusions at the end provide a useful summary. This perspective is continued with the other chapters. Population manages to deal with a very wide range of contemporary issues (aging, growth rates) and more traditional aspects (development versus population growth). 'Food' deals with hunger, the Green Revolution and future food supplies. 'Energy' takes a regional perspective with studies outlining how various nations have handled the so-called 'shortages' seen since 1968. Chapter 5, dealing with the environment, looks at pollution but also the extinction of species and cultures. Chapter six looks at the unintended consequences of technology leaving the final chapter to draw up the ideas for the future under headings of doom and growth.
This is a very interesting book. On the one hand its range of titles suggests little out of the ordinary. On the other hand its treatment of the subject matter and the very restrained use of language make it an ideal book to use for discussions on these issues. It doesn't try to preach neither does it over-simplify. Even though the text appears to be pitched at an older audience, lower secondary students would find the text accessible. For a good overview on the pros and cons of key current issues this book is hard to beat.
Paul Slovic (ed). The Perception of Risk. Earthscan.
ISBN: 0 85383 528 5
Considering the responses to nuclear power and similar technologies there has been relatively little mainstream, accessible material written about risk from an ecological perspective. The gap between perception and reality was most obvious during the power station inquiries of the 1980s: nuclear power was seen as the more 'polluting' technology despite the radiation emitted from an old coal-fired generator! Despite the considerable advances made in ecology (and risk) since those days there is still a need for this area of study to be made more mainstream.
Slovic has chosen one area - risk perception. His authors have taken a wide range of topics within this area to subject to further analysis. This texts is one of those that I have been advocating for some time. It is not an obvious text for ecologists and science/environmental educators and yet there is much of value which could be used to great effect in the classroom. Rather than focus on Slovic's work (where we have a text of great interest from even a lay-person's perspective) I want to highlight specific areas of writing which can be used to advantage in our teaching. We can start with the overview! The whole argument that risk is a human perspective and as such changes over time, culture, gender, age etc. is an exciting prospect. That Slovic's early study was on nuclear power gives us an almost ready-made case study. Apparently, stigmatization plays a part: risk is perceived as greater if the item has certain attributes (ugly, repelling etc.). That this is not a fixed notion but depends on the observer adds further complications. Chapter 5 brings further interest to our study with the notion of safety. How safe is (something) can be a useful discussion because it can bring in not only personal responses but the actual level of risk involved. Studies show we are likely to accept personal risks hundreds of times greater than the risks we would accept for natural hazards. Chapter 6 looks at rating risks. A simple survey to rate perception against the reality presented here in the data tables would provide an interesting counterpoint. Chapter 7 continues the theme but from another perspective - that of acceptability. Rather than ask how little risk we should have it asks how much we are prepared to accept. Risk-benefit (a variant of cost-benefit) demonstrates that we can have a very 'safe' environment but at a considerable costs. In terms of acceptability, is this too much? Subsequent chapters provide similar studies and the data presented provides much interest. By chapter 11 we find the role of education in risk analysis not just in schools but in the wider community. The text continues with chapters examining the role of trust and democracy in risk assessment (with a very useful chapter on adolescent smokers for those whose work is more in general science education. Finally, chapter 25 must be recommended for the way it brings together trust, emotion and gender responses into the risk equation.
Even if you have only a basic knowledge of risk assessment, the quality of this text stands out. As was said at the beginning of this review, we have a very interesting and important subject that, by virtue of its title, might gain fewer readers in the wider community. It is a very detailed and complex subject but it does also contain a great deal of material that we could use in bringing different perspectives to bear on ecology education (in its broadest sense). It is to be hoped that by including references to texts such as these that their potential for students be better realised.
Stephen
C Stearns and Rolf F Hoekstra. Evolution: an introduction. Oxford University
Press. ISBN: 0 19 854968 7
Darwin, it appears, was struck by the wonder and beauty of evolution. Since that time there have been numerous attempts to work upon his initial ideas but such texts have taken one of two paths. Either the text is highly specialised and has few general readers or else it is more popular and simplistic and has many readers but little detail. The most recent change in ecology texts (as noted in these review pages) has been the move towards putting evolution at the forefront of ecological understanding. It has been so pronounced this year that it could be considered a major shift in ecological education. Now, it is not surprising that we are starting to find good, detailed texts upon evolution alone.
The authors start their exploration with a prologue. It seeks to illustrate the main areas of evolutionary concern. It does this by using a series of fascinating examples to highlight some of the key issues. Their conclusion, that natural selection and history are the key ideas of evolutionary biology, are themes that recur throughout the text. Chapter 1 serves as the introduction proper. It describes the major topics and attempts to put modern ideas about evolution in perspective. The remainder of the text is devoted to fleshing out those original ideas. As can be seen in the table of contents, the range is impressive. Some chapters are linked by their special themes. Sex and sexual selection are difficult to justify on purely evolutionary grounds and the discussion the authors give to these allow both insight and a sense of the debate surrounding the topic. Since genetics is central to current work in evolution that theme occurs in many chapters. Although these chapters provide a great overview it is the later ones which really fascinate. Most of the chapters in the second part of the text are devoted to speciation and evolution on a grand scale. It is the breadth of this work
Chapters are clearly laid out. The 'commentary' text runs alongside the body of the work pointing out key points are providing a very brief overview of what each page is about. Chapters have a summary, basic reading list and a few questions to tackle. A useful glossary is added at the end. These aspects might seem trivial but they do increase the user-friendliness of the text. The current trend of using text boxes is avoided and this does make the work easier to follow. Perhaps the best compliment one can give is from a student user. This review copy went 'missing' prior to review - it was returned, well-used with very favourable comments about its quality and range of ideas. Having had a chance to read the text, this reviewer can only agree. This book is one of the best current texts and deserves a wide readership.
Peter Stiling. Ecology: theories and applications. 4e. Prentice Hall. ISBN: 0 13 091102 X
What's the value of ecology? A strange question given the nature of this site but one that is worth asking. It might be seen as obvious by practitioners but does this mean the same to the non-specialist public? Clearly, Stiling has had thoughts similar to these because the opening chapter not only answers the question it puts forward the work of Constanza et al (1997. Nature 387 pp253-260) as an example of the actual financial value of the ecosphere. This lone chapter in section 1 is followed by four chapters making section 2 - evolution and behavioural ecology - the first major change in this new edition. Here, the emphasis is on an understanding of genetics, selection and life strategies as it applies to ecology. This new approach, seen elsewhere this year, seems to mark a transition from earlier texts; it will be interesting to see if it is developed from here. The remaining chapters are divided into three more sections. The first of these gathers chapters 6 to 13 in a study of population ecology. The usual concepts are explored but, as with chapter 13 on evaluating population controls (i.e. density- dependent mortality etc.), the context and approach is different and provides a refreshing change for the reader. Section four looks at community ecology starting with biomes and ending with islands. Finally, we move to the macro-scale with ecosystems ecology and chapters dealing with trophic levels and energy and nutrient flows.
Given a crowded market place how does this text distinguish itself? Firstly there are numerous aids for the reader. Each chapter has a 'road map' to start with and a summary and questions to end. There are side boxes on applied ecology (describing a practical use for the concepts under discussion) and profiles (where ecologists describe their work). Many of the more complex diagrams have 'speech bubbles' - annotations to the diagram to help explain key parts. The quality of the production is excellent as one would expect with copious diagrams, colour prints etc. The North American bias one sees in so many US texts is virtually absent here with a truly global set of ideas. Finally, we have the author who makes this the fourth revision in 10 years and can thus maintain its freshness. Also, this edition although larger has far fewer pages making it a more compact version that the third edition. The quality of Stiling's writing, is still evident making this a clear and accessible text and an example of good communication. Overall, an excellent edition which deserves the widest readership.
Ted Trzyna (ed). World Directory of Environmental Organisations. 6e. Earthscan. ISBN: 1 85383 794 6
This book's premise is that there is a need for organisations to be grouped under specific headings so that people looking for any information can be best directed to the correct sources. As such it seems a simple idea. However, the sheer range of organisations and the complexity evident beneath the surface shows that this is far more difficult to produce in practice. Neither, as Trzyna correctly asserts, is it possible just to head for the nearest search engine and find the best organisations. What we have here is a careful sifting of organisations and their functions to produce a reference text of considerable utility.
The introduction is actually a brief guide to the structure of the book - skip this and much of what follows is less clear! Part 2 comprises lists of organisations in the order they appear in parts 4-7, but divided into subjects. There are 53 sub-headings listed form the grand themes such as 'water' to the relatively esoteric such as 'caves'. All you find in this brief part is a series of names. The aim is to then follow the text into parts 4 to 7. Here, organisations are grouped by association rather than topic. Each organisation is described with key sub-sections noted. Where appropriate, contact details, addresses, web sites etc. are added. The UN data in part 4 is comprehensive with even small agencies within larger bodies listed. Part 6 has a huge range of NGOs whilst the country listings in part 7 are perhaps the most interesting because of the variety you can see between nations and the depth of expertise that one would otherwise not expect.
This is very much a reference text and as such should be a standard in all higher education libraries. Given the increasing range of topics studied in schools there is also a compelling case for making it a key resource there.
Colin Tudge. The Variety of Life. Oxford University Press. ISBN: 0 19 850311 3
Sometimes, all that is needed is a simple outline of which organisms go where in terms of evolution and classification. It's not that the information isn't available it's just that it is found in a number of books. With changes going on in classification it is important to get a text with current ideas. This large volume is an attempt to put all of these ideas into an accessible format. The opening part consists of five chapters each one of which deals with a different element of the classificatory process. Here we get and overview of Darwinian ideas, evolution and cladistics. There is not just description but a discussion which highlights usefully the main arguments of what even the author refers to as a seemingly dull occupation. However as the author both points out and makes explicit in his writing, classification is both vital and highly interesting - more like a detective story than a database. Part two comprises the vast majority of the book. Organisms are divided into 25 sections. An introductory overview gives an idea of how to best use the text. The framework of this part is the use of systematic diagrams - part cladogram, part key into which various phyla are divided. Illustrations help non-experts find the right phylum and this is then taken down to family level. Treatment is not even - more important groups of organisms are given more space. When you get down to the smaller classificatory units then the text, generously illustrated, describes the main features of the organism. Although this might appear complex in words, in action it is simple. Both illustrations and writing make it very easy to find one's way around. The final (very brief) part is a plea for conservation. A list of texts specific to each group and a geological timescale (American version for the Carboniferous).
This book has one job to do - outline systematically living organisms. It does this extremely well. The whole concept from presentation to discussion is excellent. Every library should have a copy of this on their shelves.
John Vogler. The Global Commons. 2e. John Wiley. ISBN: 0 471 98574 0.
Subtitled Environmental and Technological Governance', this text is an exploration of the way in which those areas outside national control are managed (or not as the case may be). In doing so it uses a specific form of research - regime analysis. A regime is, briefly, a set of rules through which an area is managed or, more simply, the governance you have when you don't have a government. As such it provides an alternative perspective to more conventional descriptions of key treaties etc. It also allows comparison across cases and does provide a framework by which common themes can be explored.
Environmental concern has come a long way since Hardin's 'tragedy of the commons' metaphor and with more sophisticated transport and technology the number of commons has increased dramatically. This book starts at the beginning with an overview of governance and the basic issues to be covered. It notes, rightly, the explosion of interest in this area fuelled in part by increased public interest and concern and also by research areas. Usefully, there is much made of the role of the Internet is gathering data. The second chapter describes in more detail the role of regime analysis and the methods and framework it uses. Being a sociological/social science research perspective there are no hard rules but a series of ideas. Subsequent chapters take both the research ideas and the range of commons and explore the theme of management. Often, themes recur. For example, rules, decision-making procedures and norms are common topics. This is not unsurprising given that regime theorists are concerned with stability and change. Most chapters (but sadly not all) have a summary and there are copious endnotes.
The aim of the book was to explore the way in which common areas are governed. The conclusion, that governance is uneven in the face of anarchistic tendencies of international government is not too optimistic but it does allow us to see how we can make improvements. This focus on theory and practice takes the text out of the direct reach of senior students but undergraduates ands teachers in this field should read this text. Undergraduates would find a useful introduction to social research: teachers would find a number of areas which could make excellent student exercises (especially the web-based ones!).
World Resources Institute. World Resources 2000-2001 Database CD Rom. World Resources Institute
One of the great strengths of the World Resources series is the breadth and depth of the data files. For the first few issues the tables were kept identical allowing, for the first time, easy comparison of data both spatially and temporally. From 1998 onwards it was possible to detect changes in data with the abrupt addition or deletion of series. In terms of the text this made the resulting volume more effective but it came at the cost of losing the time-series element of some crucial data sets. To accommodate the growth in data the WRI put out sets on disc. At the time I reviewed these and found them wanting in terms of presentation and ease of use. Having left this some years I was interested to see the new CDs being offered.
The package contains the CD and a small information guide. This guide starts with the basics of file design, format and terminology. Since the format is the usual one of .wks you can expect most major spreadsheet programmes to run them including Excel, Lotus and Quattro Pro. Some data limitations are added at the bottom of the spreadsheets but don't appear to be as comprehensive as the paper version. Two pages of abbreviations lead us into the file section. All we get here is a series of data files each with a number, variable measured, units, source and data-years. The next move would be to insert the CD into the computer drive and use something like Windows Explorer to locate the files. Since all you are given in the file directory is the file number it is vital that you keep the small guide or you'll be looking for ages. The only help is that the directory structure is broken down into the categories noted at the top of this review. Once in the spreadsheet the viewer is presented with a huge array of data (minus the usual cell pattern). Some of the files do have graphs appended but these usually only show one or two data sets.
Overall this is a huge collection of data which easily fills in any gaps in the paper version (and also covers longer timescales). As such it would be an invaluable tool for the IT-savvy user wanting to do some serious number work on data sets. Being fully flexible it would be possible to go from file to file and build up national or subject profiles (but it would be extremely time-consuming). On the downside the sheer volume of data and its inherent unfriendly interface would put off most people. Given the excellence of the book this is sad to see such an opportunity go to waste. Current experience with multimedia and data use is such that this CD is really left out in the cold. There is so much that could be done. By coupling data in a far more flexible way and adding other information the WRI could have an outstanding resource. What they do have is just a collection of numbers. It is to be hoped that they will soon be able to raise the standard of this resource to match that of its companion text.
World Resources Institute. World Resources 2000-2001. World Resources Institute. ISBN: 1 56973 443 7.
I've been reviewing this series ever since the first issue was published in 1986. Then, it was a first attempt by a relatively new group seeking to provide readers with an overview of all the key data needed to understand how human-environment trends were developing. Today, we see a publication that has gone way beyond that goal of data-gathering to data-production in the form of new global estimates of ecosystem worth. The data tables which were always at the heart (and worth) of the publication have shifted importance slightly but this current issue continues the trend of improvement.
New readers will find the 2000-2001 issue a logical and thorough examination of the value of ecosystems and the limitations of our knowledge base (readers of other issues will see this new publication as part of the succession of the series). The first chapter takes a detailed look at the viability and value of ecosystems. Who uses them, how are they managed (and at what cost), who owns them etc. are key questions which drive the reader towards the conclusion (sadly little changed from 1986) that we are extracting too high a price on natural systems and giving too little back. The second chapter takes the theme of 'goods and services' and uses this as the basis to evaluate a range of ecosystems. Although this happened in previous issues now the focus is to use the new in-house PAGE method of analysis (link here for reviews). The end product for the reader is a comprehensive but succinct overview coupled with a scorecard "matrix" which gives instantly an overview of the state of the ecosystem. Purists might argue about detail but the effect on the reader is definite - it provides a very clear overview which should wake up the least motivated student! Chapter 3 looks at a series of case studies where communities have degraded their environments but where they can try to restore them. Cases are taken from around the world with enough variety for people to find something of interest. Chapter 4 is both a conclusion and a request. The conclusion is that we should use ecosystems as the basic unit of analysis: the request is that we use our ability to improve our understanding of and maintenance of those ecosystems. Given that the partners in this text are the UNDP, UNEP and the World Bank, the seriousness of this idea can be appreciated. The final section of the report is taken up with the data tables and an expanded commentary on the data sources and limitations.
Overall, the high standards we have come to expect from this series have been maintained. Production levels have improved and the great use of colour photographs, images, maps and data sheets make it something which will grab the attention of the least dedicated reader. There is a wealth of information here which can be used from lower secondary levels upwards. (In fact it says something of the quality of the product that it is becoming cited in its own right rather than a collection of other data!) The sheer volume of data presented (and also found on the companion CD Rom) makes it the first text to turn to for global information. Quite simply, no library or educator should be without a copy of this text.
Daniel Zohary and Maria Hopf. Domestication of plants in the old world. 3e. Oxford University Press. ISBN: 0 19 850356 3
One of the neglected areas of environmental science is a knowledge of human interactions with plants and animals in the early stages of the development of agriculture. In the past we had Ucko and Dimbleby's magnificent Domestication and exploitation of plants and animals (Duckworth 1969) and a more recent text focussed on animals by Clutton-Brock (Natural History of Domesticated Mammals, Cambridge University Press, 1987). To some extent these have been overtaken by a great growth in research but have never been completely replaced. It is a measure of the work being done that this text provides us with only part of the story.
The aim of this book is to outline the early domestication of Old World plants. In so doing it organises chapters into the main plant groups and then describes an exhaustive range of examples. The first chapter sets the scene for those needing an overview of the evidence we can obtain from both archaeological remains and living plants. Part of the value of these carbon-based remains is their use in carbon dating and so we have an overview of this technique above others. The chapters on plant groups start with the cereals and extensive descriptions on the origins and genetics of the wheat Triticum. There are drawings of plants and individual seeds, distribution maps, genetic details and a history of the early use of the plants - in all a very good review. As one might expect, the less common plants are given a smaller degree of treatment not just because of their limited use in food production but because of their scarcity on sites. Two chapters deal with non-food plants in oils and dye crops. Since we tend to find remains from a range of organisms their inclusion here is welcome. Two concluding chapters deal with remains from specific sites and a discussion on the origins and spread of domestication. As such this final chapter links to the first in terms of its more general approach.
This is undoubtedly a specialised text. It lacks the detail of Ucko and Dimbleby (which focussed on a few examples) which makes it less accessible for the beginner but by covering such a great range of species it allows us to appreciate the way in which our current food system is (and probably was from the earliest times) global in scope. For those studying these areas of domestication this is a good reference text.