Book Description
Unweaving the Web of Destruction

The continuing devastation of the world's tropical rain forest affects us all—spurring climate change, decimating biodiversity, and wrecking our environment's resiliency. Millions of worried people around the world want to do whatever it takes to save the forest that is left.

But halting rain forest destruction means understanding what is driving it.

In Breakfast of Biodiversity, John Vandermeer and Ivette Perfecto insightfully describe the ways in which such disparate factors as the international banking system, modern agricultural techniques, rain forest ecology, and the struggles of the poor interact to bring down the forest. They weave an alternative vision in which democracy, sustainable agriculture, and land security for the poor are at the center of the movement to save the tropical environment.

This new, fully updated edition of Breakfast of Biodiversity discusses important new developments in our understanding of rain forest biology and assesses the impacts of a decade of "free" trade on the rain forest and on those who live in and around it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Sobering but empowering analysis
"Breakfast of Biodiversity" by John Vandermeer and Ivette Perfecto is a critical analysis of the myriad forces that are driving the destruction of the world's tropical rain forests, with particular emphasis on Central America where the authors have been engaged for many years of hands-on research and field work. The authors write in this, the 2005 second edition about the important insights and lessons that have been learned since the book's first edition published in 1995. Presenting knowledge gained through both scholarly research and their own practical experiences, the authors help us understand that narrowly-focused solutions to solving environmental problems will inevitably come up wanting in the absence of wider, more meaningful socio-political changes. The result is a sobering but ultimately empowering text that allows us to better understand both the challenge and the promise of saving the earth's remaining rain forests.

The authors explain how rain forests are neither fragile nor stable, discussing how rain forests can recover relatively quickly from short-term disruptions such as clear-cut logging operations but can suffer long-lasting damage from industrial agriculture and, of course, urbanization. We come to appreciate the wide variety of rain forest types as well as their common characteristics, shedding light on how humans might be able to make better strategic use of the land and live in harmony with the rain forest.

The idea that managing land under cultivation in a sustainable and socially equitable manner appears to be a surprisingly effective proposal when compared with the oftentimes ineffective method of land conservation that has often been favored by mainstream environmental groups. In fact, the authors compare the fate of rain forest lands over time to make their point: in Nicaragua, more rain forest had been saved as a result of the progressive land redistribution policies of the Sandinista government that in Costa Rica, where market forces have compelled the poor to convert so-called protected areas of the rain forest to farmland. Unfortunately, when the Sandinistas lost power in the 1990s, the neoliberal policies favored by the succeeding administration quickly unraveled these gains and resulted once again in an accelerated loss of rain forest lands.

However, the authors are hopeful that the anti-globalization movement can help to unravel the dense web that connects international capital with third world indebtedness, arguing that if inequality can be minimized then the poverty that drives desperate people into the rain forest can be curtailed. Therefore, the authors hope that their book will compel environmentalists to unite with social and political activists in an united effort to call for meaningful change in the world economic system. While this may be a tall order, the penetrating analysis contained in this exceptional book suggests that such a strategy is the only credible solution to solving one of humankind's most formidable problems.

I highly recommend this accessible, informative and enlightening book to everyone.

Breakfast of biodiversity+ lunch and dinner too!
A slim volume that pack a punch.It highlights the global nature of the problem, stressing that rainforests can and indeed do regenerate, but not if the disturbance is too great.
Food insecurity and lack of land tenure are cited as important driving forces, and conventional, purist models of conservation, while satisfying the hopes and desires of lobbies in the wealthy developed world, fail to address the human dilammas that are so important.
A 'Political Ecological Strategy' if offered as a solution that takes heed of all the strands of the 'web of destruction' both in a local and a global context, and although not suggesting that the future is 'rosy', it does offer a glimmer of hope.
A book to be thoroughly recommended to all those who are interested in the future of the rainforest, its people and the planet.An excellent read.

thought-provoking
Wonderfully researched, if sometimes dryly written. If you like this book, then you'll likely find something interesting in the coffee-table book, Costa Rica: The Last Country the Gods Made.

The essays, " New Conservation in the Costa Rican Parks System" and "House Made of Rain" touch on many of the things discussed in Vandermeer's text.

Great explanation of political ecology
As a professional in the environmental area in Central America, I applaud Vandermeer and Perfecto's explanations of the workings of man in the humid tropical forests of our region.These are not easy issues, yet they manage to leave the reader with a sense of the urgency without oversimplifying or becoming preachy.This book is best for someone who is really interested in the political ramifications of US policy in the tropics, or for someone interested in working in the environment overseas.

Great examination of rain forest destruction
I was drawn to this book because of the foreword by Vandana Shiva.I kept reading it.It does a good job of looking at several of the different variables causing rain forest destruction and keys in on land and food asmajor factors.Clear and easily read.Not to long or overly verbose. ... Read more

Book Description
The conservation of biodiversity is now big business. Whether called conservation banking, species banking, habitat banking, biodiversity banking, biodiversity offsets, compensatory mitigation or ecological footprint offsetting, the idea of financially valuing biodiversity and using the market and businesses to promote conservation is growing rapidly.

This handbook is a comprehensive guide to conservation banking explaining what it is, and how it works. The book covers the origins of conservation banking, the pros and cons of this approach to conservation, how conservation banking works in reality, the legal, practical and financial aspects of setting up and running a conservation bank and how biodiversity off-sets can be internationalized. Authored by leading experts in the field of ecosystem markets, the book provides practical guidance, tools, case studies, analysis and insights into conservation banking in the United States, its biodiversity banking namesake in Australia and other similar approaches internationally.

It is an essential one-stop reference manual for conservation organizations, private landowners, developers, complying industries, regulating agencies, policy makers, bank developers and investors in the US, Australia, Europe and elsewhere where market-based solutions to the loss of biodiversity and species extinction are being considered. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Must read...
I originally used parts of the book for a research project, but after reading portions I decided that I must have the book and reread it from cover to cover. It has great concepts and it is well edited for a nice flow. If you like wildlife and climate change interests you this is a must read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

good read
plenty of good information, presented in an easy-to-read and even entertaining manner - good choice for anyone considering conservation research! ... Read more

Book Description
The present volume is an attempt to synthesize, present, and argue for what has been learned and remains to be learned about the biological differences within and among human groups. Marks, a biologist as well as an anthropologist, avails himself of the data generated by molecular genetics about the hereditary composition of the human species. As it happens, genetics has undermined the fundamental assumptions of racial taxonomy, for genetic variation has turned out to be, to a large extent, polymorphism (variation within groups) rather than polytypy (variation among groups). Though populations at geographical extremes can be contrasted, the fundamental units of the human species are populations rather than races. Further, genetics provides little in the way of reliable biological history of : our species, because human populations are culturally-defined, as well as biological, entities. Genetics has also been used as a scientific validation for cultural values - from the idea that there is indeed a small number of genetically distinct kinds of people ("races") to be identified, to more pervasive suggestions about the relationship of genetics to behavior. In its presentation of the biocultural nature of human diversity as well as in its presentation of the history of the problem and the illusions embedded in that history, this will be a widely used textbook that fills a void in the literature of biology and of physical anthropology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Bankruptcy in the field of social science.
This book is very similar to Gould's "The Mismeasure of Man" except it attacks eugenics more straightforwardly and is even more shameless; just a series of lies and half-truths.But first, let me saythat the eugenics movement at the turn of the century did have twofundamental stumbling blocks: a belief in simple Mendelian principles ofheredity, and a belief in class and elitism. Until universal educationfinally took hold in only the last few decades, where bright students areencouraged to get advanced degrees, elitism or a sense of aristocracy andmoral certitude was part culture. But culture changes.So this book, likeGould's, uses old arguments against new concepts that are no longerrelevant.

What is even more strange however, is that almost everydiatribe against understanding group differences and investigating why andhow humans behave has now been turned around.At one time, like folkmedicine, folk eugenics was in fact largely pseudoscience in that doctrinedrove the science without adequate academic peer review or oversight.Butnow, the opposite is occurring.The radical egalitarians, those die-hardMarxists that reject science they do not like, are attacking academicallyreviewed work without providing any evidence to the contrary. This is howhe describes pseudoscience, and it is in fact what this book is all about. Half-truths and accusations against behavior genetics and evolutionarypsychology, fields that have now matured and are solidly in the mainstream.And social scientists? Still floundering around trying to make sense offailed programs and broken promises.They accuse institutional racism forpoverty but they provide no proof or evidence. They claim thatredistribution of wealth will make everyone equally smart without one studyto show that this is possible. The Gouldian Marxists have now become thePseudoscientists, fighting a rear-guard defense by making claims andaccusations that are clearly incorrect.

This book was written in 1995,but it reads like it was written in 1970. The author has convenientlyignored all of the most recent research in human evolution, sociobiology,and differential psychology. It is as if, in order to make his claims seemcredible, he had no way of addressing the scientific progress made the lastthirty years.And just over the last five years the few caveats he mayhave had about such matters as the correlation of brain size tointelligence have been laid to rest. Numerous recent studies from aroundthe world using sophisticated MRI methods have confirmed that intelligencedoes correlate with brain size, and is different for men and women fordifferent parts of the brain.This is just one example of the obfuscationconjured up in this book.

So is it good reading? By all means. ExistingMarxists will have their prejudices reinforced, while those of us who areunabashed empiricists can take pleasure in the hackneyed attempts atdislodging good solid science. That is, it was for me a pleasure to readbecause on almost every page, the arguments against eugenics could beturned around against the radical environmentalists. It is similar to anatheist reading the bible to confirm, chapter after chapter, theinconsistencies and absurdities of the text to reaffirm their position.

A Broadbased View of Human Diversity
This book is excellent introduction to the thorny topic of human biodiversity.The book's real strength lies in the fact that Marks brings in historical material which illuminates the ideological underpinnings ofwork on human diversity. Dr. Marks, at the time this book was writtenwas a visiting professor at UC/Berkeley.He had studied anthropology atthe University of Arizona and genetics at UC/Davis. According to a noteon the copyright page he is known for his work in molecular anthropology. The book's 14 chapters take an extremely broad view of human diversity,both cultural and biological, and of the attempts to understand and explainthat diversity. The book covers the history of anthropology's attempts tounderstand human biodiversity, the evolution of primates, the eugenicsmovement, a critique of the biological race concept, patterns of humanvariation - both phenotypic and genotypic, the nature and function of humanvariation, the role of human variation in health and disease and a critiqueof hereditarian theory.An appendix discusses DNA structure and function. The chapters are generally well written and referenced.The book iswritten for an academic audience or at least a reader with a strongfoundation in biology. I found the critique of the biological raceconcept to be the most lucid and well thought out one that I have everread. Marks points out that a division of humans into three or fourprimordial races seems to ignore the long history of human intermingling. Either there has always been intermingling among humans - in which case thevery concept of biologically separated races is wrong from the start - orintermingling is a more recent phenomenon in which case race may have beenrelevant in the past but no longer is.Marks points out that the threemajor races identified in the US - White, Black and Asian - correspond tothe three major immigrant groups in US history - from Europe, WesternAfrica and Eastern Asia.[I note that he did not discuss NativeAmericans.] There is an excellent discussion of the history of racethinking as it was applied to the ABO blood groups.This makes palpablethe argument that within-race diversity is much greater than between-racediversity. Marks devotes a fair amount of time to discussing howcultural values impact on scientific work.This is illustrated by numerousexamples, many drawn from a critique of the eugenics movement.It isdifficult, however, to figure out what he thinks we should do about thefact that science is not "value neutral."He appears to suggestthat scientists be better schooled in the humanities and pay more attentionto the social implications of their work.It is unclear to me, however,that the problem with eugenics was that the scientists were unschooled inthe humanities and unmindful to the social implications of their policies. Could one not criticize Marks for simply displaying his own valueswhen he writes, for instance that: "The resolution of the problem ofracism is not to deny group differences, which obviously exist; nor to denythe human urge to associate with like-minded people, which is undeniablystrong; but to ensure that the diverse groups of people in contemporarysociety are given equal access to resources and opportunities.In otherwords, to assure that individuals are judged as individuals, and not asgroup members.The opportunity for self-improvement is vital to a free andcosmopolitan society, and the possibility to take advantage of it must beindependent of group considerations." (p. 168)?How does Marks assurehimself that these values of his do not subvert his scientific studies? The question is particularly troubling because many of the conceptssurrounding work on human diversity - such as "innate ability" -are loaded with social judgements.Is innate ability a static thing? Should society reward provide greater rewards to people with greater innateability? Marks repeatedly makes the observation that studies of humansare different than studies of animals, because there are practicalimplications to the results of studies on humans.But his book amplydemonstrates how studies on animals - such as studies on "rape"in scorpionflies - have also been misused to draw conclusions about humans. One could easily argue that all science is inevitably based on values. The book appears to be a collection of lectures and unfortunately there isa fair amount of repetition.The book might have been stronger had itdeveloped one central thesis.Nonetheless I found this to be a clearlywritten and very informative book.

Very clear. No indepth knowledge of genetics required.
I read this book while taking a correspondencecourse in physical anthropology from Univ. of Cal. at Berkeley. It is a textbook for a course onbiodiversity.

The book is about 280 pages and is subtitled genes, race and history. It has 14 chapters. The book's major theme is how culture and science haveinteracted around the issue of race.

Marks is both an anthropologist and a biologist, so the book presents a clear and thoroughexplanation of genetics in the context of how Western culture has chosen to interpret--and misinterpret--human differences.

It was the clearest, most enjoyable and thorough inquiry into the idea of race I have ever read. It greatly changed how I view human biodiversity. ... Read more

Book Description
With the accelerating loss of biodiversity there is increasing concern about how this loss may be affecting ecosystem processes, or services, that are of benefit to human well being. The limited studies that address the principal question directly, species numbers versus system function, are evaluated. Moreover, the degree of redundancy within systems, the ubiquity of keystone species, the tightness of species interactions from mutualisms to food webs, the resilience of systems to perturbation, the interactions of landscape units are explored, as is also how policy decisions are driven in this research area.
This book brings together the disciplines of population biology and ecoysystem science, both directed toward evaluating the consequences of human-driven disruptions of natural systems. ... Read more

Book Description
The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning has emerged as one of the most exciting and dynamic areas in contemporary ecology. Increasing domination of ecosystems by humans is steadily transforming them into depauperate systems. How will this loss of biodiversity affect the functioning and stability of natural and managed ecosystems? This volume provides the first comprehensive and balanced coverage of recent empirical and theoretical research on this question. It reviews the evidence, provides bases for the resolution of the debate that has divided scientists on these issues, and offers perspectives on how current knowledge can be extended to other ecosystems, other organisms and other spatial and temporal scales. It cuts across the traditional division between community ecology and ecosystem ecology, and announces a new ecological synthesis in which the dynamics of biological diversity and the biogeochemical functioning of the earth system are merged. ... Read more

Book Description
The Earth's biodiversity-the rich variety of life on our planet-is disappearing at an alarming rate. And while many books have focused on the expected ecological consequences, or on the aesthetic, ethical, sociological, or economic dimensions of this loss, Sustaining Life is the first book to examine the full range of potential threats that diminishing biodiversity poses to human health. Edited and written by Harvard Medical School physicians Eric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein, along with more than 100 leading scientists who contributed to writing and reviewing the book, Sustaining Life presents a comprehensive--and sobering--view of how human medicines, biomedical research, the emergence and spread of infectious diseases, and the production of food, both on land and in the oceans, depend on biodiversity. The book's ten chapters cover everything from what biodiversity is and how human activity threatens it to how we as individuals can help conserve the world's richly varied biota. Seven groups of organisms, some of the most endangered on Earth, provide detailed case studies to illustrate the contributions they have already made to human medicine, and those they are expected to make if we do not drive them to extinction. Drawing on the latest research, but written in language a general reader can easily follow, Sustaining Life argues that we can no longer see ourselves as separate from the natural world, nor assume that we will not be harmed by its alteration. Our health, as the authors so vividly show, depends on the health of other species and on the vitality of natural ecosystems. With a foreword by E.O. Wilson and a prologue by Kofi Annan, and more than 200 poignant color illustrations, Sustaining Life contributes essential perspective to the debate over how humans affect biodiversity and a compelling demonstration of the human health costs. ... Read more

Book Description

Written by two leading conservation biologists, Saving Nature's Legacy is a thorough and readable introduction to issues of land management and conservation biology. It presents a broad, land-based approach to biodiversity conservation in the United States, with the authors succinctly translating principles, techniques, and findings of the ecological sciences into an accessible and practical plan for action.

After laying the groundwork for biodiversity conservation - what biodiversity is, why it is important, its status in North America - Noss and Cooperrider consider the strengths and limitations of past and current approaches to land management. They then present the framework for a bold new strategy, with explicit guidelines on:

• inventorying biodiversity
• selecting areas for protection
• designing regional and continental reserve networks
• establishing monitoring programs
• setting priorities for getting the job done

Book Description
This law school casebook defines biodiversity, outlines factors in choosing among different policy approaches for it's protection, and finding appropriate levels of administration for implementing those policies. Also features original notes and questions to stimulate class discussion. ... Read more

Book Description
The Houston metroplex and 24 surrounding counties possessstriking natural beauty, unique biodiversity, and globally importantecological resources. With lively, engaging text and vivid colorphotographs and illustrations throughout, the Houston Atlas ofBiodiversity highlights the variety, cultural importance, and globalvalue of the natural environment found within the Houston Wildernessproject area.

Written by a consortium of authors in conjunction with the Houston AdvancedResearch Center (HARC) and HoustonWilderness, the Houston Atlas of Biodiversity focuses on habitats,animal and plant communities, and broad multi-county ecoregions. Itdemonstrates how local parks and preserves are part of an interconnected,diverse natural world that transcends traditional city or county jurisdictions. Theatlas details each of the ten ecoregions in the Houston Wilderness area:Bayou Wilderness, Big Thicket, Coastal Marshes, Coastal Prairies, ColumbiaBottomlands, Estuaries and Bays, Gulf of Mexico, Piney Woods, Post OakSavannah, and Trinity Bottomlands. Special attention is taken to portraythese ecological treasures engagingly and accurately, gently encouragingthe reader toward a sense of pride and appreciation.

The book is laced with stunning photography of places both familiar andunknown throughout the region and filled with detailed ecoregion maps. TheHouston Atlas of Biodiversity is truly a one-of-a-kind publicationthatwill alert the reader to the magnificent ecological treasures of theHouston Wilderness region. ... Read more

Book Description
This package includes Jeffrey S. Levinton's successful textbook, Marine Biology: Function, Biodiversity, Ecology, Second Edition and its accompanying laboratory manual, Paul A Haefner's Exploring Marine Biology. Together, these books provide an exciting exploration of marine animals and their habitats through elaborate photographs and illustrations and a broad range of effective exercises. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Marine Biology 101
I was disappointed in this book. It is basically a college level textbook, inclusive but dry. Not a book to inspire, rather one to cram from for your next exam ... Read more

Book Description

The implications of biodiversity loss for the global environment have been widely discussed, but only recently has attention been paid to its direct and serious effects on human health. Biodiversity loss affects the spread of human diseases, causes a loss of medical models, diminishes the supplies of raw materials for drug discovery and biotechnology, and threatens food production and water quality.

Biodiversity and Human Health brings together leading thinkers on the global environment and biomedicine to explore the human health consequences of the loss of biological diversity. Based on a two-day conference sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Smithsonian Institution, the book opens a dialogue among experts from the fields of public health, biology, epidemiology, botany, ecology, demography, and pharmacology on this vital but often neglected concern.

Contributors discuss the uses and significance of biodiversity to the practice of medicine today, and develop strategies for conservation of these critical resources. Topics examined include:

• the causes and consequences of biodiversity loss
• emerging infectious diseases and the loss of biodiversity
• the significance and use of both prescription and herbal biodiversity-derived remedies
• indigenous and local peoples and their health care systems
• sustainable use of biodiversity for medicine
• an agenda for the future

The book provides a common framework for physicians and biomedical researchers who wish to learn more about environmental concerns, and for members of the environmental community who desire a greater understanding of biomedical issues. ... Read more

Book Description
Shows how economic measures can capture the value of biodiversity and lead to policies for conservation and ecosystem management. ... Read more

Book Description
We know that there are tens of millions of plant and animal species, but we do not know enough to be able to describe the patterns and processes that characterise the distribution of species in space, time and taxonomic groups. Given that in practical terms it is impossible to expect to be able to document biodiversity with any degree of completeness other approaches must be used. Scaling rules offer one possible framework, and this book offers a synthesis of the ways in which scaling theory can be applied to the analysis of biodiversity. Scaling Biodiversity presents new views on quantitative patterns of the biological diversity on earth and the processes responsible for them. Written by a team of leading experts in ecology who present their most recent and innovative views, readers will be provided with what is the state of art in current ecology and biodiversity science. ... Read more

Book Description
`This fascinating volume highlights the ongoing conflictbetween economic development and environmental protection in both mainlandChina and Taiwan. The authors value biological diversity and examine itsloss and conservation from historical and comparative perspectives. Despitesignificant differences in institutional frameworks and environmental NGOson the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, the authors also note a similarapproach to biodiversity conservation and the entailed success or failure.This volume is a must read for people who are concerned with the endangeredglobal ecosystem. Students in public policy comparison may find this volumeinstructive in combining institutional analysis with behavioralobservation.' - Lin Gang, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, People's Republic of China

China and Taiwan have roughly one-eighth of the world's known species.Their approaches to biodiversity issues thus have global as well asnational repercussions. Gerald McBeath and Tse-Kang Leng explore theongoing conflicts between economic development, typically pursued bybusinesses and governments, and communities seeking to preserve and protectlocal human and ecosystem values.

China and Taiwan have sharply different political and economic systems.In Taiwan, a public relatively more supportive of sustainable development,a free press, a more transparent decision-making process, and an autonomouscivil society have influenced governance. Yet democratization has notguaranteed better environmental outcomes. In China, on the other hand,fragmentation of power and `softer' forms of authoritarianism than in theMaoist era have created openings for NGOs, scientists, journalists, andofficials seeking a sustainable future to participate in the environmentalpolicy making process. The authors provide an explicit and comparativetreatment of the national policies preserving rare, threatened, andendangered species and ecosystems. Considerable attention is paid to theactors involved in policy formation and implementation as well as to recentcases concerning biodiversity conservation in China and Taiwan.

This comprehensive volume will appeal to students and researchers in theareas of political science, environmental science and politics,environmental activists in national and international NGOs, and members ofmultinational corporations working in developing countries. ... Read more

Book Description
Until we have a firmer idea of the diversity of a wide range of marine habitats and what controls it, we have little hope of conserving biodiversity, or determining the impact of human activities such as mariculture, fishing, dumping of waste and pollution. This book brings together key studies from the deep sea and open ocean, to tropical shores and polar regions, to consider how comparable the patterns and processes underlying diversity are in these different ecosystems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I may have contributed but...
Even though I co-authored one of the papers in this book. I can recommend it to anyone who has an interest in Marine Biology or Biodiversity. The papers cover quite a wide range of biodiversity topics and takeperspectives from genetic species analysis through to morphologicaldifference. A good and informative book that will give readers an insightinto the science of biodiversity. ... Read more

Book Description
Our planet, with all its spectacular diversity, is a source of endless fascination-the stunning success of books like Earth from Above is proof of that. Now comes this spellbinding volume, filled with glorious images from the world's greatest nature photographers. This breathtaking work celebrates the amazing variety of species and ecosystems and how various forces affect them positively and negatively. In his absorbing, informative text, journalist Nicolas Hulot presents a lucid portrait of eight ecosystems (forests, oceans, deserts, poles, mountains, wetlands, grasslands, and cities), the species that inhabit them, and the role humans play in each. One Planet, just in time for Earth Day, is a loving photographic tribute to the beauty of the earth-it will remind us all how important it is to preserve this exquisite planet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Highly recommended top pick.
Eight biological ecosystems of the Earth are described in full here, but with a difference: an oversized presentation and vivid full-page color photos are as much the emphasis as natural history text, lending to a format which will please coffee table collectors of fine art and photography as much as natural history readers. OUR PLANET: A CELEBRATION OF BIODIVERSITY gathers a striking abundance of close-up images of flora and fauna alike, presenting gorgeous shots which are extraordinarily artistic and well detailed. While the natural history explanations are very well done, it's the vivid color photos which makes for a unique, highly recommended top pick.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch ... Read more

Download Description
This unique textbook takes a broad look at the rapidly expanding field of freshwater microbiology. Concentrating on the interactions between viruses, bacteria, algae, fungi and micro-invertebrates, the book gives a wide biological appeal. Alongside conventional aspects such as phytoplankton characterisation, seasonal changes and nutrient cycles, the title focuses on the dynamic and applied aspects that are not covered within the current textbooks in the field. Complete coverage of all fresh water biota from viruses to invertebratesUnique focus on microbial interactions including coverage of biofilms, important communities on all exposed rivers and lakes.New information on molecular and microscopical techniques including a study of gene exchange between bacteria in the freshwater environment.Unique emphasis on the applied aspects of freshwater microbiology with particular emphasis on biodegradation and the causes and remediation of eutrophication and algal blooms. ... Read more