Helen Plum Library

In this video lesson, Paul Andersen explains how ecosystems interact with biotic and abiotic factors. He explains and gives examples of food chains and food webs. He shows how limiting factors eventually lead to logistic growth. Real data from Yellowstone Park is used to show how populations interact. He ends the lesson by showing how human impacts can eventually lead to changes within an ecosystem.--Publisher.

In this video lesson, Paul Andersen explains the major classification terms in ecology and how a community can be measured by species composition and species diversity. The symbiosis of leaf cutter ants is included. The lesson ends with a discussion of population growth.--Publisher.

When a field mouse asks Carl the earthworm why he tunnels through the dirt, Carl doesn't have an answer, so he sets off to find out

A fascinating tour of the planet exploring ecosystems large and small, from reefs, deserts, and rainforests to a single drop of water-from the New York Times bestselling author of Women in Science Making earth science accessible and entertaining, The Wondrous Workings of Planet Earth explains how our planet works-and how we can protect it-from its diverse ecosystems and their inhabitants, to the levels of ecology, the importance of biodiversity, the...

The intricate relationship between living creatures and their habitats is simplified in this clear and detailed guide to the variety of environments that plants and animals inhabit. Tundra, forests, and the ocean are just a few of the many types of biomes discussed in this volume, each with a discussion of the adaptations species living there have undergone to best fit their surroundings. Key terms are defined in textboxes as well as sidebars with...

Text and photographs introduce ponds, and includes information on the plants found in ponds such as water lilies and cattails, and animals found in ponds such as fish, frogs, and ducks.

In this book, world-renowned marine ecologist Enric Sala illuminates the many reasons why preserving Earth's biodiversity makes logical, emotional, and economic sense. Using key moments from his own scientific awakening, Sala reveals that our survival depends on all species. The natural world, he explains, is a perfect circular economy, where every species, in life and in death, sustains everything else. Sala also builds a cogent argument for the...

"An electrifying introduction to complexity theory, the science of how complex systems behave--from cells to human beings, ecosystems, the known universe, and beyond--that profoundly reframes our understanding and illuminates our interconnectedness. Nothing in the universe is more complex than life. Throughout the skies, in oceans, and across lands, life is endlessly on the move. In its myriad forms--from cells to human beings, social structures,...

"One morning, a seed suddenly and unexpectedly appears in the garden that Jack and his friends call home. The seed starts to grow, sprouting a stem, leaves, and roots... Yvonne the mole, Colette the ant and the Field Mice family are all convinced that the seed spells disaster. As its roots continue to spread, ceilings crack and paths become unwalkable. The inhabitants of the garden make a bold decision: they are going to cut the plant down! Thankfully,...