Buch, Englisch, 250 Seiten, Cloth Over Boards, Format (B × H): 228 mm x 289 mm, Gewicht: 1138 g
Buch, Englisch, 250 Seiten, Cloth Over Boards, Format (B × H): 228 mm x 289 mm, Gewicht: 1138 g
ISBN: 978-0-520-26256-0
Verlag: University of California Press
Visually rich, up-to-date, and authoritative, The Atlas of Global Conservation is a premier resource for everyone concerned about the natural world. Drawing from the best data available, it is an unprecedented guide to the state of the planet and our most pressing resource and environmental issues. Top scientists at The Nature Conservancy, the leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and water, have joined forces to create this extraordinary reference. It features 79 richly-detailed, fullcolor maps and other graphics paired with an informative, inviting discussion of major trends across the world’s terrestrial, marine, and freshwater environments. Interspersed throughout, essays by noted international authorities point the way forward in confronting some of our greatest conservation challenges.
• The most comprehensive single volume on global environmental conservation and future sustainability
• Includes the latest data on environmental threats, such as climate change, water use, habitat protection, deforestation and overfishing
• Full-color maps and graphics are designed to facilitate sideby-side comparisons, empowering readers to draw their own conclusions
• Brings together information that has been widely dispersed across myriad publications and databases in a format thatinvites evaluation and application
• Supporting data is available on an accompanying website
Autoren/Hrsg.
Weitere Infos & Material
Acknowledgments x
FOREWORD • A NEW VIEW OF OUR HOME xii
Mark Tercek, The Nature Conservancy
FOREWORD • CONSERVATION CONNECTIONS xiv
Paul R. Ehrlich, Stanford University, Stanford University
1. Introduction 1
WHY ECOREGIONS? 6
Taylor Ricketts, World Wildlife Fund
Terrestrial Ecoregions, Realms, and Biomes 8
Freshwater Ecoregions and Basins 10
Marine Ecoregions, Provinces, and Realms 12
THE STORIES THAT MAPS TELL 14
Jon Christensen, Stanford University
2. Habitats 19
Forests and Woodlands: Giving Trees 22
Grasslands: Where the Buffalo Roamed 24
Deserts and Aridlands: Hardy Life under Harsh Conditions 26
Rivers and Wetlands: The Planet’s Lifeblood 28
Lakes: Fragile Pools of Life 30
Caves and Karst: Troves of Subterranean Species 32
HOPE IN HABITATS 34
Steven J. McCormick, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
Coasts and Shelves: The Sea’s Sunlit Margins 36
Coral Reefs: Crown Jewels of the Ocean 38
Mangrove Forests: Bridging Land and Sea 40
Seagrass Beds: Marine Meadows 42
Salt Marshes: Living Filters along Our Coasts 44
High Seas and Deep Oceans: Earth’s Uncharted "Inner Space" 46
3. Species 49
Plants: A Vital Variety 52
Freshwater Fish: A Diverse Cast 54
Amphibians: Fragile Markers of the Planet’s Health 56
Reptiles: Prehistoric Survivors 58
MIGRATIONS 60
Martin Wikelski, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology and Konstaz University, and David S. Wilcove, Princeton University
Birds: Everyday, Everywhere Wildlife 64
Mammals: Shared Destiny with Our Closest Kin 66
Endemic Species: In the Narrowest Niches 68
Evolutionary Distinction: Branches on the Tree of Life 70
PROMOTING LIVELIHOODS, SAVING NATURE 72
Greg Mock, former editor, World Resources Report
4. A World of Change 75
Human Population: Outnumbering Nature 78
Consuming Nature: Running Out of Planet? 80
Climate Change: The Planetary Emergency 82
ULTIMATE AGENTS OF GLOBAL CHANGE 84
Joel E. Cohen, Rockefeller and Columbia Universities
Habitat Loss on Land: Going, Going,… 88
Coastal Development: Reshaping the Seashore 90
Bottom Trawling and Dredging: Scouring the Seafloor 92
Landscape Fragmentation: Going to Pieces 94
Thwarted Fish Runs: Up against a Wall 96
GLOBAL CONTAMINATION OF THE BIOSPHERE 98
John Peterson Myers, Environmental Health Sciences
Freshwater Pollution: Clear but Hazardous 102
Nitrogen Pollution: Too Much of a Good Thing 104
Ruin of the Reefs: Fading Jewels, Lost Wealth 106
Into the Wild: The Cost of Expanding Human Access 108
POVERTY AND NATURE'S SERVICES 110
M. Sanjayan, The Nature Conservancy
Forest Clearing: Uprooting Nature 112
Water Stress: Overused and Undermanaged 114
Overfishing: Emptying the Oceans 116
Wildlife Trade: Sold into Extinction 118
FUTURE OF FISHERIES 120
Jackie Alder, United Nations Environment Programme, and Daniel Pauly, University of British Columbia
Fire: Healthy Doses of Destruction 122
Dams and Reservoirs: Clogging Earth’s Arteries 124
Sediment Flow: Starving Some Habitats, Smothering Others 126
Melting Ice and Rising Seas: Squeezing the Coasts 128
Disappearing Glaciers: Ice Storage on a Slippery Slope 130
NATURE CONSERVATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE 132
Jonathan M. Hoekstra, The Nature Conservancy
Terrestrial Invaders: Unwelcome Guests 134
Freshwater Invaders: Good Intentions with Costly Consequences 136
Marine Invaders: Stowaways Attacking Our Coasts 138
Terrestrial Animals at Risk: More in Jeopardy Each Year 140
Freshwater Animals at Risk: Are Their Futures Drying Up? 142
Marine Animals at Risk: Sea Life Unraveling 144
5. Taking Action 147
Protected Areas on Land: Triumph for Nature 150
Protecting Rivers, Lakes, and Wetlands: Thinking beyond Park Boundaries 152
Marine Protected Areas: Oases for Fish and People 154
Protecting Nature’s Services: Dividends from the Wealth of Nature 156
CONVERGENT CONSERVATION 158
Scott A. Morrison, The Nature Conservancy
International Cooperation: Saving the Whales—and More 160
Greening the Marketplace: Certifiably Profitable 162
Collaborative Solutions: Problem-Solving Partnerships 164
CONSERVATION ON OUR WATCH 166
Gretchen C. Daily, Marilyn Cornelius, and Charles J. Katz, Jr., Stanford University, and Brian Shillinglaw, New Forests, Inc.
Rule of Law: Protecting the Commons 168
Individual Action: Parting the Waters 170
Restoring Nature: Mending the Web of Life 172
6. Conclusion Our Future, Our Choices 175
Appendix A: Ecoregions Index Maps 180
Appendix B: Technical Notes and References 200
Index 229
About the authors 234
