Wetlands

by Moore, Peter D.

• ISBN13: 9780816039302
• ISBN10: 0816039305
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-12-01
• Publisher: Facts on File

Summary

Explores world wetland areas, looking at their development, history, role in human society, and future, and provides opinions on wetland areas from several fields, including geological and economic perspectives.

Author Biography

Peter D. Moore is a scientist, writer, and ecology lecturer at King's College London, where he serves as director of the Human Environmental Sciences and Applied Environmental Sciences programs.

Table of Contents

Introduction	vii
Geography of Wetlands	2	(6)
Geology of Wetlands	8	(22)
The Atmosphere, the Carbon Cycle, and Wetlands	30	(12)
Chemistry of Wetlands	42	(14)
Biology of Wetlands	56	(40)
Biodiversity of Wetlands	96	(42)
Wetlands in History	138	(18)
Economics of Wetlands	156	(10)
Health of Wetlands	166	(6)
Wetlands Management	172	(8)
Glossary	180	(7)
Appendix	187	(1)
Further Reading	188	(3)
Index	191

Excerpts

Wetlands are made up of a wide range of habitats—from saline coastal marshes and mangrove swamps to the rain-fed mires of the world's wet mountains, the tundra mires of the Arctic, and the shallow lakes and fresh marshes of continental interiors.
Wetlands, one of four volumes in the successful Ecosystem series, is the first comprehensive account of the ecology, biology, chemistry, history, and economics of wetlands. Beautifully enhanced with dozens of color photos and illustrations, the text is written in a straightforward, nontechnical manner, that will help readers to appreciate the biological and physical richness of wetlands, understand how their complex ecological systems function, and see how numerous animals and plants adapt to the wetland way of life.
The author, internationally recognized in the study of wetlands, insightfully discusses the major wetland types of the world, including their geography, chemistry, and biology; the distinctive features that allow wetlands to function, including water flow, nutrient movements, food webs, and decomposition; the interconnected relationship between wetlands and human history and culture; the conservation of existing wetlands and the rehabilitation of those that have already been damaged; the human exploitation of wetlands; and the threats to their continued existence. Wetlands is destined to be an essential reference for students of biology, ecology, geography, and environmental science.
The Ecosystem series provides a comprehensive and accessible survey of the vast range of activities—human, biological, chemical, and physical—occurring in global ecology. Through lively and detailed discussion of biomes around the world, the books introduce readers to basic ecological concepts and demonstrate how these concepts influence the relations between humans and their environments.
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