Under Ground

How Creatures of Mud and Dirt Shape Our World

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science, Biological Sciences, Microbiology, Environmental Science
Cover of the book Under Ground by Yvonne Baskin, Island Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Yvonne Baskin ISBN: 9781597269384
Publisher: Island Press Publication: September 26, 2012
Imprint: Island Press Language: English
Author: Yvonne Baskin
ISBN: 9781597269384
Publisher: Island Press
Publication: September 26, 2012
Imprint: Island Press
Language: English

In childhood, the backyard, the flowerbed, the beach, puddles, lakes, and streams are infinitely fascinating. It is a mistake to leave that "childish" fascination with mud behind. The soils of the Earth, whether underneath our feet or pressurized beneath tons of ocean water, hold life in abundance. A handful of garden dirt may harbor more species than the entire aboveground Amazon.

The robotic rovers Spirit and Opportunity made headlines as they searched the Martian landscape for signs of life. But while our eyes have been turned toward the skies, teeming beneath us and largely unexplored lies what Science magazine recently called the true "final frontier." A growing array of scientists is exploring life in soils and sediments, uncovering a living world alien to our own senses--and yet one whose integrity turns out to be crucial to life above ground.

Yvonne Baskin takes the reader from the polar desert of Antarctica to the coastal rain forests of Canada, from the rangelands of Yellowstone National Park to the vanishing wetlands of the Mississippi River basin, from Dutch pastures to English sounds, and beyond. She introduces exotic underground creatures and shows us what scientists are learning about their contribution to sustaining a healthy world above ground. She also explores the alarming ways in which air pollution, trawl fishing, timber cutting, introductions of invasive species, wetland destruction, and the like threaten this underground diversity and how their loss, in turn, affects our own well being.

Two-thirds of the world's biological diversity exists in soils and underwater sediments, and yet mof us remain unaware of these tiny multitudes that run the planet beneath the scenes. In Under Ground, Baskin reveals the startling ways in which that life, whether in our own back yards, in fields and forests, or in the furthest reaches of the Earth, is more significant and fascinating than we once imagined.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In childhood, the backyard, the flowerbed, the beach, puddles, lakes, and streams are infinitely fascinating. It is a mistake to leave that "childish" fascination with mud behind. The soils of the Earth, whether underneath our feet or pressurized beneath tons of ocean water, hold life in abundance. A handful of garden dirt may harbor more species than the entire aboveground Amazon.

The robotic rovers Spirit and Opportunity made headlines as they searched the Martian landscape for signs of life. But while our eyes have been turned toward the skies, teeming beneath us and largely unexplored lies what Science magazine recently called the true "final frontier." A growing array of scientists is exploring life in soils and sediments, uncovering a living world alien to our own senses--and yet one whose integrity turns out to be crucial to life above ground.

Yvonne Baskin takes the reader from the polar desert of Antarctica to the coastal rain forests of Canada, from the rangelands of Yellowstone National Park to the vanishing wetlands of the Mississippi River basin, from Dutch pastures to English sounds, and beyond. She introduces exotic underground creatures and shows us what scientists are learning about their contribution to sustaining a healthy world above ground. She also explores the alarming ways in which air pollution, trawl fishing, timber cutting, introductions of invasive species, wetland destruction, and the like threaten this underground diversity and how their loss, in turn, affects our own well being.

Two-thirds of the world's biological diversity exists in soils and underwater sediments, and yet mof us remain unaware of these tiny multitudes that run the planet beneath the scenes. In Under Ground, Baskin reveals the startling ways in which that life, whether in our own back yards, in fields and forests, or in the furthest reaches of the Earth, is more significant and fascinating than we once imagined.

More books from Island Press

Cover of the book Safe Passages by Yvonne Baskin
Cover of the book Evolution and Christian Faith by Yvonne Baskin
Cover of the book The Food Sharing Revolution by Yvonne Baskin
Cover of the book Ecosystem Management by Yvonne Baskin
Cover of the book Water, Culture, and Power by Yvonne Baskin
Cover of the book Green Urbanism Down Under by Yvonne Baskin
Cover of the book Invasive Species by Yvonne Baskin
Cover of the book Marine Conservation Biology by Yvonne Baskin
Cover of the book So Shall You Reap by Yvonne Baskin
Cover of the book Lifelines by Yvonne Baskin
Cover of the book Sea Food Through My Eyes by Yvonne Baskin
Cover of the book Sustaining Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Soils and Sediments by Yvonne Baskin
Cover of the book Sloth (Erotic Romance / Voyeurism / Bondage / Lesbian / BDSM) by Yvonne Baskin
Cover of the book How to Feed the World by Yvonne Baskin
Cover of the book Green Urbanism by Yvonne Baskin
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy