Ecosystem Geography: From Ecoregions to Sites

Most people find pleasure in being part of the wildness of a natural environment. There is a diversity and complexity that fascinates and inspires awe. Yet, what makes up the uniqueness of a particular environment has been debated for a long time. Most often when looking at nature we try to see the parts as stable entities rather than the dynamics of whole system.In this book, Dr. Bailey has taken a Geographers prospective of looking at the whole and then showing how the parts fit together. His solution of this world scale jigsaw puzzle has produced an unmatched insight into ecosystem structure and function. He explains how regional ecosystem boundaries are a function of climate properties that provide the energy to sustain life. At a different scale, other inputs from geology, soil, watershed, and physiography temper the mix of life forms that form an ecosystem. Throughout this book the emphasis is on spatial relationships among the components that make up ecosystems. However these are not static systems because, at all scales, spatial units of ecosystems and their processes also interact to provide life sustaining natural services.This is one science book that is easy to read because Dr. Bailey took a great deal of care to explain his reasoning using familiar terms. There is an excellent glossary to explain concepts contained in those words that are not so familiar. Numerous pictures and illustrations clearly present the many ecosystem concepts covered in this book. Finally, a map inside the back cover illustrates the Ecoregions of the Continents.