The Biology Of Polar Regions

There is now an increased awareness of the importance of polar regions in the Earth system, as well as their vulnerability to anthropogenic derived change, including of course global climate change. This new edition offers a concise but comprehensive introduction to polar ecology and has been thoroughly revised and updated throughout, providing expanded coverage of marine ecosystems and the impact of humans. It incorporates a detailed comparison of the Arctic and Antarctic systems, with a particular emphasis on the effects of climate change, and describes marine, freshwater, glacial, and terrestrial habitats. This breadth of coverage is unique in the polar biology literature. As with other titles in the Biology of Habitats Series, particular emphasis is placed on the organisms that dominate these extreme environments although pollution, conservation and experimental aspects are also considered. This accessible text is suitable for both senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in polar ecology, often as part of a wider marine biology degree programme. It will also be of value and use to the many professional ecologists and conservation biologists requiring a concise overview of the topic.

NEW SERIES Biology of Habitats Series editors: Professor Michael Crawley, Dr Colin Little, Sir Richard Southwood, and Professor Staffan Ulfstrand This exciting new series of textbooks will give an integrated overview of the design, physiology, ecology, and behaviour of the organisms in different habitats. Each book will provide information about the habitat and the types of organisms present, on practical aspects of working within thehabitats and the sorts of studies which are possible, and will include a discussion of biodiversity and conservation needs. Further Reading Sections will lead the reader to key papers, review articles, and books in which the subject may be explored at greater depth. This book gives a readable overview of polar habitats, from ice caps to tundra and open ocean. It describes their physical characteristics, the communities of microorganisms, plants, and animals inhabiting them, and their interactions with the global environment. It reviews the origins of thehabitats and their subsequent colonization and population dynamics, and considers the future changes which may result from global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, and human activities. The book is unusual in that it describes and compares the two polar regions, rather than focusing on onlyone of them.

The oceans are our planet's most distinctive and imposing natural habitat. They cover 71 percent of its surface; support a remarkably diverse and exquisitely adapted array of life forms, from microscopic viruses, bacteria, and plankton to the largest existing animals; and possess many of Earth's most significant, intriguing, and inaccessible ecosystems. In an era in which humans are significantly altering the global environment, the oceans are undergoing rapid and profound changes. The study of marine biology is thus taking on added importance and urgency as people struggle to understand and manage these changes to protect our marine ecosystems. Healthy oceans produce half of the oxygen we breathe; stabilize our climate; create ecosystems that protect our coasts from storms; provide us with abundant food; and host diverse organisms that provide us with natural products for medicine and biotechnology. In this Very Short Introduction, marine biologist Philip Mladenov provides an accessible and up-to-date overview of marine biology, offering a tour of marine life and marine processes that ranges from the unimaginably abundant microscopic organisms that drive the oceans' food web to the apex predators that we exploit for food; from polar ocean ecosystems to tropical coral reefs; and from the luxurious kelp beds of the coastal ocean to deep-ocean hydrothermal vents where life exists without the energy of the sun. Throughout the book he considers the human impacts on marine life including overfishing, plastic and nutrient pollution, the spread of exotic species, and ocean warming and acidification. He discusses the threats these pose to our welfare, and the actions required to put us on a path to a more sustainable relationship with our oceans so that they can be restored and protected for future generations. Mladenov concludes with a new chapter offering an inspiring vision for the future of our oceans in 2050 that can be realised if we are wise enough to accelerate actions already underway and be bold with implementing new approaches. The next decade will decide the state of the oceans that we leave behind for future generations. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Considers the evolution and adaptions of arctic and antarctic floras and the role of these plants in the vegetation and in the functioning of tundra ecosystems.

As we enter the twenty-first century, the polar biological sciences stand well poised to address numerous important issues, many of which were unrecognized as little as 10 years ago. From the effects of global warming on polar organisms to the potential for life in subglacial Lake Vostok, the opportunities to advance our understanding of polar ecosystems are unprecedented. The era of "genome-enabled" biology is upon us, and new technologies will allow us to examine polar biological questions of unprecedented scope and to do so with extraordinary depth and precision. Frontiers in Polar Biology in the Genomic Revolution highlights research areas in polar biology that can benefit from genomic technologies and assesses the impediments to the conduct of polar genomic research. It also emphasizes the importance of ancillary technologies to the successful application of genomic technologies to polar studies. It recommends the development of a new initiative in polar genome sciences that emphasizes collaborative multidisciplinary research to facilitate genome analyses of polar organisms and coordinate research efforts.

There is an increased awareness of the importance of polar regions, and their vulnerability to anthropogenic derived change. This book offers a concise but comprehensive introduction to polar ecology. The emphasis is on the organisms that dominate these environments although pollution, conservation and experimental aspects are also considered.

Polar Human Biology documents the proceedings of the SCAR/IUPS/IUBS Symposium on Human Biology and Medicine in the Antarctic held at the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, England on September 19-21, 1972. This book compiles review papers of expeditions conducted by several scientists, demonstrating the multidisciplinary aspects of the work carried out in both polar regions. The first portion of the compilation describes the problems encountered by Antarctic expeditions in the 1930s and today, which illustrates the tremendous changes in the way in which Antarctic expeditions operated then and now. Following the review papers, medical and dental aspects are also described, including a brief discussion on microbiology. The final section of this book deals with psychological and behavioral aspects, indicating that the interpretation of physiological studies of the effects of cold on man would be greatly helped by knowledge of the psychological effects of the polar situation. This text is a good reference for students or individuals conducting research on human and marine biology in the Antarctic regions.