Mittelmeerflora.

142 S. : zahlr. Ill. (z.T. farb.), Kt. ; 16 cm ,Taschenbuch - Paperback.

Hallwag Taschenbuch 112. Hallwag AG, Bern. ISBN 3-444-50103-X.

Aus dem Vorwort:

Wenn es auch vermessen erscheint, aus der so artenreichen Flora des Mittelmeerraums (auf über 20'000 Arten geschätzt!) in einem Taschenbuch eine Auswahl vorzustellen, mag dies dennoch aus guten Gründen gerechtfertigt sein: Mit der rapiden Verarmung an natürlichen Lebensräumen lernt der Mensch den Wert der Natur als erholsamen Ausgleich zur harten Belastung durch den Beruf mehr und mehr zu schätzen. ...

Aus der riesigen Artenfülle wählten wir einige der bezeichnetsten Vertreter aus meist sehr formenreichen Gruppen aus. Neben weitverbreiteten und besonders auffälligen Pflanzen werden noch einige besonders interessante Typem von engster Verbreitung (= Endemiten) einbezogen ...

Madagascar - A Natural History.

224 Seiten.
1. Auflage. Facts on file Ltd., Oxford. ISBN-13: 978-0816024032.

Inhalt:

Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world, with a landmass of 226,739 square miles - over twice the size of the British Isles. Until 65 million years ago, it was part of continental Africa, but broke free and drifted into the Indian Ocean, gradually isolating its flora and fauna. This illustrated study of the extraordinary wildlife of the island covers the lone evolution of many of the species of plant and animal where all of the mammals, 225 of the 257 species of reptile and almost 80% of its plants are unique to Madagascar.

Table Mountain - A Natural History.

160 Seiten, mit Landkarten und zahlreichen Farbfotos.

Fernwood Press, Vlaeberg. ISBN 1-874950-43-1.

Vorwort:

The majestic profile of Table Mountain, flanked by Devil's Peak and Lion's Head, is one of the world's most famous landmarks. For many centuries it has been a source of almost mystical Inspiration for visitors to Cape Town. Even those who live and work in Its shadow every day, cannot help but feel its power. For those privileged to set foot on the sandstone slopes, a new world opens - a world even more awe-Inspiring than Table Mountain's famous profile. The Table Mountain chain is, above all, a living monument to the wonders of biodiversity -on a scale not seen elsewhere on this planet. One can only marvel at the celebration of life on the mountain, in all its glorious forms, and which have been so skilfully captured in the pages of this magnificent book. The authors, Anton Pauw and Steven Johnson, are two young scientists who have spent many years uncovering the secrets of Table Mountain. Not only have they both been recognised in academic circles for their ground-breaking work in the fields of animal-plant interaction and pollination biology, but both are also highly talented and accomplished nature photographers. This blend of experience, knowledge and creative skills has produced a truly unique work, a work that tells an exciting and very special story about a mountain where many thousands of life forms all have their place, all interdependent on each other for their common survival. As fascinating as this story is, there is more, for in its telling there Is the underlying message that sharing in this very special place on earth brings with it the responsibility for its conservation, a responsibility which rests not only with Capetonians, but also with the entire country and, indeed, the world. It is in this context that the Botanical Society of South Africa has decided to endorse this publication. It Is the first time that the Society, founded in 1913, has taken this step - the case for doing so was indeed a compelling one. I am greatly honoured to present this foreword in the conviction that past presidents of the Society who are no longer with us, namely, the late Sirs J.H. de Villiers and James Rose Innes, Messrs Duncan Baxter and Dudley D'Ewes, and Professors E.A.C.L.E. Schelpe and W.P.U. Jackson, would have looked favourably on the Council of 1999 who, on the eve of the new millennium, voted unanimously for the Botanical Society's official endorsement of this important publication. May this also be a source of inspiration to our 30 000 members worldwide, and indeed to every reader of this book, to make the transition from seeing ourselves not only as the current beneficiaries of the rich natural beauty of Table Mountain, but also as the active custodians of this treasure trove of botanical diversity.

Adv. Abri B. Meiring, President of the Botanical Society of South Africa

Endorsed by the botanical society of South Africa, this guide unveils the intricate relationships between plants and animals of Table Mountain.

Montana Field Guides: Rocky Mountain Subalpine-Montane Fen.

Montana’s Official State Website.

http://fieldguide.mt.gov/displayES_Detail.aspx?ES=9234][rot]http://fieldguide.mt.gov/displayES_Detail.aspx?ES=9234

General Description:

Fens occur infrequently throughout the Rocky Mountains from Colorado north into Canada. They are confined to specific environments defined by groundwater discharge, soil chemistry, and peat accumulation. This system includes poor fens, rich fens and extremely rich fens. Fens form at low points in the landscape or near slopes where groundwater intercepts the soil surface. Groundwater inflows maintain a fairly constant water level year-round, with water at or near the surface most of the time. Constant high water levels lead to accumulation of organic material, usually greater than 40 centimeters (15 inches), except on sites underlain by limestone bedrock. In addition to peat accumulation and perennially saturated soils, extremely rich and iron fens have distinct soil and water chemistry, with high levels of one or more minerals such as calcium, magnesium, or iron. Fens maintain stream water quality through denitrification and phosphorus absorption. They are among the most floristically diverse of all wetland types, supporting a large number of rare and uncommon bryophytes and vascular plant species, and provide habitat for uncommon mammals, mollusks and insects. Fens usually occur as a mosaic of herbaceous and woody plant communities. In herbaceous communities, there are several plant associations dominated by sedges (Carex species), spikerushes (Eleocharis species), and rushes (Juncus species). Bryophyte diversity is generally high and includes sphagnum (Sphagnum species). Forb diversity is especially high in extremely rich and iron fens. The woody community is typically composed of willow (Salix species) and birch (Betula nana) carr shrubland. The surrounding landscape may be ringed with other wetland systems: fens often grade into marshes, wet meadows or riparian shrublands, and can be surrounded by conifer swamps or wet to mesic coniferous forests. In very rare cases, fens can occur within prairie grasslands in the glaciated Great Plains. Fens are found in scattered locations along the Rocky Mountain Front, in the Rocky Mountains and and intermountain valleys, in the small isolated central mountain ranges, and at higher elevations on the Beartooth Plateau in the southern portion of the state.

The Living Deserts of Southern Africa.

224 Seiten, mit Farbfotos von Anthony Bannister,‎ Peter Pickford und Daryl Balfour

Fernwood Press.ISBN 10: 0958315477 / ISBN 13: 9780958315470

Anbietertext:

The Living Deserts of Southern Africa by Barry Lovegrove unravels many of the mysteries associated with life in southern Africa's four desert biomes: the Desert, the Arid Savanna, the Succulent Karoo and the Nama Karoo. Extensively illustrated with colour photos throughout.

An Introduction to the Rondevlei Nature Reserve.

Hrsg. Western Cape Regional Services Council, Cape Town.

Reiseführer Natur: Kreta.

130 Seiten.; 112 Farbfotos, 9 farbige Kwsrten, 1 Übersichtskarte.

BLV Verlagsgesellschaft mbH. München. ISBN 3-405-15524-X.

Verlagstext:

Reiselust heute - das heißt Lust auf unberührte Natur, auf bizzare und außergewöhnliche Landschaften, interessante Vegetation, vielfältige Tierwelt. Die Reiseführer Natur sprechen alle reiselustigen Naturfreunde an. Hier finden Sie alle wichtigen Informationen über die attraktivsten Naturregionen in Ihrem Reiseziel - ausführlich, fundiert und praxisnah. Die "Wiege Europas" - ein Eldorado für Wanderer: bizarre Hochgebirge, fruchtbare Hochebenen, einsame Sandstrände, grandiose Steilküsten - und eine interessante Flora und Fauna.

Kundenrezension:

Dieser Reiseführer zeigt nicht in erster Linie die touristischen Highlights von Kreta, sondern bietet interessierten Naturliebhabern viel Informatives über die Tier- und Pflanzenwelt der Insel. Besonders interessant erscheinen mir für alle Hobbyornithologen die Ausführungen über den Bart- geier. Ich hatte das Glück, diese imposante Vogelart selbst bei einem meiner Streifzüge im Ida-Gebirge gesichtet zu haben.

Wälder der Schweiz - Von Lindengrün zu Lärchengold.

Vielfalt der Waldbilder und Waldgesellschaften der Schweiz.

Ott Verlag, Thun. 4. Auflage 2010 | 464 Seiten | A4, Hardcover. ISBN 978-3-7225-0087-4

Verlagstext:

«Wälder der Schweiz» ist eine umfassende Dokumentation über die erstaunliche Vielfalt des natürlichen Waldkleides der Schweiz. Auf 460 Seiten werden 116 verschiedene Waldgesellschaften mit 788 Farbbildern, Bestandesprofilen und Verbreitungskarten dargestellt. Ein breiter Einführungsteil und ein umfangreicher Anhang mit zahlreichen Registern machen «Wälder der Schweiz» zum unentbehrlichen Nachschlagewerk für alle am Wald und seiner Pflanzenwelt Interessierten.

Die anhaltende Nachfrage hat zu einer vierten, überarbeiteten Auflage geführt. Der zunehmend wichtiger gewordenen Biodiversität und den Waldreservaten ist neu ein eigenes Kapitel gewidmet.

Knaurs Kontinente in Farben - Australien und Ozeanien.

304 Seiten, mit 106 Farb-, und 133 s/w-Fotos sowie 14 Karten.
Droemersche Verlagsanstalt Th. Knaur Nachf., München und Zürich.

Inhalt:

Australien Die Inseln Ozeaniens Neuguinea Neuseeland.

Sphagnum-Dominated Peatlands in North America Since the Last Glacial Maximum: Their Occurrence and Extent.

The Bryologist 103 (2): 334-352.

Abstract:

Sphagnum-dominated peatlands occupy extensive tracts of land throughout the Boreal and Subarctic regions of North America, extending north onto the Low Arctic of the Canadian Shield and south along the west coast of Oregon, Rocky Mountains of Wyoming, and Appalachians of West Virginia. In addition, short pocosins found along the southeastern coast also can be considered as Sphagnum-dominated peatlands, even though they differ significantly from traditional concepts of boreal peatlands. Along the southern limit of Sphagnum-dominated peatlands, where climate is limiting, edaphic factors allow for the development of outliers. As the current distribution of Sphagnum-dominated peatlands is related to Sphagnum spore rain, past distributions of Sphagnum-dominated peatlands can be constructed from spore records preserved in lakes and peatlands. Here we present six time slices extending back to the Last Glacial Maximum to determine how Sphagnum-dominated peatlands have varied in both time and space. The spore record indicates that Sphagnum-dominated peatlands were present in North America during the Last Glacial Maximum although they were spatially limited to central Alaska, the Olympic Peninsula and Puget Trough of Washington, and to a narrow band in the eastern states of Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Maryland. During the Late Wisconsinan Sphagnum-dominated peatlands shifted northwards in eastern North America and expanded farther into Alaska and the Midwest. The Late Wisconsinan/Holocene transition marks a time of overall increase in the area supporting Sphagnum-dominated peatlands, while extending farther in eastern Canada and western continental and coastal regions, they almost completely disappear in the Midwest where they were extensive earlier. Sphagnum-dominated peatlands generally reach their current extent about 2,000–3,000 years ago. Sphagnum-dominated peatlands have dramatically changed their distribution and abundance since the Last Glacial Maximum, and hence the carbon that is stored in these present-day important sinks has also changed dramatically. When compared to the estimated 220 Pg of carbon stored in North American peatlands today, less than 10% of this carbon was present in these peatland during the LGM.