The problem of global warming is among the most intensely studied and debated topics in ecology and environmental science. But one possible contributor to global warming--biotic feedback--has until now not been addressed with any serious, sustained attention. Featuring papers prepared for a meeting held at Woods Hole to explore the topic, this book provides for the first time a comprehensive overview of the many issues associated with interactions between biota and global warming. With contributions from internationally respected scholars in the field, the book will prove invaluable to...

"In clear, measured prose Davidson lays out how the traditional tools of economics don't work when you are talking about concrete things like soil, forests, garbage."-Inc.Ecology and economics are not doomed to be adversaries. This lively and concise book presents the exciting new insights of environmental economics as well as the three fallacies of conventional economic analysis. You Can't Eat GNP offers a blueprint for a truly sustainable economy that recognizes the natural resources (like water, air, and soil) on which we ultimately depend.Eric A. Davidson, Ph.D., is a senior scientist at...

The Earth's biotic resources are experiencing a spreading crisis, which is leading not only to the most rapid loss of species in the past 65 million years, but also causing abrupt changes in the structure and function of natural communities. This disturbance, unfortunately, is the result of man's carelessness in the name of advancing civilization. To identify and begin rectifying this dangerous situation, a group of outstanding environmental scientists has compiled a collection of case studies that illustrate the changes being wrought on the biosphere by the human presence. The first part of...

A collection of case studies that illustrate the changes being wrought on the biosphere by the human presence.