In the last human generation we have learned that life existed on our earth for more than three billion years, yet man has done more to change the earth and its ability to support life in the last few centuries than preceding life forms have over hundreds of millions of years. And nearly all of these changes were brought about as unforeseen or unconsidered side-effects of our technologies.The editors of this book feel that rather than accepting environmental degradation as the wages of progress, today we are seeing "a more widely accepted idea that concern for the environment is simply good economics and planning."In a series of essays written by environmental, economic, and social scientists from around the world, Changing the Global Environment looks at the ecological problems facing us as we move into the next century and examines possible solutions suggested by such new techniques as remote sensing and the implementation of worldwide computer-based data systems.

Changing the Global Environment: Perspectives on Human Involvement

Politics & Social Sciences

Botkin, Daniel B.

Estes, John E.

Caswell, Margriet F.

Orio, Angelo A.

Social Sciences

Academic Pr

Discordant Harmonies: A New Ecology for the Twenty-first Century

Global warming, acid rain, the depletion of forests, the polluting of our atmosphere and oceans--the threats to our environment are numerous, raising justifiable concern among most of us and genuine alarm in some. But as scientist Daniel Botkin argues in this provocative new book, our ability to solve these problems is limited--not by our scientific knowledge--but by the age-old myths and metaphors that shape our perception of the natural world. Indeed, our beliefs about nature have fallen well behind our knowledge. Daniel Botkin is a seasoned scientist. He has spent three decades in the field studying the changes and interactions of forests and animal species. In the 1960s he pioneered the use of computers to predict ecological trends. Now, in Discordant Harmonies, he combines his considerable expertise with the well-honed eye of the nature writer and a philosopher's sense of how ideas shape our perceptions of reality to take us on a marvelous guided tour of the natural world. His method is to introduce a problem in our beliefs about nature by giving us a fascinating case study: of predator-prey relationships, of forests evolving over centuries, of species nearing extinction, of the ways our "protection" of nature has had surprising--and often disappointing--results. Botkin's revealing case studies also highlight controversial present-day issues--like controlled burning in national forests, fishing and hunting quotas, and policy-making for management of natural resources. He looks at each of these cases in the light of past thinking and current research, revealing how old myths often blind us to the new technology and to the ways of thinking we need to solve our environmental problems. Above all, Botkin is concerned with finding the delicate balance between man and nature--that place where human needs and the intricate systems of nature can viably coexist. Whether discussing moose herds on Isle Royale or Yosemite's famous Mariposa Grove of Sequoias, Botkin writes vividly and insightfully about nature, challenging us to rethink some of our most cherished notions. Anyone who is concerned about the environment will find much here to ponder as well as the pleasure of meeting a stimulating and thoughtful mind at work.

Business & Money

Economics

Oxford University Press

Over the past two decades, the author has developed and refined an extremely useful simulation model of forest growth. The JABOWA model was the first successful application of digital computer simulation to a complex natural ecosystem. Effects of global warming, acid rain, and commercial forest harvesting practices have been analyzed with this model. Offering a fresh perspective on ecological phenomena, Forest Dynamics provides all the information necessary to understand and use the model. Written for students and professionals in forestry and ecology, the book sets the forest model within the broader context of the science of ecology and the ecological issues that confront society in the management of forests. It also explains the theoretical foundations of the model.

Forest Dynamics: An Ecological Model

Religion & Spirituality

Christian Books & Bibles

Global warming, acid rain, the depletion of forests, the polluting of our atmosphere and oceans--the threats to our environment are numerous, raising justifiable concern among most of us and genuine alarm in some. But as scientist Daniel Botkin argues in this provocative book, our ability to solve these problems is limited--not by our scientific knowledge--but by the age-old myths and metaphors that shape our perception of the natural world. Indeed, our beliefs about nature have fallen well behind our knowledge. Daniel Botkin is a seasoned scientist. He has spent three decades in the field studying the changes and interactions of forests and animal species. In the 1970s he pioneered the use of computers to predict ecological trends. Now, in Discordant Harmonies, he combines his considerable expertise with the well-honed eye of the nature writer and a philosopher's sense of how ideas shape our perceptions of reality to take us on a marvelous guided tour of the natural world. His method is to introduce a problem in our beliefs about nature by giving us a fascinating case study: of predator-prey relationships, of forests evolving over centuries, of species nearing extinction, of the ways our "protection" of nature has had surprising--and often disappointing--results. Botkin's revealing case studies also highlight controversial present-day issues--like controlled burning in national forests, fishing and hunting quotas, and policy-making for management of natural resources. He looks at each of these cases in the light of past thinking and current research, revealing how old myths often blind us to the new technology and to the ways of thinking we need to solve our environmental problems. Above all, Botkin is concerned with redefining the relationship between human beings and nature, so that our needs can be met and the intricate systems of nature can persist. Whether discussing moose herds on Isle Royale or Yosemite's famous Mariposa Grove of Sequoias, Botkin writes vividly and insightfully about nature, challenging us to rethink some of our most cherished notions. Anyone who is concerned about the environment will find much here to ponder as well as the pleasure of meeting a stimulating and thoughtful mind at work.

America's great epic of exploration--the journey of Lewis and Clark--was also one of the most successful scientific expeditions in history. In notebooks filled with vivid and remarkably accurate descriptions of rivers, prairies, forests, mountains, native Americans, and wildlife, Lewis and Clark gave the world an image of wild country that has rarely been equaled. In this richly illustrated volume, which features more than one hundred photographs and maps, most in full color, noted ecologist and writer Daniel Botkin traces the footsteps of the two explorers as they journeyed from St. Louis, through the breathtaking vistas of the tall-grass prairie and Big Sky country, over the arduous Bitterroot Mountains on the ancient Lolo Trail, to arrive finally at the Pacific coast and its the rugged, rainy, and darkly wooded landscape. As we travel westward, Botkin introduces us to the natural wonders recorded by Lewis and Clark--still fresh portraits of a pristine land--and recounts their many dangerous, challenging, and sometimes strange adventures. Then in his own words he describes the same sites today, providing unique insights about our nation's changes to the land. For instance, the author recounts Lewis and Clark's travels through the great tall-grass prairie, vast plains that stretched to the horizon in every direction, stunningly beautiful land that, adds Botkin, with the eye of a concerned ecologist, has virtually disappeared today beneath the steel plow. This is only one of the key problems that are addressed on the trail we follow through this wonderful book. Others, such as the endangered grizzly bear and the vanishing California Condor, are brought to the reader's attention in prose both compelling and poignant. By the last page of this chronicle, we are filled with admiration for the natural beauty of the American West, a beauty that is slowly vanishing. An exquisitely illustrated and expertly written account of the western landscape, as it was seen by Lewis and Clark, Beyond the Stony Mountain recounts one of the great adventures of the American past while powerfully relating it to the American present.

Beyond the Stony Mountains: Nature in the American West from Lewis and Clark to Today

Travel

Why do we keep talking about so many environmental problems and rarely solve any? If these are scientific issues, then why can't scientists solve them or at least agree on what to do? In his new book, The Moon in the Nautilus Shell, ecologist Daniel Botkin explains why. For one thing, although we live in a world of constantly changing environments and talk a lot about climate change, most of our environmental laws, policies, and scientific premises are based on the idea that the environment is constant, never changing, except when people affect it. For another, we have lost contact with nature in personal ways. Disconnected from our surroundings, we lack the deep understanding and feelings about the environment to make meaningful judgments. The environment has become just another one of those special interests that interferes with our lives. Poised to be a core text of the twenty-first century environmental movement, The Moon in the Nautilus Shell challenges us to think critically about our role in nature.

The Moon in the Nautilus Shell: Discordant Harmonies Reconsidered

Science & Math

Biological Sciences

A journey along the same trail originally followed by Lewis and Clark argues that the idealized "balance of nature" has never existed and explains that nature is in a perpetual, and sometimes radical, state of change.

Our Natural History

History

Americas

G.P.Putnam's Sons

A chronicle of the Lewis and Clark Expedition from an environmental perspective by a renowned botanist offers a compelling history and a stunning recreation of the American wilderness, drawing lessons about the disappearence of that marvelous environment. Reprint.

Literature & Fiction

TarcherPerigee

The author of Our Natural History retraces the 1804-1806 Missouri River passage of Lewis and Clark, guiding readers through nearly fifty sites of historical and environmental importance from St. Louis to Montana. Original.

Passage of Discovery

United States

For more than two decades, Botkin has been active in the application of ecological science to environmental management. Updated and revised to include the latest research in the field, the new Sixth Edition of Environmental Science continues to present a balanced analytical and interdisciplinary approach to the field. This approach equips readers with a solid scientific background in environmental science, so they can think through environmental issues and make their own decisions. Five central themes are weaved throughout the book: Human Population Growth, Sustainability, A Global Perspective, An Urban World, and Science and Values.

Environmental Science: Earth as a Living Planet, 6th Edition

Keller, Edward A.

John Wiley&Sons

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Botkin, Daniel B.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Botkin, Daniel B.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Botkin, Daniel B.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Changing the Global Environment: Perspectives on Human Involvement

Discordant Harmonies: A New Ecology for the Twenty-first Century

Forest Dynamics: An Ecological Model

Discordant Harmonies: A New Ecology for the Twenty-first Century

Beyond the Stony Mountains: Nature in the American West from Lewis and Clark to Today

The Moon in the Nautilus Shell: Discordant Harmonies Reconsidered

Our Natural History

Our Natural History

Passage of Discovery

Environmental Science: Earth as a Living Planet, 6th Edition