INTRODUCTION

LEVELS OF ECOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION

BIOME MAP

WHAT IS AN ECOSYSTEM?

THE FLOW OF ENERGY

THE CLASSIFICATION OF LIVING THINGS

HOW LIVING THINGS INTERACT

WHAT MAKES A HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM

SUCCESSION

MICROECOSYSTEMS

MICROSCOPIC ECOSYSTEMS

NORTH AMERICA

THE REDWOOD FOREST

THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS

THE FLORIDA MANGROVE SWAMP

THE MOJAVE DESERT

SOUTH AMERICA

THE AMAZON RAINFOREST

THE ATACAMA DESERT

THE PAMPAS

THE TROPICAL ANDES

EUROPE

THE MOORLAND OF THE BRITISH ISLES

THE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN

THE ALPS

ASIA

THE NORTHEAST SIBERIAN TAIGA

THE INDOCHINA MANGROVES

THE EASTERN MONGOLIAN STEPPE

THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS

AFRICA

THE CONGO RAINFOREST

THE AFRICAN SAVANNA

THE SAHARA DESERT

THE CAPE OF AFRICA

AUSTRALASIA

THE AUSTRALIAN SAVANNA

THE TASMANIAN TEMPERATE RAINFOREST

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

THE POLAR ICE CAPS

ARCTIC CIRCLE

THE ANTARCTIC TUNDRA

AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

THE OPEN OCEAN

THE DEEP OCEAN

RIVERS

LAKES

THE CYCLES OF NATURE

THE CARBON CYCLE

THE NITROGEN CYCLE

THE PHOSPHORUS CYCLE

THE WATER CYCLE

PLANTS

HUMANS AND PLANET EARTH

THE FARM

THE CITY

HUMAN IMPACTS ON NATURE

CLIMATE CHANGE

PROTECTING OUR PLANET

GLOSSARY

SOURCES

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

INDEX