Encyclopedia of the biosphere /

Translated from the Catalan original Biosfera, this amazing work "aims to show the relationships between humankind and the great bioclimatic dominions of the Earth." A project of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Program, it is arranged in 11 volumes, each containing numerous articles by authors from many academic and scientific institutions around the world, including such scientists as Edward O. Wilson (Harvard), Eugene P. Odum (Univ. of Georgia), and Ricardo Guerrero (Univ. of Barcelona). Volume 1, "0ur Living Planet," examines such concepts as what is a biosphere, the controversial, thought-provoking idea of Gaia, extraction of energy from the earth, evolution of man, and impact of humankind on the Earth. Volumes 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, and 10 each examine a separate ecosystem or biome covering tropical rainforests, savannahs, deserts, Mediterranean woodlands, lakes, islands, the poles, and oceans and seashores. Volumes 6, 7, 8, and 11 (forthcoming in 2000) will cover temperate rainforests, deciduous forests, prairies and boreal forests, and the biosphere concept. Volume 11 will also include an index for the entire set. Each volume includes a lengthy general bibliography and citations for the specific biome, a species index by scientific and common name, and a thematic index that resembles a detailed table of contents. The only improvement would be a subject or keyword index. The volumes published thus far meet the stated aims by means of well-researched articles and sidebars and many related photographs, maps, and drawings. Highly recommended for general readers, undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty, and for all college and university libraries. W. E. Drew Jr.; SUNY Agricultural and Technical College at Morrisville

Written by a team of international authors over a period of ten years, this 11-volume reference set, now translated into English, was first published in Catalan in 1998 as Biosfera by UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program. The subject of the work is the biosphereDthat portion of our planet capable of supporting life. Earth's major biomes, their characteristics, and how these ecosystems have been transformed by human activity are covered. Volume 1 serves as the introduction to the concept of the biosphere and the world's biomes. The other volumes are arranged by ecosystem such as tropical rain forests, savannas, deserts, prairies. Each volume includes an introduction to a biome; the text, which covers the ecosystem's environmental factors, plant and animal ecology, human influences and uses, and biosphere reserves; a thematic index, which is really a table of contents misplaced at the back of the volume; a bibliography; a species' index; and a listing of photographers. Many four-color photographs, numerous color maps, and diagrams accompany the volumes. At the time this reviewer received the encyclopedia, Volumes 6, 7, 8, and 11 were not yet published and therefore not available for review. Volume 11 (scheduled for release in mid-December) will contain the cumulative index to the entire set, though the lack of a subject index in each volume is a drawback. This set is aimed primarily at professionals, college students of earth and life sciences, and other serious researchers. It is the only work of its kind, but because it is a pricey investment, only libraries that have a need for this specialized information will want to purchase.DEva Lautemann, Georgia Perimeter Coll. Lib., Clarkston, GA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.