Susan L. Woodward received her PhD in geography from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1976. She taught undergraduate courses in biogeography and physical geography for 22 years at Radford University in Virginia, before retiring in 2006. Author of Biomes of Earth, published by Greenwood Press in 2003, she continues to learn and write about our natural environment. Her travels have allowed her to see first hand some of the world's major terrestrial biomes and at least glimpse marine habitats in the United States, Russia, China, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, South Africa, and Namibia.

For middle and high school students and undergraduates, Woodward, editor of the biomes series and former professor of biogeography and physical geography at Radford U., presents an introduction to biomes. She discusses the concept of the biome and other geographic trends exhibited by life, including taxonomic and evolutionary patterns, related ecological concepts such as ecosystems and soils, and environmental factors that affect the nature of terrestrial and aquatic biomes at the global scale. Use of scientific terminology is minimized.

• PrefaceChapter 1. Introduction to the Biome ConceptChapter 2. Patterns of LifeChapter 3. Ecological Concepts Important to the Study of Biomes.Chapter 4. Major Environmental Factors in Terrestrial BiomesChapter 5. Major Environmental Factors in Aquatic BiomesAppendix: representative climate dataGlossaryBibliographyIndex

Susan L. Woodward received her PhD in geography from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1976. She taught undergraduate courses in biogeography and physical geography for 22 years at Radford University in Virginia, before retiring in 2006. Author of Biomes of Earth, published by Greenwood Press in 2003, she continues to learn and write about our natural environment. Her travels have allowed her to see first hand some of the world's major terrestrial biomes and at least glimpse marine habitats in the United States, Russia, China, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, South Africa, and Namibia.

For middle and high school students and undergraduates, Woodward, editor of the biomes series and former professor of biogeography and physical geography at Radford U., presents an introduction to biomes. She discusses the concept of the biome and other geographic trends exhibited by life, including taxonomic and evolutionary patterns, related ecological concepts such as ecosystems and soils, and environmental factors that affect the nature of terrestrial and aquatic biomes at the global scale. Use of scientific terminology is minimized.

• PrefaceChapter 1. Introduction to the Biome ConceptChapter 2. Patterns of LifeChapter 3. Ecological Concepts Important to the Study of Biomes.Chapter 4. Major Environmental Factors in Terrestrial BiomesChapter 5. Major Environmental Factors in Aquatic BiomesAppendix: representative climate dataGlossaryBibliographyIndex

Susan L. Woodward received her PhD in geography from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1976. She taught undergraduate courses in biogeography and physical geography for 22 years at Radford University in Virginia, before retiring in 2006. Author of Biomes of Earth, published by Greenwood Press in 2003, she continues to learn and write about our natural environment. Her travels have allowed her to see first hand some of the world's major terrestrial biomes and at least glimpse marine habitats in the United States, Russia, China, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, South Africa, and Namibia.

For middle and high school students and undergraduates, Woodward, editor of the biomes series and former professor of biogeography and physical geography at Radford U., presents an introduction to biomes. She discusses the concept of the biome and other geographic trends exhibited by life, including taxonomic and evolutionary patterns, related ecological concepts such as ecosystems and soils, and environmental factors that affect the nature of terrestrial and aquatic biomes at the global scale. Use of scientific terminology is minimized.

• PrefaceChapter 1. Introduction to the Biome ConceptChapter 2. Patterns of LifeChapter 3. Ecological Concepts Important to the Study of Biomes.Chapter 4. Major Environmental Factors in Terrestrial BiomesChapter 5. Major Environmental Factors in Aquatic BiomesAppendix: representative climate dataGlossaryBibliographyIndex