The Road to El Cielo

The Road to El Cielo
Author: Fred Webster
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Total Pages: 384
Release: 2010-07-22
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0292785623

Hidden high in the Sierra de Guatemala mountain range of northeastern Mexico in the state of Tamaulipas is the northernmost tropical cloud forest of the Western Hemisphere. Within its humid oak-sweetgum woodlands, tropical and temperate species of plants and animals mingle in rare diversity, creating a mecca for birders and other naturalists. Fred and Marie Webster first visited Rancho del Cielo, cloud forest home of Canadian immigrant Frank Harrison, in 1964, drawn by the opportunity to see such exotic birds as tinamous, trogons, motmots, and woodcreepers only 500 miles from their Austin, Texas, home. In this book, they recount their many adventures as researchers and tour leaders from their base at Rancho del Cielo, interweaving their reminiscences with a history of the region and of the struggle by friends from both sides of the border to have some 360,000 acres of the mountain declared an area protected from exploitation—El Cielo Biosphere Reserve. Their firsthand reporting, enlivened with vivid tales of the people, land, and birds of El Cielo, adds an engagingly personal chapter to the story of conservation in Mexico.

Biosphere 2000

Biosphere 2000
Author: Donald G. Kaufman
Publisher: Kendall Hunt
Total Pages: 708
Release: 2000
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9780787257132

The Cutting Edge

The Cutting Edge
Author: Robert A. Fimbel
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Total Pages: 833
Release: 2001-12-19
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0231504799

Recent decades have seen unprecedented growth in the scale and intensity of industrial forestry. Directly and indirectly, it has degraded the wildlife and ecological integrity of these tropical forests, prompting a need to evaluate the impact of current forest management practices and reconsider how best to preserve the integrity of the biosphere. Synthesizing the body of knowledge of leading scientists and professionals in tropical forest ecology and management, this book's thirty chapters examine in detail the interplay between timber harvesting and wildlife, from hunted and protected habitats to invertebrates and large mammal species. Collectively, the contributors suggest that better management is pivotal to the maintenance of the tropics' valuable biodiversity, arguing that we must realize that tropical forests harbor the majority (perhaps 70 to 80 percent) of the world's animal species. Further, they suggest modifications to existing practices that can ensure a better future for our valuable resources.

Amphibians and Reptiles of the US–Mexico Border States/Anfibios y reptiles de los estados de la frontera México–Estados Unidos

Amphibians and Reptiles of the US–Mexico Border States/Anfibios y reptiles de los estados de la frontera México–Estados Unidos
Author: Julio A. Lemos-Espinal
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
Total Pages: 626
Release: 2015-11-02
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1623493137

In the first bilingual work on the reptiles and amphibians of the US–Mexico border, top herpetologists come together to describe the herpetofauna of the states of this region, which includes more than 600 species of toads, frogs, salamanders, turtles, sea turtles, alligators, lizards, snakes, and sea snakes that are found along the almost 2,000-mile border between the two countries. Each chapter is devoted to one state—four in the US (California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas) and six in Mexico (Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas)—with text in both English and Spanish. The chapters contain an introduction to the area, a review of the research, a sketch of the state’s physiography, and a description of the species present as well as the pertinent conservation issues they face. A color photo gallery includes images of nearly all species. Almost 40 percent of the featured native species are shared between the US and Mexico, reminding us that animals depend on the integrity of natural landscapes and proving the need for a comprehensive, bilingual reference to help lead a shared effort in the management and conservation of the borderlands.

Saving the Best of Texas

Saving the Best of Texas
Author: Richard C. Bartlett
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Total Pages: 246
Release: 2010-06-28
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9780292792074

With a deep belief in partnerships for conservation, Richard C. Bartlett, Chairman of The Nature Conservancy of Texas, explores the past and ongoing efforts of individuals and groups—private, public, federal, and state—to save the best of Texas' natural landscapes and the myriad species of plants and animals they support. Drawing on some 100,000 miles of backroads travel, Bartlett vividly describes many of the areas that, through a commitment to partnerships, have already been preserved in their natural state. Fine color photographs by Leroy Williamson provide a striking visual counterpoint to the text. These words and images give well-deserved credit to the people responsible for saving some of the best of Texas. They also highlight the need to continue to join together to preserve our natural environment so that the beauty and diversity we enjoy today will be available for future generations. It is the author's hope that Saving the Best of Texas will be a catalyst in that process.

Latin America

Latin America
Author: Jan Knippers Black
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 448
Release: 2018-04-17
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0429974698

Now in a fifth edition, Latin America has been updated to reflect the region's growing optimism as economies stabilize, trade diversifies, and political systems become more participatory. This multidisciplinary survey of Latin American history, politics, and society features invited contributions from authorities in a variety of fields. New sections address current events including deforestation in Costa Rica and Brazil, emerging social movements, Ecuador's new constitution, and Obama's stated objectives to repair U.S. relations with the region. In addition, key topics (such as women and Latin American politics, socialist governments and anti-American sentiment, Argentina's deteriorating economy, and Colombia's struggle with military and narcotics issues) receive expanded and revitalized treatment. Other updated material covers outcomes of recent elections in Bolivia, Brazil, and Nicaragua, among others. Through a hybrid thematic and regional organization, this text provides an essential foundation for introductory courses on Latin America.

Mosquitoes, Communities, and Public Health in Texas

Mosquitoes, Communities, and Public Health in Texas
Author: Mustapha Debboun
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 422
Release: 2019-09-14
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0128145463

Mosquitoes, Communities, and Public Health in Texas focuses on 87 known species of mosquitoes found throughout Texas. It includes information on the ecology, medical and public health importance, and biological diversity of each species. In addition, it provides detailed identification keys for both larval and adult stages of all mosquito genera and species known to occur in Texas, along a review of surveillance and control strategies. The expansion of invasive mosquitoes from other regions (including Mexico), together with climate change occurrences increase the likelihood for an increase in diseases, such as West Nile Virus, Yellow Fever, Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika. This unique work is the first unified reference and resource rich in mosquito information for medical entomologists, mosquito and vector control professionals, pest management professionals, biologists, environmentalists, wildlife professionals, government regulators, instructors of medical entomology and public health professionals who have disease or vector responsibilities, mosquito taxonomists, epidemiologists, entomology students, academia, pest control industry, and libraries, etc., with utility for medical, veterinary and health professionals. - Brings into one volume the previously fragmented or unavailable information on the species of mosquitoes found in Texas and neighboring states of Mexico - Provides a variety of audiences with key data on mosquito biology, distribution and how to identify each - Includes a geographic distribution map, habitat associations, and medical importance on Zika, West Nile virus, Dengue and Chikungunya for each species