Our Environment (TIME-LIFE STUDENT LIBRARY)

Describes the world's diverse habitats and the close relationships between plants and animals, including humans, who must share those habitats.

Grade 4-8-This wide-ranging volume provides an overview of the Earth and the plants and animals that inhabit it. The first section considers general topics (usually on double-page spreads) such as the food chain, symbiosis, and climate change. Then attention is devoted to variations in temperature, rainfall, and other conditions that result in a multitude of ecosystems. In sections on various types of forests, grasslands, wetlands, and other regions, the text provides examples of how plants and animals have adapted to allow them to survive in such widely different conditions. Small world maps indicate where the various habitats currently exist. Plentiful, full-color captioned photographs appear throughout. Information is included on people who have interacted with environments in various ways. A final section deals with loss of habitat and the threats that human activities pose to the survival of many species. Simple suggestions are offered of ways to help the environment. Most students will probably consult the volume for information in answer to specific environmental questions or use it as a starting point for research on a topic. However, those who do read the entire book will be struck by the wondrous diversity found on our planet and the ways plants and animals survive even in inhospitable conditions.
Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato
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