{"product_id":"9780874806786-desert-ecology","title":"Desert Ecology","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cp\u003eNatural History\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"An energetic start quickly became a trudge; we glanced  back frequently towards our point of departure, an air-conditioned vehicle. Not  only did the hot air feel like a blast from a smelter’s furnace, but within  minutes the reflected sunlight was doing perceptible damage to any exposed skin.  I’m sure I was sweating more than I ever had before, yet my skin was dry.We  found ourselves blinking rapidly to keep the eyes moist. After a few more  minutes, we turned back for the car, leading our youngest child who would no  longer open her eyes.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- John Sowell\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUnlike books that merely  identify what plants and animals live in the desert, \u003ci\u003eDesert Ecology\u003c\/i\u003e is a  comprehensive but accessible introduction to how these organisms live where they  do. Beginning with an overview of the Intermountain, Mojave, Sonoran, and  Chihuahuan Deserts, Sowell presents the topographic and the meteorologic  conditions that created these regions. He continues with a thorough examination  of physiologic and behavioral adaptations that enable plants and animals, even  humans, to survive and persist in these inhospitable places. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile basic  scientific principles—such as photosynthesis, trophic levels, thermoregulation,  and osmoregulation—are presented in terms that nonspecialists will understand,  the real draw is the fascinating life histories of dozens of particular  organisms. Explore the life cycle of the yucca and creosote bush, trace the  wanderings of the gila monster and tenebrionid beetle, breathe in the rhythms of  the desert at night.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This book is for the curious,\" says the author, for  all who enter the \"wasteland,\" on foot or through imagination.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55422216274294,"sku":"9780874806786","price":15.63,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/stand_33684539.jpg?v=1748601827","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9780874806786-desert-ecology","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}