6 copies of Book with Teacher's Guide and Comprehension Question Card

Introduces the plants and animals that live at the poles, showing how their physical characteristics and behaviors help form an ecosystem.

There is an increased awareness of the importance of polar regions, and their vulnerability to anthropogenic derived change. This book offers a concise but comprehensive introduction to polar ecology. The emphasis is on the organisms that dominate these environments although pollution, conservation and experimental aspects are also considered.

Sheds new light on the microbial ecology and physiology of the Earth’s polar regions. • Examines the microbial investigations during the International Polar Year of 2008 focusing on the Arctic and Antarctic, along with earlier investigations on critical environmental issues such as climate change, ozone depletion, and elemental cycling. • Offers a survey of what is known and unknown about the microbial inhabitants of polar environments, addresses the adaptations and physiology of cold-adapted microorganisms, and explores the ecological role that polar microbial communities play in biogeochemical cycling. • Presents the challenges that polar and subpolar microorganisms face and describes the lowest temperatures in which microbial life can exist—and the prospects for life on other planets. Recommended for a general microbiology audience as well as for scientists and students in all areas of biology and geomicrobiology.

NEW SERIES Biology of Habitats Series editors: Professor Michael Crawley, Dr Colin Little, Sir Richard Southwood, and Professor Staffan Ulfstrand This exciting new series of textbooks will give an integrated overview of the design, physiology, ecology, and behaviour of the organisms in different habitats. Each book will provide information about the habitat and the types of organisms present, on practical aspects of working within thehabitats and the sorts of studies which are possible, and will include a discussion of biodiversity and conservation needs. Further Reading Sections will lead the reader to key papers, review articles, and books in which the subject may be explored at greater depth. This book gives a readable overview of polar habitats, from ice caps to tundra and open ocean. It describes their physical characteristics, the communities of microorganisms, plants, and animals inhabiting them, and their interactions with the global environment. It reviews the origins of thehabitats and their subsequent colonization and population dynamics, and considers the future changes which may result from global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, and human activities. The book is unusual in that it describes and compares the two polar regions, rather than focusing on onlyone of them.

How do animals live in the harshest environments on Earth? Despite the bitter cold, ferocious winds and six months of darkness, the polar regions are home to many animals. These creatures can survive because of their unique adaptations, explored here through compelling fact-based stories and evocative illustrations. Readers learn about the arctic fox’s furry toe pads that protect her when walking on ice, emperor penguins that huddle in groups around their chicks to keep everyone warm, and narwhals that use echolocation to find a crack in the surface ice to breathe. It’s a fascinating journey through a year in the polar regions, where animals don’t just survive - they thrive!

Introduces readers to polar habitats and the animals that use camouflage to survive in them.

This beginner's guide and classroom favorite explores the Arctic and Antarctic biomes, their beauty, and global diversity. Author and former early education teacher Cathryn Sill uses simple, easy-to-understand language to teach children what the Polar Regions are—from the frozen deserts of Antarctica to the ice floes of the Arctic Ocean—along with what kinds of animals and plants live there, how they have adapted to life in this environment, and why they're important. Noted wildlife illustrator John Sill offers full-color illustrations depicting the various landscapes and species of animals and plants. A glossary and afterword provide more details for further study. Great for early childhood and elementary units on geography and habitats, nature and environment.