Gaia's Body: Toward a Physiology of Earth - Brossura

Volk, Tyler

Brossura

ISBN 10: 1461274524 ISBN 13: 9781461274520

Casa editrice: Springer New York, 1998

Riassunto

If the biosphere really is a single coherent system, then it must have something like a physiology. It must have systems and processes that perform living functions. In Gaia's Body, Tyler Volk describes the environment that enables the biosphere to exist, various ways of looking at its "anatomy" and "physiology", the major biogeographical regions such as rainforests, deserts, and tundra, the major substances the biosphere is made of, and the chemical cycles that keep it in balance. He then looks at the question of whether there are any long-term trends in the earth's evolution, and examines the role of humanity in Gaia's past and future. Both adherents and sceptics have often been concerned that Gaia theory contains too much goddess and too few verifiable hypotheses. This is the book that describes, for scientists, students, and lay readers alike, the theory's firm basis in science.

Su questo libro

Recensione:

"...an outstanding contribution to global ecology. The book is very well written and easy for a broadly educated audience to follow. ...I read it as an exciting novel." Nature

Contenuti:

1 Breathing of the Biosphere.- 2 A Global Holarchy.- 3 Outer Light, Inner Fire.- 4 The Parts of Gaia.- 5 Worldwide Metabolisms.- 6 Embodied Energy.- 7 The Music of This Sphere.- 8 Gaia in Time.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Springer New York
• Data di pubblicazione: 1998
• ISBN 10: 1461274524
• ISBN 13: 9781461274520
• Rilegatura: Copertina flessibile
• Numero di pagine: 292