New Titles

                                                 
1) Berta, Annalisa. Return to the Sea: The Life and Evolutionary Times of Marine Mammals. 2012. University of California Press. Hardbound: 205 pages. Price: $44.95 U.S.

SUMMARY: Return to the Sea portrays the life and evolutionary times of marine mammals—from giant whales and sea cows that originated 55 million years ago to the deep diving elephant seals and clam-eating walruses of modern times. This fascinating account of the origin of various marine mammal lineages, some extinct, others extant but threatened, is for the non-specialist. Set against a backdrop of geologic time, changing climates, and changing geography, evolution is the unifying principle that helps us to understand the present day diversity of marine mammals and their responses to environmental challenges. Annalisa Berta explains current controversies and explores patterns of change taking place today, such as shifting food webs and predator-prey relationships, habitat degradation, global warming, and the effects of humans on marine mammal communities.
RECOMMENDATION: A good introduction to marine mammal evolution.

2) Elbroch, Mark, Michael Kresky, and Jonah Evans. Field Guide to Animal Tracks and Scat of California. 2012. University of California Press. Paperback: 395 pages. Price: $34.95 U.S.

SUMMARY: Spotting an animal’s fresh footprints in the wild can conjure a world for the hiker: Why did the deer tracks disappear? Where did the cougar turn off the trail? What does it mean when two sets of footprints seem to coincide? This beautifully illustrated field guide, the first devoted to the tracks and signs of California animals—including birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates like spiders and beetles—blends meticulous science with field experience to provide an engaging companion for both armchair exploration and easy field identification. Filled with useful tools for the wildlife expert, and essential background and visual aids for the novice, including in-depth information about the ecology of each species, this book goes beyond basic recognition of types to interpret what animals leave behind as a way of “seeing” how they move through the world.
RECOMMENDATION: California naturalists will want this book!

3) Estes, Richard Despard. The Behavior Guide to African Mammals: Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, Primates. 1992 (reprinted 2012). Paperback: 611 pages. Price: $39.95 U.S.
SUMMARY: The Behavior Guide to African Mammals is as different from a conventional field guide as motion pictures are from a snapshot. Whether we are able to look at them face to face, on television, or in the hundreds of illustrations provided here by Daniel Otte, this guide allows us to understand what animals do and what their behavior means.
     Drawing on his own extensive fieldwork and on the research of many other scientists, Richard Despard Estes describes and explains the behavior of four major groups of mammals. Estes's remarkably informative guide is as up-to-date (as of 1992) for the zoologist as it is accessible for the interested onlooker.
RECOMMENDATION: This classic volume is now available again on its 20th anniversary!

4) Sandercock, Brett K., Kathy Martin, and Gernot Segelbacher (editors). Ecology, Conservation, and Management of Grouse (Studies in Avian Biology, 39). 2011. University of California Press. Hardbound: 356 pages. Price: $70.00 U.S.

SUMMARY: Grouse—an ecologically important group of birds that include capercaillie, prairie chickens, and ptarmigan—are distributed throughout the forests, grasslands, and tundra of Europe, Asia, and North America. Today, many grouse populations are in decline, and the conservation and management of these charismatic birds is becoming a global concern. This volume summarizes current knowledge of grouse biology in 25 chapters contributed by 80 researchers from field studies around the world. Organized in four sections—Spatial Ecology, Habitat Relationships, Population Biology, and Conservation and Management—the chapters offer important insights into spatial requirements, movements, and demography of grouse. Much of the research employs emerging tools in ecology that span biogeochemistry, molecular genetics, endocrinology, radio-telemetry, and remote sensing. The chapters explore topics including the impacts of climate change, energy development, and harvest, and give new evidence for life-history changes in response to human activities.
RECOMMENDATION: Grouse biologists, especially those studying "prairie and sage grouse" will find this book useful.

Forthcoming Title

Second edition of Birds of South Asia. Price: $69.00 U.S.

New Titles

                                                 
1) Brusatte, Stephen L.. Dinosaur Paleobiology. 2012. Wiley-Blackwell. Paperback: 322 pages. Price: $80.00 U.S.

SUMMARY: The study of dinosaurs has been experiencing a remarkable renaissance over the past few decades. Scientific understanding of dinosaur anatomy, biology, and evolution has advanced to such a degree that paleontologists often know more about 100-million-year-old dinosaurs than many species of living organisms.   
     This book provides a contemporary review of dinosaur science intended for students, researchers, and dinosaur enthusiasts. It reviews the latest knowledge on dinosaur anatomy and phylogeny, how dinosaurs functioned as living animals, and the grand narrative of dinosaur evolution across the Mesozoic. A particular focus is on the fossil evidence and explicit methods that allow paleontologists to study dinosaurs in rigorous detail. Scientific knowledge of dinosaur biology and evolution is shifting fast, and this book aims to summarize current understanding of dinosaur science in a technical, but accessible, style, supplemented with vivid photographs and illustrations.
     The Topics in Paleobiology Series is published in collaboration with the Palaeontological Association, and is edited by Professor Mike Benton, University of Bristol.
RECOMMENDATION: A detailed overview on the biology of dinosaurs.

2) Casey, Rob. Kayaking Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands (3rd edition). 2012. The Mountaineers Books. Paperback: 287 pages. Price: $19.95 U.S.
SUMMARY: Kayak, canoe, and stand up padding routes that promise beauty and adventure, this guide includes:

* Completely updated information and maps, all new photographs, and over 10 all new trips
* Revised, easier-to-use Trips-at-a-Glance chart
* Originally for kayakers, info now applies to a range of vessels including pedaling kayaks, stand up paddleboards, canoes, row boats, shells, and even kayak-sailing outriggers
   
      The miles of inland waterways of the Pacific Northwest are among the best in the world for paddling. Beautiful scenery, intricate and protected waterways, and abundant marine life define the area, while on shore are ample public parklands for camping and exploring.
     The 60 trips in this extensively updated 3rd edition of the bestselling Kayaking Puget Sound & the San Juan Islands cover the Sound's myriad islands, fjord-like canals, and inlets from Canada's Gulf Islands to the Nisqually River Delta, including the fabulous San Juan Islands and the unique Hood Canal. Each trip description covers all the details paddlers need to plan and complete specific tours throughout the region.
     Other important updates to this 3rd edition include: modern safety tips (emphasis on proper gear and PFDs); a list of weather resources; how to make use of cell phones and mobile apps that utilize GPS and real-time navigational data; a resources section on kayaking training in the region through paddle clubs, certification groups, and paddle shops; how to prepare for open water trips; new info on how to cross into Canada; and more. Kayaking Puget Sound & the San Juan Islands, 3rd Edition, gives novice paddlers, weekenders, and lifelong kayakers the inspiration and knowledge to get out and explore the Northwest via its singular waterways.
RECOMMENDATION: A must have for those kayaking the region!

New Title

                                                 
1) Hoose, Phillip. Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95. 2012. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Hardbound: 148 pages. Price: $21.99 U.S.

SUMMARY: B95 can feel it: a stirring in his bones and feathers. It’s time. Today is the day he will once again cast himself into the air, spiral upward into the clouds, and bank into the wind.
     He wears a black band on his lower right leg and an orange flag on his upper left, bearing the laser inscription B95. Scientists call him the Moonbird because, in the course of his astoundingly long lifetime, this gritty, four-ounce marathoner has flown the distance to the moon—and halfway back!
     B95 is a robin-sized shorebird, a Red Knot of the subspecies rufa. Each February he joins a flock that lifts off from Tierra del Fuego, headed for breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic, nine thousand miles away. Late in the summer, he begins the return journey.
     B95 can fly for days without eating or sleeping, but eventually he must descend to refuel and rest. However, recent changes at ancient refueling stations along his migratory circuit—changes caused mostly by human activity—have reduced the food available and made it harder for the birds to reach. And so, since 1995, when B95 was first captured and banded, the worldwide rufa population has collapsed by nearly 80 percent. Most perish somewhere along the great hemispheric circuit, but the Moonbird wings on. He has been seen as recently as November 2011, which makes him nearly twenty years old. Shaking their heads, scientists ask themselves: How can this one bird make it year after year when so many others fall?
     National Book Award–winning author Phillip Hoose takes us around the hemisphere with the world’s most celebrated shorebird, showing the obstacles rufa red knots face, introducing a worldwide team of scientists and conservationists trying to save them, and offering insights about what we can do to help shorebirds before it’s too late. With inspiring prose, thorough research, and stirring images, Hoose explores the tragedy of extinction through the triumph of a single bird.
RECOMMENDATION: For ages 10 and up. A detailed overview on the life history and plight of the Red Knot.

The Weekly Birdbooker Report

                              Photo copyright: Joe Fuhrman                                                   

My WEEKLY Birdbooker Report can be found here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/grrlscientist/2012/jun/24/1

New Title

                                                 
1) Buczacki, Stefan, Chris Shields and Denys Ovenden. Collins Fungi Guide: The Most Complete Field Guide to the Mushrooms & Toadstools of Britain & Ireland. 2012. Collins. Hardbound: 640 pages. Price: GBP 35.00 (about $55.00 U.S.).

SUMMARY: The sixth title in the bestselling Collins Guide series, this book covers the fungi of the British Isles, with considerable relevance for Europe and the wider temperate world.
     Leading mycological artists have been specially commissioned to ensure accurate, detailed illustrations. Where possible, species are described and illustrated on the same page, with up-to-date authoritative text aiding identification. Nearly 2,400 species are illustrated in full colour, with detailed notes on how to correctly identify them, including details of similar, confusing species. Illustrations of young and mature fruiting bodies are included where necessary, and key features are highlighted for quick and easy reference.
     Written by one of Europe's leading mycologists and horticultural scientists, Stefan Buczacki, and illustrated by two of the world's leading natural history illustrators, Chris Shields and Denys Ovenden, this is the ultimate field guide for mushroom and toadstool lovers.
RECOMMENDATION: The paperback version will be published later this year.

New Title

                                                  
1) Rieser, Alison. The Case of the Green Turtle: An Uncensored History of a Conservation Icon. 2012. Johns Hopkins University Press. Hardbound: 338 pages. Price: $45.00 U.S.

SUMMARY: The journals of early maritime explorers traversing the Atlantic Ocean often describe swarms of sea turtles, once a plentiful source of food. Many populations had been decimated by the 1950s, when Archie Carr and others raised public awareness of their plight. One species, the green turtle, has been the most heavily exploited due to international demand for turtle products, especially green turtle soup. The species has achieved some measure of recovery due to thirty years of conservation efforts, but remains endangered.
     In The Case of the Green Turtle, Alison Rieser provides an unparalleled look into the way science and conservation interact by focusing on the most controversial aspect of green turtle conservation—farming. While proponents argued that farming green sea turtles would help save them, opponents countered that it encouraged a taste for turtle flesh that would lead to the slaughter of wild stocks. The clash of these viewpoints once riveted the world.
     Rieser relies on her expertise in ocean ecology, policy, and law to reveal how the efforts to preserve sea turtles changed marine conservation and the way we view our role in the environment. Her study of this early conservation controversy will fascinate anyone who cares about sea turtles or the oceans in which they live.
RECOMMENDATION: For anyone with an interest in sea turtle conservation.