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Habitats: Discover Earth's Precious Wild Places
Celebrates and explains the astonishing range of habitats on Earth and the intricate balance of their animal and plant communities
This book is a beautiful visual reference to the world’s natural habitats and the plants and animals that live there . It explores global habitat types, including desert, Arctic tundra, and tropical forest – and distinctive regional habitats, such as the windswept puna grasslands of the Andes or the dripping, fern-clad rainforests of New Zealand.
Packed with fascinating illustrations, the book analyzes how each habitat works and examines its unique combination of plants and animals, along with the features that suit them to live there. It then goes deeper, telling stories about how the inhabitants relate to one another and interact. Stories are told using images and graphics, showing what is going on in the natural ecosystem. The stories include survival strategies and life cycles, how pollinators fertilize plants, and how animals distribute the seeds, how similar species divide up food or living space to avoid competition, and how some species cooperate in intimate partnerships.
Earth’s pristine wildernesses are dwindling, so the book includes national parks, wildlife reserves, and other protected areas, and the conservation efforts needed to preserve our precious biological diversity.
This book is a beautiful visual reference to the world’s natural habitats and the plants and animals that live there . It explores global habitat types, including desert, Arctic tundra, and tropical forest – and distinctive regional habitats, such as the windswept puna grasslands of the Andes or the dripping, fern-clad rainforests of New Zealand.
Packed with fascinating illustrations, the book analyzes how each habitat works and examines its unique combination of plants and animals, along with the features that suit them to live there. It then goes deeper, telling stories about how the inhabitants relate to one another and interact. Stories are told using images and graphics, showing what is going on in the natural ecosystem. The stories include survival strategies and life cycles, how pollinators fertilize plants, and how animals distribute the seeds, how similar species divide up food or living space to avoid competition, and how some species cooperate in intimate partnerships.
Earth’s pristine wildernesses are dwindling, so the book includes national parks, wildlife reserves, and other protected areas, and the conservation efforts needed to preserve our precious biological diversity.
440 pages, Hardcover
Published October 24, 2023
12 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
About the author
D.K. Publishing
9,026 books2,091 followersDorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 27, 2025
We humans are an adaptable species but other forms of life….not so much. Think salamanders, cacti, polar bears, pacific redwood trees, etc.
A species and its habitat should be considered together and that is what this gorgeous book attempts to do.
Some of the habitats are more complex that others with the interactions of many animals and plants but this book makes relationships clear with helpful graphics.
Habitats are broken down into large categories such as forests, fresh water, oceans, extreme places and protected habitats.
Here is part of a discussion of “How Temperate Broadleaf Forests Work”:
“Seasonal change brings a dramatic shift in the ecology of a temperate deciduous forest. A springtime woodland floor in a European beech forest bursts into flower - before the new summer canopy casts its shade. Animals race to raise their families while food is plentiful. Each fall, dropping leaves return nutrients to the soil, and while migratory birds come and go, animals that stay put prepare for the cold winter….Temperate broadleaf forests thrive where rainfall is plentiful throughout the year, with warm summers and cold winters…”
This is a very engaging book for teenagers and above, but tweenagers might need an older person to enhance a discussion about habitats.
A species and its habitat should be considered together and that is what this gorgeous book attempts to do.
Some of the habitats are more complex that others with the interactions of many animals and plants but this book makes relationships clear with helpful graphics.
Habitats are broken down into large categories such as forests, fresh water, oceans, extreme places and protected habitats.
Here is part of a discussion of “How Temperate Broadleaf Forests Work”:
“Seasonal change brings a dramatic shift in the ecology of a temperate deciduous forest. A springtime woodland floor in a European beech forest bursts into flower - before the new summer canopy casts its shade. Animals race to raise their families while food is plentiful. Each fall, dropping leaves return nutrients to the soil, and while migratory birds come and go, animals that stay put prepare for the cold winter….Temperate broadleaf forests thrive where rainfall is plentiful throughout the year, with warm summers and cold winters…”
This is a very engaging book for teenagers and above, but tweenagers might need an older person to enhance a discussion about habitats.
May 16, 2024
Absolutely wonderful book about the earth's ecosystems. Each section is a different system, blending intelligent text a with great image. Those images include charts explaining how each system works, wonderful photos and some art. Saw it in the library, started reading, immediately ordered a copy for myself.
Do not get the ebook. This is a hardback only choice!
One thing I just read isn't enough to lower the rating, but shows the typical European anti-semitism, is in the section on salt lakes. They mention the US and Ethiopia for their lakes. Somehow, though, there's no mention of Israel for the Dead Sea, just "The Middle East."
Do not get the ebook. This is a hardback only choice!
One thing I just read isn't enough to lower the rating, but shows the typical European anti-semitism, is in the section on salt lakes. They mention the US and Ethiopia for their lakes. Somehow, though, there's no mention of Israel for the Dead Sea, just "The Middle East."
November 1, 2025
A Visual Treat
Great volume!
Check it out. It has great pictures all over.
This has to be one of my favorite DK books.
Great volume!
Check it out. It has great pictures all over.
This has to be one of my favorite DK books.
April 20, 2024
A fantastic informative and visual piece of nonfiction exploring the wonders of the world and the incredible habitats and animals that we share it with. I read this book over a long period of time to ensure I digested and enjoyed this book in full.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews