Hoopoe – A blog by nhbs

Continuing our new weekly selection of the very best titles available through NHBS:

Animal Migration: A Synthesis

Edited by EJ Milner-Gulland, John M Fryxell and Anthony R E Sinclair

What?

A collection of papers drawing together all the very latest theory and research about animal migration, presented thematically, and suitable for graduate students, and researchers in animal ecology, evolutionary theory, movement biology and conservation biology.

Why?

Animal Migration covers all major migratory groups, broadening the scope of migration studies from its usual bias towards birds. It provides a wide and integrative view of the subject, bringing into consideration the most recent developments in the ecological and evolutionary sciences, including technological improvements in computer modelling and tracking systems.

Who?

E.J. Milner-Gulland studied Pure and Applied Biology at Oxford University, and then did a PhD in resource management at Imperial College London. She later became a Reader and then Professor in Conservation Science, also at Imperial College London. Her current research interests concern the interaction between human decision-making and the dynamics of exploited populations, as well as the ecology and conservation of the migratory saiga antelope in Central Asia.

John Fryxell obtained both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of British Columbia. His PhD research was on the ecology of the white-eared kob – a migratory antelope in the southern Sudan. He held a lectureship at the University of British Columbia and briefly worked with the Government of Newfoundland before assuming a faculty position at the University of Guelph, where he is currently a Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology.

Anthony Sinclair has conducted research in Serengeti, Tanzania, since 1965, mainly on the problem of what determines the size of animal populations, particularly vertebrates, and the mechanisms of regulation. This work has expanded to look at the whole ecosystem, documenting how the different components of soils, plants, herbivores and predators interact.

We are always struck by just how varied and inspiring is the range of books we come across at NHBS, and challenged to give stand-out books their due. To this end, we’ll be highlighting a book every week here on the Hoopoe, as our Book of the Week. All books are chosen by us – no publisher’s endorsements! Simply our “what? why? who?” guide to the superb scientific texts, monographs, field guides or natural history books that we think you need to hear about…

So here’s our first choice:

Coastal Plankton: Photo Guide for European Seas, 2nd ed.

by Otto Larink and Wilfried Westheide

What?

This is an introduction to the most important and most common taxa present in the plankton. It is intended as a guide for students, marine researchers and even the interested lay person, and contains 930 micrographs (nearly three-hundred more than the first edition) allowing the identification of numerous common species, now including some from Mediterranean waters.

Why?

With its huge number of colour photographs it complements, and is recommended as a photographic supplement to, the illustrations of more comprehensive taxonomic keys – helping students and others without extensive taxonomic experience to gain a better grounding in plankton identification.

Who?

Prof. Dr. Otto Larink is a zoologist. During annual courses at the Biological Station on the isle of Helgoland in the German Bight since 1963 and during various visits at European coasts he has observed the diversity of plankton organisms and documented them with many micrographs presented here.

Prof. Dr. Wilfried Westheide is also a zoologist specialising in systematics and morphology of invertebrates, especially annelids.

Buy Coastal Plankton

You may also be interested in Coastal Phytoplankton

The 2011 NHBS Backlist Bargains sale has arrived!

Every year we offer you the chance to update your library collections, top up on textbooks or explore new interests, at greatly reduced prices. This year we have nearly 5000 books at up to 50% off.

You’ll find books from across our range of scientific and environmental subjects, from heavyweight science and monographs to field guides and natural history writing.

Please enjoy browsing the catalogue. The NHBS Backlist Bargains sale ends March 31st 2011. Take advantage of these great discounts – Order Now!

Here is our annual selection of the best books and wildlife equipment that we have seen at NHBS over the last year from a variety of categories. It’s been a great year with some fantastic new titles so here’s a reminder of some of the highlights:

Birding

Collins Bird Guide
Field Guide to the Birds of Colombia
Advanced Bird ID Guide
Field Guide to the Birds of the Middle East
Reed and Bush Warblers
RSPB British Birds of Prey
Effects of Climate Change on Birds
Biggest Twitch
Birdwatching Guide to South-East Brazil
Important Bird Areas of the Americas

Botany

The Vegetative Key to the British Flora
Mosses and Liverworts of Britain and Ireland
Grasses of the British Isles
New Flora of the British Isles
Collins Flower Guide
Gardening for Birdwatchers
Mountain Flowers and Trees of Caucasia
Plant  Systematics
Essential Plant Pathology
A Field Key to Coastal and Seashore Lichens

Zoology

Badger
Tigers: A Celebration of Life
The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland
Lemurs of Madagscar
Britain’s Butterflies
Mammal Detective
Fishes of the Open Ocean
Colour Identification Guide to the Caterpillars of the British Isles
Biology and Conservation of Wild Felids
Mammals of North America

Ecology and Conservation

Silent Summer
Woodland Creation for Wildlife and People in a Changing Climate
World Atlas of Mangroves
Bee Conservation
Discoveries of the Census of Marine Life
Atlas of Global Conservation
Mapping Species Distributions
Atlas of Biodiversity Risk
Marine Mammal Ecology and Conservation
Wild Mammals in Captivity

Wildlife Equipment

SSF Bat2 Detector
Crushable Pocket Butterfly Net
Paramo Halcon Jacket
Schwegler 2F Bat Box
Bug Box Magnifying Pot
Triplet Loupe 10 x 21mm
Pooter
Lanyard
Bird Holding Bag
WeatherWriter A4 Portrait

New Holland have just published five new editions of these pocket-sized photographic guides – the perfect lightweight companion for the wildlife traveller.  At £7.99 these guides are great value, with clear colour photographs and concise accompanying text.

Trees of Panama and Costa Rica

“This is an impressive tour-de-force of tropical plant identification. The lively writing is accessible to nonspecialists, while the broad taxonomic coverage and authoritative species descriptions make this guide useful to professional botanists.” – Brad Boyle, University of Arizona

1. The only tree guide to cover Panama and Costa Rica together
2. Covers almost 500 species
3. Contains 438 high-resolution photographs
4. Includes 480 colour distribution maps
5. There are concise and jargon-free descriptions of key characteristics for every species

Richard Condit is a staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. Rolando Pérez is chief botanist and Nefertaris Daguerre is a forest specialist with the Center for Tropical Forest science at the STRI.

We’ve added Paramo clothing to our unbeatable range of environmental equipment as we believe it to be the perfect choice of clothing for those who spend substantial amounts of time outside. A whole host of nature professionals havealready adopted Paramo for work and leisure including cameramen and sound recordists such as Mark Carwardine, Philip Lovel and Stephen Moss; wildlife enthusiasts and birdwatchers such as John Aitchison and landscape and wildlife photographers including Joe Cornish and Andy Rouse, Charlie Waite and Ben Osborne.

So what makes Paramo clothing so good?

Simple but very clever Paramo fabrics are designed specifically to ‘direct’ water away so you keep comfortable and dry – from reversible, next-to-the-skin, stretchy Parameta T fabric to the ultimate outer all-weather protection of Nikwax Analogy.  Nikwax Analogy waterproof fabric is based on mammal fur – just as an otter or bear keeps warm and dry in the very worst of weather, the fabric structure moves water away from you and traps air to keep you warm.

Paramo fabrics work harder….

• Keeping the weather out.
• Removing perspiration and condensation more effectively when you’re working hard.
• Whatever the conditions – even in high humidity when conventional waterproofs give up.

But feel better….

• Quieter – they’re soft, supple and rustle-free.
• Warmer and cosier – no hard, crisp-packet feel, comfy enough to wear all day or even to sleep in!

And last longer….

• No membranes or coatings to break down over time.
• Indefinitely renewable with Nikwax aftercare.
• Repairable with a needle and thread.
• Puncture doesn’t compromise performance.

And the best bit – it’s even ethically produced!

Paramo’s production facility was established in 1992 in Bogotá, Colombia, as part of a valuable social programme from the charitable Miquelina Foundation. The little sewing machine workshop set up by a nun has grown into an efficient garment factory, providing employment, training and practical help for ‘at risk’ women wanting to improve their lives. The factory profits are reinvested in equipment but also are able to fund a housing project, a virtual library, a kindergarten and a canteen for local children.

For every Paramo jacket bought a sapling is donated to Trees for Life to help reforestation of the Caledonian forest.

Halcon Jacket

• Available in Mens and Ladies versions.
• Nine pockets, including large front pockets for binoculars, camera gear, etc.
• Soft, quiet, waterproof Nikwax fabric.
• Fleece-lined collar, handwarming pockets, upper arm vents and two way zips.

Taiga Fleece

• A cosy fleece perfect for long days in the hide.
• Unisex design with water-repellent outer layer.
• Two large chest pockets to hold maps, guidebooks, camera equipment, etc.

Cambia Zip Neck Top

• Available in Mens and Ladies versions.
• An excellent base layer that will keep you warm and dry.
• Superb wicking properties.

A Choice of Waterproof and Weatherproof Trousers

Mens Pajaro Trousers: waterproof legwear comfortable enough for all day use.

Unisex Torres Trousers: weatherproof trousers with excellent insulation.

Ladies Cascada Trousers: waterproof legwear designed to be worn all day next to the skin.

Click here to view the entire range of Paramo clothing.

Browse the NHBS Catalogue below, or (download as a .pdf document 5.9MB).

We’re offering a free gift to all customers this Christmas.

Order from NHBS before 12th December 2010 and get a FREE set of 4 Luxury Wildlife Greetings Cards (worth £4.99) featuring pictures from Robert Gillmor and Andrew Haslen. Sets of cards will automatically be added to your order when processed by NHBS.

Dinosaurs: A Field Guide

Author and illustrator Gregory S. Paul has been fascinated with dinosaurs from a young age, and his success as a dinosaur artist, including a stint as a consultant and designer for Jurassic Park, is paralleled by his career as a scientist – the perfect candidate, then, to compile a compendium of facts and figures about these fascinating creatures – including a series of in-depth introductory essays – and provide the pictures that bring them to life…

Save £5 on Dinosaurs: A Field Guide – offer ends 31/1/2011

Other new paleontology titles:

Biodiversity of Fossils in Amber from the Major World Deposits

First Life (Save £5 – offer ends 31/1/2011)

The Proterozoic Biosphere: A Multidisciplinary Study – 2 Volume Set

One to watch out for in December:

The Rise of Fishes: 500 Million Years of Evolution

Looking ahead to next month, The Rise of Fishes is an updated version of the definitive reference on early fishes, described by New Scientist as “Exceptionally lucid and comprehensively illustrated.”