Finches For Dummies

Insects are the most abundant and diverse organisms that inhabit our planet and are found in all the world’s forest ecosystems. Many feed and/or breed on parts of trees. Some perform important functions, such as pollination or break-down of dead vegetation. Others weaken, deform or kill trees, and compete with humans for the many goods and services that trees and forests provide. Forest Entomology: A Global Perspective examines forest insects in a global context and reviews their dynamics, interactions with humans and methods for monitoring and management of species that damage forests. Also provided are 235 profiles of forest insects, worldwide. A series of tables provides summaries of the distribution and hosts of many more species. Included are those that damage forests, others that are simply curiosities and some that are beneficial. This book is designed as a reference for students, practicing foresters and forest health specialists, especially for those who work internationally or are concerned with species that have the potential to expand their ranges via international trade, travel or environmental changes.

Professor L. Scott Mills has been named a 2009 Guggenheim Fellow by the board of trustees of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Conservation of Wildlife Populations provides an accessible introduction to the most relevant concepts and principles for solving real-world management problems in wildlife and conservation biology. Bringing together insights from traditionally disparate disciplines, the book shows how population biology addresses important questions involving the harvest, monitoring, and conservation of wildlife populations. Covers the most up-to-date approaches for assessing factors that affect both population growth and interactions with other species, including predation, genetic changes, harvest, introduced species, viability analysis and habitat loss and fragmentation. Is an essential guide for undergraduates and postgraduate students of wildlife biology, conservation biology, ecology, and environmental studies and an invaluable resource for practising managers on how population biology can be applied to wildlife conservation and management. Artwork from the book is available to instructors online at www.blackwellpublishing.com/mills. An Instructor manual CD-ROM for this title is available. Please contact our Higher Education team at HigherEducation@wiley.com for more information.

Studying Captive Animals outlines the methods that may be used to study the behaviour, welfare and ecology of animals living under the control of humans, including companion animals, feral populations, and those living on farms and in zoos. This book is a step-by-step guide to the whole process of conducting a scientific study: from designing the original project, formulating testable hypotheses, and collecting and analysing the data, to drawing conclusions from the work and writing it up as a scientific report or paper. It also illustrates how to write a formal research proposal – a crucial and often difficult element of the student project – and how to deal with the ethical review process. Sample data collection sheets are provided and the analysis and presentation of data are worked through in diagrammatic form. In addition, exercises are included that enable the reader to practice analysing different types of data and advice is provided on the selection of appropriate statistical tests. The text describes the different types of student projects that may be undertaken in the field, and explains where secondary data may be found for zoos. This is an insightful resource, particularly for those studying and working with zoo and farm animals. It is essential reading for students studying zoo biology and animal management; it is also suitable for students on courses in animal behaviour, animal welfare, zoology, biology, psychology, animal science, animal production, animal ecology, conservation biology, and veterinary science. This book is primarily intended for undergraduates but will also be of value to postgraduate students who have not previously engaged in field studies. Professionals working in institutions that are members of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria and other regional and national zoo organisations will benefit from access to this practical guide.

Meat has been a long sought after source of nutrients in human diets. Its nutrient-dense composition of protein, fats, vitamins and minerals makes it an integral part to healthy and balanced diets. As demand for meat continues to increase globally, a better understanding of efficiently producing quality meat products is becoming increasingly important. The Science of Meat Quality provides comprehensive coverage of meat quality from the biological basis of muscle development to end-product-use topics such as preparation and sensory analysis. The Science of Meat Quality explores the basis of meat quality long before it hits grocery store shelves. The book opens with a look at cellular muscle tissue development, metabolism and physiology. Subsequent chapters look at topics surrounding the development of tenderness, water-holding capacity, lipid oxidation and color in meat products. The final chapters discuss producing a good-tasting end product from preparing meat to preventing food-borne illness. Each chapter contains not only the theory behind that topic, but also detailed lab methodologies for measuring each meat quality trait. The Science of Meat Quality is an essential resource and reference for animal scientists, meat scientists, food scientists, and food industry personnel. Meat has been a long sought after source of nutrients in human diets. Its nutrient-dense composition of protein, fats, vitamins and minerals makes it an integral part to healthy and balanced diets. As demand for meat continues to increase globally, a better understanding of efficiently producing quality meat products is becoming increasingly important. The Science of Meat Quality provides comprehensive coverage of meat quality from the biological basis of muscle development to end-product-use topics such as preparation and sensory analysis. The Science of Meat Quality explores the basis of meat quality long before it hits grocery store shelves. The book opens with a look at cellular muscle tissue development, metabolism and physiology. Subsequent chapters look at topics surrounding the development of tenderness, water-holding capacity, lipid oxidation and color in meat products. The final chapters discuss producing a good-tasting end product from preparing meat to preventing food-borne illness. Each chapter contains not only the theory behind that topic, but also detailed lab methodologies for measuring each meat quality trait. The Science of Meat Quality is an essential resource and reference for animal scientists, meat scientists, food scientists, and food industry personnel.

Modeling is now one of the most efficient methodologies in life sciences. From practice to theory, this book develops this approach illustrated by many examples; general concepts and the current state of the art are also presented and discussed. An historical and general introduction informs the reader how mathematics and formal tools are used to solve biological problems at all levels of the organization of life. The core of this book explains how this is done, based on practical examples coming, for the most part, from the author’s personal experience. In most cases, data are included so that the reader can follow the reasoning process and even reproduce calculus. The final chapter is devoted to essential concepts and current developments. The main mathematical tools are presented in an appendix to the book and are written in an adapted language readable by scientists, professionals or students, with a basic knowledge of mathematics.