Pond Life: Revised and Updated (Golden Guide)

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Hermester Barrington, August 27, 2007 (view all comments by Hermester Barrington)
A Good Introduction to my Favorite Environment

E.O. Wilson, in his beautiful and brilliant autobiography, has stated that if he could live his life again, he would do so as a microbiologist who would dedicate himself to the study of a single tree and the area immediately surrounding it. He would investigate the organisms and the ecology of that small space, finding enough there to occupy his interest for a lifetime of exploration and research.

Given the same choice, I would choose a pond as my area of study, and this book would be one of the first field guides I would use. It is a basic introduction to the study of small bodies of fresh water: their defining characteristics, the forms they take through the seasons, the cycle of their lives, and the distinct forms they take throughout the United States. It also touches on the physical and chemical characteristics of water, and the importance these have for the organisms that live in or near the pond. The book introduces the concept of food webs and the multiple habitats of lakes and ponds, and also lists and describes some of the basic collecting tools of the limnologist (one who studies bodies of fresh water). The majority of the book is dedicated to the plants and animals which are frequently found near ponds. As one would expect, the emphasis is on how these organisms relate to the others in this environment, whether they are full or part time denizens, and in what types of ponds they can be found. More than merely a book about creatures found in ponds, it presents information about the pond itself and how its many inhabitants and visitors relate to one another there.

The book has two small weaknesses. The first is a slight bias towards organisms found only east of the Mississippi. There is enough information about ponds in general, however, to make this guide useful for any budding limnologist. The second flaw is that the sections on the protozoa and other microscopic organisms are far too short, but as a protozoologist I am perhaps biased. Still, I think that even a few more pages would have added to the value of this section by demonstrating the amazing complexity of these phyla.

As it is, however, the book functions admirably as an introduction to the study of ponds: it will lead beginners into the natural world, and to help them identify what they find there. It is suited for older children and adolescents, and will still be of some use at the college level, if only because it includes a list of more technical reference books. I recommend it for anyone who wants to "take the plunge" into the study of this fascinating environment!

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Product Details

ISBN:

9781582381305

Subtitle:

Revised and Updated

Editor:

Zim, Herbert Spencer

Illustrator:

Kaicher, Sally D.; Dolan, Tom

Editor:

Zim, Herbert Spencer

Author:

Kaicher, Sally D.

Author:

Reid, George K.

ill.:

Dolan, Tom

Author:

Dolan, Tom

Publisher:

Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press

Location:

New York

Subject:

Lakes & Ponds

Subject:

Freshwater biology

Subject:

Juvenile literature

Subject:

Ecology

Subject:

North America

Subject:

Science & Technology - Biology

Subject:

Freshwater plants

Subject:

Juvenile

Subject:

Freshwater animals

Subject:

Pond ecology

Subject:

Ecosystems & Habitats - Lakes, Ponds & Swamps

Subject:

Nature Studies-Biology

Edition Number:

Rev. and updated

Edition Description:

Revised, Update

Series:

A Golden Guide from St. Martin's Press

Series Volume:

v. 40:1-155

Publication Date:

20010414

Binding:

Paperback

Grade Level:

General/trade

Language:

English

Illustrations:

Includes full-color illustrations throug

Pages:

160

Dimensions:

4.39x5.80x.30 in. .28 lbs.