Fossils document the existence of trees and wood-associated organisms from almost 400 million years ago, and today there are between 400,000 and 1 million wood-inhabiting species in the world. This is the first book to synthesise the natural history and conservation needs of wood-inhabiting organisms. Presenting a thorough introduction to biodiversity in decaying wood, the book studies the rich diversity of fungi, insects and vertebrates that depend upon dead wood. It describes the functional diversity of these organisms and their specific habitat requirements in terms of host trees, decay phases, tree dimensions, microhabitats and the surrounding environment. Recognising the threats posed by timber extraction and forest management, the authors also present management options for protecting and maintaining the diversity of these species in forests as well as in agricultural landscapes and urban parks.

Why do we die? Do all living creatures share this fate? Is the body's slow degradation with the passage of time unavoidable, or can the secrets of longevity be unlocked? Over the past two decades, scientists studying the workings of genes and cells have uncovered some of the clues necessary to solve these mysteries. In this fascinating and accessible book, two neurobiologists share the often-surprising findings from that research, including the possibility that aging and natural death may not be forever a certainty for most living beings. Andre Klarsfeld and Frederic Revah discuss in detail the latest scientific findings and views on death and longevity. They challenge many popular assumptions, such as the idea that the death of individual organisms serves to rejuvenate species or that death and sexual reproduction are necessarily linked. Finally, they describe current experimental approaches to postpone natural death in lower organisms as well as in mammals. Are all organisms that survive until late in life condemned to a "natural" death, as a consequence of aging, even if they live in a well-protected, supportive environment? The variability of the adult life span from a few hours for some insects to more than a millennium for the sequoia and thirteen times that for certain wild berry bushes challenges the notion that death is unavoidable. Evolutionary theory helps explain why and how some species have achieved biological mechanisms that seemingly allow them to resist time. Death cannot be understood without looking into cells the essential building blocks of life. Intriguingly, at the level of cells, death is not always an accident; it is often programmed as an indispensable aspect of life, which benefits the organism as a whole."

This text provides an overview of the processes of brain death, exploring the concepts and historical approach of human death, clinical examinations of brain-dead patients, ancillary tests in coma and brain death, bioethical discussions of brain death and its relationship with some consciousness disturbances, and the legal considerations of human death. Unlike other, narrow-focus reference this book encompasses a wide spectrum of issues including medical, legal, bioethical and historical aspects.

From around 1650 until well into the nineteenth century, Frederik Ruysch enjoyed international fame as an anatomist. He owed his renown to a preparation method that greatly aided early-modern scientists in their exploration of the human body and transformed dissection from a messy business into a widely admired art. Ruysch s anatomical collection was one of Amsterdam s tourist attractions, for his embalmed bodies were astonishingly lifelike in appearance. The visitors who gazed with amazement at his preparations included the Russian tsar Peter the Great, who was so moved by the sight of an embalmed boy that he kneeled down to kiss him. The tsar later bought Ruysch s entire collection and had all the specimens shipped to St Petersburg, where they still attract visitors from all over the world.

This book is an introduction to the application of biology in legal investigations. Fully revised and updated throughout, the second edition of this highly successful textbook offers an accessible overview to the essentials of the subject providing a balanced coverage of the range of organisms used as evidence in forensic investigations; invertebrates, vertebrates, plants and microbes. The book provides an overview of the decay process and discusses the role of forensic indicators - human fluids and tissues, including blood cells, bloodstain pattern analysis, hair, teeth, bones, and wounds. It also examines the study of forensic biology in cases of suspicious death. The coverage of molecular techniques has been expanded throughout with additional material on bioterrorism and wildlife forensics now included. The use of DNA and RNA for the identification of individuals and their personal characteristics is now covered along with a discussion of the ethical issues associated with the maintenance of DNA databases. - Fully revised and updated new edition of this highly successful textbook. - Includes self-assessment questions at the end of each chapter and case studies. - Now in full colour throughout. - Includes a supplementary website (www.wileyeurope.com/college/gunn) covering additional material and self-test questions to reinforce student understanding.

This text contains information on the ecology of fungi and provides an accessible account of fungi in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems with an emphasis on fundamental ecological principles. The author discusses such topics as; the life strategies of fungi, the structure of fungi, the mycelium and substrates for growth, colonization and decomposition of leaves, colonization and decay of wood, and fungi of the soil and rhizosphere. This book should be of interest to ecologists, mycologists, biologists, microbiologists, foil biologists, agricultural botnists, microbial ecology, and botanists.

A comprehensive account of the natural history of fungi, from their lifestyle, habitats and ecology to their uses for humans. How do we use fungi in medicine? How can we identify edible mushrooms? Brian Spooner and Peter Roberts are both widely respected experts in fungi from the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. In this highly authoritative guide they examine all aspects of fungi, from their lifestyle and habitats to their diverse reproductive strategies. New Naturalist Fungi covers all aspects of the subject including: The biology and evolution of fungi; Fungi as agents of growth and decay; The relation of fungi to man, mammals and parasites; Their natural and man-made habitats. Exploring the rich variety of mushrooms and toadstools found living in woodlands, grasslands, coastlines, rivers, and man-made habitats such as compost heaps, this New Naturalist volume is packed with information covering virtually every aspect of fungi. There is even a section on fungi in folklore and how humans have used fungi for medicinal purposes. With practical tips on collecting, preserving and identifying fungi, this is an ideal reference guide for enthusiastic amateurs and professionals alike.

Fungi play important roles in the cycling of elements in the biosphere but are frequently neglected within microbiological and geochemical research spheres. Symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi are responsible for major transformations and redistribution of inorganic nutrients, while free-living fungi have major roles in the decomposition of organic materials, including xenobiotics. Fungi are also major biodeterioration agents of stone, wood, plaster, cement and other building materials, and are important components of rock-inhabiting microbial communities. The aim of this book is to promote further understanding of the key roles that free-living and symbiotic fungi (in mycorrhizas and lichens) play in the biogeochemical cycling of elements, the chemical and biological mechanisms that are involved, and their environmental and biotechnological significance. Where appropriate, relationships with bacteria are also discussed to highlight the dynamic interactions that can exist between these major microbial groups and their integrated function in several kinds of habitat.

In Human and Nonhuman Bone Identification: A Color Atlas,Diane L. France, one of the most respected forensic anthropologists in the world, offered a comprehensive handbook of photographs and other information essential for examining skeletal remains and determining species and body parts. Conveniently designed for field use, this compact version of the book presents the major skeletal elements from the same species as the bestselling Atlas.Focusing on the bones most often discovered in field scenarios, the book is divided into two major sections: General Osteologyincludes major features of bone growth and development and highlights general comparisons of quadrupedal mammals to human bones. This section includes an introduction to bird skeletal anatomy and some suggestions on how to clean and preserve bones. Major Bones of the Bodies of Different Animalsincludes most bones from the cranium to the metatarsal. Filled with more than 1200 annotated, crisp photographs, this handy guide enables law enforcement, medicolegal death investigators, forensic anthropologists, and others in the field and in the lab ready access to the information needed to help solve the mystery of discovered bones.

With canny insight and bone-dry wit, John Alcock, a specialist in the ecology of the American Southwest, introduces us to the lives and loves of desert insects as they forage through his backyard oasis. Creating his own desert garden behind his suburban home in Tempe, Arizona, Alcock scrutinizes every square inch of soil detailing the exotic plant life he finds and offering tips on its peccadilloes and preservation. The true heroes of this story, however, are the bugs of Alcock's backyard. We are drawn into complex plots almost biblical in nature of life and love, survival and death. Two male earwigs caught in each other's pincers battle for a prized female. A female mantis finishes copulating, beheads her mate, and cannibalizes his body for its precious protein. With each detail, Alcock pieces together the entire ecosystem of his desert paradise. Always amusing and instructive, and sometimes dramatic, In a Desert Garden provides an eye-opening meditation on the joys of planting, weeding, pruning, and, most of all, bug-hunting.

From one of the finest naturalist/writers of our time, a fascinating investigation of Nature’s inspiring death-to-life cycle When a good friend with a severe illness wrote, asking if he might have his “green burial” at Bernd Heinrich’s hunting camp in Maine, it inspired the acclaimed biologist to investigate a subject that had long fascinated him. How exactly does the animal world deal with the flip side of the life cycle? And what are the lessons, ecological to spiritual, raised by a close look at how the animal world renews itself? Heinrich focuses his wholly original gaze on the fascinating doings of creatures most of us would otherwise turn away from—field mouse burials conducted by carrion beetles; the communication strategies of ravens, “the premier northern undertakers”; and the “inadvertent teamwork” among wolves and large cats, foxes and weasels, bald eagles and nuthatches in cold-weather dispersal of prey. Heinrich reveals, too, how and where humans still play our ancient and important role as scavengers, thereby turning—not dust to dust—but life to life.

In this text on forensic entomology, the author examines the way in which this profession is practised, based on his own study of the life-histories of Diptera - especially blowflies.The author cites many high-profile cases, some of them notorious crimes, from the present day and from the past.

This is a social history of death, burial and a cherished public space in Montreal from the early 19th century to the present day. Brian Young shows how the history of the Mount Royal Cemetery, founded in 1852, mirrors the evolving social makeup, changing mores, and tragic events of what was long Canada's largest city. We meet not only prominent members of the elite but ordinary Montrealers, natives, the poor and suicides. Young shows how epidemics, train-wrecks, and the deaths of soldiers or firemen challenged conventional notions of the family and reveals that the cemetery introduced new customs and sensibilities from Jewish, Chinese, Greek Orthodox, Buddhist, and other communities to English Montreal.

The central aim of this book is to approach contemporary problems raised by technologies of life and death as ethical issues that call for a more nuanced approach than mainstream philosophy can provide. To do so, it draws on the recently published seminars of Jacques Derrida to analyze the extremes of birth and dying insofar as they are mediated by technologies of life and death. With an eye to reproductive technologies, it shows how a deconstructive approach can change the very terms of contemporary debates over technologies of life and death, from cloning to surrogate motherhood to capital punishment, particularly insofar as most current discussions assume some notion of a liberal individual. The ethical stakes in these debates are never far from political concerns such as enfranchisement, citizenship, oppression, racism, sexism, and the public policies that normalize them. Technologies of Life and Death thus provides pointers for rethinking dominant philosophical and popular assumptions about nature and nurture,chance and necessity, masculine and feminine, human and animal, and what it means to be a mother or a father. In part, the book seeks to disarticulate a tension between ethics and politics that runs through these issues in order to suggest a more ethical politics by turning the force of sovereign violence back against itself. In the end, it proposes that deconstructive ethics with a psychoanalytic supplement can provide a corrective for moral codes and political clich#65533;s that turn us into mere answering machines.