What Good Are Bugs?: Insects in the Web of Life by Gilbert Waldbauer (English) P

Description: What Good Are Bugs? by Gilbert Waldbauer This book, the first to catalogue ecologically important insects by their roles, gives us an enlightening look at how insects work in ecosystems—what they do, how they live, and how they make life as we know it possible. Waldbauer combines anecdotes from entomological history with insights into the intimate workings of the natural world. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description We shriek about them, slap and spray them, and generally think of insects (when we think of them at all) as pests. Yet, if all insects, or even a critical few, were to disappear--if there were none to pollinate plants, serve as food for other animals, dispose of dead organisms, and perform other ecologically essential tasks--virtually all the ecosystems on earth, the webs of life, would unravel. This book, the first to catalogue ecologically important insects by their roles, gives us an enlightening look at how insects work in ecosystems--what they do, how they live, and how they make life as we know it possible.In What Good Are Bugs? Gilbert Waldbauer combines anecdotes from entomological history with insights into the intimate workings of the natural world, describing the intriguing and sometimes amazing behavior of these tiny creatures. He weaves a colorful, richly textured picture of beneficial insect life on earth, from ants sowing their "hanging gardens" on Amazonian shrubs and trees to the sacred scarab of ancient Egypt burying balls of cattle dung full of undigested seeds, from the cactus-eating caterpillar (aptly called Cactoblastis) controlling the spread of the prickly pear to the prodigious honey bee and the "sanitary officers of the field"--the fly maggots, ants, beetles, and caterpillars that help decompose and recycle dung, carrion, and dead plants. As entertaining as it is informative, this charmingly illustrated volume captures the full sweep of insects integral place in the web of life. Author Biography Gilbert Waldbauer is Professor Emeritus of Entomology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Table of Contents Macrocosm Helping Plants 1. Pollinating 2. Dispersing Seeds 3. Supplying Food 4. Providing Defense Helping Animals 5. Giving Sustenance 6. Giving Protection Limiting Population Growth 7. Controlling Plant Populations 8. Controlling Insect Populations 9. Controlling Vertebrate Populations Cleaning Up 10. Recycling Dead Animals 11. Recycling Dung 12. Recycling Dead Plants Microcosm Selected Readings Acknowledgments Index Review Persuasive, rollicking, and informative...He may not get you to hug your termites, but you will see them in a whole new light. Bugs are truly awesome in numbers and variety...On the surface, bugs seem so alien to us. But in anecdote after anecdote, Waldbauer gives us plenty with which we can identify...Waldbauer celebrates not only the good things bugs do but also the bizarre...What Waldbauer shows us is that bugs are vitally important to our planet. They help plant life grow. They are great cleanup crews, removing waste material...They till and aerate soil. They provide food for all kinds of animals, including fish and birds and some mammals...Clearly, bugs are good. -- Vicki Croke * Boston Globe *This book will open the eyes of readers who, like the great majority of mankind, regard insects with contempt or disgust. It will make them look on our six-legged fellow creatures with more interest and sympathy, and will thus add a new dimension to their own lives. -- Anthony Daniels * Sunday Telegraph (UK) *Written in a gentle style that is easy to read yet still authoritative, the breadth of insect ecology is paraded before us. -- Richard Jones * BBC Wildlife *Waldbauer is an entomologist with an unwavering verve for his pursuits. Here he catalogs ecologically important insects by their occupations within an ecosystem, explaining how they live and how they make possible life in general. Among insects occupations are their roles in regulating plant and animal populations and tilling the soil. In some cases, their capabilities and behaviors are nothing short of mind-boggling. Waldbauer reports that one species of Great Plains ants has brought to the surface about 1.7 tons of subsoil per acre. An average colony of honeybees harvests 44 pounds of pollen and 265 pounds of nectar a year. Such anecdotes combine with the authors keen insight into the mechanics of ecosystems to make a strong case on behalf of the lowly insect. * Science News *Waldbauer gives us a bugs-eye view of the world in this well-written and entertaining book that will change the way you think about insects. -- B.F. * Southeastern Naturalist * Review Quote Written in a gentle style that is easy to read yet still authoritative, the breadth of insect ecology is paraded before us. Details ISBN0674016327 Author Gilbert Waldbauer Short Title WHAT GOOD ARE BUGS Pages 384 Publisher Harvard University Press Language English ISBN-10 0674016327 ISBN-13 9780674016323 Media Book Format Paperback DEWEY 595.717 Year 2004 Imprint Harvard University Press Subtitle Insects in the Web of Life Place of Publication Cambridge, Mass Country of Publication United States Audience Age 14-17 Residence Savoy, IL, US DOI 10.1604/9780674016323 UK Release Date 2004-10-25 AU Release Date 2004-10-25 NZ Release Date 2004-10-25 US Release Date 2004-10-25 Publication Date 2004-10-25 Illustrations 30 halftones Audience Professional & Vocational We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:8305933;

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