Editorial Review

Concern for the environment combined with excellent description. The first two chapters in each volume define a particular biome and its key species. The next five discuss predators, prey, flora, herbivores, and life cycle. The sixth chapter features a prime example of that type of environment such as the Sahara in Deserts and old growth forest in Forests, while the last chapter deals with human factors in each of the systems. The vocabulary is well suited to the audience and the text is well laid out. Side boxes include definitions, interesting facts, in-depth articles on related topics, listings of Web sites, videos, and further reading. The color photography is excellent. The photo captions generally repeat information found in the text. The maps, though accurate and appropriate, are small-usually less than one-quarter page. Each volume concludes with a chart of the biome’s species and an index.