This book is a field guide that explores and explains the patterns of nature, providing new insight into observations of the natural world. The text offers scientifically current explanations of more than 225 observable patterns, along with a brief list of sources for further study. The descriptions add understanding of the principles and interactions that underlie these patterns, and include distinct behaviors and adaptations as well as broad distributional patterns. With about one page devoted to each observation, this book offers an ecological perspective and insight. The descriptions are g ... More

This book is a field guide that explores and explains the patterns of nature, providing new insight into observations of the natural world. The text offers scientifically current explanations of more than 225 observable patterns, along with a brief list of sources for further study. The descriptions add understanding of the principles and interactions that underlie these patterns, and include distinct behaviors and adaptations as well as broad distributional patterns. With about one page devoted to each observation, this book offers an ecological perspective and insight. The descriptions are grouped into 14 chapters and cover features that one may observe in individual plants and animals as well as in habitats such as mountains, wetlands, and forests. Curiosity about the world around us is a basis for human learning, and this book aims to generate interest in the many stories of the living world.