In accordance with the notion that "identity" is absolutely central to ontological and discursive practices, this volume explores a multiplicity of "ways of being", including the adoption of an ...ethnic position, the enactment of gender, the conception of childhood and artistic visions of urban life in addition to other pivotal modes of existence. Beyond discourses of identity featured in the first section of this work, "ways of performing" identity in literature are brought to light in the second half through studies into, for instance, the roles of enunciator and reader, the depiction of villainy and the portrayal of rebellious victimhood. Integrating research from Great Britain, Bulgaria, Iraq, Japan, Romania, Spain and Ukraine, this collection of fifteen chapters offers innovative and inspiring insights from a comparative stance into the complex dynamics and parameters which govern the construction of "identity" in cultural and literary space.
The Pilbara region in Australia's arid northwest is rich in flora that is suited to extreme temperatures and boom and bust cycles of moisture availability. It is also a region important for its ...natural resources. In places where mining activities have finished and the land is under management for ecological restoration, there is increasing demand for information about native plant communities and the biology of their seeds. Pilbara Seed Atlas and Field Guide is the first book to combine plant identification with robust, scientific criteria for cost-effective seed-based rehabilitation. It describes 103 regional plant taxa and provides guidelines for effective collection, cleaning, storage and germination of their seeds. It addresses issues such as timing of collection, quality and viability of seed, and dormancy release, which are essential for successful restoration programs. With photographs to portray the subtle differences and unique features of each species' biology, this book will be of great use to practitioners in the field, including environmental consultants, rehabilitation companies, commercial seed collectors and government authorities, as well as naturalists and people interested in growing the Pilbara's remarkable plants.
The Arctic Guidepresents the traveler and naturalist with a portable, authoritative guide to the flora and fauna of earth's northernmost region. Featuring superb color illustrations, this ...one-of-a-kind book covers the complete spectrum of wildlife-more than 800 species of plants, fishes, butterflies, birds, and mammals-that inhabit the Arctic's polar deserts, tundra, taiga, sea ice, and oceans. It can be used anywhere in the entire Holarctic region, including Norway's Svalbard archipelago, Siberia, the Russian Far East, islands of the Bering Sea, Alaska, the Canadian Arctic, and Greenland. Detailed species accounts describe key identification features, size, habitat, range, scientific name, and the unique characteristics that enable these organisms to survive in the extreme conditions of the Far North. A color distribution map accompanies each species account, and alternative names in German, French, Norwegian, Russian, Inuit, and Inupiaq are also provided.
Features superb color plates that allow for quick identification of more than 800 species of plants, fishes, butterflies, birds, and mammalsIncludes detailed species accounts and color distribution mapsCovers the flora and fauna of the entire Arctic region
Visual Patterns in the Plant Kingdom Binsfeld, R.; Gamboa, J.; Walter, M.
2011 24th SIBGRAPI Conference on Graphics, Patterns and Images,
2011-Aug.
Conference Proceeding
There has been a lot of progress in modeling and rendering elements of our Natural World for computer graphics tasks. In the Plant Kingdom, techniques for modeling the visual patterns presented in ...many natural objects (such as stripes on a watermelon) have advanced far less than methods for modeling the shape and reflectance properties of individual or large collections of elements (such as leaves and trees). In this paper we explore a procedural model for synthesis of many familiar visual patterns from the Plant Kingdom. Our results show that in this context a procedural model has advantages over other texturing techniques such as texture mapping and procedural noise, since these patterns are usually needed in great quantity, and at least for some plants, with many geometric variation, assigning consistent texture coordinates is a challenge. We show results for fruits, mushrooms, and small decorative plants.
From their ability to use energy from sunlight to make their own food, to combating attacks from diseases and predators, plants have evolved an amazing range of life-sustaining strategies. Written ...with the non-specialist in mind, John King's lively natural history explains how plants function, from how they gain energy and nutrition to how they grow, develop and ultimately die. New to this edition is a section devoted to plants and the environment, exploring how problems created by human activities, such as global warming, pollution of land, water and air, and increasing ocean acidity, are impacting on the lives of plants. King's narrative provides a simple, highly readable introduction, with boxes in each chapter offering additional or more advanced material for readers seeking more detail. He concludes that despite the challenges posed by growing environmental perils, plants will continue to dominate our planet.
Global warming has dramatically increased the frequency and severity of flooding events worldwide. As a result, many man-made and natural ecosystems have become flood-prone. For plants, the main ...consequence of flooding is the drastic reduction of oxygen availability that restricts respiratory energy production and finally affects survival. Flooding can negatively influence crop production and wild plant distributions, since most plants are sensitive to excessively wet conditions. However, plants have evolved a broad spectrum of adaptive responses to oxygen deficiency that eventually leads to tolerance. Many of these morphological and physiological adaptations have been described in some crops and wild plant species and considerable progress has been made in understanding the molecular aspects governing tolerance traits. Moreover, the molecular mechanism of plant oxygen sensing has been recently elucidated. However, many other aspects concerning plant acclimation responses to flooding remain unanswered. With this research topic we seek to build an online collection of articles addressing various aspects relating to “plant responses to flooding’’ which will reflect the exciting new developments and current state of the art in this vibrant and dynamic research field. All kinds of articles, including original research articles, short reviews, methods and opinions are welcome, in the attempt to broadly and freely disseminate research information, tools and protocols.
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