The ecology of snow and ice environments /

This is a timely volume, given the expected results from drilling into sub-ice Antarctic lakes. Laybourn-Parry and Tranter (both, Univ. of Bristol, UK) and Hodson (Univ. of Sheffield, UK) focus on the ecology of icy environments that have often been assumed to be sterile; it is also expected that these environments will be seriously affected by warming in the near future. The book summarizes the topic in seven chapters. After a background introduction, the volume includes chapters on the environments of seasonal snow; ice surfaces; sea and lake ice; and subglacial and extraterrestrial (for which the extreme environments of Earth have been used as analogues) situations. The book closes with a chapter on future research directions, a glossary of terms, and a comprehensive list of references. The book is primarily intended as a text for senior undergraduate and graduate students. However, as a first review of scientific work, it will be valuable to ecology researchers and microbiologists working in cold environments. General readers intrigued by the nature of the extremophiles that inhabit inhospitable snow and ice environments will also enjoy this work. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above; general audiences. N. Caine University of Colorado at Boulder