viii 1 Introduction to Natural Resources . . . . . . . . .2 2 Career Planning . . . . . . . . . .20 3 Historical Perspectives of Natural Resources and Conservation . . . . . . . .50 4 Ecology and Earth . . . . . . . .80 5 Sustainability in the Environment . . . . . . . .108 6 Habitat Destruction . . . . .136 7 Global Environmental Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154 8 Population Dynamics . . . .176 9 What Is Soil? . . . . . . . . . . . .198 10 Soil Erosion, Leaching, and Pollution . . . . . . . . . . .232 11 Controlling Soil Erosion . .256 12 Mining of Natural Resources . . . . . . .280 13 Water Supply . . . . . . . . . . .306 14 Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . .330 15 Wetlands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .356 16 Weather and Climate . . . . .382 17 Air Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . .404 18 Interactions . . . . . . . . . . . .432 19 Endangered Species . . . . .462 20 Fisheries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .490 21 Game Species . . . . . . . . . .530 22 Forests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .560 23 Forest Succession and Management . . . . . . . .596 24 Threats to Forests . . . . . . .618 25 Grasslands and Rangelands . . . . . . . . .646 26 Outdoor Recreation . . . . .668 27 Natural Protected Areas . . .692 28 Surveying and Cartography . . . . . . . .718 Illustrated Glossary . . . . . . . 744 Appendix: Student Organizations and SAEs . . . . . . . . . . . .765 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 777 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 806 Brief Contents