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    Microbiology for Earth Scientists

    (1 review)

    Matthew F. Kirk, Kansas State University

    Copyright Year:

    Last Update: 2024

    ISBN 13: 9781944548513

    Publisher: New Prairie Press

    Language: English

    Formats Available

    Conditions of Use

    Attribution-NonCommercial Attribution-NonCommercial
    CC BY-NC

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    Reviewed by Paul Olusegun Bankole, Assistant Professor of Biology, Anderson University on 8/22/24

    The book does not effectively cover all aspects. It lacks details on some aspects. The focus was much on bacteria and viruses with much less on fungi, especially in Part 1, No. 3. The index and glossary are pretty appropriate read more

    Table of Contents

    • Preface
    • Part 1: Microbes and Microbial Reactions
    • Part 2: Environmental Controls on Microorganisms
    • Part 3: Impacts of Microbial Activities
    • Apendix A: Thermodynamic Data for Select Reactions
    • Table of Figures

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    About the Book

    Microorganisms are the most abundant form of life on Earth and in recent decades it has become increasingly clear that their collective activities are one of the dominant forces shaping the Earth.

    This book provides earth scientists with an introduction to microbiology and a look at the ways microorganisms are important to their area of expertise. The first part of this book summarizes some basic information about microorganisms, including a discussion of their diversity, physical properties, and metabolisms. From there, the second and third portions of the book are organized around the two-way interactions between microorganisms and their environments. The second portion of the book considers the ways that environmental conditions help determine distributions of microbial activity, including chapters focused on thermodynamic, kinetic, and biological factors. The third and final portion of the book examines the impacts of microbes on their environments. These impacts are placed within the context of earth system science, with chapters focused on impacts to the lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. In these chapters, emphasis is placed on microbial impacts to greenhouse gas levels and the quality of water resources, underscoring the relevance of microbiology to environmental concerns of keen interest in the earth science community and beyond.

    This book is specifically designed for earth science students and can provide a helpful free resource for students in Geomicrobiology courses. However, portions of the book can also have value for students and professionals from any field who are interested in environmental microbiology.

    About the Contributors

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    Matthew F. Kirk, Kansas State University

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