Wildlife in the Balance is a beautifully illustrated book that teaches us about 12 of the world’s keystone species, which means that their existence is paramount to life on earth. An obvious example in England is the beaver, the world’s second-largest rodent, which although previously hunted almost to extinction for its fur in the past, is now being successfully ‘rewilded’ to help prevent floods, due to its dam-building skills.
After learning exactly what a keystone species is (and benefits to our environment and food chains), you’ll learn about various keystone species around the world, grouped by area:
- Australia (fish that shape the reefs)
- Europe (beavers and Mediterranean rabbits)
- South America (pollinators of Patagonia & a ‘giving tree’ of the rainforest)
- Antarctica (krill that powers the Atlantic)
- North America – apex predators
- Asia – China’s little pika
Plus you’ll learn the importance of keystone areas like the African Savannah, and how to protect keystone species around the world.
The book also focuses on exactly what an ecosystem is. We hear the word, but what does it mean? In short, it means somewhere that supports a wide range of life, a community of living things on land or sea, that interact to support each other. From a small pond to an Amazon rainforest. The main ecosystems on earth are:
- Deserts on dry land, which receive little rainfall
- Temperate rainforests in northern areas that drop their leaves in winter
- Open oceans away from coastlines
- Temperature grasslands with little trees and little rain
- Coral reefs, made up of thousands of coral
- Savannah grasslands, maintained by grazing animals
- Tropical forests (warm and humid, near the Equator
- Tundra (cold windy areas with few trees)
About the Author
Sharon Wismer is a marine biologist, mother and children’s book author, who loves to share her passion for wildlife. Currently funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, she leads a science communication project at a Swiss University and focuses on the impacts of mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef, and how it affects fish.
