An illustrated tour of the planet that reveals ecosystems large and small, from reefs, deserts, and rain forests to ponds, backyard gardens, and even a drop of water. Through exquisite drawings, maps, and infographics, author Rachel Ignotofsky makes earth science accessible and entertaining, explaining how our planet works, from its diverse ecosystems and their inhabitants, to the levels of ecology, the importance of biodiversity, the carbon cycle, weather cycles, and more.

Includes glossary.

Introduction -- Levels of ecological organization -- Biome map -- What is an ecosystem? -- The flow of energy -- The classification of living things -- How living things interact -- What makes a healthy ecosystem -- Succession -- Microecosystems -- Microscopic ecosystems -- North America. The Redwood Forest ; The Northern Great Plains ; The Florida Mangrove Swamp ; The Mojave Desert -- South America. The Amazon Rainforest ; The Atacama Desert ; The Pampas ; The Tropical Andes -- Europe. The Moorland of the British Isles ; The Mediterranean Basin ; The Alps -- Asia. The Northeast Siberian Taiga ; The Indochina Mangroves ; The Eastern Mongolian Steppe ; The Himalayan Mountains -- Africa. The Congo Rainforest ; The African Savanna ; The Sahara Desert ; The Cape of Africa -- Australia. The Australian Savanna ; The Tamanian Temperate Rainforest ; The Great Barrier Reef -- The Polar Ice Caps. The Arctic Circle ; The Antarctic Tundra -- Aquatic Ecosystems. The open ocean ; The deep ocean ; Rivers ; Lakes -- The cycles of nature. The carbon cycle ; The nitrogen cycle ; The phosphorus cycle ; The water cycle ; Plants -- Humans and Planet Earth. The farm ; The city ; Human impacts on nature ; Climate change ; Protecting our planet -- Glossary.