The McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Environmental Science provides a compendium of
8,800 terms that are relevant to environmental science and related fields
of science and technology. The coverage includes terminology from more
than 30 disciplines, including agriculture, botany, chemical engineering, civil
engineering, climatology, ecology, forestry, genetics and evolution, geochemistry,
geography and mapping, meteorology, microbiology, mycology, oceanography,
petroleum and mining engineering, plant pathology, systematics, and
zoology.
The definitions are derived from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and
Technical Terms, 6th edition (2003). The pronunciation of each term is provided
along with synonyms, acronyms, and abbreviations where appropriate. A guide
to the use of the Dictionary is included, explaining the alphabetical organization
of terms, the format of the book, cross referencing, and how synonyms, variant
spellings, abbreviations, and similar information are handled. A pronunciation
key is also provided to assist the reader. An appendix provides definitions and
conversion tables for commonly used scientific units as well as charts and
listings of useful environmental data.
Many of the terms used in environmental science are often found in specialized
dictionaries and glossaries; the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Environmental Science,
however, aims to provide the user with the convenience of a single,
comprehensive reference. It is the editors’ hope that it will serve the needs of
scientists, engineers, students, teachers, librarians, and writers for high-quality
information, and that it will contribute to scientific literacy and communication.
Mark D. Licker
Publisher
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Copyright 2003